On Sun, 13 Apr 1997, John T. Whelan wrote:
 
>         Whoa!  Hold it there partner.  It might have been accurate to
> consider the ECAC as a weak sister a couple of years ago, but it's
> swung the other way right now.
 
Speaking as an ECAC follower, I'm not entirely convinced. I think the
ECAC is going to be seen as the weakest of the four until they do
something significant at the NC$$ Tournament level. This year, the ECAC
went 1-3 and was the first conference to be finished. It pains me to say
it, but the two hottest teams in the ECAC at the end of the season both
choked when it mattered.
 
The most telling thing, in my mind, is that I've been following College
Hockey for the better part of four years now and I can't remember an ECAC
team being in the NC$$ Final. If there truly is parity between the
leagues, then the ECAC should average a team in the Phinal Phour each
year, in the Final game every other year, and a National Champion twice a
decade.
 
>         BTW, there were a couple of minor conferences which didn't get
> auto bids in the 80s, but they only had three or four teams.
 
I think a conference has to have six teams, assuming that rule covers all
sports. I remember reading that in a basketball preview some time ago.
[Basketball digression: "America East"? What's up with that name? At least
"Basketball East" would have been amusing. :-) ]
 
You know, I think I actually remember the Great West conference from
reading The Hockey News. It had UAA, UAF, USAFA and US International, right?
 
John
 
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John Edwards, BA                  Minister of Chasing Wild Geese (DNRC)  O-
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