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Christian Brothers reaches an historic milestone with its shutout win over KIPP on Friday.
Christian Brothers, the all-time winningest high school football program in Memphis, beat KIPP 39-0 Friday at Tom Nix Stadium.
In doing so, the Purple Wave became the first in the Bluff City to reach the 700-victory plateau.
The blowout-style win was also welcome because it was the first of its kind for Christian Brothers (3-1) this season. McDaniel’s club won a defensive battle 7-0 in Week 1 over Grenada (Miss.), lost a heartbreaker at Bob Jones (Alabama) 17-16 on Aug. 24, and needed overtime to beat White Station 28-20 last week.
But the Purple Wave were in the driver’s seat from the opening whistle against KIPP.
A pair of touchdown catches by Antonio Lay helped them take a 21-0 lead into the second quarter and by halftime it was 33-0.
Christian Brothers hosts St. Paul’s (Louisiana) on Sept. 14 in a game McDaniel says represents a return to the grind.
At least two TSSAA Division 2 players went and posted a pair of impressive 200-yard outings in Week 4.
For starters, Tipton-Rosemark Academy running back Mac Fullen carried the ball 18 times for 223 yards and scored twice to help the Rebels defeat host Greenfield, 30-0. The 5-11, 190-pound junior now has 371 yards on the ground in the last two weeks.
In Nashville, MUS quarterback Sellers Shy threw for 215 yards, completing 12-of-23 attempts and two touchdowns as the Owls rallied for a 22-13 victory over Montgomery Bell Academy. Maurice Hampton was Shy’s top target (78 yards), yet Thomas Hayden and Gavin McKay combined for four catches and 123 yards.
Speaking of Hampton, the LSU commitment will formally be offered an invitation to participate in January’s Under Armour All-America Game. The ceremony takes place Tuesday morning on the MUS campus.
Germantown hammered Collierville 42-2 Friday, making it back-to-back victories for the Red Devils in the long-running rivalry.
The last time Germantown won back-to-back games in the series was 2011-12.
Perhaps as important, the Red Devils improved to 4-0 as they hit the mid-way point of their non-region schedule.
B.J. Gardner was the most productive player in the game, as his three touchdown runs staked Germantown to a 21-0 lead with 7:32 to play in the first half. Cameron Baker and T.J. Dorsey rounded out the scoring for the Red Devils.
The lone Collierville score was a safety that came as a result of an intentional grounding call in the end zone that went against Germantown.
Chris Smith’s squad has outscored its opponents 184-43 this season. The only time it has allowed more than 7 points came in a 49-28 win over Houston in Week 2.
The Red Devils travel to Southaven (1-2) next week. Germantown entered the week ranked No. 8 in the Tennessee Associated Press Class 6A state poll.
Speaking of undefeated teams, Olive Branch prevailed against Kirby 42-21 in a battle of unbeatens.
The Conquistadors jumped out to an early lead and took a 28-7 advantage into halftime thanks to a trio of touchdown passes from Cole Catledge. The senior came into the game with just two touchdown tosses (and three interceptions) through the first three games of the season.
Kirby wasn’t the area’s only previously undefeated team to fall Friday. ECS dropped a 24-21 decision to St. George’s, Whitehaven lost in overtime to Lausanne, and Hernando fell to 2-1 after losing to previously winless White Station.
Besides Olive Branch, Lausanne and Germantown, Central, MUS and SBA remained undefeated.
NEWPORT BEACH — Estancia High boys' basketball Coach Agustin Heredia has talked about needing a third scoring option.
On Monday night at Newport Harbor, the Eagles really didn't even have a second scoring option.
Senior guard Ray Holmes, the team's second-leading scorer, is still recovering from the flu. He played limited minutes Monday, leaving Estancia at decidedly less-than full strength for the nonleague tilt against the Sailors.
The Eagles proved resourceful, using a game-high 26 points from senior Davon Joyner and also getting sizable contributions from junior center Rashad Davis and sophomore guard Chad Fackler to hang on for a 49-46 victory.
Heredia said he was just glad to leave the Sailors' gym with an even record again, with the Eagles at 8-8. He was also glad that Fackler (eight points and eight rebounds) and Davis (seven points, 12 rebounds and two blocks) came to play.
"We had to get some guys to step up, and Rashad [did] definitely and Chad Fackler," Heredia said. "Chad had some big rebounds down the stretch. Rashad is slowly developing. The last three games, he has played well for us."
So has Joyner in the Eagles' three-game winning streak that started in their final two games at the Coast Classic. Joyner, averaging 16.9 points per game for the season, has bumped that average to 24.7 over the last three games.
Estancia needed every point to snap Newport Harbor's four-game winning streak. The Eagles led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter but the Sailors (6-7) and senior guard Carter Fortier slowly whittled at the lead.
Fortier all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter. The outburst was useful to Harbor after senior center Cody Caldwell provided nearly all the offense in the first three quarters, scoring 20 of his team's 25 points. Caldwell finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds.
"When we had our four-game winning streak, that was basically the recipe every game," Sailors Coach Larry Hirst said. "We'd stay close to teams and bring Carter in, and he was kind of like our instant offense."
Fortier provided five quick points with under two minutes left. His three-pointer, steal at midcourt and layup brought the Tars within 41-38. Davis' put-back made the Eagles' lead five again, but Sailors' senior guard Craig McKennon made a three-pointer with 55 seconds left to pull Harbor within 43-41.
The Sailors were five of 15 from beyond the arc.
"We had to pack in the zone a little bit," Heredia said. "In the first half they hurt us, and we talked about packing it in and making them beat us from the outside. Caldwell was kind of sneaking in there and getting the ball right in the middle."
Fackler split a pair of free throws with 34 seconds left, but the Sailors missed a potentially game-tying triple. The lead fluctuated between three to five points, Joyner's free throws with 15 seconds left putting Estancia up, 48-43.
Fortier nailed a three-pointer from the corner to bring the Sailors within two. After Holmes made one of two free throws with five seconds to go, the Sailors again had a chance to tie, but a three-pointer from the right wing was short at the buzzer.
Joyner said he remembers how Newport Harbor came into the Eagles' gym a year ago and won in overtime. The Eagles stepped up Monday when needed, making 19 of 24 free throws (79%), considerably better than the "in the 50s" percent Heredia said they usually shoot. They made 11 of 13 free throws in the fourth quarter, when Joyner was seven of eight.
Newport Harbor was just nine of 18 from the line.
"Knowing it was at their place, the pressure was on," Joyner said. "The crowd was getting louder. We just had to face it … This is a game I wanted to win."
Est – Joyner 26, Fackler 9, Davis 7, Holmes 3, Umansky 2, Beck 2.
3-pt. goals – Joyner 2, Fackler 2.
NH – Caldwell 25, Fortier 11, McKennon 5, Robbs 3, Pickett 2.
3-pt. goals – Fortier 2, Caldwell 1, McKennon 1, Robbs 1.
David Rosenbaum, a psychologist at Penn State, studies costs of pre-crastination.
Do it now, or do it later?
This story originally appeared on Inc.
It would seem counterintuitive that the habit of attacking projects and to-do lists without a moment’s hesitation is anything but ultra-productive.
Yet some researchers think that sometimes doing the opposite of procrastinating—or pre-crastinating—could cost you time and energy, too.
Psychologists from Pennsylvania State University recently conducted a series of experiments, which subtly gave participants the option of physically exerting themselves for either a long amount of time, or a shorter amount of time.
Penn State psychology professor David Rosenbaum and his colleagues had college student participants complete the task of carrying a heavy bucket full of pennies down an alleyway. Rosenbaum marked a finish line at one end, and the students stood at the other. They were told to pick up just one bucket on the way to the finish line—either one that was closer to them, and farther from the finish line, or one that was farther from them and closer to the finish line.
The researchers simply told the students to do whatever they felt was easier. Surprisingly, an overwhelming amount participants picked up the bucket that was closer to them and carried it down the alley, according to the Association for Psychological Science. As a result, they carted the heavy load for much longer than they would have if they had chosen the other bucket.
So can the world be divided into two categories—those who pre-crastinate and those who procrastinate? Well, Rosenbaum and his colleagues think it’s more likely that there’s a relationship between the two tendencies. They plan to examine that link in future experiments.
University of Illinois Illini Hockey Club battles Michigan State University in their first home game of the 2014-2015 season. The Illini won 5-4 in a shoot out.
Illinois is loaded with hockey talent. So why doesn't the state have any D-I college programs?
After graduating from Lake Forest High School, Cody Murphy hoped to play college hockey in Illinois.
The problem: No Divison I schools in his home state have varsity hockey teams.
"It would be nice for a lot of Chicagoans to have a place to call home," Murphy said. "There are a lot of really good prospects that come out of the Chicagoland area."
Instead, he plays at Miami of Ohio, which heavily and successfully recruits Chicago-area talent. The RedHawks are one of many hockey teams that eagerly welcome players from Illinois.
Illinois is one of the nation's most fertile grounds for youth hockey. The Blackhawks' success has inspired a legion of new fans and players.
Illinois, Northwestern, Northern Illinois and DePaul, which all field D-I athletics, have no plans to elevate their club teams to varsity status. Their budgets, school spokesmen said, are devoted to maintaining and improving current sports programs.
There certainly wouldn't be a lack of in-state talent if they did.
Sixty-six players in college hockey last season were from Illinois, ranking the state sixth nationally, according to College Hockey Inc. That marks a 53 percent growth rate over the last decade.
Nine Illinois natives are on the six Big Ten hockey rosters: four at Wisconsin, two at Michigan and one each at Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State (Minnesota is the sixth team).
There will be a lot of breath held when JT Compher goes to his next U.S. national junior hockey team camp.
Especially every time the Michigan sophomore center from Northbrook tries to block a shot — which means everyone may frequently be waiting to exhale.
Division I hockey's 59 programs are concentrated in only 19 states, and none of the states without a team produces as many players as Illinois.
"If you took just a team of Illinois players and projected it, it would be favored to win the national championship," said Mike Snee, executive director of College Hockey Inc.
Among players registered in 2012-13 with USA Hockey, Illinois ranked sixth with 29,977, behind longtime breeding grounds Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. That marked an 8.4 percent increase from the previous season.
Since 2008-09, Illinois has picked up more than 8,000 players for a 36.6 percent growth rate.
On paper, at least, Illinois seems perfectly suited for a college hockey program.
"It could work really well here," said former UIC coach Larry Pedrie, who now runs hockey camps and clinics. "There are better players locally than there were 20 years ago. … There are seven schools in Michigan with D-I (hockey), and you're going to tell me Illinois can't have one?"
So why must these players go out of state to pursue college hockey? Simply put: money.
In-state universities acknowledge the burgeoning interest, but the costs are intimidating.
Hockey insiders say the sport is second in operating budgets behind only football, which brings in millions of dollars to universities that hockey would not. To implement a D-I hockey program or elevate a club program to varsity would take between $1.5 million and $2 million.
Michigan estimated a few years ago it would spend as much as $5 million to replace aging ice equipment.
A startup team at most universities would require a new facility. Illinois' facility is small and aging. Northern Illinois has played its club games in Geneva.
Schools also would be required by law to add a women's sport to maintain gender equity. Women's ice hockey, which has also grown through the years, would be a logical but similarly costly choice.
The 18 maximum scholarships allowed by the NCAA also carry a financial burden.
"It's not like you can sit back and say there's no interest," said Joe Battista, the former club coach at Penn State who is now an NHL administrator with the Sabres. "That's not the case.
"It is a bit frustrating that you have that kind of interest throughout the country, but historically hockey has not been looked at as a varsity sport in places because of the budgetary challenges that most athletic departments are going through right now. The timing for an area like Illinois is just perfect."
After decades of drum-beating, Battista's goal of Divison I hockey at Penn State was realized with a $102 million donation from Terry Pegula, the Sabres' owner and a Penn State graduate.
The school built a gleaming $90 million hockey facility and used remaining funds to endow scholarships. The rise in status helped usher in Big Ten hockey last season.
Some describe Penn State as a college hockey blueprint. But even Battista acknowledges there aren't many people willing to give away millions of dollars.
There certainly weren't when UIC's program was folding after 30 years. The program started in 1966 and became a Division I member in 1982.
In its 15 years as a D-I sport, the Flames went 202-326-31. The final seven seasons ended with losing records, including a 9-24-3 mark in the final season, and interest waned.
According to a Tribune report at the time, the UIC hockey program lost about $600,000 in its final season.
Yet Battista said there are methods to make a hockey program work in Illinois today.
Hockey attracts a financially upper-class fan base, Battista said, making for a potentially more lucrative bank of donors. An ice rink does not require the level of grandeur as Penn State's. Sharing facilities with minor league teams could help offset costs.
A college in Illinois would not have to spend as much scouring the nation in recruiting with so much talent in local USHL junior teams such as the Chicago Mission, Bloomington Thunder and Chicago Steel.
"I got laughed at for a long time for having the dream," Battista said. "All it was was finding people with a shared passion who wanted to leave a mark. It can be done."
Blackhawks President John McDonough said he has not been approached to work with an in-state university to create a varsity program.
"If they came to us, we would tell them what we believe is the maximum potential," he said. "If we were approached, we would encourage and embrace it. It's hard to work in the inverse. For us to go to them, we're kind of meddling in their business."
McDonough is tuned in to what he called the "explosion" of youth hockey membership in the state and how it has correlated to the Hawks' success. Their first-round draft pick in 2013 was Ryan Hartman, a West Dundee native who played with the Mission.
"It's just an economics exercise, that commitment we'd have to make to develop a Division I program and (finding) who would be willing to do that," McDonough said. "As far as the ability to feed those programs, that's possible right now."
John Olen, a junior at Illinois from Lake Zurich, can't help but feel jealous when he sees Division I athletes on campus. He puts in nearly as much practice time yet gets none of the perks.
"It's kind of like, 'Oh, you're on the club team,' " said Olen, who played two seasons in the North American Hockey League before picking Illinois over Division III programs. "It's still nice to play. You get some recognition. But it's not like you're on the football team or basketball team."
Unlike some schools that fully fund their club sports through recreation budgets, Illinois' hockey club receives limited free ice time from the university and uses fundraising and fees to reach its annual budget of up to $200,000.
Players pay $1,700 for a year of hockey, covering travel and some equipment. They're responsible for their own skates (as much as $850) and sticks (as much as $250). Olen said he goes through five or six sticks a season.
The Illini field a successful program in the competitive American Collegiate Hockey Association, winning the championship in 2008. The club team's ticket sales and revenue production trail only the varsity football and basketball teams, selling out nearly every game in the 1,200-seat arena, coach Nick Fabbrini said.

Christian Brothers reaches an historic milestone with its shutout win over KIPP on Friday.

Christian Brothers, the all-time winningest high school football program in Memphis, beat KIPP 39-0 Friday at Tom Nix Stadium.

In doing so, the Purple Wave became the first in the Bluff City to reach the 700-victory plateau.

The blowout-style win was also welcome because it was the first of its kind for Christian Brothers (3-1) this season. McDaniel’s club won a defensive battle 7-0 in Week 1 over Grenada (Miss.), lost a heartbreaker at Bob Jones (Alabama) 17-16 on Aug. 24, and needed overtime to beat White Station 28-20 last week.

But the Purple Wave were in the driver’s seat from the opening whistle against KIPP.

A pair of touchdown catches by Antonio Lay helped them take a 21-0 lead into the second quarter and by halftime it was 33-0.

Christian Brothers hosts St. Paul’s (Louisiana) on Sept. 14 in a game McDaniel says represents a return to the grind.

At least two TSSAA Division 2 players went and posted a pair of impressive 200-yard outings in Week 4.

For starters, Tipton-Rosemark Academy running back Mac Fullen carried the ball 18 times for 223 yards and scored twice to help the Rebels defeat host Greenfield, 30-0. The 5-11, 190-pound junior now has 371 yards on the ground in the last two weeks.

In Nashville, MUS quarterback Sellers Shy threw for 215 yards, completing 12-of-23 attempts and two touchdowns as the Owls rallied for a 22-13 victory over Montgomery Bell Academy. Maurice Hampton was Shy’s top target (78 yards), yet Thomas Hayden and Gavin McKay combined for four catches and 123 yards.

Speaking of Hampton, the LSU commitment will formally be offered an invitation to participate in January’s Under Armour All-America Game. The ceremony takes place Tuesday morning on the MUS campus.

Germantown hammered Collierville 42-2 Friday, making it back-to-back victories for the Red Devils in the long-running rivalry.

The last time Germantown won back-to-back games in the series was 2011-12.

Perhaps as important, the Red Devils improved to 4-0 as they hit the mid-way point of their non-region schedule.

B.J. Gardner was the most productive player in the game, as his three touchdown runs staked Germantown to a 21-0 lead with 7:32 to play in the first half. Cameron Baker and T.J. Dorsey rounded out the scoring for the Red Devils.

The lone Collierville score was a safety that came as a result of an intentional grounding call in the end zone that went against Germantown.

Chris Smith’s squad has outscored its opponents 184-43 this season. The only time it has allowed more than 7 points came in a 49-28 win over Houston in Week 2.

The Red Devils travel to Southaven (1-2) next week. Germantown entered the week ranked No. 8 in the Tennessee Associated Press Class 6A state poll.

Speaking of undefeated teams, Olive Branch prevailed against Kirby 42-21 in a battle of unbeatens.

The Conquistadors jumped out to an early lead and took a 28-7 advantage into halftime thanks to a trio of touchdown passes from Cole Catledge. The senior came into the game with just two touchdown tosses (and three interceptions) through the first three games of the season.

Kirby wasn’t the area’s only previously undefeated team to fall Friday. ECS dropped a 24-21 decision to St. George’s, Whitehaven lost in overtime to Lausanne, and Hernando fell to 2-1 after losing to previously winless White Station.

Besides Olive Branch, Lausanne and Germantown, Central, MUS and SBA remained undefeated.

NEWPORT BEACH — Estancia High boys' basketball Coach Agustin Heredia has talked about needing a third scoring option.

On Monday night at Newport Harbor, the Eagles really didn't even have a second scoring option.

Senior guard Ray Holmes, the team's second-leading scorer, is still recovering from the flu. He played limited minutes Monday, leaving Estancia at decidedly less-than full strength for the nonleague tilt against the Sailors.

The Eagles proved resourceful, using a game-high 26 points from senior Davon Joyner and also getting sizable contributions from junior center Rashad Davis and sophomore guard Chad Fackler to hang on for a 49-46 victory.

Heredia said he was just glad to leave the Sailors' gym with an even record again, with the Eagles at 8-8. He was also glad that Fackler (eight points and eight rebounds) and Davis (seven points, 12 rebounds and two blocks) came to play.

"We had to get some guys to step up, and Rashad [did] definitely and Chad Fackler," Heredia said. "Chad had some big rebounds down the stretch. Rashad is slowly developing. The last three games, he has played well for us."

So has Joyner in the Eagles' three-game winning streak that started in their final two games at the Coast Classic. Joyner, averaging 16.9 points per game for the season, has bumped that average to 24.7 over the last three games.

Estancia needed every point to snap Newport Harbor's four-game winning streak. The Eagles led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter but the Sailors (6-7) and senior guard Carter Fortier slowly whittled at the lead.

Fortier all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter. The outburst was useful to Harbor after senior center Cody Caldwell provided nearly all the offense in the first three quarters, scoring 20 of his team's 25 points. Caldwell finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds.

"When we had our four-game winning streak, that was basically the recipe every game," Sailors Coach Larry Hirst said. "We'd stay close to teams and bring Carter in, and he was kind of like our instant offense."

Fortier provided five quick points with under two minutes left. His three-pointer, steal at midcourt and layup brought the Tars within 41-38. Davis' put-back made the Eagles' lead five again, but Sailors' senior guard Craig McKennon made a three-pointer with 55 seconds left to pull Harbor within 43-41.

The Sailors were five of 15 from beyond the arc.

"We had to pack in the zone a little bit," Heredia said. "In the first half they hurt us, and we talked about packing it in and making them beat us from the outside. Caldwell was kind of sneaking in there and getting the ball right in the middle."

Fackler split a pair of free throws with 34 seconds left, but the Sailors missed a potentially game-tying triple. The lead fluctuated between three to five points, Joyner's free throws with 15 seconds left putting Estancia up, 48-43.

Fortier nailed a three-pointer from the corner to bring the Sailors within two. After Holmes made one of two free throws with five seconds to go, the Sailors again had a chance to tie, but a three-pointer from the right wing was short at the buzzer.

Joyner said he remembers how Newport Harbor came into the Eagles' gym a year ago and won in overtime. The Eagles stepped up Monday when needed, making 19 of 24 free throws (79%), considerably better than the "in the 50s" percent Heredia said they usually shoot. They made 11 of 13 free throws in the fourth quarter, when Joyner was seven of eight.

Newport Harbor was just nine of 18 from the line.

"Knowing it was at their place, the pressure was on," Joyner said. "The crowd was getting louder. We just had to face it … This is a game I wanted to win."

Est – Joyner 26, Fackler 9, Davis 7, Holmes 3, Umansky 2, Beck 2.

3-pt. goals – Joyner 2, Fackler 2.

NH – Caldwell 25, Fortier 11, McKennon 5, Robbs 3, Pickett 2.

3-pt. goals – Fortier 2, Caldwell 1, McKennon 1, Robbs 1.

David Rosenbaum, a psychologist at Penn State, studies costs of pre-crastination.

Do it now, or do it later?

This story originally appeared on Inc.

It would seem counterintuitive that the habit of attacking projects and to-do lists without a moment’s hesitation is anything but ultra-productive.

Yet some researchers think that sometimes doing the opposite of procrastinating—or pre-crastinating—could cost you time and energy, too.

Psychologists from Pennsylvania State University recently conducted a series of experiments, which subtly gave participants the option of physically exerting themselves for either a long amount of time, or a shorter amount of time.

Penn State psychology professor David Rosenbaum and his colleagues had college student participants complete the task of carrying a heavy bucket full of pennies down an alleyway. Rosenbaum marked a finish line at one end, and the students stood at the other. They were told to pick up just one bucket on the way to the finish line—either one that was closer to them, and farther from the finish line, or one that was farther from them and closer to the finish line.

The researchers simply told the students to do whatever they felt was easier. Surprisingly, an overwhelming amount participants picked up the bucket that was closer to them and carried it down the alley, according to the Association for Psychological Science. As a result, they carted the heavy load for much longer than they would have if they had chosen the other bucket.

So can the world be divided into two categories—those who pre-crastinate and those who procrastinate? Well, Rosenbaum and his colleagues think it’s more likely that there’s a relationship between the two tendencies. They plan to examine that link in future experiments.

University of Illinois Illini Hockey Club battles Michigan State University in their first home game of the 2014-2015 season. The Illini won 5-4 in a shoot out.

Illinois is loaded with hockey talent. So why doesn't the state have any D-I college programs?

After graduating from Lake Forest High School, Cody Murphy hoped to play college hockey in Illinois.

The problem: No Divison I schools in his home state have varsity hockey teams.

"It would be nice for a lot of Chicagoans to have a place to call home," Murphy said. "There are a lot of really good prospects that come out of the Chicagoland area."

Instead, he plays at Miami of Ohio, which heavily and successfully recruits Chicago-area talent. The RedHawks are one of many hockey teams that eagerly welcome players from Illinois.

Illinois is one of the nation's most fertile grounds for youth hockey. The Blackhawks' success has inspired a legion of new fans and players.

Illinois, Northwestern, Northern Illinois and DePaul, which all field D-I athletics, have no plans to elevate their club teams to varsity status. Their budgets, school spokesmen said, are devoted to maintaining and improving current sports programs.

There certainly wouldn't be a lack of in-state talent if they did.

Sixty-six players in college hockey last season were from Illinois, ranking the state sixth nationally, according to College Hockey Inc. That marks a 53 percent growth rate over the last decade.

Nine Illinois natives are on the six Big Ten hockey rosters: four at Wisconsin, two at Michigan and one each at Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State (Minnesota is the sixth team).

There will be a lot of breath held when JT Compher goes to his next U.S. national junior hockey team camp.

Especially every time the Michigan sophomore center from Northbrook tries to block a shot — which means everyone may frequently be waiting to exhale.

Division I hockey's 59 programs are concentrated in only 19 states, and none of the states without a team produces as many players as Illinois.

"If you took just a team of Illinois players and projected it, it would be favored to win the national championship," said Mike Snee, executive director of College Hockey Inc.

Among players registered in 2012-13 with USA Hockey, Illinois ranked sixth with 29,977, behind longtime breeding grounds Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. That marked an 8.4 percent increase from the previous season.

Since 2008-09, Illinois has picked up more than 8,000 players for a 36.6 percent growth rate.

On paper, at least, Illinois seems perfectly suited for a college hockey program.

"It could work really well here," said former UIC coach Larry Pedrie, who now runs hockey camps and clinics. "There are better players locally than there were 20 years ago. … There are seven schools in Michigan with D-I (hockey), and you're going to tell me Illinois can't have one?"

So why must these players go out of state to pursue college hockey? Simply put: money.

In-state universities acknowledge the burgeoning interest, but the costs are intimidating.

Hockey insiders say the sport is second in operating budgets behind only football, which brings in millions of dollars to universities that hockey would not. To implement a D-I hockey program or elevate a club program to varsity would take between $1.5 million and $2 million.

Michigan estimated a few years ago it would spend as much as $5 million to replace aging ice equipment.

A startup team at most universities would require a new facility. Illinois' facility is small and aging. Northern Illinois has played its club games in Geneva.

Schools also would be required by law to add a women's sport to maintain gender equity. Women's ice hockey, which has also grown through the years, would be a logical but similarly costly choice.

The 18 maximum scholarships allowed by the NCAA also carry a financial burden.

"It's not like you can sit back and say there's no interest," said Joe Battista, the former club coach at Penn State who is now an NHL administrator with the Sabres. "That's not the case.

"It is a bit frustrating that you have that kind of interest throughout the country, but historically hockey has not been looked at as a varsity sport in places because of the budgetary challenges that most athletic departments are going through right now. The timing for an area like Illinois is just perfect."

After decades of drum-beating, Battista's goal of Divison I hockey at Penn State was realized with a $102 million donation from Terry Pegula, the Sabres' owner and a Penn State graduate.

The school built a gleaming $90 million hockey facility and used remaining funds to endow scholarships. The rise in status helped usher in Big Ten hockey last season.

Some describe Penn State as a college hockey blueprint. But even Battista acknowledges there aren't many people willing to give away millions of dollars.

There certainly weren't when UIC's program was folding after 30 years. The program started in 1966 and became a Division I member in 1982.

In its 15 years as a D-I sport, the Flames went 202-326-31. The final seven seasons ended with losing records, including a 9-24-3 mark in the final season, and interest waned.

According to a Tribune report at the time, the UIC hockey program lost about $600,000 in its final season.

Yet Battista said there are methods to make a hockey program work in Illinois today.

Hockey attracts a financially upper-class fan base, Battista said, making for a potentially more lucrative bank of donors. An ice rink does not require the level of grandeur as Penn State's. Sharing facilities with minor league teams could help offset costs.

A college in Illinois would not have to spend as much scouring the nation in recruiting with so much talent in local USHL junior teams such as the Chicago Mission, Bloomington Thunder and Chicago Steel.

"I got laughed at for a long time for having the dream," Battista said. "All it was was finding people with a shared passion who wanted to leave a mark. It can be done."

Blackhawks President John McDonough said he has not been approached to work with an in-state university to create a varsity program.

"If they came to us, we would tell them what we believe is the maximum potential," he said. "If we were approached, we would encourage and embrace it. It's hard to work in the inverse. For us to go to them, we're kind of meddling in their business."

McDonough is tuned in to what he called the "explosion" of youth hockey membership in the state and how it has correlated to the Hawks' success. Their first-round draft pick in 2013 was Ryan Hartman, a West Dundee native who played with the Mission.

"It's just an economics exercise, that commitment we'd have to make to develop a Division I program and (finding) who would be willing to do that," McDonough said. "As far as the ability to feed those programs, that's possible right now."

John Olen, a junior at Illinois from Lake Zurich, can't help but feel jealous when he sees Division I athletes on campus. He puts in nearly as much practice time yet gets none of the perks.

"It's kind of like, 'Oh, you're on the club team,' " said Olen, who played two seasons in the North American Hockey League before picking Illinois over Division III programs. "It's still nice to play. You get some recognition. But it's not like you're on the football team or basketball team."

Unlike some schools that fully fund their club sports through recreation budgets, Illinois' hockey club receives limited free ice time from the university and uses fundraising and fees to reach its annual budget of up to $200,000.

Players pay $1,700 for a year of hockey, covering travel and some equipment. They're responsible for their own skates (as much as $850) and sticks (as much as $250). Olen said he goes through five or six sticks a season.

The Illini field a successful program in the competitive American Collegiate Hockey Association, winning the championship in 2008. The club team's ticket sales and revenue production trail only the varsity football and basketball teams, selling out nearly every game in the 1,200-seat arena, coach Nick Fabbrini said.