URI Hockey going to Nationals

[rhodyfan3]

This is taken right from their website. A strong 22-12-3 record this year. They will head to the ACHA National tournament next week.

Rhody makes it back to Nationals
Colleen Macalino - 02/18/14

For the 3rd time in 4 years the Rams head back to the ACHA Men's Division 1 National tournament at the University of Delaware. The Rams moved up one to #16 in the recently released tournament rankings and will face #17 Lindenwood in the first elimination round on March 6th. These 2 teams have faced each other only once and that was back in 2006 during the ACHA National semifinals where the Rams won 3-1. Rhody would go on the win the National championship against Penn State the next day.

[ATPTourFan]

Nice. Glad to see they're winning!

[hrstrat57]

Go hockey Rams!

On another hockey note was watching a real good D1 PC club playing in a half empty beautiful on campus building on Cox the other night....

PC students should be ashamed of themselves for not lining up to see the 12th ranked Friars play Massachusetts no less!!

Someday soon we will get our chance to support a D1 team better!

[RhowdyRam02]

My buddy went to PC, and we both love hockey, so I go to a fair amount of PC games. They were ranked going into the season, the first game of the year was going to be the unveiling of the Schneider Arena renovations, and they have two Hobey Baker candidates. The lack of buzz going into the year was absolutely shameful. PC fans aren't even good at being frontrunners.

[theblueram]

The projo had a small bit on the women's hockey team. They won their 10th ECWHL league championship beating Vermont and UMass this past weekend.

[rhodyfan3]

The projo had a small bit on the women's hockey team. They won their 10th ECWHL league championship beating Vermont and UMass this past weekend.

That's great news too!

[rambone 78]

Thorr is getting his act together in many ways now.

BB, now FB, baseball, track, hockey.

Things are looking up.

[Ram99]

Rambone,

hockey has nothing to do with the athletics department. At URI, for both the men and women, it is a club sport, not an NCAA sport. Hockey falls under the jurisdiction of recreation. The coordinator of the 15 club sports at URI is Chris Daigle. Thorr actually has very little, if anything to do with it.

For the other sports, yes, things seem to be on the upswing. Baseball will struggle this season with a very young roster, but Rhody has the longest active streak in the conference for reaching the A-10 tournament. It is a solid, consistent program. Track is an A-10 power. The feeling around football is one of excitement with the change, and basketball, while maybe not as big a jump as everyone expected. has improved from a year ago and has some strong piece in place, for sure.

[Rhodymob05]

There's nothing recreational about this hockey team. I know division 1 all state high school hockey players who've been cut from this team.

[hrstrat57]

There's nothing recreational about this hockey team. I know division 1 all state high school hockey players who've been cut from this team.

I've said it many times folks who venture out to Boss Arena to see coach Augustine's club will be shocked at how high the level of play and coaching is....

Remember we were beating Penn State with regularity......and are recent national champion. Primary reason why I submit the jump to varsity is easily achieved from a compete point of view. All we need is the money to fund it, the infrastructure is 100% in place.

The situation is the same for our women's club, ready to jump to varsity now.

[Rhody4012016]

They sell weekend passes to students for a dollar. All of them say thank you after you buy it and they all salute after every game win or loose. Coach Augustine is the man. I would love to see them go D1 and some students dont know about the hockey team.

[adam914]

I've always been a big fan of the idea of taking hockey D1 as well. Always seemed strange to me that given the popularity of hockey in the area, and the wealth of talent, that we didn't have a D1 hockey program.

[SGreenwell]

I've always been a big fan of the idea of taking hockey D1 as well. Always seemed strange to me that given the popularity of hockey in the area, and the wealth of talent, that we didn't have a D1 hockey program.

I think the lack of a good facility in South County, until they built Boss, was probably a factor. I believe the only two public high schools that still don't do hockey at all are Chariho and Westerly. Did URI have club hockey before Boss was built? And by the time Boss and the Ryan Center were finished, I believe you saw a downturn in athletic spending overall, and the contraction of programs like gymnastics. I think they eventually will look at going D1 for hockey, but it probably only comes when men's basketball or football rebound, and it might take both programs succeeding.

[adam914]

Yeah that all makes sense. Augustine is apparantly in his 25th season as coach, so its been around awhile.

I'm sure the things you mention were all factors. I guess my surprise is just that it wasn't something that had been in the works long before any of that. I don't know, easy for me to say sitting behind my computer, without much actual knowledge of the situation.

[RhowdyRam02]

Before Boss the women's club team played in West Warwick, I'd imagine that's where the men's team played as well.

[theblueram]

URI club hockey has been in place awhile. They have played second fiddle for awhile. The surf club had more status than the hockey club back in the early 90's. The student senate had control over use of the URI van for transportation for club sports. Most times the hockey team had to drive themselves to away games on their own dime. But D1 hockey is not large. There are only 39 D1 hockey teams in the country right now. There are a few DII teams that play at the DI level, like Union.

[hrstrat57]

Web site updated more frequently now, linky below

http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u ... hockey&t=c

[Puck Frovidence]

There are only 39 D1 hockey teams in the country right now. There are a few DII teams that play at the DI level, like Union.

Close, it's actually 59 teams in NCAA DI. Still not a huge number, but its big in the northeast and mid-west. As for the vintage of URI Hockey, according to an old "Blue Line Club" website, it was started in 1955. The site has some great photos and press clippings dating back to the 70s.

http://www.uribluelineclub.com/history.htm

[theblueram]

There are only 39 D1 hockey teams in the country right now. There are a few DII teams that play at the DI level, like Union.

Close, it's actually 59 teams in NCAA DI. Still not a huge number, but its big in the northeast and mid-west. As for the vintage of URI Hockey, according to an old "Blue Line Club" website, it was started in 1955. The site has some great photos and press clippings dating back to the 70s.

I guess I muddled it a bit. Of the 59 schools that play DI, only 39 schools are Division 1. The rest are DII playing DI hockey.

[rhodyfan3]

I love the idea of URI going D1 hockey, but I am just kind of sick of the conversation. It won't happen anytime soon and we have other sports to worry about.