Won’t have to wait until the post-season for a Raleigh vs. Boston rematch. /// Photo: Colleen McCloskey •
A new regional competition has emerged and will provide top DI senior clubs from the Atlantic North, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest an opportunity for more competitive games – and bragging rights. The Gold Cup pits the regions’ top-two teams from the 2015-16 season against each other in round-robin competition.
“Gold Cup is something the [National Competitions Committee] is trying to encourage, again – more games, but they are crossover matches that go across the Competitive Regions,” Mid-Atlantic competitions chair Margy Thomas explained. “So it is an invitational set-up. … The total number of matches will be good for our top teams and help them in preparation for national levels of play.”
It’s a three-weekend series, and sees each region travel to and host a leg. On Oct. 15-16, the Mid-Atlantic’s NOVA and Raleigh travel to Atlantic North’s Beantown and Boston for the double-header. On Nov. 12-13, the Midwest’s Minnesota Valkyries and Chicago North Shore host Beantown and Boston. And then in April 2017, NOVA and Raleigh welcome the Valkyries and North Shore to the East Coast. A champion will then be named and trophy awarded.
The Gold Cup is a much-needed fixture for these DI teams, which compete in leagues that number no more than five teams each and whose regular-seasons are stretched across the fall and spring.
All three leagues have altered from the previous season, as well. DI Mid-Atlantic has done away with the two-pool system and condensed to four DI teams – NOVA, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Raleigh. DII is still looking strong at eight teams, while DIII is the largest at 10 teams. All of the Mid-Atlantic’s teams will play cross-divisional games during the season, although they won’t count toward standings but help meet the minimum number of required games while keeping travel reasonable.
The DI Midwest has gained DII powerhouse Wisconsin, which joins North Shore, the Valkyries, Detroit and Chicago this season. The Midwest’s largest sector is DII with 19 teams divided across four leagues.
But it’s the Atlantic North that has seen the biggest shift in set-up. New England and Empire are no longer integrating crossover matches into their DI regular seasons. Instead, Empire has created a hybrid DI/DII league that combines five teams from northern New Jersey to Connecticut. The top two teams will follow a DI post-season pathway, while the third- and fourth-place teams will follow a DII post-season pathway. The rest of Empire’s women’s teams (10) are competing in a two-pool Division III. [Suggestion: Empire and Mid-Atlantic should have a DIII regional championship.]
New England, meanwhile, has retained the traditional DI and DII separation, and has seen the promotion of Burlington and Providence build out a five-team DI. Its DII is seven teams strong. New England and Empire will meet each other during the Atlantic North semifinals in the spring.
GOLD CUP SCHEDULE
Oct. 15 NOVA @ Beantown
Oct. 15 Raleigh @ Boston
Oct. 16 Raleigh @ Beantown
Oct. 16 NOVA @ Boston
Nov. 12 Beantown @ Minn Valkyries
Nov. 12 Boston @ Chicago North Shore
Nov. 13 Beantown @ Chicago North Shore
Nov. 13 Boston @ Minn Valkyries
Apr 8 Chicago North Shore @ NOVA
Apr 8 Minn Valkyries @ Raleigh
Apr 9 Chicago North Shore @ Raleigh
Apr 9 Minn Valkyries @ NOVA
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