>>U.S. College Hockey Online Preseason Div. II-III Poll
>>Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 20, 1997)
>>
>> Team (First Place Votes) Pts
>> 1 Middlebury (11) 119
>> 2 RIT 76
>> 3 Plattsburgh 66
> >4 St. Norbert (1) 61
> > Bemidji State 61
> >6 Norwich 57
> >7 St. John's 45
> >8 Alabama-Huntsville 44
> >9 Wisconsin-Superior 42
>>10 Niagara 25 <------HUH??????
>I thought Niagara was a D1 program. They are in the Syracuse
>Invitational (ok they may be cannon fodder, but they're there) aren't
>they?
>Joe
You are technically correct, and we went back and forth on this when we
put the poll together. Most of the coaches felt that Niagara should be
included (along with Canisius, UConn, Iona, etc.) for two main reasons:
1. They aren't eligible for the D-I NCAA tournament because they're not
playing 20 Division I games. However, they're much closer than the
other pseudo-DI programs in this regard, since they're playing 14
games against teams eligible for the D-I nationals, and that made the
decision difficult. Still, because of their schedule, Niagara is
considered "College Division" by the American Hockey Coaches
Association, meaning that they are either D-II, D-III, or D-I electing
to play a D-II/D-III schedule. Teams eligible for the D-I NCAAs are
considered "University Division" by the AHCA. We almost called the
poll the "College Division" poll, but the name seemed ambiguous.
2. They are a full fledged member of a D-II/D-III conference (ECAC
West). This I think was the main consideration.
We are adding a disclaimer on future versions of the poll that says:
"Note: The USCHO Division II/III poll may also include Division I
schools electing to play a primarily Division II/III schedule."
Fortunately, this problem virtually goes away next season when Niagara
leaves the ECAC West and becomes a full-fledged D-I Independent, and
when all the other pseudo-DI programs (except Villanova) will band
together to form the MAAC.
Chris Lerch
US College Hockey Magazine
US College Hockey Online -- www.uscollegehockey.com
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