Topics: directory information, scholarships and varsity programs, the
national title game, a pre-season poll and the TUSAW-TCW pre-Olympic schedule.
DIRECTORY INFORMATION
The Women's College Ice Hockey Directory, which is available in the
Hockey-L archives, is undergoing its yearly update process. Many Canadian
Universities and their leagues have recently been added (merci-Andria!).
Also look for a number of new contacts, phone numbers and email addresses,
as well as some new American teams.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND VARSITY PROGRAMS
Below is information on scholarships and new varsity programs. It is
great to have UNH, Minnesota, St. Lawrence and Maine leading the way to
the NC$$ limit of 18 athletic scholarships in the next 2-4 years.
-- -- --
Athletic scholarships are increasing for women at a number of colleges.
The Big Three of the ECAC League (UNH, NU and PC) have a fine tradition of
strong women's ice hockey teams. They have won all the ECAC League
play-off Championships to date. New Hampshire is offering 11 full rides
now and will have 18 in the next 2 years. 18 is the NCAA limit.
Northeastern currently has 6.75 scholarships, often split between a number
of players. Next season NU will have 10 scholarships. Providence has 2-3
scholarships. St. Lawrence is an ECAC League member that has 2
scholarships this season and is in transition to 18 full scholarships over
the next 4 years.
The Ivies and other varsity women's programs continue to offer some very
attractive financial aid packages. There is money to help pay for a
college education. It can be based on academics, need or other reasons.
It is a matter of talking to coaches and college officials and digging out
what's available at the schools of your choice.
Augsburg, of the Midwest Alliance, has had a varsity program for the last
two seasons. They are making fine progress and came out East and beat two
ECAC Alliance sides last year. Like the Ivies, they offer financial aid,
but no athletic scholarships. Gustavus Adolphus will be another varsity
team in the Midwest Alliance this year along with new varsity member
St. Benedict. Next season St. Mary's goes varsity. The MIAC (Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) plans a new Division III varsity
league in a year or so.
Minnesota is starting their varsity program this season and will have 3-4
scholarships the first year. Eventually all 18 players will be on
full rides. The Gophers are playing a very ambitious schedule and appear
to be almost part of the ECAC League this year!
Maine, Colgate and Conn College will be going varsity this season in the
ECAC Alliance, which allows no athletic scholarships. Maine plans to
start adding scholarships in the 1998-99 season and over four years will
reach 18 full rides. Obviously Maine will be joining the ECAC Women's
League, or a new Women's Hockey East, if that happens, next year.
Niagara will be a varsity in another year and hopes to have scholarships.
A number of CCHA, WCHA and other midwest schools have women's clubs who
hope to go varsity soon and some will have scholarships in the future.
NATIONAL TITLE GAME
The first Women's National Title match will probably take place under the
leadership of USA Hockey, the National Women's Collegiate Hockey
Association (NWCHA) and the NCAA. This Division I tournament, along with
a Division III event in the future, are the starting points leading to an
NCAA Women's final. The most likely teams to participate will be the ECAC
Women's League title holders, the ECAC play-off Champion, another ECAC
Women's League team and Minnesota (or the winner of a midwest varsity
tournament). The tentative dates are March 21-22, 1998. Expect Minnesota
to be the possible host for the first Women's Final Four.
PRE-SEASON POLL
Mankato State University's National Women's pre-season poll:
(http://www.csu.mankato.msus.edu/womenhockey/ranking.html)
Div I Div III Club Canada MCWHA ECAC
1 PC Middlebury N Country Com Toronto Augsburg Brown
2 UNH Augsburg Ohio State Concordia St.Cloud PC
3 NU RIT St. Cloud York Gustavus UNH
4 Brown Gustavus Minn Club Calgary Minn Club NU
5 Minnesota Hamilton Michigan Manitoba Wisconsin DC
6 DC Wesleyan Wisconsin British C UW EC Cornell
7 Cornell Williams Mich State Ottawa UM Duluth Princeton
8 Princeton Rensselaer Boston U McGill Illinois Colby
9 Colby Vermont Illinois N Brunwk UW RF Harvard
10 Harvard Colgate UM Duluth Iowa State Boston C
Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm! Let's get ready to rumble?
TUSAW-TCW PRE-OLYMPIC SCHEDULE
Team USA Women will be playing some of the ECAC Women's League teams as
part of their Nagano98 tune up. On Nov 1st they will host Northeastern at
Walpole. On Nov 4th they will be at Brown at 6 pm. Look for other dates
to surface involving college women's teams in the near future.
Canadian Women's Olympic Team Schedule of Events
NOTE : As of August 28, 1997 - Dates and locations are very tentative.
SEPTEMBER
Orientation September 7 Calgary
First Ice Session September 8 Father David Bauer, Calgary
OCTOBER
Team Canada vs Team China Early October Father David Bauer, Calgary
Tour - Team Sweden October 14-22 Saskatchewan
Game vs USA October 25 Salt Lake City
NOVEMBER
Games vs USA November 7 - 11 Bathurst, Saint John, Boston
Tour/Competition: Team Finland and Team Sweden November 12 - 22
Finland
DECEMBER
Game vs USA December 4 Minneapolis, MN
Game vs USA December 6 Winnipeg
Three Nations' Cup: Canada, USA, Finland December 12-20 Lake Placid (2
games in Canada)
Christmas Break December 22-27
JANUARY
All-Star Game vs USA January 16 Vancouver
Training January 18-20 San Jose
Game vs USA January 20 Shark Tank, San Jose
CODA Game vs USA January 26 Saddledome, Calgary
Game vs USA January 28 TBD (in USA)
Depart For Japan January 29
FEBRUARY
Exhibition Game vs Sweden February 4 Nagano
Return To Canada February 23
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good shooting
hungerf
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