Women's Hockey

[Big Guy]

Has there ever been discussion for UMASS to create a Division 1 women's team that would play in Hockey East ?

[69MG]

There has been a ton of discussion and in the end it always comes down to money. By know we all know the answer when money is involved.

[TruBluMaroon]

? NO

[bleedmaroon]

Long overdue.

[LS71]

I know there’s a women’s Hockey East that UMass should be in….
I also saw that women’s pro league is starting soon and Boston has a franchise.

[jjmc85]

Hockey East bylaws say any Men’s member has an automatic invite to women’s if they have a program so there is a conference waiting right there for them.

I haven’t checked the latest Title IX reports but previously UMass was at a deficit of about 60 women’s scholarships or so. Hockey would cut into that deficit if it still exists.

Could also use the practice rink for home games if desired. BU women play at Walter Brown and UConn women played at Freitas or whatever it is called when the men played in Hartford.

[e_parade]

I know there’s a women’s Hockey East that UMass should be in….
I also saw that women’s pro league is starting soon and Boston has a franchise.

There were two pro women's hockey leagues, and one had a Boston based team for the whole time (Boston Pride - they were the best team in the league). The other league did a hostile takeover of that one and reduced the number of teams overall, but Boston was lucky enough to get one of the original franchises. A lot of good hockey playing women are out of a job this year because of it, but hopefully they can get back in action.

Source: my cousin worked (and was an emergency goalie) for the Connecticut Whale.

[LS71]

Thanks for the info. I was unaware.
I had a Bruins game on the radio while driving recently and a woman involved with the new Boston franchise was an intermission guest.

[e_parade]

Thanks for the info. I was unaware.
I had a Bruins game on the radio while driving recently and a woman involved with the new Boston franchise was an intermission guest.

I'm hoping for the best for it. Even though it sucks for a lot of the people involved with the old league, this one is being set up for success better. The hope is that they'll expand to more teams in the near future and hopefully then bring back some of the talent from Europe.

[cox'n]

Hockey East bylaws say any Men’s member has an automatic invite to women’s if they have a program so there is a conference waiting right there for them.

I haven’t checked the latest Title IX reports but previously UMass was at a deficit of about 60 women’s scholarships or so. Hockey would cut into that deficit if it still exists.

Could also use the practice rink for home games if desired. BU women play at Walter Brown and UConn women played at Freitas or whatever it is called when the men played in Hartford.

UMass added women's rowing for Title IX purposes when they added mens hockey. With the rise in the popularity of women's hockey I would bet if the decision were made today UMass would add women's hockey instead of rowing.

[jjmc85]

Kind of infuriating to me that Delaware added women’s hockey before UMass did. Good for Delaware and I’m jealous.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Being in the HE, it is still baffling to me that we don't have a D1 Women's Hockey program. This is a no-brainer add.

[e_parade]

Being in the HE, it is still baffling to me that we don't have a D1 Women's Hockey program. This is a no-brainer add.

Completely agreed. Women's Hockey is a growing sport and we're in one of the areas where there's a lot of local talent. There's a reason the women's pro leagues (now 3 of them) have all been focused in New England and Eastern Canada for the most part.

[69MG]

Add this to the items on the "Ryan Bamford complaint list". I have a friend who is over the top about wanting women's hockey. He confronted RB about it and all I heard was "It costs too much".

[InnervisionsUMASS]

^

Obviously the sport of hockey is not the cheapest sport in the world to play and put on, at any level. But we have so many things already built in that should make this a very easy thing to accomplish. At the very least, set up a plan to work towards getting it off the ground - I'm sure there's many that would open up the purse strings if there was a defined goal.