ECAC Turns down Niagara

As published in The Ithaca Journal and other newspapers from the Associated Press:

(07-12) 14:18 PDT LEWISTON, N.Y. (AP) --

Niagara University's men's and women's hockey programs will not be joining the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

Niagara athletic director Mike Hermann said Monday that he was told of the league's decision this past weekend. "We are disappointed because ECAC membership would have placed our hockey programs in a tradition-filled league," Hermann said.

ECAC acting hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell said the conference is still conducting its search and it would be inappropriate for him to comment. The ECAC began a search last spring to replace Vermont, which is leaving to join Hockey East at the start of the 2005-06 season.

The main drawback for Niagara was its location, out of the way for a conference whose westernmost school is Cornell, located in Ithaca.

Niagara started its hockey program in 1996 and has spent the past five years in College Hockey of America, a low-profile conference made up of schools that stretch from Alabama to Colorado. The ECAC is a more established league, that features 12 men's and 11 women's programs, including Harvard.

Niagara believed it was ready to make the jump after its men's team qualified for the NCAA tournament for the second time in five years this season. The women's team competed in the 2002 NCAA Frozen Four.