2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

[shelfit]

Back when your D was playing there wasn't much depth after the Big 6 then either.

Sure losing RIT hurt as a top team but outside of them, it's basically the same cast of characters. I think the rest of the NESCAC is starting to catch up with Middlebury a lot faster than the other conferences are catching the top team's in their respective leagues.

Agreed, except I think the bottom dwellers, which include a bunch of new teams, are worse than ever. Try watching some of those teams play. It's really painful!

 

[SeymoreHockey]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

The top four or five in the rankings are really good. After that, it drops right off. A few years ago, Chatham was the worst. Painfully awful. Now, about 80% of entire conferences (NESCAC excluded) are this weak. Example? Look at the conference that Plattsburgh plays in now. No competition whatsoever. Kind of sad really.

 

[NUProf]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

Look at the conference that Plattsburgh plays in now. No competition whatsoever. Kind of sad really.

Plattsburgh didn't leave the conference, the conference left them.

 

[Birdwatcher]

Plattsburgh didn't leave the conference, the conference left them.

ECAC West did it to all the SUNY men's teams at the end of the 1992 season as well....That is another story !

 

[shelfit]

The top four or five in the rankings are really good. After that, it drops right off. A few years ago, Chatham was the worst. Painfully awful. Now, about 80% of entire conferences (NESCAC excluded) are this weak. Example? Look at the conference that Plattsburgh plays in now. No competition whatsoever. Kind of sad really.

Chatham has a LOT of company down in the cellar these days!

 

[Scott_TG]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

ECAC West did it to all the SUNY men's teams at the end of the 1992 season as well....That is another story !

Speaking of the ECAC West, it reminds me of a question I had. Was there ever in one of the threads an explanation why all of the D3 schools ditched the ECAC brand in the span of 2 seasons? Was it an administrative cost thing or something deeper?

 

[Genbeau]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

KRACH now up for the DIII Women.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

Speaking of the ECAC West, it reminds me of a question I had. Was there ever in one of the threads an explanation why all of the D3 schools ditched the ECAC brand in the span of 2 seasons? Was it an administrative cost thing or something deeper?

Something deeper...

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

The top four or five in the rankings are really good. After that, it drops right off. A few years ago, Chatham was the worst. Painfully awful. Now, about 80% of entire conferences (NESCAC excluded) are this weak. Example? Look at the conference that Plattsburgh plays in now. No competition whatsoever. Kind of sad really.

I remember watching RIT play teams like MIT ... talk about bad.

There's a difference between not being competitive and being just flat out bad. Oswego, Potsdam, and Buffalo State are decent teams, all things considered. They are just not at the competitive level of Plattsburgh. But, I wouldn't call those teams bad, as in MIT bad.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

I remember watching RIT play teams like MIT ... talk about bad.

There's a difference between not being competitive and being just flat out bad. Oswego, Potsdam, and Buffalo State are decent teams, all things considered. They are just not at the competitive level of Plattsburgh. But, I wouldn't call those teams bad, as in MIT bad.

MIT got decent though one of their last years with Kameron Klauber. Probably one of most underrated D3 players ever. She stayed at MIT after Hockey folded because she was equally as good of a field hockey or lacrosse player. Plus, who leaves MIT?

 

[CrossCheck]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

As of today I think Endicott has one of the tougher schedules in the East in terms of whose left on the docket between now and March. They have to play Middlebury, Norwich and Bowdoin among others. Norwich has Endicott, Elmira and Middlebury left. Midd has UMB, Endicott, hosts Bowdoin twice and a home and home vs Williams left. Bowdoin hosts Amherst twice and then has 2 @ Midd, 2 @ Conn and 1 @ Endicott so I'd nominally give them the win in this contest.

of the teams you listed, Bowdoin has the toughest schedule...they were [previously] undefeated but you can only play Colby and Southern Maine so many times...watch what happens when they play Amherst, Midd, Conn...it will get ugly for the PBears. As for Endicott...same issue....Nice story and all but you look great playing patsies in these new weak-sister leagues they've created the past few years...against a solid team, Endicott will get smoked.

 

[shelfit]

I said in a previous post how tough it is to watch these weaker D3 teams play. To be fair, I watched the recent Quinnipiac 4-0 win over Cornell. I can sum it up in one word.....BORING!! Not great hockey. Many poor passes just like D3 games. It was 1-0 until the second half of the 3rd period. With only 24 and 23 shots on goal each, neither team generated many quality scoring chances. At first I thought maybe it was an Olympic sized rink to blame for the crappy quality of play but that wasn't it. I guess D3 isn't alone in the tough-to-watch category.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

I said in a previous post how tough it is to watch these weaker D3 teams play. To be fair, I watched the recent Quinnipiac 4-0 win over Cornell. I can sum it up in one word.....BORING!! Not great hockey. Many poor passes just like D3 games. It was 1-0 until the second half of the 3rd period. With only 24 and 23 shots on goal each, neither team generated many quality scoring chances. At first I thought maybe it was an Olympic sized rink to blame for the crappy quality of play but that wasn't it. I guess D3 isn't alone in the tough-to-watch category.

Teams change of course. I once watched Cornell wax Union (back when Julie Chu was an assistant at Union). And that was a pretty boring game.

There is no doubt that all women sports (not just hockey) suffer from a lack of parity and competitiveness. (Look at the D1 women's basketball tournament -- you have to wait till the third round to get any decent competitive contests.) There is a lack of depth in women's sports.

But that will change, as more and more women participate in sports, as it has been getting better. And we certainly wouldn't all be on this thread if we didn't enjoy and support women's hockey.

As for women's hockey as a whole, it is a different enough game that a competitive contest can be a lot of fun to watch. And who can forget the last Olympics women's gold medal game between USA and Canada? One of the best hockey games I ever saw in my life, men or women.

 

[shelfit]

of the teams you listed, Bowdoin has the toughest schedule...they were [previously] undefeated but you can only play Colby and Southern Maine so many times...watch what happens when they play Amherst, Midd, Conn...it will get ugly for the PBears. As for Endicott...same issue....Nice story and all but you look great playing patsies in these new weak-sister leagues they've created the past few years...against a solid team, Endicott will get smoked.

Previously undefeated and top 10 ranked powerhouse Endicott musters only 16 shots against Middlebury in a 5-0 loss. Yeah, they deserve to be ranked in the top 10! Looks like Middlebury coasted along to the easy win while putting 33 shots on goal.

 

[Call It]

Previously undefeated and top 10 ranked powerhouse Endicott musters only 16 shots against Middlebury in a 5-0 loss. Yeah, they deserve to be ranked in the top 10! Looks like Middlebury coasted along to the easy win while putting 33 shots on goal.

Yes, enough of the Endicott discussion. They aren’t worthy of a top 20 conversation.

 

[CrossCheck]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

Right, and they certainly weren't last year either, yet there they were at the end of the year...total joke.

 

[shelfit]

Right, and they certainly weren't last year either, yet there they were at the end of the year...total joke.

I guess you could say they are the best of the new teams that have started up over the past few years but that really doesn't say much at all. All those teams have diluted and polluted the D3 waters terribly.

 

[joecct]

I guess you could say they are the best of the new teams that have started up over the past few years but that really doesn't say much at all. All those teams have diluted and polluted the D3 waters terribly.

The get more quality players into the pool. How long that will take is crystal ball answer.

 

[GTOWN]

The get more quality players into the pool. How long that will take is crystal ball answer.

Based on what I’m hearing from a couple of schools the players will mostly be Americans! It seems that many schools are now charging $27-30k for room/board/tuition for international students. That’s a big jump from even 2 years ago when my daughter started. ($20-24k).
I hear even the mighty Plattsburgh has stopped looking at Canadians because they can’t attract them at that price.

Regardless of where you stand on the cost discussion, decreasing the pool of potential players isn’t a recipe for strengthening the game.

 

[CrossCheck]

Re: 2017-18 DIII News, Game Notes, Etc

Based on what I’m hearing from a couple of schools the players will mostly be Americans! It seems that many schools are now charging $27-30k for room/board/tuition for international students. That’s a big jump from even 2 years ago when my daughter started. ($20-24k).
I hear even the mighty Plattsburgh has stopped looking at Canadians because they can’t attract them at that price.

Regardless of where you stand on the cost discussion, decreasing the pool of potential players isn’t a recipe for strengthening the game.

It's actually a bigger issue than that. Leave the Canadians home where they belong. The real issue is the drop in talent that is beginning to show up at the college level...and will be an issue probably for the next couple years....the Great Recession of 2007-2011 [+ or -] means that a lot of kids who might otherwise have played hockey simply didn't play...or had to stop playing, due to the fact that mom and dad simply couldn't afford to participate [after all, hockey is no doubt the most expensive team sport...by a factor of 10]...I just think you have a combination of too many new teams and a dropping talent pool...the next few years will not be great hockey to watch.