LadyStanley
Registered User
http://thehockeywriters.com/rise-acha-division-hockey/
A final factor I have seen change over the last ten years is the level of player competing in ACHA Division I hockey. Early on in my coaching career there was not nearly the amount of quality teams and players in the league. I attribute the raise in talent to the factors mentioned above, but also to the ACHA coaches. Coaches’ are now on the road actively recruiting players to their ACHA programs, growing the competition level while bringing in players with experience in the USHL, BCHL, NAHL and EJHL. ACHA rosters now look much like any NCAA roster. In fact, this growth has seen a rise in upsets of ACHA opponents over NCAA opponents. Most recently, ACHA Arizona State University upended NCAA DI Penn State last season, and most knowledgeable hockey insiders would not consider a quality ACHA DI team beating an NCAA DIII team an upset anymore.
