UAH 4, Finlandia 1

Ah, a series sweep. Maybe it was against a Division III foe, but it still feels good to get victories, and to break out a little offense while doing it.

UAH beat Finlandia 4-1 at the VBC Saturday afternoon to take two from the Lions, spoiling the homecoming of Charger alum John McCabe. The Chargers won Friday night’s tilt 5-2.

The first period was mostly Chargers in terms of puck possession, but no goals to show for it. UAH outshot the Lions 9-3 in a period that saw lots of continuous action if not a lot of scoring chances.

UAH got it together in the second period with four goals.

Jeff Vanderlught started the scoring by driving in on Finlandia goalie Troy Chandler’s right, punching the puck in at 2:47. Kyle Lysaght got the assist on the power play goal after Finlandia was called for delay of game for dislodging the net.

Vanderlught scored his second goal of the night at 8:03, deflecting a Alex Allan blast past Chandler for a 2-0 lead.

UAH then chased Chandler just 15 seconds letter when Michael Webley scored on a centering pass from Justin Cseter to make it 3-0 Chargers.

Even when Finlandia finally got on the board with 7:43 left in the frame, UAH answered right back 32 seconds later. After a slashing call on the Lions, Frank Misuraca’s slapper from the blue line beat backup goalie Cedrik LaFrance just six seconds into the power play.

Not much to add about the third period. Finlandia outshot the Chargers 9-7 in a scoreless period, but UAH still dominated in shots for the game, 41-19.

Not much to say about the penalty box either, as only three penalties were called all game. Finlandia got two penalties in the second period, and UAH scored on both power plays. Brice Geoffrion’s cross-checking penalty with 1:30 in the game was the only infraction on the Chargers.

UAH split goaltending duties: Gregg Gruehl got the start for the first half of the game, stopping all six shots he faced. CJ Groh was a little busier in relief, stopping 12 of 13 shots.

Next up for the Chargers is another road trip, a two-game set in Wisconsin to take on the Badgers on Thursday and Friday. Both games are at 7 p.m., and will be televised on Fox College Sports Pacific (Thursday) and Fox College Sports Central (Friday).

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UAH Assistant Mike Warde Resigns to Accept West Point Job

When Mike Warde tries to get a hold of me twice in one day, something is usually up, and today was not unusual in that regard. Today’s news was that Mike had tendered his resignation as the top assistant at UAH Hockey effective 9/1 to take the equivalent position at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The top assistant at Army has been open since Rob Haberbusch took the job at Hamilton College (N.Y.). Mike coached for Army in the past, so a chance to return there had to be attractive to him.

Warde told me that he had informed the players in a meeting this morning. He and Angela both wanted me and all of you to know that this comes with mixed emotion’s. Angela has family in southern middle Tennessee, which is one reason they were interested in UAH in the first place. I’ve really gotten the sense over the last year-plus that they liked it here, and I’m personally sad to see them leave Huntsville. Thanks for all you’ve done for us, Mike.

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Pre-Sale Underway for UAH v. Merrimack in Nashville in January 2011

Photo courtesy: Nick Stenning

The University of Alabama in Huntsville Athletics Department is excited to announce that tickets for the hockey team’s upcoming series in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 14th and 15th against Merrimack are now on sale for Charger fans only. Do not miss the chance to catch the first-ever NCAA Division I hockey contests in the state of Tennessee hosted at the home of the Nashville Predators.

Pre-orders are done through Ticketmaster; select seats for the games by using the password Chargers. For students, UAH students will have the opportunity to purchase tickets on gameday at the Bridgestone Arena for only $5 for some of the best seating in the house. Those tickets will not be sold beforehand and students must show a valid UAH ID.

I do know that this is an event the program would like to see happen again in the future, but it’s the attendance success of this first event that will make it a reality.

Officially-Licensed UAH Chargers Gear at Huntsville-Area Hibbett Sports Locations

This is great news for all Charger fans:

The Licensing Resource Group (LRG) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville are proud to announce three Hibbett Sports locations will start carrying Chargers product. Merchandise has arrived at these locations and they will carry Chargers product to support the school. All three locations are carrying two different styles of shirts. These locations are located at 4710 University Dr, which is the Super Store, Madison Square Mall (5901 University Dr.), and Parkway Place Mall (2801 Memorial Pkwy South).

The Licensing Resource Group was founded in May of 1991, and currently represents more than 170 universities, athletic conferences and special properties nationwide. LRG provides trademark management services that include contract management, merchandising, brand development, information technology, and royalty management from offices in Holland, Michigan; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Iowa City, Iowa; Bristol, Rhode Island.

For your reference, the three locations, via Google Maps:


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As with anything retail, it’s a simple formula: buy the products and you’ll see more offerings. This is another way to support your Chargers, both financially and visibly. Now you can get officially-licensed merchandise outside of the UAH Bookstore, which should help many of our boosters and alumni.

GO BIG BLUE!

Meet the Chargers and Pick Your Seats!

UAH Hockey will have a Meet the Chargers night at Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center next Thursday, September 9th, at 7:00 p.m. You’ll be able to meet your 2010-11 Chargers, and season ticket holders will be able to pick their seats. As many of you know, the Von Braun Center has been undergoing renovations, including changes to the arena. As a result, not all seats available in previous seasons will be available during the 2010-11 campaign. This event is an opportunity for season ticket holders to select their seats for the 2010-11 season, and is also an opportunity for the entire Charger fanbase to meet this year’s team. If you’re a Facebook user, you can RSVP to the event at Facebook.com. This event is open to the entire community, and you do not have to purchase season tickets to attend.

We’ll look forward to seeing you at the VBC next Thursday night!