Let me start off by saying that I have a daughter who plays on a women's ECAC
team so that everything I say will be totally biased and slanted to prove
that I am correct.
 
After all the furor is over I would like to make some observations on the
condition of women's hockey and why it is still not yet a major sport.  The
championship week-end say some great games and play and provided much needed
publicity for the venue.
 
However, now that they are on their feet and walking will they walk into a
wall?  I can only use the contrast between the way men's and women's hockey
is handled.  For example most teams are class (pun intended) oriented in that
seniors receive the most ice and publicity.  Women are unique in that as an
emerging sport the younger players tend to be the better more skilled
players.  The proof of this is that of the top ten leading scorers this year
only one was a senior.  The ECAC completely ignored this fact in the recent
tournament.
 
Most men coaches, at least the good ones, keep track of plus and minuses as a
determination of how well a player is performing, not just how many goals are
scored against weaker teams.  I have not seen one listing of the plus or
minus of any women players.  Further, I continue to see the adoration of
players who dominate the statistics with points against teams in the weaker
divisions.  Most Division I men's teams would be embarassed if their major
points were scored against weak Division III.  In fact a candidate for rookie
of the year would have their points weighted based upon the opponents.  To me
a player who scores two goals in a game against UNH or Brown is worth more
than a player who scores five against an Alliance opponent.  The idea is
quality not quantity.  To illustrate look at the scoring leaders in the games
that counted these past two weeks.  In the big games you can tell who the big
players are.
 
How come the two leading scorers in the tournament were left off the all
tournament team?  Answer because they were freshmen.  This would never happen
to the men.  As to the most valuable player in the tournament, although she
is an excellent player, the rule should be that you have to have at least two
points in the tournament to be the most valuable.  Women's hockey is too
loaded with sentimentality.  It is a sport that should reward excellence not
friendship.
 
Next year the ECAC plans some changes to hopefully rectify these injustices.
 If the past is any indication they'll find a way around it.
 
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