Post #37 — 3/23/21 — Wisconsin Wins 6th NCAA Title 2-1 in OT vs Northeastern
In This Post…
- Recruiting Rule of The Day
- Wisconsin Wins 6th NCAA Title
Recruiting Rule of The Day…
12.1.2 Amateur Status
An individual loses amateur status and thus shall not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if the individual: (Revised: 4/25/02 effective 8/1/02, 4/23/03 effective 8/1/03, 4/29/10 effective 8/1/10)
(a) Uses his or her athletics skill (directly or indirectly) for pay in any form in that sport;
(b) Accepts a promise of pay even if such pay is to be received following completion of intercollegiate athletics participation;
(c) Signs a contract or commitment of any kind to play professional athletics, regardless of its legal enforceability or any consideration received, except as permitted in Bylaw 12.2.5.1;
(d) Receives, directly or indirectly, a salary, reimbursement of expenses or any other form of financial assistance from a professional sports organization based on athletics skill or participation, except as permitted by NCAA rules and regulations;
(e) Competes on any professional athletics team per Bylaw 12.02.12, even if no pay or remuneration for expenses was received, except as permitted in Bylaw 12.2.3.2.1;
(f) After initial full-time collegiate enrollment, enters into a professional draft (see Bylaw 12.2.4); or (g) Enters into an agreement with an agent.
Wisconsin Wins 6th NCAA Title
3:16 into overtime, Wisconsin Senior forward Daryl Watts intentionally shot the puck from behind Northeastern’s net banking the puck off a Northeastern defender and into the net giving the Badgers its 6th NCAA national title. You can watch the OT winner below.
Here is Watts’ postgame interview where she mentions intentionally trying to bank the puck off NU’s Frankel.
The game itself was a fantastic showing for women’s hockey in general, not just at the NCAA D-I level. And the game looked great on television. This one had everything: two highly skilled and great skating teams, officials that let both teams play, a fast furious pace, great goaltending on both sides, and of course – high drama as a national championship was won in overtime.
Wisconsin struck first after a scoreless 1st period. Skating hard to the net, McKenna Webster banged home a rebound off NU goaltender Frankel’s left pad from a Casey O’Brien shot at the 11:00 mark of the second period.
That lead was short lived as Northeastern’s Chloe Aurard tied the score at 1-1 just :39 seconds later as Aurard rifled a snap-shot past Blair’s glove hand high in the right top corner.
Game video highlights are below courtesy of NCAA.com
Wisconsin Postgame Press Conference |Northeastern Postgame Press Conference
Anyone could say you hate to see a team lose a national title game this way, it was an unconventional goal. But you do have to marvel at the level of thinking displayed by Watts to do what she did and in the moment she did it in. That’s Gretzky/Lemieux type stuff. Practice, sure… but in OT of the national championship game?
NCAA Tourney Notes:
- Hats off to the NCAA staff and all the teams who were in Erie. We didn’t hear of any positive cases and no games had to be cancelled. Congrats to everyone on ensuring safety and health for all.
- Kudos to ESPN for not only broadcasting the Frozen Four (and for years to come!), but having A.J. Mleczko and Clay Matvick in the booth. It doesn’t get any more professional that those two.
- For anyone who knows or has followed Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson over the years, you know how much of an even keel guy he is. The look of pure elation on his face as the Wisconsin staff embraced on the bench after the winning goal was priceless… perhaps there was a little bit of relief as well with everything this year of COVID has brought and at the same time, knowing now the season is now over too?
- This game could have just as easily have been won by Northeastern. They took some punches but weathered each blow and returned some of those punches too. True to form, Frankel was outstanding. She ends the year with ridiculous numbers… .965 save % and 0.85 goals against average in 23 games played. Northeastern had a marvelous season going 22-2-1.
Thoughts on the season, a youth/minor hockey update, and what the Spring and Summer could bring for NCAA coaches… all in tomorrow’s post.
Until Next Time… Have a great weekend everyone!
Thanks Grant. Question, Allison was asked to help in a summer ice hockey camp and to get paid. Does this effect her amateur status?
Depends on a few things… 1) Is the camp owned/operated by an NCAA institution? 2) Is Allison being recruited by the institution who is operating the camp? 3) Who owns the camp? Has Allison has signed a National Letter of Intent or has signed financial aid documents or made a deposit to secure her spot at the school operating the camp? As long as the camp is not owned or operated by a NCAA coach or institutio, or institutional employee… meaning it’s not an ‘Institutional Camp or Clinic… then yes, she can work and get paid. See below for specific NCAA language:
13.12.1.7 Employment of Prospective Student-Athletes/No Free or Reduced Admission Privileges.
13.12.1.7.1 General Rule. An institution, members of its staff or representatives of its athletics interests shall not employ or give free or reduced admission privileges to a prospective student-athlete who is an athletics award winner or any individual being recruited by the institution per Bylaw 13.02.14.1. An institution may offer discounted admission to its camps and clinics based on objective criteria unrelated to athletics abilities (e.g., registration prior to a specific date, online registration, attendance at multiple sessions, group discounts), provided such discounts are published and available on an equal basis to all who qualify. [R] (Revised: 3/10/04, 4/20/09, 9/24/09)
13.12.1.7.1.1 Exception — Employment After Commitment. An institution may employ a prospective student-athlete in a camp or clinic, provided he or she has signed a National Letter of Intent or the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid or the institution has received his or her financial deposit in response to its offer of admission. Compensation may be paid only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in the locality for similar services. Such compensation may not include any remuneration for value or utility that the student-athlete may have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation, fame or personal following that he or she has obtained because of athletics ability. A prospective student-athlete who only lectures or demonstrates at a camp/clinic may not receive compensation for his or her appearance at the camp/clinic. (Adopted: 1/19/13 effective 8/1/13)