Story Archive

A Little School with Big Time Hockey

It's October 16th, 1998. The setting is the visiting locker room at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The defending national champion Michigan Wolverines had just survived a 6 - 5 overtime scare against a young, upstart Niagara University hockey team. Michigan's Josh Langfeld had notched the game winner with just a few ticks left on the clock in the first overtime to seal the narrow victory for Michigan. The fledgling Purple Eagles program, only in their third season of existence, had just given mighty Michigan all they could handle. There wasn't even a single senior on the Niagara roster.

Coaches Blaise McDonald and Dave Burkholder were having a little post game chat out of earshot of the players. The conversation probably went something like this:

Blaise: "Gee, that was a great game"

Dave: "Yeah we gave them a good one"

Blaise: "They're the defending National champs"

Dave: "I think we made them mad"

Blaise: "They're going to kill us tomorrow"

Dave: "We could get on the bus and sneak out of town"

Blaise: "We already paid for the hotel"

Dave: "I guess we're coming back tomorrow"

Blaise: "Ok, but don't mention this to the team

It's a good thing they didn't say anything to their young charges. The Niagara University Purple Eagles didn't sneak out of town. They went back to Yost the next night and beat Michigan 2 - 1 in front of a shocked Michigan crowd and host of disbelieving coaches on both benches. Niagara University Hockey was on the map.

Purple Eagles Hockey

Dwyer Arena Main Rink

The Purple Eagles hockey program is now in it's twelfth season and coach Dave Burkholder has been there every step of the way. "Blaise McDonald and I started the Niagara program from scratch, so every hockey moment here, I was either an assistant (for the first five years) or the head coach. We began with 27 freshmen, and by our junior year we had a ton of juniors and just a handful of freshmen and sophomores. That was the season we beat Michigan at Yost. Friday night we had surprised them, we gave them a good game. But after taking them into overtime on Friday, we figured they're going to beat us by ten goals on Saturday. We sure didn't expect to win." You can bet that Red Berenson, his Michigan Wolverines, and then rest of the college hockey world didn't expect it either.

More Banners to Come

Big games like that can be a big boost to young programs and the upset of Michigan did not go unnoticed in the Buffalo area and beyond. "We got peoples attention keeping the score close on Friday and then we found out the Buffalo Sabres were playing at home Saturday night, and they kept updating the score over the PA system as our game was going on. I remember all the media interviewing Blaise on the bus as we were driving home from Yost; it was a major event." Niagara was in the process of getting their feisty little Division One program off the ground, and beating the defending National Champs was a great boost. Nevertheless, there was still much to do.

"Friday night we had surprised them (Michigan), we gave them a good game. But after taking them into overtime on Friday, we figured they're going to beat us by ten goals on Saturday. We sure didn't expect to win."

Starting a Division One program can be challenging at best. For one thing, it's tough to find opponents. No one wants to play you because they're expected to beat you, and if they lose... well it's a risk a lot of established teams have little interest in taking. It helps though to be competitive and establish a track record of success; you then begin to develop credibility in the leagues. "The first year we played a division 3 schedule in the ECAC West, and we couldn't play in the playoffs. The second year we got into the playoffs and won the league. We had played a handful of Division One games; I think we played Air Force, and Army, and we played some other independents. Our third season was our first full Division One season. We went from there improving our recruiting and getting more games like that."

Robert and Concetta Dwyer Arena

In their short history, Niagara has developed a reputation as a dynamic, upper tier program. The Dwyer Arena is helping the cause. Their impressive facility is architecturally interesting and up-to-date, has two sheets of ice, and brand new box seating. Recent renovations and improvements continue to make Dwyer a first-rate venue. "The new box seating is great and sold out in about a month over the summer. The seats are not done yet; they started the expansion this past summer. Eventually we will have all purple seats going from the dashers right up to the windows."

Dwyer Rink Entry

The success of the team and the allure of Dwyer Rink has brought in the crowds and developed a nice home ice advantage for the Eagles. "We've had a solid base of 1000 fans that are regulars and that's been great for the team. We had a little streak part of this season and last where we went 23 games without losing at home, and during that stretch we started to create a reputation that this is a tough place to play. We started getting even more students coming out, and last season we set a record for attendance. When it's packed I think it's a very tough place to play, especially when we get our student section, the "N" zone, going. The mascot, Monty the eagle is around for the kids, the place gets loud, and it's a great atmosphere."

"We had a little streak part of this season and last where we went 23 games without losing at home, and during that stretch we started to create a reputation that this is a tough place to play. We started getting even more students coming out, and last season we set a record for attendance."

Young programs tend to write history quickly, good or bad, and since Coach Burkholder took over, the program has already has its share of great moments. He cited his first CHA championship as his most memorable moment to date. "In my tenure as head coach, beating Bemidji in overtime in 2004 for the CHA title was a highlight. The game was on CSTV, a national broadcast. Of course, winning the league title means an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. Niagara has done a great job of getting to the tournament with regularity. "I keep telling our guys we need to get back to the NCCA tournament. You have to experience the NCAA tournament."

"We've been lucky in that every senior class has gone to the tournament. It's just worked out that way and how we've spaced them out. We went in 2000; we went in '04, and now again in '08. We needed to go this year or we were going to break that record of everyone at least experiencing one NCAA tournament game."

Having won the CHA league title three times has meant three NCAA bids to date, an honor Niagara has earned once every four years including their 2008 appearance. It's an achievement Coach Burkholder speaks of with great pride. "We've been lucky in that every senior class has gone to the tournament. It's just worked out that way and how we've spaced them out. We went in 2000; we went in '04, and now again in '08. We needed to go this year or we were going to break that record of everyone at least experiencing one NCAA tournament game." Making the tournament is a big deal for any team, and Niagara has enjoyed every moment. "That whole week is just magical, you're waiting for the ESPN selection show; that in itself is an event. We had boosters, and fans and parents for the last one. In '04, I can still remember getting off the bus and walking into that rink in Manchester for the Regionals. It was just a thrill that I'll remember forever, especially being the head coach."

Aggressive, Disciplined Hockey

Eagles Practice

Niagara has become successful in part to a no (Burk)-holders barred aggressive style of play. "We're very aggressive in our systems; we never trap. Rarely will we go into a no-pressure forecheck. We'll chase the puck; even if they set up we go after it hard with two guys." Although they are aggressive Coach B. is proud of the discipline and resolve the team demonstrates. "I think we are a very disciplined program. We pride ourselves on being one of the least penalized teams in the country every year, and I think the numbers will attest to that. We don't allow our guys to fight in games or in practice. When the referee's whistle blows we stop playing."

Disciplined play and an aggressive style might seem counter intuitive, but it's a philosophy that Niagara has stuck with since the inception of the program. "I think that our aggressive style is entertaining, and yet we're disciplined. It all started going back to Blaise McDonald and the groundwork he laid for Niagara teams. It's part of the great legacy he left after his tenure. It was remarkable, but that's why we were getting the non-conference games to start our program. That's why Michigan played us, and Michigan State, and Denver and Minnesota. Jack Parker at Boston University gave us a game because we play clean. We're aggressive and it's fun to watch; it's entertaining. I think that's why we've been competitive. We could be up against a team that has 12 NHL picks, we've never had one NHL pick, and we'll beat them. So I think our philosophy is part and parcel of our success."

The Locker Room

The same disciplined attitude that Niagara displays on-ice carries over to discipline and dedication in the classroom and community. Dave Burkholder is a very amiable guy and a very enjoyable person to speak with and laugh with; he doesn't take himself too seriously. But he does take academic accountability very seriously, and is very proud of his team's academic achievements. "This isn't fluff, I think we're going on our 11th semester of having a 3.0 average or better. It's about being a student first; we take care of that. We've graduated every player in twelve years that's played here for 4 years, on time, so our kids are students first." The team also is committed to the philosophy and ideals of the school. "Part of the Niagara Education, founded upon St. Vincent DePaul, is in giving to the poor. Our players do that as part of curriculum here to graduate as a Niagara student. I think we need to work harder than our opponents and be more dedicated if you will. And the guys believe in that. So they sacrifice more than a regular student might, but we think that we might sacrifice even more than say the average division one athlete. So community service, that's a big part of it."

A Purple Eagle; a Rare Bird Indeed

Tunnel to the Bench

If you are a potential recruit one thing should be evident to you by now, Niagara is a school worth investigating further. It may not a "big name" program but it's quickly becoming a "big time" program. If you're not being recruited by Michigan it doesn't necessarily mean you're not good enough to play Division One hockey, you just might be off the Michigan radar screen. If you are truly a great hockey player, Niagara might be an option for you. Don't get me wrong, Niagara doesn't settle for marginal players, but if you have what it takes, becoming a Purple Eagle might just be the best hockey decision you could make.

So what are they looking for? Coach Burkholder spells it out clearly. "For us, we like to be really fast, so I would say feet first, then hockey sense, and great hands. We like to see kids playing at home, and then go see them play away. Even though we're limited to our evaluations, we can only see the kid play seven times, we want to know how they act when they're up 4 - 0, and how do they act when they're down 4 - 0. To learn more about the players we'll talk not only to coaches, but we'll talk to trainers and people in the rink. Do they respect the locker room? Do they respect their equipment? How are they with their peers, their teammates? So you know its not just points earned or hockey skill. I would try to package all those issues into one and try to find a real good kid." They recruit all over North America, but they are smack in the middle of a great hockey hotbed. "The number of youth hockey players within and hour of our campus, even if you went and hour and a half, that would include Toronto, are staggering." There are a lot of great players right in Niagara's own backyard.

The Core Covenant

View from the Bench

Coach Burkholder has some simple advice for young players. "Concentrate on school and do as much as you can in that area because the higher grades will eventually end up helping you test higher on the college boards. This will open up so many more doors if you're a good student first. There are so many opportunities to play college hockey. Just stick with it, market yourself; self-promotion is the best promotion. There is no manual for parents (there is now with this web site coach!) to try to get them through the process so try to sell yourself, whether it's through letters or videos. Never ever give up. If you truly aspire to play college hockey I think the opportunities are out there for most kids."

"We're just a little school trying to be big and we think we're getting there. If we can get into a big four, one of the big leagues, we could win the National Championship."

Every autumn for the past twelve years, the Niagara University Hockey team has held a player's meeting to discuss and create a set of universal beliefs for the upcoming season. These beliefs are then succinctly summarized into a team motto for the year. Coach Burkholder calls this "The Core Covenant." "Usually during dry-land, the upper classman will take the reins and come up with the new motto, the core covenant for the year. We all sign it, coaches included, and then we have it blown up and framed; it stays in the locker room. We've kept them all so we have all twelve on display. This season the kids came up with "One season, One chance, One heartbeat."

It's clearly all about being opportunistic, and the Niagara hockey program continues to create multiple chances for themselves and Coach Burkholder to succeed. "We're just a little school trying to be big and we think we're getting there. If we can get into a big four, one of the big leagues, we could win the National Championship." They way things are going at Niagara for Purple Eagle hockey, no one, not even Michigan would be surprised.

WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR:		TIPS FOR RECRUITS:
Feet First Hockey Sense Great Hands Disciplined Student Athletes Hard Working Players Players from Western NY		Focus on School Good Grades open Doors Market Yourself to Coaches Achieve Academically Never Give Up Be Respectful Be a Person of Character