tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14100987.post113052541980006023..comments2024-01-12T15:30:29.411-05:00Comments on After Atalanta: It's hockey season!kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09975351996302093224noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14100987.post-1130769219650421132005-10-31T09:33:00.000-05:002005-10-31T09:33:00.000-05:00Good question, amateur. Well as you know the NCAA ...Good question, amateur. Well as you know the NCAA has always headed north to recruit you Canadians. I think that is only one small component to the international rivalry between the US and Canada. Canada has numerous hockey opportunities for young girls. Not sure how things on the youth front look in other countries. <BR/>As for international recruitment I do think it is picking up. My alma mater, UNH, just recruited a great first year player from Scotland of all places who has national team experience. The Minnesota team is full of foreign recruits. The Finnish goalie from the 2002 Olympics was an NCAA player too. So I definitely think as women's program are given bigger recruiting budgets (though never as much as the men) they will take the opportunity to go abroad more. <BR/>But it should be noted that China has been developing a decent national team and there are no chinese players in the NCAA as far as I know. I think countries need to develop strong youth programs first because the NCAA has a depth it didn't have even 10 years ago and it no longer as developmentally oriented as it used to be.kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975351996302093224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14100987.post-1130765832574026672005-10-31T08:37:00.000-05:002005-10-31T08:37:00.000-05:00What women's hockey really needs is another seriou...What women's hockey really needs is another serious international contender. Every time I see an international tournament, the championship games (USA vs Canada, of course) are incredibly compelling; the rest of the tournament is a bore.<BR/><BR/>The NCAA seems to be the primary feeder system for international hockey; has there been any increase in the number of foreign players?Amateurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11231031426264837427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14100987.post-1130599699704445832005-10-29T11:28:00.000-04:002005-10-29T11:28:00.000-04:00Giving props to BU...what's next? cheering for Mai...Giving props to BU...what's next? cheering for Maine?! :)<BR/><BR/>But seriously, that is an impressive record for a new team. The better the competition gets in women's Hockey East, the better for all of us fans, even the New Hampshire fans. <BR/><BR/>-EBuzAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com