Published: November 21, 2008 12:42 am      

INSIDE THE CHA: Bemidji has leg up on CHA exit

Dave Burkholder is the kind of guy who wants to tell it like it is. So when you ask him about the impending doom of College Hockey America and the place his Niagara University program will have in the men’s college hockey world next season, you can see the pain building as he bites his tongue.

“I really feel uncomfortable talking about that at this time,” Burkholder said. “We’re right in midseason.”

Although Burkholder got the best of his best league rival in Bemidji State last season — taking the CHA Tournament and earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament — it might be the Beavers who score the biggest victory this year.

The WCHA’s members decision to vote — and nothing more at this point — on whether or not to lift a long-standing moratorium on expansion is the first in a series of steps the school needs to get accepted into the power conference. If that goes as Bemidji hopes in January, the Beavers should have a new home in the 4,000-seat Bemidji regional events center, which is slated to open in 2011.

Bemidji State Athletic Director Rick Goeb on Wednesday told the Bemidji Pioneer that he’s excited by Tuesday’s decision to lift the ban.

“The community and the athletic department are excited to share with the WCHA our story and all of our successes,” Goeb said.

That, of course, leaves Niagara in a precarious position. The Purple Eagles have established themselves as a legitimate national program that could probably contend for national titles with inclusion in a bigger conference. Niagara lost to powerhouse Maine and Michigan this season, but outplayed both at times, and certainly didn’t look undermanned.

But with Bemidji’s departure, Niagara might have to jump to Atlantic Hockey, which includes local rival Canisius. While that sounds good on the surface — more dates against the Griffs would stir more local interest — Niagara would have to shave five scholarships from its current 17, meaning its dreams of a national title would become considerably slimmer.

A recent blog by the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers suggested the college hockey world should realign conferences. This is Niagara’s hope, but the chances of a total realignment seems slimmer as days pass.

Adam Wodon, the managing editor of College Hockey News, followed with a story saying realignment is not much more than wishful thinking.

The final, and perhaps more appealing route is to return to independent status. Although it would mean the Purple Eagles would have a difficult time scheduling, the full scholarship limit would remain intact and NU would be waiting if another school decides to add hockey — or if another Atlantic Hockey team wanted to jump to full scholarship levels.

Stay tuned. Although we’ve been saying something had to happen soon, the WCHA’s decision in January could mean something will have to happen soon.

ALUMNI UPDATE: Former standout Kyle Rogers had a breakout week for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey league, earning a nomination for the Reebok/AHL player of the week honor. He scored his first goal of the season, and had a team-high four shots on the net against the Manitoba Moose. ... Matt Caruana continues to shine with the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Caruana has eight goals and four assists in 14 games. ... Defenseman Scott Langdon got in his first professional fight as the ECHL’s Reading Royals met the Cincinnati Cyclones. Langdon squared off with Cincinnati’s Steve Makway.

Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.