As we approach the big last weekend of ECAC Women's League play, the ECAC
has decided that because St. Lawrence and Bowdoin were unable to arrange
a date to play their league match at Canton, NY, St. Lawrence will be
awarded a league win and Bowdoin a league loss.  The forfeited game means
that the Colby - St. Lawrence game (at Waterville, ME) on Sunday could
decide the final playoff spot!  There was always a chance of this, but
now Colby, Dartmouth, St. Lawrence and UNH have a little more to think
about this weekend.
 
I'll have to say, I thought something like that might happen when I heard
early this season about the problems of the schedule between the Saints and
the Polar Bears.  I think everyone would have preferred if the ECAC had
either taken a strong lead in making the two teams work it out, or if the
ECAC had made its decision sooner.  Two days before the games that count
is rather late.  I would think that Colby and Dartmouth are particularly
upset as it most impacts their drive for the playoffs.
 
Here is the updated league table.  From past experience the forfeit
appears to be a 0-0 home win for St. Lawrence (should be 1-0).
 
ECAC Women: standings => Feb 17 1995
 
                          ECAC League                   Overall
TEAM             W    L    T    PTS    GF    GA     W    L    T    PTS
Brown           10    1    1     21    79    29    15    2    3     33
UNH              9    2    1     19    88    22    17    8    2     36
Providence       9    3    0     18    70    23    14    8    4     32
Northeastern     8    2    2     18    52    25    13    9    5     31
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Princeton        9    3    0     18    58    17    14    5    1     29
Dartmouth        7    3    2     16    47    23    15    6    4     34
Harvard          7    3    2     16    42    23    11    8    2     24
Colby            7    4    1     15    53    40    12    5    1     25
----------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Lawrence    $7    5    0     14    48    35     7    7    0     14
RIT              4    8    0      8    21    49     4   10    0      8
Cornell          4    8    0      8    33    59     7   14    0     14
Boston College   3    9    1      7    37    62    11   10    1     23
Middlebury       2   11    0      4    18    65     8   11    0     16
Yale             1   11    0      2    14    70     3   17    0      6
Bowdoin          0  $14    0      0    13   131     2   16    0      4
$=Bowdoin forfeits win to St. Lawrence
 
 * = ECAC League match          -        Home team listed first
 
Sat 02/18   *Brown          __  -  Northeastern   __    2:00 pm
            *Colby          __  -  Dartmouth      __    1:00 pm
            *Cornell        __  -  Yale           __    2:00 pm
            *UNH (@Dart)    __  -  St. Lawrence   __   12:00 pm
            *Providence     __  -  Harvard        __    1:30 pm
            *RIT            __  -  Princeton      __   12:15 pm
            *Middlebury     __  -  Boston C.      __     TBA
 
Sun 02/19   *Brown          __  -  Harvard        __    2:00 pm  SC (NE)
            *Colby          __  -  St. Lawrence   __    1:00 pm
            *Cornell        __  -  Princeton      __    2:00 pm
            *UNH (@Dart)    __  -  Dartmouth      __    4:00 pm
            *Providence     __  -  Northeastern   __   12:30 pm
            *RIT            __  -  Yale           __   12:15 pm
 
 
I feel the real problem here may be MONEY.  If this was an ECAC Men's
game, if would have happened.  Still, the Women's League is young, and as
I understand it, there will be more changes to the league next year,
including a new league.  I think the women's game is going to see much
change with teams moving in and out of the Div. I league over the next
couple of years.  It is an interesting time of growth and change for the
sport and AD's.  From what I have seen and heard, things are and will be
better for women's ice hockey, but considering the flux, problems like
this forfeit are bound to happen.  Stronger leadership from the ECAC
would be helpful I believe.
 
 _____________
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 good shooting
 rhun-hungerf
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