> St Cloud State University got a beautiful facility built mainly with tax money
> from the state. It was implied that this (SCSU program) would now provide an
> additional outlet for the talented youngsters in the state at the Division 1
> level.  When Craig Dahl did not spend much time recruiting the in-state talent
>  he was severely criticized. In the last several years, Dahl recruit several
> Canadian players that turned out to have academic problems or for other
 reasons
>  have left SCSU. Now that can happen to anyone, but I think that perhaps coach
> Dahl decided to see if the in-state talent would serve his team better. I
 think
>  that it IS working for him and I'm glad to see it.
 
The other point of view is that
    1) every other WCHA team recruits the best players that they can
       from wherever they can. St. Cloud has to compete with every team
       in the WCHA (and every team in the NC$$ for the tournament).
 
    2) When SCS went division-I, they were in direct recruiting competition
       with Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth (plus everyone else who
       recruits in Minnesota). Given that Minnesota was then an
       established program and SCS was not, should they have settled
       for 3rd or 4th best?
 
St. Cloud did a good job in making the jump to Division I. In their
first year in the WCHA, they were quite competitive. Instead of
criticism, they should be congratulated for doing a good job.  Now that
their program is more established, they are more competitive in
recruitng the best players -- from Minnesota and elsewhere.
 
        --david
 
 
--------
david parter                                         [log in to unmask]
university of wisconsin -- madison          voice: 608-262-0608/262-2389
computer sciences department                           fax: 608-262-9777