>As to why teams may schedule weaker DivI teams or DivIII teams,
> I come back to what Merrimack coach Ron Anderson said after
>MC beat up on AIC one night a few years ago.  He said that no
>matter who you play, the atmosphere around the locker room is
>always better when you win.  And so it makes sense for teams to
>schedule some "easy" games to boost the morale, especially if you
>are a team that is struggling to establish itself.
 
 
True, but if you lose, it can have a devistating effect. I remember
Kent coming to the RIT Tournament a few years back - they
thought they'd start off the season with a couple  of easy wins and
ease back into D-I play (this was the year they came back
from suspension). They finished last, losing to RIT and then
Brock (ONT). Ouch. Not a good way to start off the season.
 
It's interesting to see that lately the D-I teams that are still
playing D-III opponents rarely play the really *good* D-III teams
like Elmira or Point. Instead you see Air Force playing St. Olaf and
St. John's  from the MIAC, one of the weaker D-III
conferences, and Army playing Scranton, who went 0-23
in D-III last season.
 
UMass-Amherst lost their final game of the season last year to a
D-III team. That certainly isn't the jumping off point they'd like to
have into their first season in Hockey East.
 
Chris Lerch
EDS
RIT '84 & '91