We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. At the NCAA level I had the unique opportunity to work under former Western Michigan Head Coach Jeff Blashill when I served as an assistant coach and the Director of Video Operations for the Bronco Hockey program. Keene, NH- The Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association Announced the teams, dates and times for the 2022 Colonial Conference Tournament. Standings; Search for: News & Announcements. The college hockey experience at schools like Arizona State, Oklahoma, Ohio University , Arizona, and Iowa State (and many others) will rival those experiences that players receive at NCAA Division I programs. in 20 conferences: NCAA Division I Atlantic Hockey Association (D1, M) Big Ten Conference (D1, M) Central Collegiate Hockey Association (D1, M) ECAC Hockey (D1, M & W) Hockey East Association (D1, M & W) National Collegiate Hockey Conference (D1, M) College Hockey America (D1, W) New England Women's Hockey Alliance (D1, W) ACHA Men's Division 2 is currently the largest division in the ACHA, it includes approximately 200 teams in 12 conferences and Independents. Press J to jump to the feed. Lets go Indiana Tech, that potential Minot matchup looks scary. The results for all years are shown in this table below. All Rights Reserved. * Due to the fact that the number of sports programs is dynamic and constantly changing: Programs may be discontinued by universities and new ones added, which is reflected in our university database to the extent possible. Even if it's not NCAA D1, this is where it would go. The level can range from varsity high school up to NCAA Division III skills, depending on the programs. ACHA Frontpage Play all 2020-21 ACHA Women's Division 1 Player of the Year. For the first time in program history, Division 3 Hockey at Indiana University has qualified for the ACHA Division 3 National Championships! Being able to play these top Division I schools, and the opportunity to go out and compete, is something that we can learn a lot from. Views are strictly my own. No matter your background, you may find yourself in the position to think about college hockey. After the final ranking in February the top two seeds from each region earn an automatic berth into Nationals. more content. Of all non-varsity sports activities, the ACHA-affiliated hockey teams generally garner the most attention at their universities, such as Missouri State where it is the third-largest spectator sport. The members that created the organization were Tom Keegan (ACHA), Al Murdoch (Iowa State), Joe Battista (Penn State), Jim Gilmore (Ohio), Ernie Ferrari (Stanford), Howard Jenks (California-Berkeley), Jeff Aikens (North Dakota State), Don Spencer (West Virginia), Jim Barry (Navy), Scott Fuller (Navy), Leo Golembiewski (Arizona), Ron Starr (DePaul), Cary Adams (PCHA), Jim Warden (PCHA) and Jack White (UCLA). ACHA Women's Division 2 includes 51 teams for the 201920 season, with a majority standing as a member of one of four conferences. I am glad to see that a fellow Gael has been able to continue on in college hockey. Twenty teams compete in the National Tournament. A total of 16 teams qualify for the National Tournament, four from each region. In July 2017, after undergoing a nationwide search, Russ Slagle was selected by the ACHA's Board of Directors and appointed to fill the vacant staff position of ACHA National Tournament Director, and A.J. The Official Home of Lawrence Tech Athletics. The College Hockey Experience Another factor is the quality of the college hockey experience a student is receiving, and the strong university support of ACHA Division I programs. ACHA Division 1 has 59 teams, ACHA Division 2 has approximately 200 and ACHA Division 3 has 150 teams. At nationals, the eight teams are paired off by ranking (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc.) ACHA powerhouse Minot State to play Denver, Colorado College in exhibition games Finlandia closing doors, will not enroll students for 2023-24 school year; Lions had mens, womens D-III hockey teams, Some tight lines this week on games with playoff implications: USCHO Edge podcast Season 1 Episode 17, Womens Division I College Hockey: Ohio State outlasts Minnesota Duluth to advance to WCHA championship game, Potsdams Merrill takes NEWHL player of year, Cortlands Delacourt top rookie, Cantons Alvarez named best goaltender. Arizona State University Sun Devils are a proud member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Who We Are; Why Play in the ACHA; Map of ACHA Teams and Contacts; Our Partners & Sponsors; Hall of Fame; ACHA History; National Champions; ACHA Awards; Job Openings & Games Needed; Men's Alumni in Pros; Women's Alumni in Pros; Men's Divisions Arizona State University Sun Devils are a proud member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). You can also shoot us an email at contact@smarthlete.com and we'll be happy to answer any of your questions! Thanks to COVID you may not need academic test scores (SAT/ACT) for college application and NCAA purposes as a must-have with schools going test-optional, but many colleges still base some of their academic scholarships on test scores. Some of these teams also compete against NCAA Hockey D1 and D3 Schools throughout the pre-season in informal exhibition games. Night in and night out, the WCHL and its member teams provide competitive, hard-hitting, fast-paced ACHA M1 college hockey action. Both games will be exhibition contests. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. The Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association has canceled the [], MACHA teams voted unanimously to suspend 2020-2021 league games until January 2021. Partners & Sponsors. - We are a member of ACHA division III - We practice in Baton Rouge, LA and play games in Gulfport, MS (both about an hour away from campus) Going into the season I knew Liberty would have one of the toughest schedules in the country but it ended up being insane. . CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston hockey team, in their third season back on the ice as a ACHA Division II team, punched their ticket to their first-ever ACHA Division II Central Regional February 24-26 at the Maryville University Hockey Center in Chesterfield, Mo. Rankings - MYHockey Rankings 2022-23 Rankings will be Released Wednesday September 28, 2022. Despite most teams' non-varsity status, the caliber of ACHA play can be quite high, especially in Division 1. 2023 Summer Conditioning Camp. The Minot State men's hockey team is set to meet two NCAA Division I programs on the ice. The American College Hockey Association (ACHA) was established in 1991 with 15 charter members. A look at the ACHA Division 2 landscape shows that there are more than 190 member institutions broken down into four regions or districts - the Central with 47 teams, the Northeast with 38 teams, the Southeast with 47 teams and the West with 59 teams. Seeds 310 compete in their respective single-elimination Regional Tournaments, with the two teams who win both of their games also earning a Nationals berth. Team and league of the junior hockey program will greatly determine the viable college future of a prospective student athlete, as there is a major difference in the level of competition. 1, 3, and 4 teams over the past three weeks should give Liberty's sixth-ranked ACHA Division I men's hockey team all the confidence it needs going into nationals. These top-twenty teams are ranked/selected by way of computer rankings, and as determined by auto-berths from the seven regular-season Conference champions. The ACHA emphasizes academic performance, institutional sanction, eligibility criteria, and standards of play and opportunities for national competition, and the ACHA promotes all aspects of collegiate hockey stressing the personal development of individual athletes as well as national recognition for member organizations. The Men's side is made up of three Divisions: 1, 2, and 3. The Flying Dutch topped fifth-ranked Saginaw Valley State University, 4-3, on Friday by scoring three unanswered goals over the final 13 minutes. Studioso competed in his first NCAA competition against the Seawolves - poetically similar to how the ASU Division I . Who We Are; Why Play in the ACHA; Map of ACHA Teams and Contacts; Our Partners & Sponsors; Hall of Fame; ACHA History; National Champions; ACHA Awards; Job Openings & Games Needed; Men's Alumni in Pros; Women's Alumni in Pros; Men's Divisions It's anyone's guess who out of those top 5 seeds will win it all. These member teams had been playing college hockey for many years but wished to legitimize its play by standardizing some of its procedures. In a last-ditch effort to make the national tournament, the No. LIVE On https://bit.ly/3ZY5e1RSaturday, March 4, 2023Time: 5:15 pm CSTLocation: Maryville University Hockey Center2023 ACHA Division I Men's Hocke. From University of Oregon Hockey . I feel these experiences offer me a unique perspective to comment on the tremendous growth and the quality hockey being played at the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I level.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',823,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Rise of ACHA Division I Hockey: FactorsOver the last five to ten years I can attribute the raise of ACHA DI hockey to a few different factors. The winner of the PCHA Playoffs receives the coveted Adams Cup, named after Cary Adams who started the conference. Coast Guard Claims Colonial Conference Title, Nashua, NH- The United States Coast Guard Academy claimed the NECHA Colonial Conference Championship at Conway Arena on Sunday, defeatin [], American, Colonial Championships to be awarded Sunday, Nashua, NH-The Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association will award championships in its American and Colonial Conferences at Conway Arena i [], Patriot Conference Tournament Field Announced, Keene, NH- On Tuesday, The Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association Announced the teams that have qualified for the 2022 Patriot Conference [], Keene, NH- On Tuesday, The Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association Announced the teams, dates and times for the 2022 American Conference T [], Keene, NH-The Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association Announced the teams, dates and times for the 2022 Colonial Conference Tournament. Complete our evaluation form or sign up for free with a recruiting profile and our hockey expert will reach out to you. Early on in my coaching career there was not nearly the amount of quality teams and players in the league. Student athletes like the idea of being part of a campus that has major college football and basketball programs, and can see their university represented nationally on television on fall Saturday afternoons. Baseball Baseball: Twitter Baseball: Schedule Baseball: Roster Baseball: News Basketball Basketball: Twitter Basketball: Schedule Basketball: Roster Basketball: News Bowling Bowling: Twitter Bowling: Instagram Bowling: Schedule Bowling: Roster Bowling: News Cross Country Cross Country: Twitter Cross Country: Instagram Cross . The Ducks completed their 30-game inaugural M1 season ranked 37th in the ACHA M1 Division. The ACHA, by the way, is the. All teams should attempt to reschedule league game []. 2/28/2023 2:54:00 PM. The5,100 fixed-seat (6,600 From ACHA Press Release --- Quite obviously the coaching staff or parents are not always the best ones to tell and have that conversation with you. About the ACHA. Your grades in high school and SAT/ACT scores still matter a great deal when knocking on college programs' doors. It's a college hockey subreddit my guy. The ACHA emphasizes academic performance, institutional sanction, eligibilitycriteria, standards of play and opportunities for national competition. ACHA Standings; Team Rosters; Scores; Search for: 2023 NECHA Tournament Announced. It's important to understand that ice hockey is an equivalency sport: a coach may distribute the available scholarship budget, as fit. The D3 Knights are now led by third-year head coach Jim Hartlein. During the summer of 2009 the University of Alaska Fairbanks established a Women's Division II team becoming the 49th state in the ACHA. Format [ edit] Each team plays every team in their division twice throughout the season. You have entered an incorrect email address! First, this is especially true of my recruiting at the University of Arizona, I am finding more and more potential student athletes want to attend school at a big university. By Cary Hardy May 31, 2022. ACHA PURPOSE AND FUNCTION The American Collegiate Hockey Association's primary mission is to support the growth of collegiate hockey programs nationwide. ACHA WILL HOLD MEN'S DIII NATIONAL Tournament February 22, 2021 From ACHA Press Release --- ACHA REVERSES COURSE WILL HOLD MEN'S DIVISION 3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN GRAND RAPIDS IN APRIL 2021 PATTERSON ICE CENTER TO. Oct 16 (Sun) 4:00 PM. []. STANDINGS; NEWS; Contact; . Announcer/Anthem Soloist, while Fasthockey.com handled broadcasting. PATTERSON ICE CENTER TO From ACHA Press Release Sadoff Gym Schedule. Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey - The premier ACHA Men's Division 2 conference Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Recent Headlines MACH Preview: Saturday, Feb. 12 Saturday, February 12, 2022 Drexel faces off against Rider in the lone MACH conference game on the Saturday (Feb. 12) slate, while five other teams take part in non-conference action. 2023 American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). The World Cup of University Hockey is scheduled to take place in Carta, Romania from April 14-19, 2023. This is why the ACHA level was created. Men's Divisions. -New Team only 2012-13 ACHA Team Application. Older News 2021 Division III Nationals Canceled February 4, 2021 From ACHA Press Release. Eight teams qualify for the national tournament each season: automatic bids are awarded to the playoff champions of the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association, the Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League and Women's Midwest College Hockey, with the remainder of the field filled out by the highest-placing teams from the last of a series of weekly computer rankings. Women's Midwest College Hockey (WMCH) ACHA Women's Division 2 includes 51 teams for the 2019-20 season, with a majority standing as a member of one of four conferences. Players are selected from only ACHA Men's D1 to represent USA Hockey in the Winter World University Games, an IIHF and FISU event. 1996-2023 USCHO.com U.S. College Hockey Online. The Beavers earned its 14th consecutive bid and 19th overall and will enter the 2023 ACHA Men's Division I National Championships as the top seed, looking to bring home their third national title. ACHA Arizona State University upended NCAA DI Penn State, Edmonton Oilers: Expectations for Justin Schultz in 2013-14, All-Current Team: Players at the Top of Their Game, NHL Trade Bait List for the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, Predators Trade Mattias Ekholm to Oilers for Big Return, Maple Leafs Trade Engvall to the Islanders, Wild Acquire Nyquist From Blue Jackets for a Draft Pick, Maple Leafs Acquire Schenn From the Canucks, Grading Rangers Blockbuster Trade for Patrick Kane, Wild Acquire Johansson From Capitals for a Draft Pick, Panthers Knight Getting Help Should Get Career Back on Track, Sabres Need to Make a Trade to Overcome Alex Tuch Injury, Islanders Depth Issues Coming to Surface Due to Injuries, Maple Leafs Cap Situation Indicates Dubas Isnt Done Yet, Ducks News & Rumors: Gibson, Zegras & More. 2022-2023 Playoff Infomation Date: March 3rd-5th, 2023. To name a few, you've got the following in the U.S.: In Canada, junior hockey competition takes place in the following leagues: CHL - Canadian Hockey League - Major Junior, CHJL - Canadian Junior Hockey League - Junior A. ACHA Men's D2 and D3 division created the Select Teams to offer opportunities for the other Men division's to experience International hockey and they are ACHA events. The Iowa Hawkeyes play its first-ever hockey game inthe XtreamArenaon Oct. 30, a new on-campus ice rink in Coralville, Iowa. MACHA Cancels 2020-2021 Season due to COVID-19 I covered the Iona College hockey team during its NCAA Division I days up to and including its final game. https://www.live11.collegeustoday.com/acha.php : ACHA Men's Ice Hockey Division I . The ACHA is the administrative body for club hockey at the collegiate level and is the national body for more than 350 programs across the United States. Pool C and Pool B vs. Getting recruited by a D1, D2, D3 or ACHA team is the ultimate outcome of a lot of things done right. The code in each cell represents the furthest the team made it in the respective tournament: Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Women's ACHA Division 1 Ice Hockey Nov 9th WD1 Hockey Totals 37 Goals Against Davenport During Two-Game Series Women's ACHA Division 1 Ice Hockey Nov 6th WD1 Hockey Takes Down Miami Ohio, 4-1 Women's ACHA Division 1 Ice Hockey Oct 31st WD1 Hockey Sweeps Three-Game Weekend at Home Women's ACHA Division 1 Ice Hockey Oct 17th Eugene, Oregon - (March 1, 2023) Both General Manager Craig Thornton and Head Coach Kyler Moore have tendered their notice of resignation as the Duck's season concluded this past weekend in Victoria, B.C. I couldnt be more excited for our players to experience the atmosphere and the competition. The ACHA promotes all aspects of collegiate hockey stressing the personaldevelopment of individual student-athletes as well as national recognition for memberorganizations. Compare that to team sports such as football, volleyball or soccer and it becomes obvious that college hockey offers fewer playing opportunities than other team sports. Level of PlayA final factor I have seen change over the last ten years is the level of player competing in ACHA Division I hockey. MINOT, N.D. - The Beaver men's hockey team is set to meet two powerhouse programs on the ice. Congrats to everyone who made it and best of luck. MEN'S DIVISION 2 MEN'S DIVISION 3 WOMEN'S DIVISION 1 WOMEN'S DIVISION 2 EVENTS HOST ACHA EVENTS WORLD UNIV. Number shown is the team's final regular season ranking/seeding. The team has fashioned an overall record of 16-11- with all 11 defeats coming . Each division has its own distinguishing set of guidelines which are explained below. The ACHA identifies standards, which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level. The winner of Pool A plays the winner of Pool B and the winner of Pool C plays the winner of Pool D. ACHA Women's Division 1 includes 25 teams for the 201920 season, with all but independent Wisconsin playing in one of the four WD1 conferences. If you are interested in comparing the various numbers, divisions and conferences in more detail, review our designated sports page: College Ice Hockey. As a coach I have coached national championship teams at both the ACHA DI and ACHA DII level at Oakland University; I am now the head coach of the University of Arizona ACHA DI program. 37 teams have appeared in the ACHA Tournament in at least one year starting with 2007, the first year for Women's Division 2. Acha hockey has three divisions: Division I, Division II, and Division III. Tweets by . Somebody who has been in the hockey business long enough is on the other hand. Recap. All times are warm-ups. The World Cup of University Hockey strictly uses ACHA Men's Division 1 players for Team USA and Team Canada. UMass re-claims NECHA Patriot Championship, Bentley earns American Conference Championship. Adrian, Mich. Arrington Ice Arena. The ACHA identifies standards that serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level. 1 rookie, D-II/III East Hockey Game Picks Championship Weekend March 3, 2023, Womens Division I College Hockey: Analyzing conference tournament matchups and NCAA bids. Petrusma's ACHA Division I team is currently 22-7-3 and coming off a trip to the GLCHL Tournament Championship game this past Saturday. Hockey's a bit different from a lot of the other college sports, which is one of two reasons why today's Friday Scholarship Guide will be all about hockey and hockey only. The very best of the 2018 ACHA National Championship Tournament, which occured March 8-18, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. Boldan was placed in the role of National Tournament Manager-Broadcast Operations/Executive Producer in conjunction with the ACHA opting to engineer its own National Tournament broadcasts on a newly launched YouTube channel "ACHA National Championships". A total of 16 teams qualify for the National Tournament in the same manner as Division 2. Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) March 4, 2023 CINDERELLA STORY Last week, Brendan Studioso got the call-up from ASU's ACHA Division I club team to join the ranks of the NCAA Division I program for the final four games. I'm actually originally from Minot. I doubt they make it past UNLV but they have a punchers chance at making it far. The ACHA was established in 1991 and has 3 divisions. vs. Lake Superior State University. Per definition, no scholarships may be offered by NCAA D-III schools. University of Michigan-Dearborn. About the ACHA. Falcons. Men's Division 1 News. John Temple and Andrew Gelman are organizing this fundraiser. By the 20022003 season that number raised to over 250 teams, with Division III adding over 80 teams alone. Id also like to thank coach David Carle at Denver and coach Kris Mayotte with Colorado College for putting this together., ALSO SEE: Dual benefits galore as NCAA, ACHA mens hockey teams now available to schedule, play one another during regular season. Some of these teams also compete against NCAA Hockey D1 and D3 Schools throughout the pre-season in informal exhibition games. D-II hockey coaches on the women's side may also award 18 scholarships, but only 13.5 scholarships for men's teams. Lenz Field House Schedule. Hope (28-1) will face the University of Michigan's ACHA team in the title game on Saturday, March 4, at 7:15 p.m. at Patterson Ice Arena in Grand Rapids. The WD2 tournament differs from WD1 in that teams are divided into four pools and play a round robin, with the pool winners advancing to the semifinals. Marian University Webpage. From The Statemen. I have been fortunate enough the see the rise of the ACHA first hand, especially at the Division I level of the ACHA. They played 16 of their 28 ACHA games against the top 4 seeds with a 6-10 record against them and 19 total games against ACHA tourney teams or NCAA d1 teams. ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Adrian College Men's ACHA Division 2 hockey team closed out their regular season schedule by dropping two contests to Michigan State University over the weekend, losing 5-2 on the road on Friday, and 5-4 in a shootout at home on Saturday. Note! 37 teams have appeared in the ACHA Tournament in at least one year starting with 2001 (the first year that the ACHA sponsored a women's division). About the ACHA. Liberty's ACHA Division II women's hockey team improved to 5-1-1 and 3-0-1 at the LaHaye Ice Center by . American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). You accept the use of cookies or other identifiers by closing or dismissing this notice, by scrolling this page, by clicking a link or button or by continuing to browse otherwise. 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18 Older Rankings Are Available on this Page (CLICK) 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. We call it Beaver Tech. By the 20032004 season the number raised to 278 teams: 40 teams in D-I, 124 teams in D-II, 87 teams in D-III, and 27 teams in the Women's Division. Many large universities that do not sponsor hockey at the NCAA varsity level have become powerhouses, such as Ohio University, Adrian College, and Lindenwood University. Brampton Thunder (CWHL), 201617Toronto Furies (CWHL), 201718SK Gorny (Russian Women's Hockey League) 2018present, Media related to American Collegiate Hockey Association at Wikimedia Commons, Last edited on 23 February 2023, at 20:43, American Collegiate Hockey Association (198689), Learn how and when to remove this template message, Colonial States College Hockey Conference, Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association, Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association, Pacific 8 Intercollegiate Hockey Conference, Western Collegiate Club Hockey Association, Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference, Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association, Independent Women's Collegiate Hockey League, Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference, British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League, "Club Champ Iowa State Stripped Of Title", "URI Junior Named Women's Club Ice Hockey Player of the Year", "Sharks' backup goalie Ryan Lowe enjoys an unforgettable day", "Boston Blades Find Depth, Scoring Touch in Draft Class of 2016", "CASSIE DUNNE SIGNS WITH THE CONNECTICUT WHALE", "Former Lady Icer Harrington Signs with NWHL's Buffalo Beauts", "ACHA GRAD HELPS BUFFALO BEAUTS WIN NATIONAL WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE 2017 ISOBEL CUP", "Beauts Sign 46-Goal Scorer Maddie Norton from UB", "Toronto Furies select former Liberty forward in CWHL draft", "Llanes, Williams, and Harrington Sign NWHL Contracts", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Collegiate_Hockey_Association&oldid=1141190438, Kent State & Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Selected #140 overall in the 5th round of the, Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), Selected #69 overall in the 19th round of the, Selected #70 overall in the 20th round of the, Selected #17 overall in the 4th round of the, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 20:43. As Rhody men's hockey team enters league playoffs, coach Joe Augustine on cusp of 700 wins Oregon GM and Head Coach Resign After Inaugural M1 Season Minot State hockey to clash with NCAA national champion Denver Pioneers . Note that players competing in the CHL are not eligible to compete in the NCAA anymore, which requires careful consideration by anyone wanting to keep afloat different options. This is an incredible opportunity for our program to play two premier teams at the highest level of collegiate hockey, said Minot State coach Wyatt Waselenchuk, who was initially approached about the contests by Denver University, in a statement. Hide/Show Additional Information For University of Michigan-Flint - October 9, 2022. The results for all years are shown in this table below, other than missing data for the third-place games from 2007 and 2009. In August 2003, the ACHA held an official contest to design a new logo, with the winning school receiving free registration for the 20032004 season. Every year since 2003, the Men's Division I Showcase has been an event that features some of the top teams in the ACHA. The Bulldogs also hosted their Senior Night celebration before the game on Saturday night. Often times it involves understanding one's level of play and facing the truth: Am I D1 material or am I chasing an unrealistic dream that could lead to me losing out on lower-tier (but better) opportunities?