By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM -- A Potsdam man is concerned that SUNY Potsdam’s decision to no longer maintain the ice at the rink in Maxcy Hall over the summer is a bad one.

“My daughter and other players are now forced to look for other camps in the area and these camps are charging double what Potsdam cost,” Brad Reed of Potsdam wrote when he heard about the summer closure.

“Last year my daughter attended the hockey camp at Potsdam State College,” Reed said. “It was a great camp and we loved it. This camp was offered at a cost of $175 which was reasonable and affordable for most families. This year Potsdam State College has made a decision to not have any ice over the summer.”

Reed said he had heard the decision was a financial one, but he said he believes the revenue derived from the camps is enough to cover the costs.

“If you ran two camps, one in July and on in August and charged $200 per player the college could take in $50,000 in registration money. This is only with 100 players per week,” Reed said.

“SUNY Potsdam has carefully reviewed cost efficiencies related to supporting programming at the Maxcy Hall Ice Arena during the summer months, and has determined that the College can no longer support maintaining the ice between May and September,” wrote college spokeswoman Alexandra Jacobs Wilke in an email response to our inquiry.

“Due to this decision, the Center for Lifelong Education and Recreation can no longer offer summer hockey programming. CLEAR is advising families and organizations to inquire at other area facilities for ice time during the summer months,” she wrote.

“After running the calculations and looking carefully at our budget, we simply cannot afford to keep the rink open over those three months.”

“Besides fiscal concerns doesn’t the college have a service responsibility to the community?” Reed wrote. “Many of our local businesses sponsor Potsdam Bears Athletic Programs and many other programs on campus. We want our children in sports, exercising, developing their skills and meeting new friends. Having hockey camps is a great way to attract families and players to Potsdam Bears Hockey and to other services on the campus.

“I encourage people to call Potsdam State Athletic Department and president’s office to please consider your decision and the impact on the community,” Reed said.

But Wilke said the college is not abandoning the community’s appetite for hockey.

“The Maxcy Hall Ice Arena will be active from mid-September through April each year, and the College will continue to support and administer community programs there, such as the three-on-three hockey tournament that has been offered this spring,” she said.