Post #52 — 9/3/21 – Busy Recruiting Weekend, New D-I NCAA Waiver, Sifters
NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.
Give Someone a Stick Tap… Know someone in women’s college hockey who’s work needs some recognition? Nominate them for WCH.org’s monthly ‘Stick Tap’ HERE or Email us at: womenscollegehockey@gmail.com
Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.
In This Post…
- Busy Recruiting Weekend|
- New NCAA Waiver Adds Exhibition Game
- Sifters
Busy Recruiting Weekend
NCAA coaches will be putting on the miles this weekend as there are 3 major recruiting events taking place.
In Burlington, Vermont the North American Hockey Academy is hosting its 21st annual NAHA Labor Day Tournament Friday to Sunday. A total of 16–U14, 24–U16, and 19–U19 teams are participating between 5 arena locations. Some arenas are requiring masks for spectators, players, and coaches. etc. while some others are not. You can find which arenas are requiring masks etc. HERE as well as the tournament website with scores, schedules, rosters, and standings HERE.
In Pittsburgh, PA, also Friday to Sunday, it’s the 1st Annual Pip Premier Ice Prospects Labor Day Girls Fest. A total of 16–U14, 18–U16, and 20–U19 teams from around the country will compete. 3 arena locations with multiple sheets are being utilized. We have not heard of any mask mandates at this event yet. You can find tournament info with schedules, standings, and team rosters HERE.
The National Girls Hockey League also has a Labor Day event this weekend in Connecticut for it’s Blue Division teams at the U12, U14, U16, and U19 age groups. You can find scores, schedule, rosters, standings as well as COVID protocols for areas HERE.
There is a 4th major event going on north of Toronto where the ‘top’ 80 — 2004’s and 2005’s will get together as part of the U18 High Performance Team Ontario camp (tryout). The OWHA has unfortunately, due to COVID, closed this event. No scouts, coaches, or spectators will be allowed. It does not look like a live stream will be available either.
NCAA Adds Waiver For Exhibition GM
The NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief announced on August 27th it was granting a waiver to allow D-I Women’s and Men’s hockey teams to play 1 additional exhibition game during the 2021-2022 season against any NCAA institutions in any division. You can read the full text from the NCAA below.
We imagine with Canadian University teams either choosing to or not being allowed to travel to the US, many NCAA schools will take advantage of this. Ivy League schools already have a waiver from the Ivy League allowing them a 2nd scrimmage for this season only and thus, won’t be able to use this NCAA waiver.
Sifters
WCHA Announces Partnership With B1G+ and BIG Ten Network… The WCHA has agree to a streaming partnership for all 8 WCHA member schools for the 2021-2022 season. Part of the package includes every regular season WCHA game as well as the WCHA playoffs streamed on the B1G+ streaming platform. Select games between between member Big Ten schools, Minnesota, Ohio State, and WIsconsin will also be televised on the Big Ten Network as well. There is one other Big Ten school – Penn State – who doesn’t appear to be part of the Big Ten Television package as far as we can tell. Details of the new deal can be found HERE.
Kristi Kehoe Promoted to Associate Head Coach… Lindenwood Assistant Coach Kristi Kehoe has been promoted to Associate Head Coach, announced earlier this week by Head Coach Shelly Looney. You can read more on her promotion HERE.
New Assistant at Merrimack Coming Soon… Although not officially announced yet, sources close to the program indicate a person has been hired and will be in place shortly.
Vermont Adds New Director of Operations… Colby College ’20 grad and former goaltender San Roman has been named new Director of Operations at Vermont. You can read more about San HERE.
New Operations Director For the Crimson… Alicia Scarpa has been named as the women’s hockey director of operations at Harvard. Both the women’s and men’s team shared an operations person in prior years. You can read more on Scala’s hire HERE.
Early Unofficial Top 10… ESPN Sportscaster and College Hockey media personality John Buccigross tweeted his Women’s Preseason #CawlidgeHawkey D-I Top 10. Media and conference pre-season polls will be out soon.
Until Next Time…
Grant Kimball is founder and contributing writer at Women’s College Hockey.org and beginning his 3rd season as an Assistant Coach with the Yale University women’s hockey program. Grant has developed an experienced perspective in the world of women’s ice hockey, having coached and recruited players from across the globe during his 25+ year amatuer and NCAA coaching career. He has coached at 6 NCAA DIII and DI programs in the NCHA (D3), the CHA, WCHA, Hockey East, ECAC, and the Ivy League (DI). Beyond coaching, Grant served as a site representative for the 2019 NCAA quarterfinal of the D-I NCAA Tournament. He also currently serves as an Officer with the American Hockey Coaches Association as Vice President of Membership and sits on the AHCA’s Women’s Hockey Executive Committee.