Hypothetical Game

[xwildfan]

Having never seen Middlebury play, how would they do against the top or middle of the pack D1 teams?

[binnyrus]

MOST D1 teams are significantly better than any D3 team. The speed and overall skill level is much higher throughout the lineups than would be the case on MOST D3 teams.

The middle of D1 would probably be any team out of the top 10 - and there are many teams that can/could beat many of the top 10 teams on any given day.

Middlebury is a very good team, and possess some exceptional talent, but not of the caliber of the middle of the D1 pack. Sorry. JMO

[nut_case]

The bottom of D1 would beat most D3 teams.

[hab]

It is unfortunate that games between lower level D1 teams and top D3 teams have become a thing of the past, because it is interesting to see how they compare. However, last year when RPI was in their first year of D1 (as an independent) they played and won four games against ranked D3 teams, beating Elmira 4-1, Utica 3-0, Plattsburgh 3-2, and Williams 2-0. This year's RPI team is stronger and I expect would have little difficulty with the best D3 teams. I would say that the best D3 teams this year might be competitive with the weakest two or three D1 teams.

[wihobserver]

You only have to look at the Sacred Heart - Neumann series. SH is one of the most brutal teams in college hockey period, let alone DI, and Neumann barely beat them the first game and tied the second. If you listen to some people on here Neumann is one of the better DIII teams (uh...yah...anyway), so maybe that's a partial indication of the whole DI vs DIII question.

[Hux]

MOST D1 teams are significantly better than any D3 team. The speed and overall skill level is much higher throughout the lineups than would be the case on MOST D3 teams.

The middle of D1 would probably be any team out of the top 10 - and there are many teams that can/could beat many of the top 10 teams on any given day.

Middlebury is a very good team, and possess some exceptional talent, but not of the caliber of the middle of the D1 pack. Sorry. JMO


I dunno. If Vermont can beat Connecticut, I would think that Middlebury would stand a chance against the middle of the D1 pack. They have some very good players and are very well coached. I think they could give a pretty good account of themselves, and give quite a few teams fits.

[MICZamboni]

You only have to look at the Sacred Heart - Neumann series. SH is one of the most brutal teams in college hockey period, let alone DI, and Neumann barely beat them the first game and tied the second. If you listen to some people on here Neumann is one of the better DIII teams (uh...yah...anyway), so maybe that's a partial indication of the whole DI vs DIII question.

I searched this website over and over and all I could find was one poster who (cough..Camman...cough) consistantly thinks Neumann is one of the better teams in Div. III. I do think Neumann will be good enough to play with some of these teams but not this year. I am not ruling out an upset though.

Now back to the original intent of this thread. I would suggest you go out and watch a Div. 1 team if it is possible. You should see the difference almost immediately.

[camman15]

I searched this website over and over and all I could find was one poster who (cough..Camman...cough) consistantly thinks Neumann is one of the better teams in Div. III....

Oh, OK MIC; you're driving the KNIGHT'S wagon, remember???,.....talk about taking one step back instead of one step forward-MIC, let me run away and hide in the corner, Zamboni or should it be Zamphonie???,.....and I'm the guy that thinks NEUMANN is one of the better teams in D-3???,.....where did I say that???,.....show me, mr. know it all,.....in my mind what I did say was this team was on the rise and they would beat teams they have had little success with,.....so far I've been wrong; isn't the first time, nor will it be the last,.....but let's get back to you, o'mighty D-3 women's hockey sage; how'bout saying what you mean, annnnnd mean what you say, wagon driver!!!,.....I hope your neighbor's brother buys the house on the other side of yours!!!,.....

[gojackets]

and I'm the guy that thinks NEUMANN is one of the better teams in D-3???,.....where did I say that..

When have you not said that? According to you the Knights are going to win the ECAC-W and make the NCAA's...wouldn't that make them one of the better D3 teams? All you do is talk about how awesome Neumann is despite their results. Its good to support your team...but to represent them as something they aren't is foolish. Its time for a reality check for Camman15.

[camman15]

When have you not said that? According to you the Knights are going to win the ECAC-W and make the NCAA's...wouldn't that make them one of the better D3 teams? All you do is talk about how awesome Neumann is despite their results. Its good to support your team...but to represent them as something they aren't is foolish. Its time for a reality check for Camman15.

Hey friend, go back and read that quote again; it's nothing more than a support for MICZamboni and his "vision" for the NEUMANN KNIGHTS this year,.....and much of what I have said was based on a HEALTHY team, and we all know they haven't been at full strength since day 1, and for whatever reason, this year they are on the road almost twice as much as at home,.....so yes, you're right they're not a top team at this point in time and yes, they may not meet their lofty, but reachable goals, but you can't take away their resolve, something half the teams in college hockey DON'T have,.....and even though I'm not on the bandwagon, I'm a true NEUMANN KNIGHTS supporter and that is something you CAN NOT dispute,.....

[nut_case]

I suspect that if Middlebury were to play all D1 teams this year(let's leave Sacred Heart out for now) they would probably win 2 or 3 games at most. I think you can look back in recent years for a few examples of the top of D3 vs. D1 teams and have this impression confirmed. You need to look back to 2002 for a Middlebury example, when they tied a Cornell team which was something like 4-21-2. The whole spectrum of Women's hockey has changed since 2002, and there are no doubt plenty of D1 caliber players playing for D3 teams, but the difference is still significant.

[UCANDOIT]

I think the top D-III teams would have 1 or 2 lines to compete. Wouldn't an all-star D-III team be interesting?

[knightsfan]

I think the top D-III teams would have 1 or 2 lines to compete. Wouldn't an all-star D-III team be interesting?


Having never seen Middlebury play I cannot say anything about them vs D1 schools but I will say that having seen Plattsburgh play a number of times that they would beat at least a half dozen D1 teams. Teams like Niagra, Sacred Heart, Union, Vermont and maybe Robert Morris U as well as a few others. I would have to think that Elmira and Utica would also give a couple of these teams a run for it.

As for OUR Neumann Knights...hmmm well they beat Sacred Heart but that may be the only one on this list that they could beat.

[MICZamboni]

... but I will say that having seen Plattsburgh play a number of times that they would beat at least a half dozen D1 teams. Teams like Niagra, Sacred Heart, Union, Vermont and maybe Robert Morris U as well as a few others. I would have to think that Elmira and Utica would also give a couple of these teams a run for it.



I respectfully disagree. Now I admit that I have never seen Plattsburgh play so I suppose this could be argued but I doubt they could beat Niagara and RMU and I would give the edge to Vermont if they played them. I can't comment on Union. Niagara has Riggs and that alone is a big difference. Also, RMU has improved from last year.

[ARM]

Sacred Heart is a D-I program in name only, in that they neither recruit like a D-I team nor play a Division I schedule. So saying a team could beat Sacred Heart doesn't say how they would do against a D-I team. Take Niagara off of your list of teams that would lose to good D-III teams. Sure, it is hockey, and anything can happen in a game. But if the top D-III teams played Niagara 5 times, the Purple Eagles will win at least 4. Look at their results -- they have proven they can compete with, if not beat, some top teams.

[SHUCrosscheck]

Hey I just saw on the EA Sports website that they are coming out with a college hockey video game!!

[ARM]

Hey I just saw on the EA Sports website that they are coming out with a college hockey video game!!Will it feature teams from the Big Ten Hockey conference?