>        On Sept. 23, Terry Paul Kasdan wrote:
>
>        A.C.H.A. Division I teams are very competitive.  Many offer
>scholarships; draw larger crowds than many N.C.A.A. teams; and they must
>comply with all N.C.A.A. eligibility rules.  A.C.H.A. teams regulary play
>(and often beat) N.C.A.A. teams.
 
WHOA THERE!!!  Let's get a reality check here.
 
I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is the home of the University of Michigan
(NCAA Div. I).  It also happens to be right next door to Ypsilanti, which is the
home of Eastern Michigan University, which has been a top 10 team in ACHA Div. I
for at least the last two years, including a runner-up finish in the 1994 ACHA
Div. I National Championship.  I have also played with and against many recent
EMU players who were amongst the top players in the program there.  I have also
skated with the University of Michigan team several years ago (when they were
about a .500 team) in an (unsuccessful) attempt to walk-on the team there.
Where all of this is leading is that I have a pretty good feel for the caliber
of the players at each level.  Based on this, I can say in all candor that the
statement that "ACHA teams regularly play (and often beat) NCAA teams" is, at
best, unrealistic.
 
This is not to say that club hockey is not a good thing.  It is.  It gives
students who are very good hockey players an opportunity to continue playing
competitive hockey with coaching and fans, etc.  I also do not doubt that many
ACHA teams are as good or better than many NCAA Division III teams and that
there are a few players playing in the ACHA that are of NCAA Div. I caliber.
 
As for the point about ACHA teams having to meet NCAA eligibility rules, I know
that this is not universally true either.  I know of players who would not be
eligible under NCAA rules who have played for EMU.  Again, this is not a
criticism of the ACHA, but merely a correction to the statement made above.
 
College club hockey is a great thing and I wish that there was a club team at
Michigan when I was a student there (they are just starting one now).  However,
club hockey has its place in the world of college hockey, and I find attempts to
equate it to NCAA hockey (especially without any proof that they are comparable,
such as scores) an insult to my intelligence.
 
Patrick Bracco
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