2015 valpo hockey

[covufan]

Does anyone think that Valpo Hockey just fell off a turnip truck and stumbled in here and decided to spoof us about a new hockey program?  Or, is he someone who knows enough about is to recognize that it's a topic that we would willingly bite on?  Does anyone really believe that highly articulate, self-professed longstanding Valpo fans and board members like Big Mo Smith Fan and Valpower, for example, just suddenly dropped off the face of the earth, or are they/he ever present among us?

If Valpo_Hockey were an alias to have some fun with us, they really missed an opportunity by not waiting another 68-70 days or so!

[Valpo_Hockey]

I stand by my statements. Discussions were held with the AD today via email. This is an administration we are dealing with. Also, the AD has nothing to do with whether an ACHA team is approved. That falls with rec sports.

I haven't responded, because i was scouting in Fort Wayne over the weekend. Secondly, I don't really care what the son of the AD has to say. And if indeed the AD spills all this behind the scenes info to his son, just so he can run off and post it on a fan forum, then i have lost respect for both individuals.

Lastly, If you really are interested in seeing a jersey. Visit the FB page. There is an early mock up.

Feel free to debate this further. I am done with all the negativity behind this forum. The only reason this was posted, was to gain support. However a few on here would rather poke fun instead of having a discussion. Don't expect a response from me here on out.

[FWalum]

Valpo_Hockey, I am the one who asked the athletic department to weigh in on this subject, before that I think there was nothing but support for hockey and this endeavor.  Your comments, young man, are out of place when it comes to the AD and his son who is also involved with development for the athletic department.  Many of us on this board have a long history of work with the university either on boards or as actual employees and were most likely and deservedly somewhat skeptical about the statement concerning the university building two sheets of ice for your program.  Before that all of us were on board and many excited about the possibilites. If you really are determined to take your ball, or in this case puck and go home and you are truely giving us accurate information about a new club hockey team at VU, I respectfully suggest that this is the wrong play.

[okinawatyphoon]

This board has nothing but support for a hockey program, but we are also realistic. We've been talking about a desire for a hockey program for a lot longer than you've been on here, Valpo_Hockey. If you succeed, we will all be behind you. 

[Valpo_Hockey]

I'm coming from one of the top 3 most dominant division 1 hockey schools this past decade. I know how to make this a successful program. Coming on here, was a ploy to gain support. There are people talking about jerseys, when there is a mock up on the fb page which is what I first posted. Apparently nobody has decided to either like the page or visit it and look at those jerseys.

And you may or may not agree with my tactics. But I will tell you people working with the university especially the AD coming on here and posting is not professional and would have resulted in a firing very quickly at my previous universities. And I agree with that philosophy. There is a big difference between engaging fans and down right leaking information that is happening behind closed doors at the University. I could Leake and post screen shots of all the email correspondence from coaches concerning recruitment, ice rinks, and general administration dealings, but that is unprofessional and frankly unnecessary.

If a hockey team is something you want to see at valpo. Then I would suggest you stop attacking me, like the fb page, and champion it's idea.

[VULB#62]

I think college hockey is one of the most fascinating and thrilling sports to watch.  The speed and skill is a pleasure to watch. BUT, coming from New England where collegiate hockey is followed closely and generally out-draws college BB at places like BC, BU, UNH, UMaine, Harvard, etc., I'm wondering why so many on this board are willing to put hockey up against MBB and IMO dilute the Valpo athletic brand.  The outcomes, again IMO, are all risky if not counter productive. Heck, we already have a number of struggling non-revenue sports. And we want to add another (unless we bite the bullet and hire  a seasoned DI coach and open up the VU vault)?

1. Adding hockey, that carries approximately 30 players, would require a title IX adjustment (I.e., cut a couple of men's sports or add another women's team)
2. It may challenge MBB for attendance (perhaps splitting student fan interest). We have discussed the drop in attendance issue and student apathy to death already.
3. It may, no will, be a financial drain on the athletic budget:  Equipment is considerably more expensive than, say, lacrosse. Ice time is expensive. Schedules are  ~30 games and traveling with 30 players to compete against other DI teams will be expensive. 
4. Ticket revenue will not support expenditures -- especially if it involves convincing students to leave campus and drive to SB to watch a game.
5. There is no mention or even an illustration of a rink in the 30 year plan.

Sorry, even though I really like the sport, I don' t see the value nor the sense in a move that Valpo_hockey is trying to sell.

Oh and BTW, I have bookmarks for both the VUFB Twitter and Facebook pages, have had them active for five years, and do not see any hockey sweater photos or posts. Please post the direct link before making any claims of this nature. 

[vu72]

It's pure and simple.  To accuse our AD of not being honest regarding "what is going on behind the scenes" is laughable on its face let alone a "firing" at another institution".  Valpo is a basketball school, followed by a football school, located in Indiana.  It isn't located in Minnesota or Wisconsin or New England.  We all know the struggles related to raising funds to support our flagship sports and to waste time debating the value of pipe dreams is a major waste of time and an insult to our Sports Administration.  Just let it go to where it belongs--the dead hype dream threads.

[bbtds]

The Facebook page that valpo_hockey is talking about is Valpo Hockey Facebook Page

Here is the hockey jersey mock up



The first comment on the Valpo Hockey Facebook page dated January 18, at the bottom, lists the names of two people involved with this endeavor.

[FWalum]

I'm coming from one of the top 3 most dominant division 1 hockey schools this past decade. I know how to make this a successful program.

From this statement it seems that you are a coach and not a student?

Coming on here, was a ploy to gain support. There are people talking about jerseys, when there is a mock up on the fb page which is what I first posted. Apparently nobody has decided to either like the page or visit it and look at those jerseys.

This thread has been looked at almost 800 times, that seems like a fair amount of support.  I would venture to guess that almost every poster viewed the facebook page, I did.

But I will tell you people working with the university especially the AD coming on here and posting is not professional and would have resulted in a firing very quickly at my previous universities.

You appear to  be unfamiliar with this board, the AD comes on here somewhat regularly to update us on university and department positions and happenings. If you did not anticipate this happening and did not have any contact with the athletic department concerning this, then I suggest that it is you who have been unprofessional.  I am certain that no university would fire an administrator because they communicate with some of the universities more active supporters. 

Then I would suggest you stop attacking me

Ok, some posters may have suggested that you were trolling, but I don't think that anyone really attacked you.  As has been said many times before, most everyone would support a club hockey team at VU.

[a3uge]

Still think the shield logo would be better for the front of a hockey jersey.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

[valpotx]

Everyone would support NCAA hockey at Valpo, if we went that direction, but as stated before, we would have to add men's and women's hockey for Title IX.  I highly doubt that we would eliminate any of our other programs to add hockey, which would be a complete unknown for our school.  I would support it, but don't know that Valpo could afford to add both large programs as NCAA sports.

[a3uge]

If a hockey team is something you want to see at valpo. Then I would suggest you stop attacking me, like the fb page, and champion it's idea.

Jan 26, 2015 - the day a message board killed an entire hockey program, a 5000 seat arena, and almost got an athletic director fired. Maybe some day these emails will "Leake" on Valpowikileaks.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[covufan]

If a hockey team is something you want to see at valpo. Then I would suggest you stop attacking me, like the fb page, and champion it's idea.
                     
                  
                  
                     
                     
                     
                        

I would think that 195 likes would indicate that people are in support of hockey at Valpo, especially in such a short time. 

I think for most posters on this board, the discussion of hockey at Valpo comes to believability.  Most of us know that the AD and others within the Athletic Department read the forum and post from time to time.  Most of us are knowledgeable with the future plan of athletics at Valpo, including the master plan of the University and potential buildings associated with these plans.  Most of us had not even heard inklings or ideas of the University planning to build ice rinks for hockey or any other use.  While most wanted this to be true, there was never an announcement from the University - not necessarily very believable. 

You were correct in coming to this forum to get buy in for a club level hockey team at Valpo.  This is where you would get the most die hard fans and supporters of Valpo.  Good luck in building a hockey brand at Valpo!

[HC]

You all are wearing big letter "S" on your foreheads. 


"S" is for Sucker

[cornonthe]

OK...I probably should have chimed in here before now, but I'm just too busy...but here I go. First, the arena...check out the last page of the "arena plan" thread for my post on the pitfalls of building an arena anywhere...I have a couple of renderings of our arena plan as well. We weren't a part of the other two arena groups, but we did speak once to the LLC group from a few years ago.

Number one, anyone setting up a club team...I'll talk about the ACHA here...they don't need university approval right away. No funds come from the university at all...any budget, revenue and the like is generated by fundraisers or donors. At a certain point however, the university in question will have to be notified because of likeness use(uniforms/sweaters)issues...or the potential thereof. Starting an NCAA team is a university deal...the AD would know everything about that...the ACHA team would never become an NCAA team, we're talkng about two totally different things here. In fact, there are many NCAA schools that also have ACHA teams, sometimes at all three levels(mens).

I'm running out of time, but I have one more point...or a bit of info...there seems to be someone recruiting for Valparaiso U hockey out there...found it on multiple recruiting sites that I'm privy to. I wish you luck Valpo_hockey...you should have no problem right away with an ACHA III level team...without a nearby rink, ACHA II would be tough(ask Purdue), but not impossible...anything beyond that would be impossible without the said ice sheet(s)on campus.

[Valpo_Hockey]

We are looking into a different facility that is not located in South Bend. We may have found a better deal.

[classof2014]

We are looking into a different facility that is not located in South Bend. We may have found a better deal.

Unless you're going into Michigan or Chicago you're only other reasonable option is St. Johns, which is better than South Bend due to there is no time change.

[Kyle321n]

We are looking into a different facility that is not located in South Bend. We may have found a better deal.

Unless you're going into Michigan or Chicago you're only other reasonable option is St. Johns, which is better than South Bend due to there is no time change.

As someone who lived there for 24 years I let the first one slide but now I have to correct you. It's just St. John. It's only one town.

[covufan]

I can't remember everything about the Valpo area arena deals, but I would think that any arena would need some ice.  I'm also thinking that an enterprising person might put an ice arena somewhere on 49 between 80 and 94.  LaPorte, Valpo, Michigan City, Lake county - just about everyone would be able to use the ice there and I'm sure there are kids that would otherwise not try skating would be able to learn. 

[IndyValpo]

Not getting my hopes up but this would be great. Both Ball State and Purdue play at the Fishers Forum which is less than two blocks from my home....

[historyman]

We are looking into a different facility that is not located in South Bend. We may have found a better deal.

Unless you're going into Michigan or Chicago you're only other reasonable option is St. Johns, which is better than South Bend due to there is no time change.

There is the Midwest Ice Center on White Oak Ave. in Dyer. It's where the Lake Central and Crown Point hockey clubs play.

[Kyle321n]

We are looking into a different facility that is not located in South Bend. We may have found a better deal.

Unless you're going into Michigan or Chicago you're only other reasonable option is St. Johns, which is better than South Bend due to there is no time change.

There is the Midwest Ice Center on White Oak Ave. in Dyer. It's where the Lake Central and Crown Point hockey clubs play.

As someone who's parents paid a LOT in property taxes for that ice arena, it's in St. John. It's in unincorporated St. John Township which means the zip defaults to Dyer, but if it was build about 300 yards to the north it would be in St. John. It was also paid for by St. John taxpayers and there's a few politicians who will never be elected in St. John because of that fiasco.

It's on the same property that the St. John little league fields are on.

[cornonthe]

I can't remember everything about the Valpo area arena deals, but I would think that any arena would need some ice.  I'm also thinking that an enterprising person might put an ice arena somewhere on 49 between 80 and 94.  LaPorte, Valpo, Michigan City, Lake county - just about everyone would be able to use the ice there and I'm sure there are kids that would otherwise not try skating would be able to learn. 

Maybe someone can move just my arena post from the basketball section here...top of page four, I believe...

[IndyValpo]

Things have gone silent here.....