If you're like me, you did a double-take when you saw "alabama" on the Tigers' schedule this season. They know what hockey is in Alabama? Well, if the NHL can keep a team afloat in Nashville (barely) then maybe it's possible. No disrespect to everyone living in the south, it's just that hockey isn't the first thing that pops into you're head when you think of the states along the Gulf Coast. I've never been there and therefore have no educated opinion on the matter so I'll go with what I know (aka what I just learned thanks to google!) Huntsville is in the northern part of Alabama, semi-near Nashville (130 miles south), has a population of just under 200,000 and a regional population around a half-million, a little less than the C-Springs metro. The University, known as UAH, has an enrollment of just over 7,000. Not big by "university" standards, but much larger than CC's 2,000ish.
Like CC, UAH has all lower "tier" sports (in this case D-II) in everything but hockey, which is D-I. Oh, and the thought about Alabamans not playing hockey? It has a little merit to it with this statement I found; "UAH houses the only NCAA ice hockey program south of the Mason-Dixon Line.", who knew?! And here's another fact that will hopefully have an impact on the Tigers in some regard; the 2012 Frozen Four will be held in Tampa (Tampa? Really?!) and UAH will be the host team due to their proximity to Tampa.
A few quick facts about their hockey team:

• Nickname is the UAH Chargers
• No they aren't yellow and navy lightning bolts
• Logo is a Bronco head
• For the uni's: swap the "N" in the UNH Wildcats jersey and put in the "A"
• They play in the 4 team CHA (1/2 WHCA-Bemidji, Niagara, Robert Morris)
  
• Home ice sheet is 200X85 (NHL)
  
• Made the 2007 Midwest Regionals in the NCAA Tournament as the last place team in the CHA (lost to Notre Dame)
• They won 2 D-II National Titles, 1996 and 1998
• A few other more detailed facts I glossed over can be found in the comments section thanks to a local perspective from Bud
  

That should give you a little intro to our regular season opening weekend opponets. If you're dying to know more, their hockey site has a good quick facts section and "history through 2007" section.

Uncaged notes:

• The Tigers snuck up to #3 in the polls Monday replacing North Dakota (now #5), Notre Dame went from #12 to #4. All of this happened without anyone playing a game that counts.
• Tip of the Cap to some interesting visitors to the site today (all of these visits were over 5 minutes, search "pings" and in-and-outs don't count): visitor from the UAH campus (2nd this week), one from the Alberta campus Monday night, a visitor from Geneva, Switzerland who came through on the old site, and the biggest one is the 2 time visitor from the Department of the Treasury in DC. Oh and just to freak you out; a visitor in the Hotel St. George in Brooklyn, NY was on the site while I was writing this entry. I love analytics sites!
• I hate bad grammar and spelling more than anyone and will point out the tiniest mistakes in print, but for some odd reason it's really easy to screw up typing in a blog so feel free to make fun of my errors!