No cheap skates: UAH hockey team future on the line

To put it bluntly, this weekend could be the turning point in the future of the University of Alabama-Huntsville ice hockey program.
According to a wide variety of sources in the NCAA hockey world, Bruce McLeod, commissioner of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, is in town to visit the campus and the Von Braun Center, the home rink for the Chargers.
McLeod is accompanied by other WCHA team representatives and will be at tonight's 7 o'clock game with Minnesota State, a member of the WCHA. The two teams also play Saturday at 7 p.m.
Minnesota State, formerly Mankato State, is a former UAH rival from the schools' NCAA Division II days. Also in the WCHA is the Chargers' arch-rival Bemidji State, a former member of  the now-defunct College Hockey America with the Chargers, and another former foe in DII.
In fact, the Chargers and Beavers met four times in the 1990s for the Division II national championship, with each winning twice.
I've been one of the fortunate ones to have seen the birth of the UAH hockey program which came about in the summer of 1979 as a club team.
The Chargers rolled at the club level, picking up a couple of national club hockey championships along the way to joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and then NCAA Division I.
However, lack of a conference and a low budget compared to other DI programs prompted the drop to DII and a successful venture.
The NCAA ended up dropping the DII men's ice hockey and UAH, Bemidji State and others climbed the  rung and formed the CHA.
The Chargers were successful there, reaching the NCAA National Championship Tournament twice.
But, that conference saw some members bolt for other leagues and folded a few years ago.
UAH was the lone team not to be invited to another conference.
Over the last couple years, there were stories of possible Central Collegiate Hockey Association affiliation, but they never came to fruition.
That's why this weekend is so important. It could be the program's final shot at a conference alignment.
No conference; no future.
The fans need to pack the VBC just like in the glory days of the club and DII teams. To help that effort, general admission tickets to tonight's game are free.
The WCHA officials know about the program's history and with new coach Kurt Kleinendorst at the helm, there is a solid shot at the future.
And that is where the fans come in. There's no excuse not to come out and cheer on the boys in blue.
Enjoy the confines of the remodeled VBC arena.
Show your support.
Go Blue!