Does anyone know if NIU still has a club hockey team, when I was in school (86-90) the team was quite good and there was some talk of them getting a NCAA certified program. I know that didn't happen but I live in an area that has just built a new rink and I would love to go see the Huskies play on the ice.
I think that when the Convo was in the planning stages they debated about adding facilities to make ice but turned it down due to cost. That probably spelled the end of any talk about a hockey team.
I hope there will be a team in the future. With the number of high schools in the Chicago area with hockey programs, Northern could recruit quite well.
Hockey is suppose to be quite expensive as a sport. With Title 9 and an already tight budget, I won't look for a NIU team. UIC cut their hockey because of cost. I believe they are pumping that money into their basketball program.
theres a club team. they play their games at some arena in rockford. supposed to be good times at these games.
http://www.niuhockey.com
its still the same club level that it was before. MACHA ( there are two MACHA's gotta make sure you get the correct one). they are still ACHA chartered. They went from teh rockerford riverhouse to the geneva rink for a few years, then back to rockford, and this year play home games at seven bridges in Woodridge, ( woo hoo-just a few miles from home) a few miles south of I88 on rt 53. There are 2 more home weekends i think, one in jan and one in Feb. I gotta get out to at least one game this year.
calvin12 Wrote:http://www.niuhockey.com
its still the same club level that it was before. MACHA ( there are two MACHA's gotta make sure you get the correct one). they are still ACHA chartered. They went from teh rockerford riverhouse to the geneva rink for a few years, then back to rockford, and this year play home games at seven bridges in Woodridge, ( woo hoo-just a few miles from home) a few miles south of I88 on rt 53. There are 2 more home weekends i think, one in jan and one in Feb. I gotta get out to at least one game this year.
I'd love to see D-I hockey at NIU, but as stated previously its not gonna happen. I believe next to football its the most expensive sport in NCAA.
Yes, get out and support the team. Looking at their schedule they play at Depaul on 1/7 & 8 (McFetridge rink) and they have Palmer (bunch of canadians-some who have played juniors and possibly minor pro hockey) at home on the 21st and 22nd.
As a hockey team alum, any support is great.
golf4501 Wrote:Hockey is suppose to be quite expensive as a sport. With Title 9 and an already tight budget, I won't look for a NIU team. UIC cut their hockey because of cost. I believe they are pumping that money into their basketball program.
I am not looking for them to have it as a D1 sport, I just wanted to know if the club was going.
Thanks!!!
It would be awesome to have them add this as a sport. It probably would increase the quality of the students we could recruit. The good H.S. teams in this area seem to be mostly from the expensive 'burbs (probably due to the cost of the sport), and these kids generally do well in school.
Plus, you probably would see better attendance than at b-ball games.
Club hockey was fairly big at NIU in the early and mid 80's. It has died down considerably since then. The Huskie squad now plays at a facility in Rockford.
Bowling Green is one MAC school with a successful hockey team. Their game versus Michigan State was on Comcast last week.
Western Mich has a nice hockey rink too. I do not know how well their team has been though.
Huskie_Jon Wrote:Western Mich has a nice hockey rink too. I do not know how well their team has been though.
I believe Miami has a brand new rink. If only we had a hockey program. Can you imagine Bill Baker trying to call a game?