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Players in the MIAC are surprised to find high-energy, fast- paced and physical games night in and night out. DECEMBER.2016 // MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM 17 COLLEGE The Issue to play Division III hockey.' I think the quality of play in our state is so impressive that the biggest thing that gets overlooked is how good players are because the talent pool is so much larger than it was five or 10 years ago. "That's why the MIAC is able to compete at an equally high level—we have players that are just as good and just as competitive as some of those on the Division I roster." Fast, Physical hockey Players generally aren't too familiar with the MIAC when they enter their first season. Those who grew up around the Twin Cities can list off the names of confer- ence teams but know little about the competition level beyond that. They learn quickly once they step out on the ice. "I remember sitting on the bench during my first game and was just like 'wow, these guys are fast,'" said Lucas Dietsch, now in his sopho- more season with the Auggies. "This is not junior hockey any- more, this is college hockey and it is fast." Natalie Darwitz played Division I hockey at the University of Minnesota. She is the school's all-time leading scorer and has showcased her scoring prowess and speed on the international stage as well. She enters her second season as head coach of Hamline University's women's team. Even she was impressed at the level of play she was now in charge of. "The pace is much quicker than high school and a lot more physical. There's a good jump from high school to Division III," said Darwitz. "You gotta think, why are these kids not playing Division I? Usually they're just missing a little bit [from their game] but they're still really high- end or middle-of-the-pack, good high school hockey players. "It's a very serious level. Every game and every weekend is taken very seriously with a lot of competition." student-athletes Just like NCAA Division I student-athletes, MIAC athletes are expected to balance academics and athletics equally. Practice is at a set time Monday through Thursday with weekend series. Academic counselors are available along with other educational resources to make sure class- work and hockey don't send players into overload. "We don't want them to feel like they're sacrific- ing an ounce of education," said Brown. "Our team GPA last season was a 3.72. It's impressive what they do. We had 21 of our 26 players last year on the dean's list which is a GPA of 3.5 or higher. "We just built this envi- ronment of very competitive kids who don't just want to be hockey players. They're getting an opportunity to get a great education, too." Four More years oF hockey Darwitz wants players to look at Division III in a new light. In the last couple of years she thinks they have. "Instead of high school players saying, 'well I cant go play DI so I'm not good enough, I'm done, I'm just going to go to school,' they're now saying, 'no, I want to continue to play hockey. I put in the last 15 years of my life playing hockey, why would I stop? Division III is an option for me to not only get a great education but con- tinue to play the game I love for four more years. "I think kids out of high school are taking a serious look at that now." Players like Chapman and Dietsch certainly are. Neither has regrets about their decision. After all, the longer you can continue to play, the longer the fun on the ice and in the locker room can continue, too. "I'm happy I'm playing Division III hockey," said Dietsch. "I never thought I'd be playing college hockey when I was in high school. But whether it's DI, DIII, club hockey, you're still play- ing the game that you love for another four years. "That's why I play. You never know when you'll have to stop playing. I want to keep it going as long as I can." "I'M HAPPY I'M PLAYING DIVISION III HOCKEY. I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE PLAYING COLLEGE HOCKEY WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WHETHER IT'S DI, DIII, CLUB HOCKEY, YOU'RE STILL PLAYING THE GAME THAT YOU LOVE FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS." —LUCAS DIETSCH Miac schools Augsburg College Minneapolis, Minn. Bethel University St. Paul, Minn. Concordia College Moorhead, Minn. Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter, Minn. Hamline University St. Paul, Minn. Saint John's University Collegeville, Minn. Saint Mary's University Winona, Minn. St. Olaf College Northfield, Minn. University of St. Thomas St. Paul, Minn.