ECAC North Atlantic League forms

[WIrinkrat]

I'm sure the ECAC east would be more than willing to let a few teams go from their current 14-team predicament. As long as they keep 7 D-III schools so they can keep the autobid they'd be happy.

What motivation would the new league have to let anyone in and jeopardize their potential cream puff auto bid? Likewise why would an ECAC East team want to take on that kind of insane travel schedule? Maybe a team like Salve or M'ville knowing it could mean an easier path to NCAAs but that then leads us back to my first question?

 

[obserbear]

Re: ECAC North Atlantic League forms

I'm sure the ECAC east would be more than willing to let a few teams go from their current 14-team predicament. As long as they keep 7 D-III schools so they can keep the autobid they'd be happy.

I still say the next domino may well be the SUNYAC. Look at what happens to the ECAC-West if there ever is a SUNYAC. And isn't the ECAC-East a de-facto auto bid for Norwich (as it was for Manhattanville back in the pre-Cadet day) and can't we all can pretty much book lodging in either Plattsburgh or Elmira come NCAA time? The North Atlantic at least looks to be wide open and competitive.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

What motivation would the new league have to let anyone in and jeopardize their potential cream puff auto bid? Likewise why would an ECAC East team want to take on that kind of insane travel schedule? Maybe a team like Salve or M'ville knowing it could mean an easier path to NCAAs but that then leads us back to my first question?

Nichols and Plymouth State are the first two teams that jump off the page to me that would want to be aligned more with the North Atlantic.

UNE
Norwich
Castleton
Southern Maine
Saint Anselm
Saint Michaels
New England College
UMass-Boston

all are members of the ECAC East on the men's side so I see all of them sticking together, especially if Saint A's and Saint Mike's drop down to D-III.

Salve/Manhattanville stay as is unless the SUNYAC women's league forms and then I see Manhattanville possibly going to the ECAC west like they are on the men's side.

 

[WIrinkrat]

Nichols and Plymouth State are the first two teams that jump off the page to me that would want to be aligned more with the North Atlantic.

UNE
Norwich
Castleton
Southern Maine
Saint Anselm
Saint Michaels
New England College
UMass-Boston

all are members of the ECAC East on the men's side so I see all of them sticking together, especially if Saint A's and Saint Mike's drop down to D-III.

Salve/Manhattanville stay as is unless the SUNYAC women's league forms and then I see Manhattanville possibly going to the ECAC west like they are on the men's side.

That doesnt address my question. Sure NC and PSU would be interested from a competitive standpoint, but what motivation does the new league have in taking them? If anything I could see them maybe opening their doors to a couple of the non D3s to bump the leagues to 12/10 teams and it wouldnt jeopardize the ability of the current league members to earn their creampuff autobid

 

[CrossCheck]

Re: ECAC North Atlantic League forms

This has no direct relevance at all but when the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 teams in 1968, the new teams were placed in their own division and the winner of that division was given a spot in the Stanley Cup finals.

The question of the autobid here is referring to one spot out of 8. In the example above it was one spot out of two. And this setup lasted for three years.

Not applicable at all to NHL....For the simple reason that in the NHL nearly 50% of all teams make the post-season.....If that were the case in D3 hockey, I would have less of an issue with this...But the reality is there aren't enough bids and every year, deserving, qualified teams get left out of the dance. I can't justify taking away a bid from a deserving team so that some weak-sister [who would be in the basement of a good league] gets a shot...only to get destroyed in the 1st round. If you add this weak-sister auto-bid, then you need to expand the tournament...by several teams.