Frenchy Open: Thank you to all who participated and donated to the 2013 UAH Hockey Golf Tournament, also known as the Frenchy Open. The annual summer fundraising event, held at the Hampton Cove Highlands Golf Course on June 8, was a huge success.

Participants and volunteers for the 2013 Frenchy Open.

Eighteen teams participated in this year’s tournament, won by the team from SportsMed. Second place was a team familiar to most Charger hockey fans, as Jared Ross, Keith Rowe, Craig Bushey and Todd Bentley finished one stroke behind the winners. Assistant Coach Bruce Garber celebrated his first year in Huntsville by taking home third place along with UAH professor Les Brol.

WCHA officials meet in Bemidji: With three months left until the first puck drop, presidents, athletic directors, and officials from the 10 WCHA programs met in Bemidji, Minn., on June 17 to discuss many of the outstanding issues facing the revamped league.

One of the main topics was a league-wide media deal. The WCHA will be working with Fox Sports Go, Fox Sports’ Internet streaming answer to ESPN3. Each school would still have its own productions, but they would all be available on one source. In recent years, UAH has had internet streaming deals with America One.

Officiating and budgets were also discussed. Jack Hittinger of The Bemidji Pioneer has more details from the WCHA meetings.

Harris a Hall of Famer: Jim Harris, UAH’s athletic director from 1995 until his death in 2010, was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame on June 14. As A.D., the Charger hockey program won two Division II national championships, two College Hockey America regular-season championships, and two CHA Tournament titles. More information from UAHChargers.com.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville Department of Athletics announced today that Kurt Kleinendorst has stepped down from his position as the program’s head hockey coach. Kleinendorst guided the Chargers through the team’s final season as a Division I independent as the program begins play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in the upcoming 2013-14 year.

“Kurt Kleinendorst has steadied the rough waters during our transition into the WCHA, and we will always be grateful to him for that,” said UAH Director of Athletics Dr. E. J. Brophy. “He has signed nine quality recruits for next fall, and he has done a fantastic job with our program. Now that we have our program on firm footing, we will start the process of identifying the coach who will lead our hockey program into the WCHA.”

Go read the full press release if you like.  The rest of it reads as you’d expect.

Wow.

What was certain was that these guys didn’t quit.  What’s certain now is that UAH Hockey lives to fight another year.  The boys are in their first stable Division I home after 20 years of life as an independent and in the ill-fated College Hockey America.  Now UAH has made it.  These guys are a big reason why.

So here’s to Steve, Chad, Jack, Anderson, Jeff, Steve, Lasse, and Graeme; to Mike, Frank, Jamie, Ben, Alex, and Mat; to CJ, Craig, Justin, Brice, Johnny, Doug, Curtis, Gregg, and Sebastian; to Kyle, who’s doing work in Atlanta; to Coach Kleinendorst, Coach Garber, Coach Morgan, and Tim Flynn.

Here’s to success not always being measured in wins, and here’s to those successes garnering more wins next year like you know the boys want to see.

Here’s to Charger Hockey.

Jean-Marc Plante (#17 on the right) with Stu Vitue.

The tournament is also known as “The Frenchy Open,” named after Charger left wing Jean-Marc Plante, who died in 2001. Also known as “Frenchy,” the Laval, Quebec, native played for UAH from 1988-92, scoring 15 goals and 26 assists in 92 games. Plante worked at the front office of the Florida Panthers and became the athletic marketing director at UAH. A memorial scholarship is awarded in his honor to the Charger hockey player who demonstrates leadership, sportsmanship, and team spirit, and who participates in community and university volunteer service.

Registration for the tournament starts at 7 a.m., shotgun start at 8 a.m., and meal and awards to follow. You can register a player or a team, or have your company sponsor a hole.

To register, return this form with your payment to 205 Spragins Hall, Huntsville, AL 35899.

For more information, contact Tim Flynn, UAH Director of Hockey Operations, at 256-824-2485 or tim.flynn@uah.edu.

• 2013 UAH Hockey Golf Tournament Registration Form

Six months to go until the WCHA era of Charger hockey finally begins. But why wait to secure your seat? Season tickets are already available!

There are two plans:

• Full season ticket ($192): Reserved seat for all 16 home games.
• FlexTix ($99): A booklet of 10 coupons redeemable at the door for individual game tickets. Use them yourself to go to 10 games, bring a group of 10 to one game, or whatever combination the holder chooses.

To order a ticket plan, call 256-UAH-PUCK (256-824-7825) or download and mail the season ticket brochure.

Individual game ticket information will be revealed at a later date.

The Blue Line Club is also ready for the 2013-14 campaign. Consider joining and support the Chargers as they build a winner. Download and mail the Blue Line Club brochure, or call 256-UAH-PUCK (256-824-7825).

Six months seems like a long time before making your choices, but don’t worry: We’ll send out reminders throughout the summer as anticipation grows.

• Remember that the 2013 UAH Hockey Banquet is Friday, April 5! Reservations must be received by next Monday (April 1).
• 

  The WCHA also unveiled an updated logo to go along with its updated roster of teams.

  The WCHA confirmed its postseason tournament plans starting next year. The top eight teams in the 10-team league will make the playoffs. Higher seeds will host lower seeds (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc.) for the quarterfinals in best-of-3 series. The single-elimination semifinals and championship, which will retain the name “WCHA Final Five”, will be held at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2014 and 2016, and the Xcel Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2015 and 2017.

• The NCAA Tournament field has been announced. Soon-to-be league foe Minnesota State earned an at-large bid as the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region in Toledo and will face No. 2 seed Miami on Saturday. Minnesota State is one of four teams in the tournament UAH played this season (St. Cloud State, Wisconsin, and Boston College are the others).
• Chargers join the pros: Sebastian Geoffrion has four goals, an assist, and 25 penalty minutes in eight games with the Arizona Sundogs (CHL). Justin Cseter has a goal and an assist in six games with the Huntsville Havoc (SPHL). John Griggs stopped 31 of 32 shots in his pro debut with the Pensacola Ice Flyers (SPHL) on Sunday.
• As posted on Twitter this week: If you want some more hope for the UAH future, look at UMass-Lowell: 5-25-4 two years ago, 26-10-2 this year and 2013 Hockey East champions.

Our staff wanted to make sure all of our alumni, boosters and loyal fans were included in our invitations to this year’s banquet. It’s an exciting time as we conclude the independent era of the UAH Hockey program and look forward to a new begining in the WCHA next season. We’d love to have everyone come out and see some familiar faces and support the program as we begin to rebuild the great hockey tradition you all helped build at UAH. I have attached this years registration form please fill it out and send back at your earliest convienence. The event details are below.

What: 2013 UAH Hockey Banquet and Award Ceremony
Where: Holiday Inn – Downtown Huntsville
When: Friday April 5, 7 PM.
There will be both a live and silent auction along with dinner followed by an awards ceremony.

We are also looking for alumni who would be able to present an award, if you are coming and would like to participate please send me an e-mail.

We have set a date for our Annual Golf Tournament, it will be June 8 at 8 AM over at Hampton Cove. We will have more details available at the banquet.

The banquet is always a lot of fun, and I really suggest that you attend, even if all you do is buy dinner and watch.  This is a great way to send off our seniors and celebrate a program that we all believe is on the rise.

If you want to attend, here’s the banquet invitation and banquet flyer that Tim sent the boosters.

I hope to see you there!

Police said Lysaght was a frontseat passenger in a gray 2007 Lexus heading southbound on Johnson Ferry shortly before 5 p.m. Friday.

As the vehicle approached the intersection of Woodlawn, it was struck by a white 2005 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck turning left onto Woodlawn from northbound Johnson Ferry.

The Lexus then collided with a utility pole in a traffic island, seriously injuring Lysaght, Pierce said.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Kyle.  I’ve been in contact with a couple of his teammates, and they have filled me in on some of his injuries.  I would term this situation very worrisome.  Out of respect for Kyle’s privacy, I believe that the best thing for all of us to do is show our concern for our him and not pass around rumors/facts about how he’s doing.  We should just all focus on a full recovery.

Get well, Kyle.

Update: Coach Kleinendorst has been told by Kyle’s father that Kyle’s ”stablilized” and it “looks like the worst is behind him,” according to Budd McLaughlin at The Huntsville Times.

And so it was with UAH and Bemidji State. The Beavers took the NCAA Division II championship from the Chargers in sudden death overtime in 1994. UAH got even with a convincing sweep in 1996.

The Huntsville Times sports section, March 15, 1998.

The Beavers took the 1997 title with a sweep in Bemidji. Naturally, it was UAH’s turn.

“We don’t like each other,” Darren Awender told The Huntsville Times. “It‘s a rivalry, simple as that.”

Fifteen years ago, on March 14, 1998, the Chargers got revenge. Again.

And it cemented UAH-Bemidji as one of the hottest rivalries in college hockey, despite the approximately 1,200 miles between the schools.

The Chargers won the 1998 NCAA Division II national championship with 6-2 and 5-2 wins over the Beavers. UAH finished the season with a 24-3-3 record.

Cedrick Billequey, Marc Lalonde, and Jim Alauria clamp down during Game 1. (Photo by Robin Conn of The Huntsville Times)

It appeared things were going UAH‘s way early in the first game. Bemidji’s Marc LeFleur had UAH goalie Cedric Billequey down with 40 seconds left in the first period, when defenseman Tim McAllister flew into the crease and blocked LeFleur’s shot to keep the game scoreless.

From there, the Chargers took command with three goals in the second and three more in the third. Mark Motowski netted two goals, with Colin Schmidt, Ryan Stewart, Mike Hamlin, and co-captain John McCabe also scoring.

With the game in hand, tempers flared. Twenty-four players were called for penalties between the teams, including a game misconduct penalty on BSU’s Bruce Matatall for butt-ending Stewart.

Bemidji opened the scoring in Game 2, but Ryan Gavigan’s deflection of a McAllister shot from just inside the blue line snuck past BSU goalie Neil Cooper to tie the game at 1.

Ryan Stewart then blew the doors off Bemidji and UAH didn’t look back. His blast from the far circle with 3:16 of the second period hit Cooper’s pad, trickled past him, and broke a 1-1 tie.

Schmidt made it 3-1 two minutes later when he buried a Ryan McCormack pass from behind the goal line. Jay Woodcroft and McCabe’s power-play goals in the third put the game out of reach. Billequey’s 30 saves made it stand.

Ryan Stewart holds up the trophy and acknowledges the crowd as the Chargers celebrate their second NCAA championship. (Photo by Robin Conn of The Huntsville Times)

The end of the championship was marred by one final scuffle. Shane Stewart had the puck alone behind the UAH net as the final seconds were counted down, ready for the celebration, when BSU’s Jim Logan checked into Stewart. The Chargers retaliated and a fracas ensued.

Call it the heat of the moment, but the incident led to harsh words on live TV by McCabe: “We’re 20 times the team that team is down there, and showed it both nights.

“They can’t carry our skates and they’re going Division I? They’re brutal. See you, Bemidji!”

Bemidji State would announce a move to Division I in May of 1998. UAH followed a month later, ending the head-to-head series in Division II at two championships apiece. After a year as independents, the schools would continue the rivalry as charter members of College Hockey America.

But on that night, the Chargers got the best of the Beavers again.

Huntsville native Matt Parker, who was a senior this go around, told The Huntsville Times: “This was my second championship, and it was just as good.”

• Scores and statistics for the 1997-98 UAH Chargers

Back row: Coach Mike Quenneville, Dwayne Blais, Ryan Gavigan, Mike Hamlin, Coach A.J. Baker, Ryan McCormack, Tim McAllister, Tom Williams, Dr. Michael Linder. Middle row: Coach Lance West, Robert Cross (equipment), Jay Woodcroft, Jamie Baby, Joe Provenzano, Shane Stewart, Marc Lalonde, Mark Motowski, Dave Marcelli, Nathan Bowen, Colin Schmidt, Derek Young, Ryan Stewart, Trainer Theresa Brooks, Trainer Jeff Kinard. Front row: Cedrick Billequey, Paul Schloss, Matt Parker, John McCabe, Coach Doug Ross, Jim Alauria, Jason Mucciarone, Darren Awender, Steve Briere.

• With 38 games scheduled, UAH will set a record for most games played in a season, even if the Chargers do not qualify for the WCHA playoffs. The record is 37 set in the 2001-02 season.
• What better way is there than to open up the WCHA era at home against rival Bemidji State? UAH has faced BSU 70 times, well more than any other opponent.
• UAH played the Alaska teams regularly in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The Chargers will visit the 49th state twice, something they did in the 1992-93 season. Anchorage will visit Huntsville for the first time since 1992.
• Michigan Tech is one of four current Division I programs UAH has never faced. The Huskies will come off that list, leaving Boston University, Dartmouth, and Union.
• The Chargers will head to South Bend twice: at Notre Dame’s tournament in November and a two-game set against the Irish in January.
• Nic Dowd’s coming home: The Huntsville native and his St. Cloud State team come down for a non-conference series in November.

Here’s the full schedule in list form. All home games are Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. (* WCHA series.)

October 11-12 at Northeastern
October 25-26 vs. Bemidji State*
November 1-2 vs. Ferris State*
November 8-9 at Alaska-Anchorage*
November 15-16 vs. St. Cloud State
November 22-23 at Northern Michigan*
November 29-30 at Notre Dame Tournament (UAH, Northeastern, Western Michigan)
December 6-7 at Bowling Green*
December 13-14 vs. Minnesota State*
December 27-28 at Wisconsin
January 3-4 vs. Bowling Green*
January 10-11 at Notre Dame
January 17-18 vs. Alaska-Anchorage*
Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at Alaska*
February 7-8 at Michigan Tech*
February 14-15 at Minnesota State*
February 21-22 vs. Lake Superior State*
Feb. 28-March 1 at Bemidji State*
March 7-8 vs. Northern Michigan*
March 14-16 WCHA first round playoffs (at campus sites)
March 20-22 WCHA championship semifinals and final (TBA)

The top eight teams in the league qualify for the WCHA playoffs. The league will announce post-season tournament sites, dates and details on Saturday, March 23.

Let the countdown begin!