- Alabama-Huntsville Chargers ice hockey
The Alabama-Huntsville Chargers hockey team is currently the only
Division I ice hockey program located south of theMason-Dixon Line , fielded by theUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville in Huntsville,Alabama .cite web|last=Garner|first=Ray|title=Doug Ross retiring as UAH’s hockey coach after 25 seasons |url=http://www.uah.edu/News/textonly.php?newsID=625|accessdate=2008-04-05] cite news
last =Newberry
first =Paul
coauthors =
title =Huntsville warms up to collegiate men’s ice hockey team
work =The NCAA News
pages =19
date =February 24, 1988
url =
accessdate = ] cite web|last=NCAA|first=|title=Division I Men's Ice Hockey |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/sponsorship?sortOrder=0&division=1&sport=MIH|accessdate=2008-04-05] With its stature as the South's only Division I team in place, following the 1987 season Alabama governorGeorge Wallace declared Huntsville to be the "Hockey Capital of the South."cite book
coauthors= UAH Sports Information
title= UAH Hockey 2007-08 Media Guide
url=http://www.uah.edu/Athletics/mediaguides/hockey/2007-08guide.pdf
accessdate=2008-04-05
year=2007-08
pages=29-31
chapter=Charger History]The Chargers compete as a charter member of
College Hockey America and have home ice at theVon Braun Center . Although all Charger home games are played in Huntsville, UAH was selected as the host school for the 2012Frozen Four scheduled to be held at theSt. Pete Times Forum in St. Petersburg,Florida .cite book
coauthors= UAH Sports Information
title= UAH Hockey 2007-08 Media Guide
url=http://www.uah.edu/Athletics/mediaguides/hockey/2007-08guide.pdf
accessdate=2008-04-05
year=2007-08
pages=51
chapter=2012 Frozen Four] The current men's head coach isDanton Cole .History
In 1979, the initial Charger team was organized with Joe Ritch serving as head coach. Competing as a
club team as part of theSouthern Collegiate Hockey Association , UAH would win their inaugural game by a final score of 11-4 onOctober 26 , 1979. UAH would capture the SCHA Championship in the first season and win another two in addition to the 1982 National Club Championship in the first three seasons of play.For the 1982-83 season, UAH would move to the
Central States Collegiate Hockey League and hire Doug Ross as head coach. The team would continue to excel in winning both the 1983 and 1984 National Club Championships and finishing as runner-up in 1985. The on-ice success led to the program spending the 1985-86 competing in the NAIA before moving to compete in NCAADivision II college ice hockey for the 1986-87 season.Following the 1986-87 season, the NCAA would eliminate Division II ice hockey resulting in UAH competing at the
Division I level from the 1987-88 through the 1991-92 seasons. For the 1992-93 season, UAH would drop back to Division II citing competition, overall program costs and an inability to join a Division I conference.cite news
last =Benson
first =Reggie
coauthors =
title =UAH hockey program moves back into NCAA Division II
work =The Huntsville Times
pages =D3
date =October 8, 1992
url =
accessdate = ] In the second season back at D-II, the Chargers would finish as the Division II National Runner-up. Between 1995 and 1998, the Chargers would win a pair of D-II National Championships (1996 & 1998) in addition to finishing as Division II National Runner-up again in 1997.Once again following the 1998-99 season, the NCAA would eliminate Division II ice hockey resulting in UAH once again moving to Division I as a charter member of
College Hockey America . As a member of the CHA, UAH has finished as regular season champions twice (2001 & 2003) in addition to one tournament championship in 2007. Coming in Doug Ross' final season as head coach, the Chargers would advance to the NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament for the first time in school history only to lose to Notre Dame in the first round. Following their NCAA exit, Danton Cole was announced as UAH's third head coach in April 2007.eason-by-season record
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