Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

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bodyup88
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Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by bodyup88 » Mon Nov 28, 2022 12:21 pm

Congratulations to the UW River Falls women's hockey team on going to the Cardinal/Panther Tourney in Plattsburgh, NY over the weekend and coming home with the championship trophy after 3-2 wins over Plattsburgh Saturday and Middlebury on Sunday. Scoring goals for the Falcons were Minnesotans Maddie McCollins of Wayzata (2), Bailey Olson (Willmar), Makenna Aure (Alexandria) and Aubrey Nelvin (Burnsville). Middlebury and Plattsburgh were ranked #1 and #2 in the previous poll. Middlebury is the defending D III national champions and were riding a 31 game win streak.

Division III hockey now has UWRF ranked #1 in the country and Gustavus Adolphus #2. Incidentally, those two teams will play a home and home series on December 7 and 10. GAC is led in scoring by Clara Billings (Rochester Lourdes), Brooke Power (Lakeville North) and freshman Lily Mortenson (Benilde). It's great to see these Minnesota high school hockey products having success on the national level.

j4241
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by j4241 » Mon Nov 28, 2022 1:43 pm

Thanks for bringing that to this board! Some really good hockey players you mentioned - clearly D1 talent but for the NCAAs misguided decision to let a random group of kids play a 5th year. Not surprised to see they’re succeeding at a high level in D3!

bodyup88
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by bodyup88 » Fri Jan 20, 2023 11:03 am

Prayers to Heather Olinger from the Gustavus women's hockey team for a full recovery from serious neck surgery this week. She sustained a major injury with multiple vertebra fractures last Friday in a game vs. St. Ben's when she was checked from behind.

greybeard58
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Heather Olinger injury

Post by greybeard58 » Tue Jan 24, 2023 2:27 pm

Heather Olinger injury

Friends and family describe 21-year-old Gustavus senior Heather Olinger as a positive and tough hockey teammate.

Especially since Olinger eagerly returns to play after recovering from any injury, such as the three anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears she’s had ever since middle school.

“She just loved hockey,” Olinger’s father, Chris Olinger, said.

“She’s very tough,” Olinger’s mother, Cherrie Olinger, added. “She gets up from just about any kind of injury, but when she didn’t get up and my husband heard her cry out, we knew right away that it was something bad.”

On Friday, Jan. 13, Olinger’s parents watched in horror as she was checked from behind and flew head-first into the boards, during a women’s hockey game between Gustavus Adulphus College and St. Benedict’s College.

Olinger suffered from a C-7 fracture and a T-4 burst fracture on the ice, which required immediate hospitalization and a major spinal surgery on Monday night.

Surgeons told Olinger’s parents that she had an angel on her shoulder that night and it’s a miracle Olinger isn’t paralyzed.

“Heather is one of the strongest people I know, mentally and physically, and she deserves the world,” Olinger’s friend and senior at Luther college Megan Munger said.

After hearing the news, childhood friend Megan Munger didn’t sit on the sidelines.

On Sunday night, Munger and others created a GoFundMe page with a goal to raise $500 toward Olinger’s medical bills.

But, as of Wednesday night, nearly $10,000 has been raised from over 150 donors and counting, including various hockey teams across the country.

“In the beginning, it was a lot of family, friends, people I recognized,” Munger said. “But, as it’s gotten more donations along the way, I’ve started to not recognize some names and there’s actually a hockey team from New York. Athletes are so empathetic because they know exactly how you feel because they felt pain at some point in their lives.”

On top of physical and O-T therapy, Olinger will wear a neck brace and a full body brace for three months.

Olinger hopes to leave the hospital this upcoming Saturday.

“To see all the support that the hockey community, friends and family, people we don’t even know, it is what keeps us going,” Cherrie Olinger said.

“Yes,” Chris Olinger agreed. “And it’s what keeps [Heather] going, too.”

Anyone interested in donating to Heather Olinger and her family can use this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-fu ... 31773d38c3

A Gustavus senior remains hospitalized after shattering her spine during a college women’s hockey game last Friday
Read more: https://www.keyc.com/2023/01/19/gustavu ... st-friday/

MNHockeyFan
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by MNHockeyFan » Thu Jan 26, 2023 4:18 pm

They showed video of this on the 10pm sports segment last night. A terrible, dirty hit into the boards, the likes of which should NEVER happen at any level of girls (or boys) hockey. Fortunately, it appears that with continued therapy Miss Olinger will be OK. I'm sure everyone here who is reading this wish her a 100 percent recovery.

MNHockeyFan
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by MNHockeyFan » Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:52 pm

Edina goalie Uma Corniea becomes all-time wins leader in MSHSL history

https://www.fox9.com/sports/edina-goali ... sl-history

PhunnsieMcHockeyDad
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by PhunnsieMcHockeyDad » Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:23 am

j4241 wrote:
Mon Nov 28, 2022 1:43 pm
Thanks for bringing that to this board! Some really good hockey players you mentioned - clearly D1 talent but for the NCAAs misguided decision to let a random group of kids play a 5th year. Not surprised to see they’re succeeding at a high level in D3!
Since this post a number of really talented 23's have committed to D3 schools - all kids that have the credentials to play at certain levels of D1 - not necessarily the top of the WCHA or Hockey East. Having a daughter that is part of this class has been an eye opener. We've learned a ton about how coaches evaluate the players, which programs are responsive, and how to gauge the seriousness of the Coach and his/her interest (and why you shouldn't waste your time with some of them, because they're perfectly happy to string your daughter along when they have no intention of offering her a spot).

Ultimately my daughter chose a great D3 school in MA that she is thrilled to be committed to. There are a couple other really good MN players heading that way, and the response from the Coach when she called him made the entire journey worthwhile. She'll get 4 years of college hockey in a great setting, and I'll get some airline miles and another 4 years of having beers with parents before the games (I hope those New Englanders are ready for a Minnesota-style Parent Safety Meeting - do they sell Fireball in MA?).

I think it's unfortunate that the 22's, 23's, and 24's are missing out on opportunities to play D1 hockey because of the transfer portal and 5th year BUT I think the level of play in D3 is going to continue to improve as kids realize they can compete on the ice without the (perceived) stigma of not getting that D1 shot. That's the silver lining that girls are going to benefit from moving forward.

The talent pool is so deep in MN - there are still nearly a dozen really good '23 girls that haven't landed spots (see the Morgan Stanley team from the Fall Elite League plus others) - and I think once the East Coast schools figure that out, you will see kids heading that direction each fall. And that's on top of the kids heading for Gustavus, St. Olaf (they're going to be really good moving forward - great Coach and facility and their first year class is very talented), UWRF and UWEC, and even St. Norberts (keep an eye on them - beautiful campus, excellent coaching (he's in MN almost every weekend in the Summer and Fall), 4 hour drive)...the biggest issue with some of those is the size of the rosters they carry, the kids see it and are hesitant to commit when they know the locker room is going to be overflowing.

I'm glad we're done with the search - it's been a once in a lifetime experience visiting campuses and meeting coaches (there are some great people out there and also some real screwballs). If anyone has a daughter starting the process I would be happy to share my intel. Shoot me a DM and fire away with your questions!

InThePipes
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by InThePipes » Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:55 pm

PhunnsieMcHockeyDad wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:23 am
j4241 wrote:
Mon Nov 28, 2022 1:43 pm
Thanks for bringing that to this board! Some really good hockey players you mentioned - clearly D1 talent but for the NCAAs misguided decision to let a random group of kids play a 5th year. Not surprised to see they’re succeeding at a high level in D3!
Since this post a number of really talented 23's have committed to D3 schools - all kids that have the credentials to play at certain levels of D1 - not necessarily the top of the WCHA or Hockey East. Having a daughter that is part of this class has been an eye opener. We've learned a ton about how coaches evaluate the players, which programs are responsive, and how to gauge the seriousness of the Coach and his/her interest (and why you shouldn't waste your time with some of them, because they're perfectly happy to string your daughter along when they have no intention of offering her a spot).

Ultimately my daughter chose a great D3 school in MA that she is thrilled to be committed to. There are a couple other really good MN players heading that way, and the response from the Coach when she called him made the entire journey worthwhile. She'll get 4 years of college hockey in a great setting, and I'll get some airline miles and another 4 years of having beers with parents before the games (I hope those New Englanders are ready for a Minnesota-style Parent Safety Meeting - do they sell Fireball in MA?).

I think it's unfortunate that the 22's, 23's, and 24's are missing out on opportunities to play D1 hockey because of the transfer portal and 5th year BUT I think the level of play in D3 is going to continue to improve as kids realize they can compete on the ice without the (perceived) stigma of not getting that D1 shot. That's the silver lining that girls are going to benefit from moving forward.

The talent pool is so deep in MN - there are still nearly a dozen really good '23 girls that haven't landed spots (see the Morgan Stanley team from the Fall Elite League plus others) - and I think once the East Coast schools figure that out, you will see kids heading that direction each fall. And that's on top of the kids heading for Gustavus, St. Olaf (they're going to be really good moving forward - great Coach and facility and their first year class is very talented), UWRF and UWEC, and even St. Norberts (keep an eye on them - beautiful campus, excellent coaching (he's in MN almost every weekend in the Summer and Fall), 4 hour drive)...the biggest issue with some of those is the size of the rosters they carry, the kids see it and are hesitant to commit when they know the locker room is going to be overflowing.

I'm glad we're done with the search - it's been a once in a lifetime experience visiting campuses and meeting coaches (there are some great people out there and also some real screwballs). If anyone has a daughter starting the process I would be happy to share my intel. Shoot me a DM and fire away with your questions!

Congratulations to your daughter!

bodyup88
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by bodyup88 » Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:35 pm

Congrats to your daughter Phunnsie and best wishes vs the Eagles in the Section 3AA semis on Saturday. Quick note on a few former MN high school players who are excelling in D III hockey. Three of the top four goal scorers in the country for women's NCAA D III hockey (there are 72 D III teams) are MN high school grads.
#1 is Sophie Rausch, UWEC (Fergus Falls) leading the nation - all divisions - with 28 goals.
Tied for #2 is Jessica VonRuden, Adrian College (Owatonna) with 25 goals.
#4 is Maddie McCollins, UWRF (Wayzata) with 23 goals.
Incidentally, VonRuden is a 2016 graduate of Owatonna HS and then played two seasons at Coeur d'Alene Hockey Academy in Idaho, coached there by current St. Ben's head coach Lindsay Macy. VonRuden is in her fifth season at Adrian and graduated from high school the same year that Presley Norby from Minnetonka won Minnesota's Ms. Hockey award.

bodyup88
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by bodyup88 » Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:26 pm

Two big NCAA Division III games this Saturday with loads of former Minnesota high school girls' hockey players on all four teams. Number 3 ranked UW-River Falls hosts #7 ranked UW-Eau Claire for the O'Brien Cup, the WIAC tourney championship, at 2:00 pm.
In the MIAC, #1 ranked Gustavus Adolphus hosts RV Augsburg, also at 2:00 pm, for their post season title and automatic NCAA tourney bid. Augsburg is the only MIAC school to put a blemish on Gustavus's record - their other two losses were to UW-River Falls.

PhunnsieMcHockeyDad
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by PhunnsieMcHockeyDad » Mon Mar 06, 2023 10:24 am

DIII Tournament only features 2 local teams. Gustavus and UWRF are top 5 teams that have to play in the first round due to NCAA proximity rules. Such a shame. 4 NESCAC teams get in but UWEC, Augsburg, St. Norberts all shut out - at least go to 12 teams (vs 11, what a ridiculous number). Same can be said for D1. Makes no sense.

bodyup88
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by bodyup88 » Mon Mar 06, 2023 2:34 pm

Couldn't agree more. D 1 has 11 teams in the tourney out of 42 total teams playing women's hockey (26.2 % of teams make the tourney). D III also has 11 teams in the tourney but has 72 teams that offer D III women's hockey (15.2 % of teams). Good logic.

bodyup88
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by bodyup88 » Mon Mar 06, 2023 3:09 pm

The DIII tourney is currently strictly formula driven based on the Pairwise poll, with no room for voting or negotiation. Of the 4 NESCAC schools in the tourney, Middlebury and Colby have records of 16-7-3 and 17-7 respectively. Meanwhile, UW-Eau Claire, the first team out, has a record of 22-4-2, with two of those losses and a tie coming at River Falls. Remember, the Falcons went east at Thanksgiving and beat both Plattsburgh and Middlebury in a tourney at Plattsburgh (handing Plattsburgh one of its two losses) It seems more than a little odd to me that 4 of the 11 teams in the tourney are from the same conference with those kind of records. In fact, if one looks at the records of all 11 teams in the tourney, the records of two teams will be "not like the others".

Lace'emUp
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by Lace'emUp » Tue Mar 07, 2023 12:56 pm

bodyup88 wrote:
Mon Mar 06, 2023 3:09 pm
The DIII tourney is currently strictly formula driven based on the Pairwise poll, with no room for voting or negotiation. Of the 4 NESCAC schools in the tourney, Middlebury and Colby have records of 16-7-3 and 17-7 respectively. Meanwhile, UW-Eau Claire, the first team out, has a record of 22-4-2, with two of those losses and a tie coming at River Falls. Remember, the Falcons went east at Thanksgiving and beat both Plattsburgh and Middlebury in a tourney at Plattsburgh (handing Plattsburgh one of its two losses) It seems more than a little odd to me that 4 of the 11 teams in the tourney are from the same conference with those kind of records. In fact, if one looks at the records of all 11 teams in the tourney, the records of two teams will be "not like the others".
Yes, seemed odd and almost unfair that UWEC didn't make it.
Below is from USCHO.com. It may explain how fair (or unfair) the PairWise system is:

PairWise Rankings Explanation

The PairWise Rankings (PWR) are a statistical tool designed to approximate the process by which the NCAA selection committee decides which teams get at-large bids to the 16-team NCAA tournament. Although the NCAA selection committee does not use the PWR as presented by USCHO.com, the PWR has been accurate in predicting which teams will make the tournament field.

For Division I men, all teams are included in comparisons starting in the 2013-14 season (formerly, only teams with a Ratings Percentage Index of .500 or above, or teams under consideration, were included). The PWR method compares each team with every other such team, with the winner of each “comparison” earning one PWR point. After all comparisons are made, the points are totaled up and rankings listed accordingly.

With 60 Division I men’s teams, the greatest number of PWR points any team could earn is 59, winning the comparison with every other team. Meanwhile, a team that lost all of its comparisons would have no PWR points.

Teams are then ranked by PWR point total, with ties broken by the teams’ RPI ratings, which starting in 2013-14 is weighted for home and road games and includes a quality wins bonus (QWB) for beating teams in the top 20 of the RPI (it also is weighted for home and road). See the committee’s explanation on the 2013-14 change here.

When it comes to comparing teams, the PWR uses three criteria which are combined to make a comparison: RPI, record against common opponents and head-to-head competition. Starting in 2013-14, the comparison of record against teams under consideration was dropped because all teams are now under comparison.

For an example, let’s consider a hypothetical comparison between two teams, Alpha and Bravo:

Alpha Bravo
RPI 0.5891 (0) 0.5933 (1)
Head-to-head wins 1 (1) 2 (2)
Common opponents 4-3-0, 2.250 (1) 10-3-1, 2.125 (0)
Total points 2 3

Bravo has the higher RPI, so it earns one comparison point (shown in parentheses). Bravo has beaten Alpha twice this season, so it gets two comparison points; Alpha has beaten Bravo once this season, so it gets one comparison point.

Against common opponents — teams both schools have played this season — Bravo actually has the better overall record (a .750 winning percentage, to Alpha’s .571) but Alpha gets the edge and one comparison point because it has the better individual winning percentage against common opponents. Starting in the 2011-12 season, the common opponent calculation compares the sum of the winning percentages against each opponent, as in this example:

Alpha (4-3) 2.250
vs. Charlie 2-0-0, 1.000
vs. Delta 1-3-0, 0.250
vs. Echo 1-0-0, 1.000

Bravo (10-3-1) 2.125
vs. Charlie 3-1-0, 0.750
vs. Delta 1-2-1, 0.375
vs. Echo 6-0-0, 1.000

If any of the categories were tied (if, say, teams had an identical common opponents winning percentage sum), a comparison point would not be awarded for that category.

Thus, Bravo wins this comparison by the score of 3-2, and gets one PWR point. Notice that the final score of the comparison itself doesn’t matter — Bravo gets only one PWR point no matter what the score of the comparison itself is. If the overall comparison were tied, the team with the better RPI would receive the PWR point.

bodyup88
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by bodyup88 » Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:57 pm

Lots of data there. There was no head to head between Middlebury and UWEC. The common opponents stack up this way:
Middlebury vs. River Falls 0-1 = .000
UWEC vs. River Falls 1-2-1 = .375

Seems common opponent slants in favor of UWEC. Can't really speak to RPI other than Middlebury and Colby both rank higher than EC. Still don't quite understand how Middlebury gets 26 bites at the apple and only comes away with 16 wins, yet somehow that trumps 22 wins. Seems like it might make sense with a bigger sample size or more common opponents. With these numbers just seems very subjective.

bodyup88
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Re: Minnesotans in Division lll Hockey

Post by bodyup88 » Tue Mar 19, 2024 4:58 pm

Congrats to UW-River Falls for running the table and winning the 2024 NCAA Women's Hockey Championship with a 31-0 record, becoming the first Division III team to win 30 games in a season. They defeated Elmira College 4-1 in the final game on Sunday at Hunt Arena on the Falcon campus.
UWRF was led by Wayzata grad Maddie McCollins who won the Laura Hurd award as the DIII player of the year. On the six person all tournament team, four Minnesotans were named: Tourney MVP McCollins, Madison Lavergne from Warroad and Makenna Aure from Alexandria were honored from the UWRF roster. Additionally, Claire Meeder from Elmira College, who played her high school hockey at NSP/Tartan, made the all-tourney team after a great weekend, scoring the game winning goal in a 1-0 win vs. Middlebury College in the semifinals on Friday.

Of the 25 players on the UWRF roster, 22 of the players hail from Minnesota, showcasing the great talent produced in MN.

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