Alan Harder writes:
>Is there
>another state with as many highly regarded hockey programs as
>Michigan?
 
Massachusetts has 7 major DivI programs, as many as Michigan and New
York.  But more important than the number of programs in the state is
the fact that within a 1-1.5 hour drive of Boston, there are 10 schools
that have DivI programs.  That is by far the largest concentration of
any area in the nation - Michigan, NY, and Minnesota do not have any
areas that come close.  To relate it to the in-state or in-nation
discussion, it presents problems in terms of competition for recruits
that most schools outside the area don't face.  A kid who wants to stay
that close to home and play in DivI still has 10 schools to choose from.
It's no wonder that these schools routinely look outside the state and
country for players to compete with their neighbors.
 
And if you throw in DivII and III, the total becomes nearly
astronomical...by my count, there are something like another 25
schools in those divisions within the same area.  That brings the
total to approximately *35* schools playing NC$$ hockey within about
90 miles of Boston...meaning that about a third of all NC$$ hockey
programs are located in this area.  No other area with a 90 mile
radius has anywhere near that many...and about 1/3 to 1/4 of the 90
mile circle around Boston is ocean.
 
It is also no surprise that this same area is where a large majority
of the Mass HS teams are located, along with most of the state's best
HS players.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93