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Larry writes: >a risk for the Div. I team as well. RIT won about 4 of 7 games against Div. I >teams a few years ago, and I would imagine Plattsburgh has won a few, too. Ask >some long-time Clarkson followers... Sometimes these blowouts occur, but I >believe they are the exception. (Mike M. or someone with access to several >years worth of records care to varify this?) I don't have the numbers on hand, but just a few months ago this question was raised and I dug up some stuff and posted it (maybe only to hockey3); in fact, DivIII teams on the whole have a horrible record against DivI teams and blowouts more often than not are the case. This was going back to 1986-87, the last season for which I have a pretty complete composite. Anyone interested in the details can fetch the old composites from the archives - send mail to [log in to unmask] and use the command GET XXXXCOMP SCHEDULE where XXXX is one of (8687, 8788, 8889, 8990, 9091, 9192, 9293). That gets you the complete set of DivI scores for that year. >Those of us that follow Div. III teams enjoy college hockey as much as anyone. >Please don't belittle us or our teams. I don't believe that was Daryl's >intent. I'm just hoping to avoid what happened last year. Well, I agree that it likely wasn't Daryl's intent, I did not read it that way. It was pretty interesting, though, that a game that was supposed to be pretty close (I expected it would be too) between one of the top DivIII teams and a DivI team that was 0-8 vs NC$$ competition produced a blowout in favor of the DivI team; as Daryl seemed to be suggesting, one could ask, what would have happened if Plattsburgh had played Maine or even one of the middle of the road DivI teams!? But I thought the game was more of an aberration for a number of reasons, and although I'd still expect Colgate to win most of the time, I also think it would probably be much closer most of the time. As some have said, there is a huge difference between DivI and DivIII teams mainly in the type of player they are able to attract which gives DivI teams more depth, size and speed - not to mention the experience they have playing teams who are much bigger and quicker. But I think most people who have had a chance to see DivIII hockey know it can offer just as much as DivI in the way of excitement and great action; the Plattsburgh-Canisius game was one of the best games I've seen this year. You also have the fact that in DivIII, a guy like John Wells of Plattsburgh can play and make a significant impact whereas in DivI he'd get knocked around a lot of the time. This guy is quick & not afraid to go to the net. Anyway, I think the huge difference was what Daryl was trying to point out, and it's true, it does exist - but it's usually only more evident when teams from different divisions match up. And Plattsburgh gets to play Moscow Spartak on December 22nd! I'll venture a guess that if they try to play dump-and-chase they'll get their doors blown off again. Plattsburgh has some pretty good speed and should use it more. I also count 12 freshmen on the Plattsburgh roster (remember how experienced we thought they'd be?) and quite a few of them played this weekend. Think of this: here are a bunch of kids who were deemed not of the right caliber for most DivI teams, and just ten games into their first season of college hockey, you are asking them to play against a bigger, faster DivI team like Colgate? I guess I should have seen it coming. Still, the game does benefit Plattsburgh in that it helps them stay focused and keeps their feet on the ground - maybe for the coaches, too, who had lost only four games in the prior 46 and maybe had become accustomed to winning. If I'm a DivIII coach, I'll take a blowout at the hands of a DivI team anytime if it means my team will rebound with such an outstanding performance the next night as Plattsburgh did at Canisius. --- Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors (Any opinions expressed above are strictly those of the poster.) *HMN*