DIII Commits?

Discussion of Minnesota Girls High School Hockey

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blondegirlsdad
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DIII Commits?

Post by blondegirlsdad » Tue May 02, 2017 12:16 am

I know this board tends to get all pumped up on D1 (rightly so) but lots of young ladies continue their careers in one of many D3 schools both in-state and out.

Now that declaration day has come, does anyone have any news on those girls choosing that route?

MNHockeyFan
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Re: DIII Commits?

Post by MNHockeyFan » Tue May 02, 2017 8:56 am

blondegirlsdad wrote:I know this board tends to get all pumped up on D1 (rightly so) but lots of young ladies continue their careers in one of many D3 schools both in-state and out.

Now that declaration day has come, does anyone have any news on those girls choosing that route?
FYI there is a separate "2017-18 DIII Commitments" thread under "Women's College Hockey" on USCHO.com in the Forums section. Although it is national, not specifically Minnesota, in scope it would be a good place to start if you wanted to pull Minnesota-only info and add it here.

blondegirlsdad
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Post by blondegirlsdad » Tue May 02, 2017 9:04 am

Yep, know all about it. But it's not very good at adding MN players and I figure people here would be able to fill in the MN kids at the MN schools

Nevertoomuchhockey
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Post by Nevertoomuchhockey » Wed May 03, 2017 6:17 am

There have been a ton of D3 declarations all over social media since Christmas. I've never seen a list, that would be a great addition to the board. Far more to keep track of than D1 but an impressive achievement for each and every player who gets to play beyond high school.
Curiously, I've noticed a new(?) trend of schools hosting commemorative "signing" events for D3 programs for family, friends, media, etc. Seems the colleges aren't involved and the document unofficial, but a really big deal is being made.
Congrats to all the 2017 grads!

IceHiker
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Post by IceHiker » Wed May 17, 2017 11:11 am

Playing DIII hockey is nothing to snub your nose at these days. There is more talent in DIII now than there was in DI years ago. With the talent pool that MN hockey has created the last 3 years you will see many top players playing DIII since DI programs only take 2-4 players each year. And we can all know that not all DI programs are as good as the top DIII programs.

As for education, most DIII players come out with better job opportunities than the DI commits. I have been tracking this for the past 7 years and you would be surprised what it looks like. Many kids commit to DI so early they have no idea what their Major field of study is. Most end up going back to a different school to finish a degree.

Until the ego from the parent leaves the equation of player status we will see this trend continue. DI is not the best solution for many top players that want to earn a living after college.

Once again, BIG CONGRATS to all graduates that have the opportunity to continue to play the game we all love.

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY
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Post by NORTHWOODS HOCKEY » Wed May 17, 2017 11:18 am

IceHiker wrote:Playing DIII hockey is nothing to snub your nose at these days. There is more talent in DIII now than there was in DI years ago. With the talent pool that MN hockey has created the last 3 years you will see many top players playing DIII since DI programs only take 2-4 players each year. And we can all know that not all DI programs are as good as the top DIII programs.

As for education, most DIII players come out with better job opportunities than the DI commits. I have been tracking this for the past 7 years and you would be surprised what it looks like. Many kids commit to DI so early they have no idea what their Major field of study is. Most end up going back to a different school to finish a degree.

Until the ego from the parent leaves the equation of player status we will see this trend continue. DI is not the best solution for many top players that want to earn a living after college.

Once again, BIG CONGRATS to all graduates that have the opportunity to continue to play the game we all love.
Hmmm, since you have been tracking this for 7 years, can you provide some stats and facts to back it up? I think "better job opportunities" needs to be defined as well. Not disputing it, just would like to know the background of your study and how you came to your conclusions.

IceHiker
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Post by IceHiker » Wed May 17, 2017 11:50 am

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY wrote:
IceHiker wrote:
Once again, BIG CONGRATS to all graduates that have the opportunity to continue to play the game we all love.
Hmmm, since you have been tracking this for 7 years, can you provide some stats and facts to back it up? I think "better job opportunities" needs to be defined as well. Not disputing it, just would like to know the background of your study and how you came to your conclusions.
I can pull some statistics from my reports but this thread is not the place for that. This trend has been increasing over the past 4 years as colleges have been committing players as early as 9th grade.

As for "better job opportunities" most DI players / students select a Major that is easier to obtain or that many other students are selecting therefore making the opportunity from job placement out of college much harder. Whereas DIII students are focusing on their education and Major field of study that puts them in a smaller 'Hiring Pool' increasing their opportunity for job placement right out of college.

OK, ok..... Let's get back to hockey and congratulating those 2017 Grads on a great year and on to their next chapter.

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY
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Post by NORTHWOODS HOCKEY » Wed May 17, 2017 12:12 pm

IceHiker wrote:
NORTHWOODS HOCKEY wrote:
IceHiker wrote:
Once again, BIG CONGRATS to all graduates that have the opportunity to continue to play the game we all love.
Hmmm, since you have been tracking this for 7 years, can you provide some stats and facts to back it up? I think "better job opportunities" needs to be defined as well. Not disputing it, just would like to know the background of your study and how you came to your conclusions.
I can pull some statistics from my reports but this thread is not the place for that. This trend has been increasing over the past 4 years as colleges have been committing players as early as 9th grade.

As for "better job opportunities" most DI players / students select a Major that is easier to obtain or that many other students are selecting therefore making the opportunity from job placement out of college much harder. Whereas DIII students are focusing on their education and Major field of study that puts them in a smaller 'Hiring Pool' increasing their opportunity for job placement right out of college.

OK, ok..... Let's get back to hockey and congratulating those 2017 Grads on a great year and on to their next chapter.
I think if you make a statement on this forum, then you just made this forum a place to discuss it. Again, just because you say it, doesn't make it true. Provide some data and facts.

I find it hard to believe that the grads from Harvard, Princeton or even Minnesota are finding it hard to find employment or getting passed up. However, if I was provided some facts, rather than some random anonymous opinion, then how could I argue.

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY
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Post by NORTHWOODS HOCKEY » Wed May 17, 2017 12:29 pm

IceHiker wrote:
NORTHWOODS HOCKEY wrote:
IceHiker wrote:
Once again, BIG CONGRATS to all graduates that have the opportunity to continue to play the game we all love.
Hmmm, since you have been tracking this for 7 years, can you provide some stats and facts to back it up? I think "better job opportunities" needs to be defined as well. Not disputing it, just would like to know the background of your study and how you came to your conclusions.
I can pull some statistics from my reports but this thread is not the place for that. This trend has been increasing over the past 4 years as colleges have been committing players as early as 9th grade.
How do you validate your conclusion (opinion), when you state, "this trend has been increasing over the past 4 years"? These players, even if they were seniors 4 years ago when they committed, are not entering the work force yet, so they can't be getting passed up and the younger ones (9th and 10th graders) wouldn't have even selected a major yet, so it would be impossible to draw a conclusion. Therefore your data would be incomplete and your conclusion would be inaccurate.

blondegirlsdad
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Post by blondegirlsdad » Thu May 18, 2017 1:45 pm

Look, I'm just trying to figure out which MIAC schools improved themselves with their incoming MN HS players. Still would love to hear some names if anyone's aware.

As to your assertion that D3 kids have better chances at employment, depends on the student, the major, and the school. Anyone who's paying attention can see that there are excellent opportunities for good students in competitive programs in D1 as well as D3, and focused and motivated students will succeed IN SPITE of the ridiculous hockey schedule they all have to deal with. Hockey actually can get in the way of getting a good job. D3 kids practice every day (sometimes twice), travel to games, go to meetings - and while the commitment at D1 schools is greater than D3, there are support systems built into place at the larger schools that the smaller ones can't afford. It's easy to forget why you're in college in the first place.

IceHiker
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Post by IceHiker » Fri May 19, 2017 8:06 am

blondegirlsdad wrote:Look, I'm just trying to figure out which MIAC schools improved themselves with their incoming MN HS players. Still would love to hear some names if anyone's aware.

As to your assertion that D3 kids have better chances at employment, depends on the student, the major, and the school. Anyone who's paying attention can see that there are excellent opportunities for good students in competitive programs in D1 as well as D3, and focused and motivated students will succeed IN SPITE of the ridiculous hockey schedule they all have to deal with. Hockey actually can get in the way of getting a good job. D3 kids practice every day (sometimes twice), travel to games, go to meetings - and while the commitment at D1 schools is greater than D3, there are support systems built into place at the larger schools that the smaller ones can't afford. It's easy to forget why you're in college in the first place.
I have names of a few girls that will be in the MIAC next year. Good players and will help their teams.

The big player will be UW-River Falls in the next few years. They picked up some great players for next year and also the following. I see them making a run for the Championship for 2019 and 2020.

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY
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Post by NORTHWOODS HOCKEY » Fri May 19, 2017 8:36 am

IceHiker wrote:
blondegirlsdad wrote:Look, I'm just trying to figure out which MIAC schools improved themselves with their incoming MN HS players. Still would love to hear some names if anyone's aware.

As to your assertion that D3 kids have better chances at employment, depends on the student, the major, and the school. Anyone who's paying attention can see that there are excellent opportunities for good students in competitive programs in D1 as well as D3, and focused and motivated students will succeed IN SPITE of the ridiculous hockey schedule they all have to deal with. Hockey actually can get in the way of getting a good job. D3 kids practice every day (sometimes twice), travel to games, go to meetings - and while the commitment at D1 schools is greater than D3, there are support systems built into place at the larger schools that the smaller ones can't afford. It's easy to forget why you're in college in the first place.
I have names of a few girls that will be in the MIAC next year. Good players and will help their teams.

The big player will be UW-River Falls in the next few years. They picked up some great players for next year and also the following. I see them making a run for the Championship for 2019 and 2020.
Totally agree. Very strong incoming class.

Jamie Bird
Jessica Bird
Callie Hoff
Madison Illikainen
Madi Nolan
Jordan Trapp

I have seen them all play a number of times and coached against 4 of the 6 for the past few years. These 5 will add depth to an already very good team and make an immediate impact - IMO.

IceHiker
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Post by IceHiker » Fri May 19, 2017 9:12 am

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY wrote: Totally agree. Very strong incoming class.

Jamie Bird
Jessica Bird
Callie Hoff
Madison Illikainen
Madi Nolan
Jordan Trapp

I have seen them all play a number of times and coached against 4 of the 6 for the past few years. These 5 will add depth to an already very good team and make an immediate impact - IMO.
Along with Kora Torkelson from Thief River Falls, MN. That is a solid incoming class with the potential to grow even more next year. Women's DIII hockey in our area will be exciting to watch next year.

DannyCalifornia
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Post by DannyCalifornia » Fri May 19, 2017 10:05 am

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY wrote:
IceHiker wrote:
blondegirlsdad wrote:Look, I'm just trying to figure out which MIAC schools improved themselves with their incoming MN HS players. Still would love to hear some names if anyone's aware.

As to your assertion that D3 kids have better chances at employment, depends on the student, the major, and the school. Anyone who's paying attention can see that there are excellent opportunities for good students in competitive programs in D1 as well as D3, and focused and motivated students will succeed IN SPITE of the ridiculous hockey schedule they all have to deal with. Hockey actually can get in the way of getting a good job. D3 kids practice every day (sometimes twice), travel to games, go to meetings - and while the commitment at D1 schools is greater than D3, there are support systems built into place at the larger schools that the smaller ones can't afford. It's easy to forget why you're in college in the first place.
I have names of a few girls that will be in the MIAC next year. Good players and will help their teams.

The big player will be UW-River Falls in the next few years. They picked up some great players for next year and also the following. I see them making a run for the Championship for 2019 and 2020.
Totally agree. Very strong incoming class.

Jamie Bird
Jessica Bird
Callie Hoff
Madison Illikainen
Madi Nolan
Jordan Trapp

I have seen them all play a number of times and coached against 4 of the 6 for the past few years. These 5 will add depth to an already very good team and make an immediate impact - IMO.

fyi--some of these players are not even going to river falls.

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 8:13 am

Post by NORTHWOODS HOCKEY » Fri May 19, 2017 10:41 am

DannyCalifornia wrote:
NORTHWOODS HOCKEY wrote:
IceHiker wrote:
blondegirlsdad wrote:Look, I'm just trying to figure out which MIAC schools improved themselves with their incoming MN HS players. Still would love to hear some names if anyone's aware.

As to your assertion that D3 kids have better chances at employment, depends on the student, the major, and the school. Anyone who's paying attention can see that there are excellent opportunities for good students in competitive programs in D1 as well as D3, and focused and motivated students will succeed IN SPITE of the ridiculous hockey schedule they all have to deal with. Hockey actually can get in the way of getting a good job. D3 kids practice every day (sometimes twice), travel to games, go to meetings - and while the commitment at D1 schools is greater than D3, there are support systems built into place at the larger schools that the smaller ones can't afford. It's easy to forget why you're in college in the first place.
I have names of a few girls that will be in the MIAC next year. Good players and will help their teams.

The big player will be UW-River Falls in the next few years. They picked up some great players for next year and also the following. I see them making a run for the Championship for 2019 and 2020.
Totally agree. Very strong incoming class.

Jamie Bird
Jessica Bird
Callie Hoff
Madison Illikainen
Madi Nolan
Jordan Trapp

I have seen them all play a number of times and coached against 4 of the 6 for the past few years. These 5 will add depth to an already very good team and make an immediate impact - IMO.

fyi--some of these players are not even going to river falls.
That very well could be, just pulled it off a D3 commitment list from a couple weeks ago.

NORTHWOODS HOCKEY
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 8:13 am

Post by NORTHWOODS HOCKEY » Fri May 19, 2017 6:13 pm

DannyCalifornia wrote:
NORTHWOODS HOCKEY wrote:
IceHiker wrote:
blondegirlsdad wrote:Look, I'm just trying to figure out which MIAC schools improved themselves with their incoming MN HS players. Still would love to hear some names if anyone's aware.

As to your assertion that D3 kids have better chances at employment, depends on the student, the major, and the school. Anyone who's paying attention can see that there are excellent opportunities for good students in competitive programs in D1 as well as D3, and focused and motivated students will succeed IN SPITE of the ridiculous hockey schedule they all have to deal with. Hockey actually can get in the way of getting a good job. D3 kids practice every day (sometimes twice), travel to games, go to meetings - and while the commitment at D1 schools is greater than D3, there are support systems built into place at the larger schools that the smaller ones can't afford. It's easy to forget why you're in college in the first place.
I have names of a few girls that will be in the MIAC next year. Good players and will help their teams.

The big player will be UW-River Falls in the next few years. They picked up some great players for next year and also the following. I see them making a run for the Championship for 2019 and 2020.
Totally agree. Very strong incoming class.

Jamie Bird
Jessica Bird
Callie Hoff
Madison Illikainen
Madi Nolan
Jordan Trapp

I have seen them all play a number of times and coached against 4 of the 6 for the past few years. These 5 will add depth to an already very good team and make an immediate impact - IMO.

fyi--some of these players are not even going to river falls.
According to Coach, all but Trapp from the above list are attending, plus the others I have added. Still an incredibly strong class. It will be a fun team to watch and follow.

Jamie Bird
Jessica Bird
Callie Hoff
Madison Illikainen
Madi Nolan
Kora Torkelson
Sam Young
Hannah Enright

ZamboniGuy
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:44 pm

Re: DIII Commits?

Post by ZamboniGuy » Wed May 24, 2017 1:08 pm

blondegirlsdad wrote:I know this board tends to get all pumped up on D1 (rightly so) but lots of young ladies continue their careers in one of many D3 schools both in-state and out.

Now that declaration day has come, does anyone have any news on those girls choosing that route?
These girls are all 2017 Elk River grads who will be playing D3 next year.

Kennedi Mitchell - Bethel
Annie Dalton - Lake Forest
Shae-Elle McLean - St. Thomas
Drea Westgaard - Johnson and Wales

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