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“Hockey Capital” goes south
Photo Credit: University of Alabama in Huntsville
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December 20, 2011
Grant Taylor
Hockey in the South is like sweet tea in the North- it is unheard of. This thinking has forced many teams in the area to implement cutbacks.
The school hockey team is one such program affected by cutbacks, and was hit so hard they had to completely cancel it. Senior Gary Bliss is the only player left from last year’s team. Bliss now has to play for Bob Jones team because it has one of the few club teams left in the area.
“Our team last year was only affiliated with the school last year by name only. Aaron and I were the only two players from the school,” Bliss said.
With only 10 skaters and one goalie on the team, well short of a full roster, coach Alex Palmer led the team to a dismal 0-13 season
“I thought we were a good team under those conditions, but playing with a short roster made it tough on all of us. We got tired so quick,” Bliss said.
After watching the Pittsburgh Penguins play on television, Bliss decided he wanted to play hockey. When he was 12, his family moved from Pennsylvania and Bliss taught himself to skate at the Huntsville Municipal Ice Complex. A year later, he joined a hockey league.
This past year Bliss could not contribute to his team like he would have liked due to the two sports surgeries he had to undergo before the season. Even with the surgeries, Bliss was still able to contribute a goal and four assists in eight of the ten games he played in for his squad.
“We were not even supposed to play last season because we had such a small team, but me and my friend Aaron challenged the hockey board, and they let us play. Unfortunately, they canceled the team this year,” Bliss said.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville has also experienced setbacks in hockey’s “Capital of the South.”
The team will be reverted back to its club roots after a long stint of playing in Division I and II.
“As a school, we have lost over $15 a year in state appropriations because of the failing economy. The program is subsidized with dollars that could be spent in making our academic programs even better,” UAH Director of Public Affairs Ray Garner said.
The Chargers started out as a club team in the 80s, winning three national titles, and they decided to test the waters of Division II. They were also very successful winning two national championships.
Once the NCAA eliminated Division II hockey, the team decided to join Division I. With only two first-round tournament losses and financial trouble, the school decided to regress back to a club.
“The club team will continue to be sponsored by the university. However, instead of being managed by the athletic department, it is expected to be under the auspices of student affairs. Estimates have put the cost at less than $100,000 – a fraction of the $800,000 we spend now,” Garner said.
The state of Alabama has produced only three Division I hockey players for UAH. Because of this, the school usually recruits players from Canada and northern states, but reverting back to a club team opens the door for local talent to participate on a collegiate level.
“UAH’s club team would provide a great opportunity for local students to participate in collegiate hockey,” Garner said.
