Amherst College Womens Hockey

[AWH Fan]

With the recent appointment of Jim Plumer as the new head coach and 7 quality incoming players, Amherst’s womens hockey team is clearly changing directions.

Plumer was an important part of Bowdoin’s program, including helping with recruiting, which is the key to success. Expect Plumer to build a successful program. Assistant coach Emma DeSimone is now in her third year as an assistant and this incoming group is reflective of her strong effort as a recruiter. This pair will be able to identify the student-athletes that will continue to strengthen the team.

With the strength of Amherst’s academic program, rated the number one liberal arts college in the nation (US News and World Report), Plumer has a tremendous school and the wonderful Five College area to offer to prospective players. NESCAC hockey with a great education!

Incoming players:
Emily Cronin, Assabet Midget White
Meg Dickoff, Benilde-St. Margaret HS, MN
Kirsten Forsberg, Team Illinois
Lindsay Grabowski, Princeton Tiger Lilies
Alena Harrison, St. Marks, Charles River M1
Tes Siarnacki, Groton
Rachel Simon, New Jersey Colonials

[AWH Fan]

It will be interesting to see how Amherst recruits in the coming year. Amidon/ Plumer had 8 Canadians on Bowdoin’s roster in 02-03. You might expect to see the first Canadian in Amherst’s 04-05 class. If you look at the success of Bowdoin, Elmira and Plattsburgh, it is readily apparent that you need to recruit north of the border in order to compete at the top of DIII.

[polarbear2]

Congatulations on Amherst acquiring Jim Plumer as the new head coach. Is is a student of the game and knows his stuff!! He is known by his players as a tough coach, and some of the women have had a tough time with him, but he produces results. Success is hard to argue with. I am sure you may see some more women from north of the border soon. It was to Bowdoin's benefit to have hom for 3 years.

[purple_and_gold10]

Elmira College and Jaime Wood have thrived in canada for the past 2 years....Hopefully this is where our new coach Paul Nemetz-carlson continues to filter players through the system at EC....Im very interested to see what if anybody EC picked up this year!!! Plattsburgh is gonna be gunning for the eagles this year!!!! its gonna be a great one!!!! EC/Plattsburgh is probably qucikly developing into one of the best rivalries in D3...also EC/Manhattanville is a nice one.

Also, correct me if im wrong but out of country players dont have to pay as much to come to private schools?? Im almost sure i heard this from someone a few years ago. This is probably a big reason why private schools have been able to bring in such great recruits from canada.

[AWH Fan]

With the strength of Amherst’s academic program, rated the number one liberal arts college in the nation (US News and World Report), Plumer has a great school and the wonderful Five College area to offer to prospective players.

North or south of the border, Amherst will recruit a higher level of player under Plumer’s guidance.

[kashmunnie73]

....NO ONE ( on campus) CARES about ice hockey!!!! ..think Hampshire College with a skating rink. cheers, kash

[AWH Fan]

Plumer’s efforts at Amherst will benefit from the strength of Amherst’s academic program and the record of success of women’s teams at the College.

Look at the final standings for the NACDA Directors' Cup, ranking the overall success of athletic programs. There were only two schools that offer women’s ice hockey that ranked ahead of Amherst. http://nacda.ocsn.com/index.html[/URL]


Women’s sports thrive at Amherst. Lacrosse was NCAA Div III champs in 03, soccer was in the NCAA DIII final in 02 and other teams are competing for NESCAC and NCAA tournament berths.


Plumer’s recruiting is made easier because of the school he has to offer, academically and the strong athletic program. When players and parents make a decision about which college to attend they know that hockey will be a wonderful part of the experience but the diploma is what counts. Going into the job market or to graduate school, an Amherst grad is in a stronger position than many other student-athletes.

[purple_and_gold10]

Originally posted by AWH Fan
Plumer’s efforts at Amherst will benefit from the strength of Amherst’s academic program and the record of success of women’s teams at the College.

Look at the final standings for the NACDA Directors' Cup, ranking the overall success of athletic programs. There were only two schools that offer women’s ice hockey that ranked ahead of Amherst. http://nacda.ocsn.com/index.html[/URL]




only one problem with this....ice hockey for D3 men and women is not included in the Sears' Cup standings. Neither of them qualify because their national tournament does not include 12 teams.....just clarification:)

[AWH Fan]

Thanks for that clarification.

However it’s doesn’t change the fact that Amherst’s athletic program, for both men and women, has a very successful track record.

Amherst’s athletics can’t but help when he talks to recruits about building the women’s ice hockey team. As I am sure you are aware many DIII student-athletes play two sports and having other strong teams for these young women to play with will be an additional help to Plumer.

[faceoff]

There is no question about the quality of education offered by any of the NESCAC schools. My daughter was recruited by just about all of them: Middlebury, Williams, Trinity, Conn College, Bowdoin, Hamilton. She was accepted at 2 of these schools (not ones high on her list), was rejected by another (her 1st choice), and was told she probably wouldn't get into the rest with her 1100 SAT score so she didn't bother to apply. She was recruited by and was accepted at Elmira and 3 D1 schools. She ultimately chose a D1 school (no scholarship) with an excellent academic reputation and one that offered her major. Enough history. The issue with most of the NESCAC schools is that it is tough to get in for the above average student. It's not a question of being able to attract students, the schools sell themselves. Amherst will have no problem finding players....the problem will be getting them through Admissions!

[AWH Fan]

Great post faceoff! You have obviously been through the college selection process and made a thoughtful decision. It’s fun to read about players and families that make decisions based on education first and sports second. Good luck to your daughter.

Prospective Amherst players will need to be good students, but that holds true for Bowdoin, Williams and Middlebury, all three of whom have assembled strong hockey teams. Not to mention other solid NESCAC schools.

My point is that Amherst has all the qualities that a player might look for in a College: academics, athletics and a fun college community in which it is located.

Plumer and DeSimone will have to work hard to identify strong student athletes and as you wrote “ the schools sell themselves”. Hopefully Plumer’s experiences at Bowdoin will have prepared him to recruit successfully for Amherst.

[purple_and_gold10]

Originally posted by AWH Fan
Thanks for that clarification.

However it’s doesn’t change the fact that Amherst’s athletic program, for both men and women, has a very successful track record.

Amherst’s athletics can’t but help when he talks to recruits about building the women’s ice hockey team. As I am sure you are aware many DIII student-athletes play two sports and having other strong teams for these young women to play with will be an additional help to Plumer.

agree with you 100% here. Almost all the NESCAC and ECAC East schools have fine athletic traditions and are also very expensive!!!:eek: :eek:

[winsorhockeydad]

I heard that Plumer is coaching at the Dartmouth hockey camp this week. Perhaps he will make some progress with recruits. Amherst is a great school so he has something to sell. If the school (i.e., admissions) supports him they should be able to be much more competitive on the ice. It will probably take a few years to catch the cream of NESCAC though.

[AWH Fan]

It would be my impression that Amherst College will be “motivated” to see progress for the women’s team. From what I can glean about this 03-04 group of recruits, the College has already stepped up for the team.

Compared to other women’s teams at Amherst, their won-lost record has not been up to par. It has not had success to date against any of the stronger DIII programs. This may be part of the reason Plumer was hired and all the more reason the school will want to see progress for the players’ and the new coach’s sake.

[AWH Fan]

Change is good! Teams like Amherst finally have an open field to compete in!

For years, Middlebury won consecutive III women’s titles. Then Elmira looked north of the border and recruited two national championship teams. Middlebury was not even in the mix last season.

Michelle Amidon is gone from Bowdoin for the year. Longer?

Women’s Division III hockey is wide open.

Will this be the year that another NESCAC school besides Bowdoin or Middlebury steps up to the top?

NESCAC Women’s hockey continues to mature with programs improving, challenging and recruiting at the same level of intensity as the traditional powerhouses.

Go AWH!

[Dader]

"AWHFAN" - "Hope springs eternal" at this point in the season and that's the way that it should be ... but ... trying to look at it more objectively, this long-distance NESCAC observor sees much of the "same-old, same-old", at least at the top of the league for this upcoming season;
Bowdoin loses a lot!, i.e. Chessie (to grad), Kristi Anderson (to Dartmouth?), Coach Amidon, its experienced goalies (returning netminders played in, just, seven games, collectively, last season) and 108 (or so) pts. On the other hand, the P Bears return over 200 pts. but there's the question of how the returning players will respond to a new coach ... particularly given the relative late timing of Coach A's decision to take a leave of absence. If Coach McGonagle can't recruit, the Bears might slip even farther in ensuing seasons as they will graduate, at least, five players and 80-some pts. (based on last season's 'stats') after this season. I see Bow slipping to the number 2 spot in the league behind Midd ...
Middlebury also loses a lot of pts.( 117) & talent from last season, i.e. Angela Kapus & the Neil twins? ... but ... the Panthers return two very-good goalies, 206 (or so) pts. & bring-in some talented players from Exeter, Hotchkiss, Taft & the WI Wild ... w/ the facilities that Midd offers & its incredibly attractive location ( if you don't mind being in the MIDDle of a very attractive 'nowhere'!), Coaches Mandigo & Trudeau should continue to be able to bring enough talented players in annually to "restock" and hold onto the first or second spot in the league, at least, for the forseeable future ... but ... it is interesting how the "D3 pack" is catching-up to Midd ... or ... how Midd's coming-back to the "D3 pack" depending on your perspective ...
Hamilton - last season it was the "Zoe Baldwin/(Goalie) Jen? Kroleski" Show ... (w/ the help of some 'supporting' cast members, of course ...) ... unfortunately for Coach Bryant, Kroleski's gone & although her "heir-apparent", might be a talented player, it's hard to know 'how talented', given the fact that her four wins came against Ct College, Cortland, Trinity & U-Mass-Boston ... The team only loses 40 pts. (or so) & returns over 150 but I believe a lack of depth will prevent the Continentals from improving much over last season's solid results.
To be continued later (if anyone cares ...) ...

[AWH Fan]

The sense that I have and what I was trying to express is that the whole dynamic has shifted and is shifting in DIII hockey.

It started with Manhattanville creating a championship level team virtually overnight, followed by Elmira and Plattsburgh. The pecking order has been tipped over and this has created an opportunity for programs to shed old expectations.

The quick and dramatic success of these teams woke up a few AD’s. The hiring of Coach Plumer at Amherst is a clear indication of a program moving in a new direction.

For Amherst, the process might be a bit tougher because of the stringent academic standards but to my mind that will also play as an advantage.

[Dader]

Hello (Again) AWHFan ... I do agree that there seems to be a shift in the D3 'dynamic' which I, too, think is a very good thing ... I guess that I, just, feel that it will be several seasons before it's reflected too dramatically, at least, in NESCAC standings ... the more immediate and very positive effect might be that players in the process of choosing a particular school might be more inclined to look more seriously at a school that, at least from just a hockey standpoint, might not have been on the player's radar in the recent past. Although my daughter recognized the advantages that a degree from Amherst might provide her, it really wasn't among her top choices for a couple of reasons; the first was that the school's location & "feel" was too close & too much like her current school ... obviously, not anything that Amherst needs to "apologize" for ... the second concern was the direction (if it was moving at all ...) that the women's program might be headed in ... and this is no reflection on Coach Cowperthwait(sp.) but more on the school's general position toward the program ... w/ the hiring of Coach Plumer and the chance to speak w/ him, she is now thinking that it might be exciting to be a part of a "turnaround" that she feels that Coach P will, in fact, effect ... who knows AWHFan ... you & I might be in the stands next season cheering-on a revitalized Amherst team ... I, just, think that it will be several seasons before the turnaround is reflected in the standings ... but ... the more important turnaround might be in the "hearts & minds" (pretty dramatic, hey?) of the players each time they take the ice ... that turnaround could & probably will come much more quickly ...

[Dader]

A couple of more elements to my, totally, unsubstantiable (is that a word?) forecast for this upcoming season's NESCAC teams;
Williams ... loses hardly any pts. from last season but lost both its goalies ... yikes!!! ... that could be rough ... (as is the case w/ most of the teams that I'm discussing; other than what I've picked-up on this website a/or in brief conversations w/ a couple of league coaches, I have no idea of whom particular schools are bringing-in as freshmen this season. I feel that, perhaps unlike D1 (at least established D1) programs, quality players coming into this league can make a significant impact on a particular team's success ...) ... Williams brings-in a good young coach whom Midd felt highly enough about to allow him to serve as the 'interim' coach of its men's program last season ... I anticipate that Williams will go-through a "growing" period as they get used to their new coach & netminders ... but ... mid- to long-term progress should be, relatively, fast ...
Colby ... will the real "Colby team" please stand-up? Is it the team that lost a late-season o.t. game to Midd or the one that lost 2-0 to Amherst (sorry AWHFan ...)? The White Mules return 58 (or so) pts. in Devito & Sweeney but the other returners only contributed 50 (or so) pts. collectively ... the team also returns two goalies w/ "middling" numbers (3.84/.877 sv.%- 4.34/.866).
Trinity ... lots of young players but has an enthusiastic young coach ... also, a senior goalie who has seen lots of shots ...
Wesleyan ... w/ the loss of Kiersten Von Trapp (& her 23 pts.) to graduation, I'm afraid that the women's team will be "out-of-tune" this season!
Conn ... has, arguably, the league's best goalie in diminuitive Gabby Petrill! ... if she was a 'pro' & being paid per save, she'd probably be able to retire comfortably after, at least, this upcoming season!!! ...the "good news" for Conn is that the team is young ... the "bad news" for Conn, etc., etc. ... unfortunately, Coach Steele lost her top point-producer (26), Caley Boyd, to graduation and the next nearest scorer had half that number & only three more returners had 'double-digit' totals ... but ... she is a coach whom I believe is very highly thought of w/in her own team & the league in general & deserves to have a few more-experienced players consider Conn ...
Amherst ... as I'm guessing Coach Plumer recognizes, "a journey of a thousand miles ... etc. ... starts w/" a single 'cross-over' stride ... or something like that! ... last season's sole 'doble-digit' pt.-producer graduated but there are some talented young players already "onboard" & w/ Coach P's contagious enthusiam and impeccable hockey credentials, there will be more following ... assuming, of course, that the school's admissions' folks offer whatever support that they can provide while keeping the school's academic integrity intact ...
O.K. I feel better now ... please take the above & its earlier companion piece for what it's worth ... best wishes to all of the league's teams & its hard-working coaches, players and, yes AWHFan, its loyal fans ...

[puxrex]

Amherst is clearly in a position to improve substantially. I don't think that they can expect to build an overnight success program like Plattsburgh, Elmira or Manhattanville due to the disparity in admissions standards between the Jeffs and these other schools. In addition, the NESCAC is slowly but surely cracking down on the latitude that the admissions office has towards admitting talented athletes who aren't on a par academically with the non-athletes. I think that Middlebury will continue to be the team to beat along with Bowdoin and Williams for the forseeable future. I'd like to see the other NESCAC schools upgrade their women's hockey programs so that across the board the league is as dominant in D3 hockey as they are in lacrosse, soccer, x-c, tennis and field hockey.