Kent State Golden Flashes men's ice hockey
| Kent State Golden Flashes men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Kent State University |
| Conference | CCHA |
| Head coach | N/A |
| Arena | Kent State University Ice Arena |
| Location | Kent, Ohio |
| Colors |
Navy Blue and Gold[1] |
The Kent State Golden Flashes Men's Ice Hockey was a NCAA Division I ice hockey team that played as an Independent for seven season and in the CCHA for two seasons. Kent's club program was promoted to Division I status in 1985 and in their first season as a D-I program they played 36 exhibition games, winning 21 of them,[2] before joining fellow independent Notre Dame in the informal American Collegiate Hockey Association (not to be confused with the current ACHA that was formed in 1991). After a 19-win campaign in his third season with the club John Wallin left to take over the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League in 1987.[3] After Kent State alum Tom Viggiano headed the program for the 1987–88 season, Bill Switaj was brought in[4] once it was confirmed that the program would continue to exist beyond 1988 despite budgetary concerns.[5] The program's entire season was cancelled that September in response to a hazing incident.[6]
The Golden Flashes would finally debut with Switaj as their coach in 1989. After three seasons they were eventually accepted into the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) but Kent State's program ended in the spring of 1994 when university president Carol Cartwright made a recommendation to the board of trustees that the program be discontinued.[7]
Season-by-season records
| Season | Conference | Record | Pct. | Position | Conference Tournament |
Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–86 | Independent | 21–13–2 | .611 | — | — | John Wallin |
| 1986–87 | Independent | 19–13–0 | .594 | — | — | John Wallin |
| 1987–88 | Independent | 11–26–3 | .313 | — | — | Tom Viggiano |
| 1988–89 | Independent | (season cancelled) | — | — | — | Bill Switaj |
| 1989–90 | Independent | 14–16–3 | .470 | — | — | Bill Switaj |
| 1990–91 | Independent | 10–22–3 | .329 | — | — | Bill Switaj |
| 1991–92 | Independent | 15–14–2 | .516 | — | — | Bill Switaj |
| 1992–93 | CCHA | 13–22–3 | .382 | 8th | CCHA First Round | Bill Switaj |
| 1993–94 | CCHA | 11–26–2 | .308 | 11th | CCHA First Round | Bill Switaj |
| 8 Seasons | — | 114–152–18 | .433 | — | — | 3 coaches |
All-time coaching records
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–1987 | John Wallin | 2 | 40–26–2 | .603 |
| 1987–1988 | Tom Viggiano | 1 | 11–26–3 | .313 |
| 1989–1994 | Bill Switaj | 5 | 63–100–13 | .395 |
| Totals | 3 coaches | 8 seasons | 114–152–18 | .433 |
References
- ↑ "Our Brand | Kent State University". Kent State University. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Ice hockey team joins new league". Daily Kent Stater. 1986-07-16. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- ↑ "Wallin resigns Hockey coach headed for Canadian league". Daily Kent Stater. 1987-06-17. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- ↑ "New head hockey coach hired from West Point". Daily Kent Stater. 1988-06-22. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- ↑ "Team to retain varsity status". Daily Kent Stater. 1988-04-08. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- ↑ "Hockey cancellation 'outrageous, unfair'". Daily Kent Stater. 1988-09-27. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- ↑ "At Kent, NCAA hockey is in rear-view mirror but the game still thrives". USCHO.com. 2016-08-28. Retrieved 2016-08-29.