MR. MANCHNIK - PLEASE FORWARD THIS INFO TO HOCKEY-L III. THE ECAC IS RESTRUCTURED AT THE "NON - DIV. I LEVEL" THAT MEANS THE ECAC EAST/WEST AND SUNY. 1. SUNY WILL EXPAND THERE POST SEASON PLAYOFF AND WILL NOT BE A PART OF ECAC PLAYOFFS - AS IN PAST, WITH THE OTHER WEST OR PRIVATE SCHOOLS (R.I.T, MERCYHURST, ELMIRA, ETC.) SUNY PLAYOFF CHAMP GETS AUTOMATIC BID TO NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. THEY HAVE BEEN GETTING THIS AUTOMATIC BID FOR THE PAST 6-7 YEARS, WITH THE GRUMBLING OF OTHER DIV. III SCHOOLS - UNDER BREATH - AT NATIONAL MEETINGS. 2. ECAC WEST NOW CONSISTS OF 7 PRIVATES - THEY ARE CANISIUS, MERCYHURST, RIT, ELMIRA, HOBART, ST. BONA, AND SCRANTON. HAMILTON IS NOW PART OF ECAC EAST BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PLAY AGAINST THEIR TRADITIONAL NESCAC OPPONENTS (WILLIAMS, BABSON,ETC.) SO HAMILTON WILL TRY TO QUALIFY FOR THE ECAC EAST CHAMPIONSHIP. ONLY 4 OF 7 ECAC WEST TEAMS WILL MAKE PLAYOFFS AND THIS WILL TAKE PLACE AT A SITE CHOSEN BY COMMITTEE THE DATES ARE MARCH 5-6 FRI/SAT. 3. HOW DO TEAMS GET CHOSEN AND WHAT GAMES COUNT ???? ANSWER - ALL EAST VS WEST VS SUNY GAMES WILL COUNT IN A TEAMS RECORD BUT A COMMITTEE DECIDES WHO'S THE BEST 4. THEY WILL LOOK AT WEST VS WEST ECAC GAMES MORE CLOSELY BUT THEY WILL ALSO CONSIDER HOW TOUGH YOUR SCHEDULE IS AND COMMON OPPONENTS. 4. ONLY SUNY GAMES COUNT FOR SUNY PLAYOFFS. 5. ECAC EAST ( A WHOLE LOT OF TEAMS ) OF WHICH 8 MAKE PLAYOFFS - ALSO BY COMMITTEE VOTE. LASTLY - KEEP IN MIND THAT BESIDES ECAC DIV. I - THERE ARE SOME 55-60 COLLEGES THAT PLAY ECAC HOCKEY - AND SOME ARE NC$$ DIV. I, II, III, SANCTIONED SCHOOLS - A SCHOOL CAN WIN AN ECAC (NON DIV. I CHAMPIONSHIP) AND NOT GO ON TO A NATIONAL TOURNAMENT BECAUSE OF NC$$ REQUIREMENTS, NESCAC RULES, PLAYING WITHIN YOUR DIV. ETC. HOPE YOUR LESS CONFUSED - THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS ALWAYS CONFUSED ON THIS AND THE ECAC IS TOO BUSY, BURDENED, AND CAUGHT UP IN DIV. I TO REALLY CARE BEYOND THERE USUAL 5 MINUTES OF - CAN WE HELP??? BRIAN CAVANAUGH HOCKEY COACH CANISIUS COLLEGE 2001 MAIN ST. BUFFALO, NY 14208 (716) 888-2957 HELLO TO THE FELLOW COACHES - LISTENING IN !!!!