July 31, 2003

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MADISON, Wisc. ­ The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, which this past season became the first collegiate ice hockey conference to top 1,500,000 in total season attendance with a record 1,511,911, also marked it's 10th consecutive season drawing in excess of one million fans in 2002-03.

Among the 1,511,911, were the 72,786 who attended the 2003 Kellogg's WCHA Final Five at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., the second highest playoff championship total in league history and just behind the 75,151 who attended the 2002 WCHA Final Five at Xcel Energy Center.

In addition to the league's record home attendance totals last winter, the WCHA placed nine of it's 10 member schools among the nation's top 17 in average home attendance in final NCAA Division 1 men's attendance figures, with University of Wisconsin (11,430 per game), University of North Dakota (11,156 per game) and University of Minnesota (10,027 per game) ranking first, second and third nationally.

Also among the men's national leaders were Colorado College (8th ­ 6,629 per game), St. Cloud State University (10th ­ 6,333 per game), University of Denver (12th ­ 5,396 per game), University of Alaska Anchorage (14th ­ 4,318 per game), University of Minnesota-Duluth (15th ­ 4,037 per game), Minnesota State University (17th ­ 3,759 per game), and Michigan Tech University (30th ­ 2,481 per game).

NCAA Div. I Men's Ice Hockey Attendance ­ 2002-03

Rk Team (League)	Total	Games	Average
1 Wisconsin (WCHA)	228,612	20	11,430
2 North Dakota (WCHA)	256,591	23	11,156
3 Minnesota (WCHA)	240,670	24	10,027
4 Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA)	174,594	21	8,314
5 Ohio State (CCHA)	142,249	19	7,486
6 Michigan (CCHA)	133,945	20	6,697
7 New Hampshire (HEA)	126,630	19	6,664
8 Colorado College (WCHA)	139,210	21	6,629
9 Michigan State (CCHA)	109,944	17	6,467
10 St. Cloud State (WCHA)	114,004	18	6,333
11 Boston College (HEA)	106,004	17	6,236
12 Denver (WCHA)	107,936	20	5,396
13 Maine (HEA)	102,875	21	4,898
14 Alaska Anchorage (WCHA)	77,727	18	4,318
15 Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA)	88,834	22	4,037
16 Cornell (ECAC)	57,540	15	3,836
17 Minnesota State (WCHA)	78,941	21	3,759
18 Vermont (ECAC)	67,538	18	3,752
19 Dartmouth (ECAC)	67,284	18	3,738
20 Alaska Fairbanks (CCHA)	68,943	19	3,629
21 Yale (ECAC)	57,918	17	3,406
22 Boston University (HEA)	48,694	15	3,246
23 Northern Michigan (CCHA)	61,283	19	3,225
24 Rensselaer (ECAC)	60,543	19	3,186
25 Western Michigan (CCHA)	55,471	18	3,082
26 UMass-Lowell (HEA)	44,808	15	2,987
27 Northeastern (HEA)	50,078	17	2,945
28 Massachusetts (HEA)	50,334	18	2,796
29 Clarkson (ECAC)	48,766	18	2,709
30 Michigan Tech (WCHA)	39,704	16	2,481
31 Notre Dame (CCHA)	41,499	17	2,441
32 Providence (HEA)	42,946	19	2,260
33 Lake Superior State (CCHA)	37,339	17	2,196
34 St. Lawrence (ECAC)	37,058	17	2,179
35 Harvard (ECAC)	28,555	14	2,040
36 Alabama-Huntsville (CHA)	23,713	12	1,976
37 Merrimack (HEA)	31,055	16	1,940
38 Colgate (ECAC)	38,811	20	1,940
39 Princeton (ECAC)	25,156	13	1,935
40 Ferris State (CCHA)	38,538	20	1,927
41 Army (MAAC)	26,186	14	1,870
42 Union (ECAC)	31,503	17	1,853
43 Bowling Green (CCHA)	27,572	15	1,838
44 Miami (CCHA)	38,397	21	1,828
45 Brown (ECAC)	25,482	17	1,498
46 Air Force (CHA)	26,942	19	1,418
47 Bemidji State (CHA)	18,065	15	1,204
48 Connecticut (MAAC)	15,008	15	1,000
49 Quinnipiac (MAAC)	13,775	15	918
50 Iona (MAAC)	8,877	12	740
51 Wayne State (CHA)	8,830	14	630
52 Fairfield (MAAC)	6,413	14	458
53 Sacred Heart (MAAC)	6,644	16	415
54 Canisius (MAAC)	6,238	16	389
55 Mercyhurst (MAAC)	4,907	14	350
56 American International (MAAC)	2,259	13	174
57 Bentley (MAAC)	2,300	15	153

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