Misplaced Pages

#818181

32-558: The Chargers played their home games at Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center . In 1987, Alabama governor George Wallace declared Huntsville to be the "Hockey Capital of the South". Despite being a Southern city that might be considered unfamiliar with a winter sport such as hockey, Huntsville was, beginning in the 1950s, and still is to date, home to a large number of Northern-born (and possibly some Canadian) civilian professionals working in

64-526: A campaign to raise funds for the program and have it join a conference. Despite the questions about its hockey future, UAH was the host institution for the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa, Florida . A week before the start of the 2012-13 season, UAH replaced Luongo and hired Kurt Kleinendorst to become the program's fifth head coach. On January 17, 2013, after months of discussions with conference officials and league member representatives, UAH formally applied to and

96-476: A fair number of the transplants had an institutional affiliation, was a convenient forum for their enthusiasm. The UAH ice hockey program began as a club team in the late 1970s. Joe Ritch organized the inaugural Charger team in 1979, and served as head coach. UAH defeated Emory University 11-4 in its first game on October 26, 1979. UAH dominated opposition in its first three seasons, winning three Southern Collegiate Hockey Association championships. The Chargers won

128-439: A lounge for patrons. The facility, originally referred to as the "Von Braun Civic Center", opened on March 14, 1975. The VBC's first expansion was a west-side addition to the exhibit hall, opened in 1980 and originally referred to as West Hall (the combined space is now called simply East Hall). Expanded kitchen facilities for catering were added in 1983. Originally this was a standalone building, but it became incorporated into

160-612: A member of the NAIA . The school became a full NCAA Division II member in 1986. With no NCAA sponsorship of hockey at the Division II level, UAH moved its program to Division I as an independent beginning with the 1987-88 season. The Chargers went 63-81-8 in their five seasons in Division I. UAH finished with a winning season twice in that span: 1988-89 (15-10-1) and the last season, 1991-92 (18-10-1). UAH returned to Division II hockey in 1992 with

192-453: A mezzanine level or can be configured with seats on the floor for about 800. Across the hall, Rhythm on Monroe offers a variety of selections from pub grub to upscale dining and features a rooftop bar overlooking Huntsville. Major renovations to the high-end exhibit space, North Hall were completed in 2023. According to The Von Braun Center website, Elvis Presley appeared May 30 through June 1, 1975 for an unprecedented five performances. It

224-450: A newly constructed adjacent hotel was added in 2006. The oldest portions of the facility underwent renovation in 2011. The improvements included new seating for the arena, reconstruction of the arena and concert hall lobbies, and a new exterior facade. Another expansion in 2020 created Mars Music Hall and Rhythm on Monroe. Mars Music Hall can be figured with pit-style standing area for about 1,100 with additional night-club style seating on

256-767: The Alabama Vipers arena football team, the UAH Chargers ice hockey team , and the Alabama Hammers of the Professional Indoor Football League . The arena at one time hosted public ice skating, and youth hockey and figure skating programs, but those activities have since been moved to another facility. On February 10, 2007, the Huntsville Havoc beat the Knoxville Ice Bears 7–6, in front of

288-516: The 1997 finals, losing 4-2 and 3-2. The 1997-98 UAH team claimed its second Division II championship in 1998, beating Bemidji again 6-2 and 5-2 in Huntsville to finish 24-3-3. UAH moved ice hockey back to Division I for the 1998-99 season as an independent, and the team became a charter member of College Hockey America starting with the 1999-2000 season. The Chargers won CHA regular season championships in 2001 and 2003. The 2006-07 UAH team earned

320-506: The 2011-12 season, interim UAH President Malcolm Portera announced that the 2011–12 season would be the school's final season competing at the NCAA Division I level, citing financial reasons. The program would be "realigned" as a club team, and the coaches' jobs would be eliminated. New UAH president Dr. Robert Altenkirch reversed the decision after he and school administrators met with local supporters on December 6, 2011. The school set up

352-468: The 2015-16 season. Individual Team Individual Team Von Braun Center The Von Braun Center (known as Von Braun Civic Center until 1997) is an entertainment complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 9,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama . The original facility debuted in 1975 and has undergone several significant expansions since its opening. In addition to

SECTION 10

#1732855953819

384-582: The CHA's demise imminent following the announced departures of Niagara , Robert Morris, and Bemidji State, UAH applied for membership to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association . The CCHA denied UAH's application on August 11. UAH won the final CHA tournament in 2010, beating Niagara 3-2 in overtime for its second berth in the Division I tournament . The Chargers lost to top-ranked Miami 2-1 at

416-617: The Midwest Regional in Fort Wayne, Ind. Cole left UAH in 2010 to become the head coach of the U.S. National Development Team . Assistant Chris Luongo was promoted to head coach as the Chargers became the lone independent program in Division I. The program struggled as an independent as scheduling and recruiting hurt without a championship to play for. UAH was a combined 6-54-3 in its first two independent seasons from 2010 to 2012. Early into

448-588: The NCAA resuming sponsorship of a national championship. In 1994, the Chargers hosted its first Division II national championship series, but lost to Bemidji State in overtime of a mini-game tiebreaker. After narrowly missing a chance at the title in 1995, the 1995-96 UAH team went undefeated (26-0-3) in the 1995-96 season and beat Bemidji State 7-1 and 3-0 at the Von Braun Center to claim its first NCAA championship in any sport. The Chargers traveled to Bemidji State for

480-584: The Propst Arena, after the family that donated $ 5M to the city for the expansion. On Friday, February 5, 2010, a groundbreaking ceremony was held marking further renovations to what is now known as the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall. 2007 CHA Men%27s Ice Hockey Tournament The 2007 CHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was played between March 9 and March 11, 2007 at the 95KGGO Arena in Des Moines, Iowa . By winning

512-575: The VBC. The VBC provided space for the Huntsville Museum of Art from its opening until 1998, when the museum moved to a nearby facility. The former museum is now used as office space for VBC staff. This place is also hosting to FRC ( FIRST Robotics Competition ) Rocket City Regional event. On October 23, 2008, it was announced that the VBC Arena would undergo a massive $ 15M renovation and would be renamed

544-500: The aerospace and defense industries, and officers and enlisted people in the U.S. Army, who desired a taste of home in their sports allegiances. Even though a similar demographic in the Atlanta market failed to make an NHL team (the Flames ) profitable in the 1970s (leading to its 1980 move to Calgary, Alberta ), Huntsville proved to be a different case entirely in this regard. UAH, with which

576-615: The arena, the VBC complex features multiple exhibit halls, a concert hall, a playhouse, a music venue, and several additional facilities for meetings and exhibitions. It is named in honor of Wernher von Braun , the German - American rocket scientist . After von Braun's work for Nazi Germany in World War II , he was brought to the United States Army 's Redstone Arsenal along with many colleagues via Operation Paperclip . Their work laid

608-602: The arena. In 2024, the VBC began hosting the conference tournament for Men's and Women's basketball for Conference USA . The arena has hosted numerous rock, pop, and country music concerts. Three music videos for the band, Kansas promoting the Monolith Album - featuring a Sci-Fi Native American: On the Other Side, Away from you, and People of the South Wind were film in and on the Von Braun Center. The VBC Concert Hall has been

640-407: The club national championship tournament again in 1984, and the Chargers claimed a third straight title with wins over Miami University (3-1), Indiana (13-4), and Ohio (12-1). UAH hosted the tournament a third time in 1985, but its bid for a fourth straight championship fell short with a 6-2 loss to North Dakota State . UAH elevated the hockey program to varsity status for the 1985-86 season as

672-523: The construction of North Hall in 1987. North Hall was constructed as a high-end exhibit and ballroom space, with carpeting and decorative lighting. A second-floor gallery can be opened to the main space or closed off, and it has a variety of meeting rooms and salons attached. In 1993 the city was bidding to host a meeting of the American Bowling Congress , which would require space for bowling lanes and exhibits for six months. In order to supply

SECTION 20

#1732855953819

704-632: The first of their three National Club Hockey Championships in 1982, defeating Southern Methodist 14-2 in the title game. For the 1982-83 season, Doug Ross became head coach as the Chargers moved to the Central States Collegiate Hockey League . UAH lost the conference championship game in overtime to Marquette , but the Chargers hosted the U.S. National Collegiate Club Hockey Championships, where they defeated Auburn (16-2), Arizona (7-4), and Penn State (5-4) en route to their second consecutive national championship. UAH hosted

736-553: The foundation for the United States space program. Planning for the facility began in 1965. The original construction included the sports arena, an exhibit hall space now known as East Hall, a concert hall, a playhouse, and museum space for the Huntsville Museum of Art . The arena as originally built seated about 8,000 for concerts, and included scoreboards and a refrigerated floor for ice events. The concert hall included an orchestra rehearsal room, dressing space for performers, and

768-821: The home venue for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra since the facility opened in 1975. The concert hall also hosts the productions of the Broadway Theater League. The playhouse hosts the productions of Theatre Huntsville, the Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater, and the Jim Parker Songwriters Series, as well as numerous community events. The yearly Panoply of the Arts outdoor festival takes place in Big Spring Park adjacent to

800-405: The largest crowd for a sporting event in the VBC's history, with 7,083 fans. It was the site of the first-ever Total Nonstop Action Wrestling card, which featured in-ring cameos by Toby Keith and Sterling Marlin . WWE held its September 8, 2003 episode of WWE Raw at the arena. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) held its February 5, 2020 and February 28, 2024, episodes of AEW Dynamite at

832-423: The men's and women's tennis programs. On May 25, 2020, the university announced the program would be reinstated if the community could raise $ 750,000 by Friday, May 29. Pledges from alumni reduced the amount needed from the general public to $ 500,000. On May 29, fundraising efforts surpassed $ 500,000, and shortly afterwards the university confirmed the program would be restored for the 2020-2021 season. The program

864-597: The school's first CHA tournament title and NCAA Division I tournament bid. The Chargers spotted Robert Morris a 4-0 first-period lead, but rallied to beat the Colonials 5-4 in overtime. At the Midwest Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich., UAH took No. 1 seed Notre Dame to double overtime before losing 3-2 in Doug Ross's final game as head coach before retiring. Danton Cole became UAH's third head coach in 2007. In 2009, with

896-486: The space, the city agreed to the construction of South Hall, which opened in 1997. Around that same time, the word "Civic" was dropped from the facility's name. South Hall is the VBC's largest exhibit space at 100,800 sq ft (9,365 m ); it includes a large lobby area, a partitionable ballroom, and an underground parking garage. Its construction involved eliminating a portion of Williams Avenue and re-routing part of Monroe Street. A sky walk connecting South Hall to

928-425: The tournament, Alabama-Huntsville received College Hockey America 's automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament . The tournament featured three rounds of play. In the first round, the fourth and fifth ranked seeds, Wayne State and Alabama-Huntsville , played for entry into the semifinals, to which the top three seeds received byes. The winners of the two semifinal games then played for

960-487: Was accepted to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association . The Chargers began conference play in the 2013-14 season. Kleinendorst resigned on May 29, 2013. UAH named Mike Corbett as its sixth head hockey coach on July 8, 2013. In response to the financial difficulties faced by the university as a result of COVID-19, UAH president Darren Dawson discontinued the men's hockey program, as well as

992-448: Was once again indefinitely discontinued in May 2021 due to the team's lack of conference membership, which was a condition of a significant portion of the funds pledged the previous summer. The University stated it intends to reinstate the program once conference membership is secured. As of the completion of the 2020-21 season. As of October 14, 2020. Since the 1985-86 season through

Alabama–Huntsville Chargers men's ice hockey - Misplaced Pages Continue

1024-653: Was the first time Elvis had played that many consecutive performances in a venue outside of Las Vegas or Stateline, Nevada . The VBC is the home of the Huntsville Havoc of the SPHL . Former sports teams at the VBC include the Huntsville Lasers and Huntsville Flight basketball teams, the Huntsville Blast , Huntsville Tornado and Huntsville Channel Cats ice hockey teams, the Huntsville Fire ( EISL ) soccer team,

#818181