On the subject of Women's ice hockey and checking, if you have seen a division
I game you will have seen that there is quite a bit of legal body checking
going on (the way it was meatn to be.)  They use body postion and "rub out"
players along the boards and this sort of positional checking is usually not enough to get a penalty called.  No, you don't see the usless open ice stuff
where the player doing the checking is uselessly off balance for the next 20
seconds.  Yes, I believe that it should be legalized for women, and yes they
should play 20 minute periods.
 
Checking in general was designed so that you could get the puck, IMO those
big checks where the glass rattles and both players fall down are stupid and
useless.  This is why I like the Women's game, If you legalized checking
those calls which are marginal now would be OK and still you would avoid the
useless body checks you see in the men's game.
 
In reference to title IX, as  I read the judge's decision in the Colgate case
(which is currently being appealed by Colgate University,)  There did NOT
have to be equal money, simply equal opportunity.  For contact sports that
means if there is a Men's team FOR THAT SPORT then there needs to be a Women's
team FOR THAT SAME SPORT given that there is sufficient interest and availble
opponents.  The judge's decision also stated that the school could NOT use
the lack of money as an excuse in starting a Varsity team.  If this decision
holds up, I see no reason why anyof the ECAC or HE schools couldn't follow
Colgate Women's lead, s well as many of the div II and div III schools.
 
My $200.00 worth or whaterver
 
 
-Ryan Stone     Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) '93
                Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute '93
 ----------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------------
| 113 Hall Hall, R.P.I. | (518) 276-7598         |  "Shoot the puck"  //     |
| Troy, NY   12180-3590 | email: [log in to unmask] |   o================/  *   |
 ----------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------------