Avoiding Juniors, players you know going direct to D3

[MNHockey75]

D3 hockey is joke, sorry. A bunch of 24 year-old goons running guys in front of 75 fans. Meanwhile the kids are forking out 20+ grand a year for an education they could get at a University.

Tell us, what one of the MIAC schools cut your kid?

It was The University of Northland. They cut my little Georgie

Come on people. I've seen dozens of Concordia and St. Scholastica games. I know what I'm talking about. I know dozens of guys I grew up playing against who give it one or two years and bail. I'm sure it's a different story out east, but these kids aren't going anywhere afterwards. The last D3 game I went to was Concordia vs. St. Mary's and there was literally 25-30 people in the building. More people show up to watch a squirt B jamboree. I'm not saying there isn't some decent top end talent. A guy like Shea Walters would walk circles around guys, but at BSU he scored 1 goal as a senior.

[NoWhining]

I like the original question and am curious as to the answer. Who are players planning on playing D3 next year?

As to quality of hockey, no idea. There are great academic schools - (NESCAC) that have hockey.

Some of these schools include: Williams, Amherst, Hamilton, Trinity, Bowdoin, Colby, Middlebury among others. I believe Johnny Russell from Breck plays at Amherst.

Others?

[O-townClown]

Come on people. I've seen dozens of Concordia and St. Scholastica games. I know what I'm talking about. I know dozens of guys I grew up playing against who give it one or two years and bail. I'm sure it's a different story out east, but these kids aren't going anywhere afterwards. The last D3 game I went to was Concordia vs. St. Mary's and there was literally 25-30 people in the building. More people show up to watch a squirt B jamboree. I'm not saying there isn't some decent top end talent. A guy like Shea Walters would walk circles around guys, but at BSU he scored 1 goal as a senior.

As usual, it really depends what D3 teams we are talking about. (Just like discussions where people say "Tier I" thinking Honeybaked and ignore the other 90% that don't play near that level.)

St. Scholastica is coming off a season where they went 4-14 and finished last in the NCHA. St. Mary's overall record was 6-17-2 and they only finished ahead of Bethel in the MIAC.

When someone said the schools are better out East, I'm sure he was thinking NESCAC. Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury...these are outstanding colleges.

Living in the Southeast, here is the issue I see with Division III hockey. Yes, you play in the NCAA. But....so many of the schools cost around $40,000 a year. Minnesotans might think of the public NCHA schools like River Falls, Stout, and Eau Claire (all within two hours of M/SP). People who have their kids playing Prep School hockey in the Northeast are probably looking NESCAC or similar.

Recruiting comes down to, "can he play...can he pay?" at many of these more expensive schools.

No matter how you feel about this, it is obvious that D3 hockey has improved tremendously over the past 20 years.

[keepyourheadup]

Chris berenguer just signed a professional deal, and if I remember right Joel Otto has a decent NHL career. There are some quality players in D3 hockey.

[nipeshow18]

D3 hockey is joke, sorry. A bunch of 24 year-old goons running guys in front of 75 fans. Meanwhile the kids are forking out 20+ grand a year for an education they could get at a University.

Tell us, what one of the MIAC schools cut your kid?

It was The University of Northland. They cut my little Georgie

Come on people. I've seen dozens of Concordia and St. Scholastica games. I know what I'm talking about. I know dozens of guys I grew up playing against who give it one or two years and bail. I'm sure it's a different story out east, but these kids aren't going anywhere afterwards. The last D3 game I went to was Concordia vs. St. Mary's and there was literally 25-30 people in the building. More people show up to watch a squirt B jamboree. I'm not saying there isn't some decent top end talent. A guy like Shea Walters would walk circles around guys, but at BSU he scored 1 goal as a senior.

I am going to guess you went to the game say, 3-4 years ago correct? When Concordia had hit rock bottom. Come to a game next year. The new coach has been fantastic; he is a great recruiter and he is getting fans to the rink. Heck, they made MIAC title game this year with one senior on the team who didn't dress. People started to show up this year and I know it will only get better next year.

As for the topic of guys going from HS straight to D3, I know Concordia has a few Moorhead kids that did it as well as one other kid from St. Cloud Tech. Other than that, the team all played in NAHL, BCHL or the MJHL (Manitoba, not Minnesota).

[Red Ice]

D3 hockey is joke, sorry. A bunch of 24 year-old goons running guys in front of 75 fans. Meanwhile the kids are forking out 20+ grand a year for an education they could get at a University.

Tell us, what one of the MIAC schools cut your kid?

It was The University of Northland. They cut my little Georgie

Come on people. I've seen dozens of Concordia and St. Scholastica games. I know what I'm talking about. I know dozens of guys I grew up playing against who give it one or two years and bail. I'm sure it's a different story out east, but these kids aren't going anywhere afterwards. The last D3 game I went to was Concordia vs. St. Mary's and there was literally 25-30 people in the building. More people show up to watch a squirt B jamboree. I'm not saying there isn't some decent top end talent. A guy like Shea Walters would walk circles around guys, but at BSU he scored 1 goal as a senior.

Maybe a lot of these kids just want to play competetive hockey after high school while going to college. It isn't all about playing in the NHL. Some of the DIII games I have seen had some pretty good talent.

[mulefarm]

D3 hockey is joke, sorry. A bunch of 24 year-old goons running guys in front of 75 fans. Meanwhile the kids are forking out 20+ grand a year for an education they could get at a University.

Tell us, what one of the MIAC schools cut your kid?

It was The University of Northland. They cut my little Georgie

Come on people. I've seen dozens of Concordia and St. Scholastica games. I know what I'm talking about. I know dozens of guys I grew up playing against who give it one or two years and bail. I'm sure it's a different story out east, but these kids aren't going anywhere afterwards. The last D3 game I went to was Concordia vs. St. Mary's and there was literally 25-30 people in the building. More people show up to watch a squirt B jamboree. I'm not saying there isn't some decent top end talent. A guy like Shea Walters would walk circles around guys, but at BSU he scored 1 goal as a senior.

Shea Walters would not walk circles around guys. In fact, I bet there are a lot of D3 guys that would have scored more than 1 goal for BSU. Lots of reasons guys play D3, but they are there for the education 1st. What level did you play ?

[youngblood08]

Jack Paul over at Bethel could easily be on a D1 team, kid is pretty exciting to watch.

Who says any of these kids want to go some where after D3?? Maybe they already are okay with the fact they arent moving on to the Pros but just like playing and still want to be a part of that in college.


MNHockey75, just because you couldnt move on dont knock the guys that have.

[mn miracle man]

Tell us, what one of the MIAC schools cut your kid?

It was The University of Northland. They cut my little Georgie

Come on people. I've seen dozens of Concordia and St. Scholastica games. I know what I'm talking about. I know dozens of guys I grew up playing against who give it one or two years and bail. I'm sure it's a different story out east, but these kids aren't going anywhere afterwards. The last D3 game I went to was Concordia vs. St. Mary's and there was literally 25-30 people in the building. More people show up to watch a squirt B jamboree. I'm not saying there isn't some decent top end talent. A guy like Shea Walters would walk circles around guys, but at BSU he scored 1 goal as a senior.

Shea Walters would not walk circles around guys. In fact, I bet there are a lot of D3 guys that would have scored more than 1 goal for BSU. Lots of reasons guys play D3, but they are there for the education 1st. What level did you play ?

Another example of this would be the much anticipated arrival of Chris Stafne to the UW-Stout campus this fall, a former UM-Duluth recruit out of the USHL, and posted only 4 goals in 13 games before becoming academically ineligible. Also, a freshman at UW-River Falls this fall, Bryce Ravndalen, was a recruit to SCSU yet wound up in the NCHA, playing in 7 games totaling 1 goal. So not all hyped up players "skate circles" in DIII.

[MIACHOCKEY]

I am going to guess you went to the game say, 3-4 years ago correct? When Concordia had hit rock bottom. Come to a game next year. The new coach has been fantastic; he is a great recruiter and he is getting fans to the rink. Heck, they made MIAC title game this year with one senior on the team who didn't dress. People started to show up this year and I know it will only get better next year.

As for the topic of guys going from HS straight to D3, I know Concordia has a few Moorhead kids that did it as well as one other kid from St. Cloud Tech. Other than that, the team all played in NAHL, BCHL or the MJHL (Manitoba, not Minnesota).

Read these forums pretty regularly and decided to chime in on this one, as I had a chance to see this Concordia team play this season. I try to get to as many of these games a year as I can, but typically only catch the teams in the Twin Cities. I did, however, have a chance to catch a game at St. Thomas shortly after Christmas and give two thumbs up to the coaching staff at Concordia for putting together this group of players. They can fly, and play a very structured style of hockey. You mentioned that they lose only one senior, I don't have a lot of doubt that this group could do some serious damage in the future.

As for the HS kids that played in this game, they showed some very good skill and have plenty of upside.

[bbad]

interesting conversation -- You didn't get much of a response as to players going directly to D3 though, which is disappointing -- more of a debate about D3 hockey itself.....

I agree with those that pointed out that some kids are simply LOOKING FOR AN EDUCATION not a CAREER in hockey.... And when they go to colleges such as Concordia, Hamline, Gustavus, etc. that may have the $40 price tag, they are probably not actually paying that price. You see -- an academic scholarship can get you a long way in life as well!! Hard work in the classroom might just produce a surgeon who just happened to be a good hockey player and enjoyed not only playing it in high school but also in college but had no plans of anything beyond that.


oh -- and by the way -- for the person who commented that kids can pad their academic record and get a good GPA by taking classes that are not challenging. lol ignorance! ignorance! ignorance!!!!!! The students that are getting looked at academically by colleges and offered the scholarships are not the kids that just have a 4.0. They are the kids that are diverse and show a hard workload. fyi -- for those top kids, a standard class offering a 4.0 for an A, DROPS their GPAs. With all of the AP and college classes that are offered now days that are weighted with an A counting as a 4.5, taking PE classes and getting an A doesn't mean a lot anymore....

[observer]

Frankly, I've heard GPAs count for almost nothing as nationally you're not comparing apples to apples with GPA. It's all test scores.

Players going directly to D3 school and hockey in the fall please?

[bbad]

Frankly, I've heard GPAs count for almost nothing as nationally you're not comparing apples to apples with GPA. It's all test scores.

Players going directly to D3 school and hockey in the fall please?

A a parent of college student who did not test well but had great scholarship offers, I will say that test scores (if you are talking ACT and SAT's) are NOT everything. .. and obviously it is more than GPA -- it is the whole package.


But yes -- back to the subject -- Players please? I am very interested!!!!

[RickyTicky]

Frankly, I agree with MnHockey75. I wouldn't say all the players are a complete joke because there are some good ones but there are also a lot of players that don't belong out there but made the team because they knew the right people. Case in point, Tom Menozzi is somehow the captain of Bethel and played all 4 years on the team yet has like 6 career points and was cut from the lakeville high school team before moving to south st. paul. But here is the kicker, his brother played at Bethel and was senior captain when tom was a freshman, think he might of had an input in little tommy making the team? I know this isnt the only case of this happening but it stuff like this that makes D3 a joke.

[buzzershot]

From experience... most players playing for the D3 Colleges are 85% or more coming out of the Junior programs not right out of High School. Most of the kids being chased by D3 colleges out of High School turn these colleges down for playing in the Junior league to chase that D1 scholarship dream. MIAC Hockey is very exciting and fun hockey to watch, by the way, better than High School hockey not as fast as the D1 hockey. For a comparison the young Gopher team this year would of been competitive with the better D3 schools. After two years of playing Junior hockey, guess what, 85% of the players are playing D3 hockey.

[Oldtimehockeyguy23]

Frankly, I've heard GPAs count for almost nothing as nationally you're not comparing apples to apples with GPA. It's all test scores.

Players going directly to D3 school and hockey in the fall please?

A a parent of college student who did not test well but had great scholarship offers, I will say that test scores (if you are talking ACT and SAT's) are NOT everything. .. and obviously it is more than GPA -- it is the whole package.


But yes -- back to the subject -- Players please? I am very interested!!!!

"Didn't test well." I hate this phrase.. people who "test well" are smarter. Hands down. They are more intelligent. they may have a bad work ethic.. but when u get motivation like $$$ not A's and A+'s the good test taker will be more successful. LIFE is a big long test.

and yes this had nothing to do with hockey. Jake Rossman from Minnetonka, on St thomas team out of HS last year.

[bbad]

Frankly, I've heard GPAs count for almost nothing as nationally you're not comparing apples to apples with GPA. It's all test scores.

Players going directly to D3 school and hockey in the fall please?

A a parent of college student who did not test well but had great scholarship offers, I will say that test scores (if you are talking ACT and SAT's) are NOT everything. .. and obviously it is more than GPA -- it is the whole package.


But yes -- back to the subject -- Players please? I am very interested!!!!

"Didn't test well." I hate this phrase.. people who "test well" are smarter. Hands down. They are more intelligent. they may have a bad work ethic.. but when u get motivation like $$$ not A's and A+'s the good test taker will be more successful. LIFE is a big long test.

and yes this had nothing to do with hockey. Jake Rossman from Minnetonka, on St thomas team out of HS last year.

WOW SLAM! ha! ha! niiiice.

[youngblood08]

Congrats to J Rossman...........9 games and 1 pt shows its pretty tough for a true freshmen to get minutes and contribute at the D3 level. Also see K Seinko from STA, who came in as a true freshmen also, only made 10 games in his second season on the squad.

Both are getting a 1st class education, involved with the team and have a chance to contribute in the future. But it also shows how tough it is for true freshmen to get minutes at this level.

[observer]

Here's the start of our list.

Jake Rossman Minnetonka 2010-2011 St. Thomas
K. Seinko STA 2009-2010 St. Thomas

[observer]

Hard work in the classroom might just produce a surgeon who just happened to be a good hockey player and enjoyed not only playing it in high school but also in college but had no plans of anything beyond that.

This hits it on the head for me. We know the statistics of the kids that actually reach the NHL. D1 is a fraction of all players too. I see too many players chasing what is almost an impossible dream and playing juniors for 2-3 years, in Europe, etc. and never getting a college degree. Success in hockey is fun but it's a game. Success in school is something that delivers the rest of a player’s life.

What seniors are looking at D3 right now? What are coaches saying to them?

[DubCHAGuy]

I'm not sure why any HS hockey fans would rip the level of play in D3 hockey. Consider one of better HS teams of the last 5 years like the 2008 AA champs Hill-Murray who were loaded with kids trying to play at the next level after winning a state championship.

1 Kirk McGinley- Played a couple games in MNJHL (Jr. B)
6 Chris Casto- Nice year in the USHL, committed to UMD (WCHA)
7 Tyler Zepeda- Couple of ok years in Waterloo so far, no D1 commitment yet, could end up in the MIAC next year.
9 Nick Widing- Solid player for 2 years now in the NAHL (Owatonna), likely a D3 player if he chooses to keep playing.
10 Paul Prescott- Bounced around the NAHL for 2 years, i'm sure a D3 team would take him.
11 Isaac Kohls- Committed to Niagra (Atlantic Hockey)
12 Ryan Furne- Michigan Tech (WCHA)
13 Delaney Metcalf- I believe he plays golf for St. Thomas
14 Alex Kelly
15 Monte French- played a couple games in the NAHL over 2 seasons
16 Jordan Johnson- played for Fresno in the NAHL, no commitment
18 Dave Cascalenda
19 Jeff Westerhaus- 1 year in the MNJHL (Jr. B)
20 Bo Dolan- RPI (ECAC)
21 Jeff Sonntag
22 Dan Cecka- UW-Stout
24 Dan Sova- Michigan Tech (WCHA)
25 Jonathan Stadler-
27 Andy Singerhouse- Scored 8 pts. at St. Thomas as a freshmen in 2010, left this year for NAHL and had an ok year
28 Jack Walsh- playing in the NAHL, had an ok year.
33 Joe Phillippi- 3 years in Fairbanks of the NAHL, likely to be on a MIAC roster next year.

I'm counting 5 D1 players, along with another 4-6 who will likely be D3 level players after a couple years of playing juniors. If you think NCAA D3 is bad hockey you must think Minnesota HS Hockey is just terrible.

[CrashDaNET]

Very well thought out and stated. Hit the nail on the head. The problem is that most will bounce around for a couple of years playing juniors until they age out and have no other choice but to go to D3. Nothing wrong with D3 Hockey.

Think about it. Play for the love of the game, go to school and get a great education. Unfortunately, they have to play juniors first. That is where the problem lies. Now they are 2-3 years behind their peers in school.

I'm not sure why any HS hockey fans would rip the level of play in D3 hockey. Consider one of better HS teams of the last 5 years like the 2008 AA champs Hill-Murray who were loaded with kids trying to play at the next level after winning a state championship.

1 Kirk McGinley- Played a couple games in MNJHL (Jr. B)
6 Chris Casto- Nice year in the USHL, committed to UMD (WCHA)
7 Tyler Zepeda- Couple of ok years in Waterloo so far, no D1 commitment yet, could end up in the MIAC next year.
9 Nick Widing- Solid player for 2 years now in the NAHL (Owatonna), likely a D3 player if he chooses to keep playing.
10 Paul Prescott- Bounced around the NAHL for 2 years, i'm sure a D3 team would take him.
11 Isaac Kohls- Committed to Niagra (Atlantic Hockey)
12 Ryan Furne- Michigan Tech (WCHA)
13 Delaney Metcalf- I believe he plays golf for St. Thomas
14 Alex Kelly
15 Monte French- played a couple games in the NAHL over 2 seasons
16 Jordan Johnson- played for Fresno in the NAHL, no commitment
18 Dave Cascalenda
19 Jeff Westerhaus- 1 year in the MNJHL (Jr. B)
20 Bo Dolan- RPI (ECAC)
21 Jeff Sonntag
22 Dan Cecka- UW-Stout
24 Dan Sova- Michigan Tech (WCHA)
25 Jonathan Stadler-
27 Andy Singerhouse- Scored 8 pts. at St. Thomas as a freshmen in 2010, left this year for NAHL and had an ok year
28 Jack Walsh- playing in the NAHL, had an ok year.
33 Joe Phillippi- 3 years in Fairbanks of the NAHL, likely to be on a MIAC roster next year.

I'm counting 5 D1 players, along with another 4-6 who will likely be D3 level players after a couple years of playing juniors. If you think NCAA D3 is bad hockey you must think Minnesota HS Hockey is just terrible.

[youngblood08]

Most kids playing high school hockey have aspirations of playing D1 hockey. D3 isnt even an after thought.

Is it better to play out your opportunities or sit back at the age of 26 graduated from college and wish you could have still played?? Being behind your peers and living out your desire to play isnt a bad thing either. How many of you that didnt play after HS wish you would have gave it a shot?

[O-townClown]

I'm 42. Graduated from college when I was 21. As I look back on my life so far, my regrets are that I didn't do pursue some things. Why the hurry?

Playing Junior hockey at age 19, giving D3 hockey a go in your early 20s, and delaying a rush into the 'real world' by a couple years is no big deal. To all the kids that want to try: go for it. To all the adults that think it is a waste of time: hogwash.

[Geno Snipes]

Well, back to the subject... I believe Andrew Deters from Sartell is going straight to Concordia College next season.