“We did what the NCAA needed to win the bid,” said DeGregorio. “It helps the league. We’re heading in the right direction.”
The addition of Stonehill benefits NEWHA and the sport of Massachusetts.led by coach Tara WatchenThe team, a former Boston University star and Olympic gold medalist, has eight Massachusetts players on its roster to give more college opportunities to athletes in the region.
Besides adding teams, NEWHA has grown with a robust non-league schedule that would not have been possible without country support.
“I have to give the coaches credit and give the other league commissioners a lot of credit,” DeGregorio said. “I told them, ‘We’re all trying to make this sport grow. We’re all trying to make the sport better. At first, our team might win easily.’ No, but it will get better with a schedule.”
Playing against the best is one of the best recruiting tools a team has.
“Recruits are excited about the schedule and the teams they’re playing against,” says DeGregorio. “It helps you.”
Last year, Franklin Pierce won the NEWHA title. This year we have a full non-conference slate playing at Boston College, St. Thomas, Penn State, Holy Cross, and Union. Franklin will benefit from having faced every other NCAA conference team if Pierce wins again as his conference champion.
DeGregorio said: “You have to get used to different playing styles and different referees.”
Last season, the NCAA tournament expanded to 11 teams. This is the number chosen because it is the same percentage of Division 1 men’s teams competing in the tournament. For the first time in his March of this year, the NEWHA team will participate. DeGregorio thinks this team is perfect for the women’s game. He has been in the sport since the beginning and hopes more teams and further expansion of the tournament are on the horizon.
“Sport deserves it,” DeGregorio said. “It’s time.”
score change
The NCAA approved another change at its August 10 meeting. Instead of using the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) to determine the NCAA framework, women’s hockey now uses the NCAA Percentage Index (NPI).
The NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Commission told the Games Superintendents Commission: A measure of schedule strength. ”
RPI considered the team’s opponent’s win rate of over 50% to determine the strength of the schedule. Changing the calculations may make large selections fairer.
This is a change that has been under consideration for several years but has been postponed due to reduced non-meeting schedules during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
learn on the spot
The only Hockey East team to change coaching in the offseason was Maine. On August 16, Black announced that the Bears would: Molly Engstrom be their new head coach. The only problem is that they never officially announced they were needed.
Bangor region media outlets reported in July that: Richard When Sarah Reichenbach, the team’s head coach and assistant coach were leaving their posts. However, the university never officially announced their retirement, instead he only announced in mid-August that he was hiring Engstrom. (His August email to Maine Athletic’s communications department was not returned.)
Engstrom, a former coach at St. Cloud State, arrived in Orono just as classes and practices were about to begin.
“I was thrown into the fire a little bit,” Engstrom said at Hockey East Media Day on September 13th. It was an evaluation process. Just trying to understand what we have. ”
Two assistant coaches joined Engstrom in September. one of them, General Richardsonis a graduate of Boston College who has taught throughout the Boston area.
The new coaching regime took its first win of the weekend, but admitted that this year could be bumpy due to a slow start.
“I think this year it will take us some time to figure out where we are and where we want to go,” Engstrom said.
Kat Cornetta can be reached at sportsgirlkat@gmail.com.
