As much as certain things can change, they always seem to remain the same.

The 1998-99 season is really a new one for women's collegiate hockey. This is the first season of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's Division I League, which welcomes two more schools to the old ECAC Women's Alliance. With three players from the gold-medal U.S. Olympic team and two from the silver-winning Canadian team making their way from Nagano back to the northeast this winter, the ECAC should be more competitive and more fun to watch.

Looking at the polls, however, not much has changed from the end of last season. The U.S. College Hockey Online women's preseason poll's top four teams are the same schools that reached the American Women's College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) Final Four last year: New Hampshire, Brown, Northeastern and Minnesota.

But all three finalists for last year's Patty Kazmaier Award--for national player of the year--have graduated, and many teams will be relying on former Olympians and other newcomers to contribute this season.

While the polls are remarkably similar to last season's standings (with the notable exception of Harvard), five months of hockey remain before the ECAC championship is decided at Brown's Meehan Auditorium on March 21. Here is how the ECAC teams shape up before the season, listed in the order in which the league's coaches picked them to finish in the Preseason Coaches' Poll.

New Hampshire

The coaches expect New Hampshire (UNH) to repeat its regular-season dominance. Last season went 31-5-3 in the regular season before squeaking by Harvard with a 2-1 overtime victory in the ECAC quarterfinals en route to winning the AWCHA national championship.

But the Wildcats were not unbeatable last year. Brown upset UNH, 4-3, in the ECAC championship game before losing to the Wildcats in the national championship a week later. And UNH is not the same team it was last year.

The Wildcats will miss Brandy Fisher, who won the Kazmaier Award after leading the league in scoring with 42 goals and 39 assists. They also lose AWCHA tournament Most Valuable Player Winny Brodt, who transferred to Minnesota.

New Hampshire's defense should remain strong, however, with the return of senior defender Nicki Luongo (11 goals, 23 assists), an AWCHA All-American. Junior goalie Alicia Roberts led the league with six shutouts and was third with a 1.80 goals-against average (GAA).

The front line also looks promising for the Wildcats. Senior forward Melisa Heitzman (27 g, 29 a), an All-ECAC second-team choice who finished third in the league in scoring, will be joined by junior Samantha Holmes (23 g, 23 a) and sophomore Michelle Thornton (18 g, 26 a), who finished sixth and seventh in scoring, respectively.

UNH did lose two key players but have a strong nucleus returning to defend the national title. The Wildcats have won either the ECAC regular season or tournament championship in three of the last five years.

Brown

The Bears (22-7-4) should have a good chance of defending their ECAC title and avenging last season's national championship game loss to the Wildcats. Brown has the best all-time ECAC league record (69-7-8) and it should be a force in the league again.

The biggest reason for this is the return of junior goalie Ali Brewer, a Second-Team All-ECAC selection who finished second in GAA with a 1.65 average. The netminder, who was the ECAC Tournament MVP, should be even more untouchable this year with the return of junior All-Ivy defender Tamra Jones and sophomore Tara Mounsey.

Mounsey left Providence last year to join the U.S. Olympic team after winning the ECAC Rookie of the year award in 1996-97. She also plays on the front line, where she should receive help from junior forwards Jordan Jiskra (14 g, 18 a), an All-Ivy selection, Carly Regnier, a Second-Team All-Ivy forward, and Jill Graat, who notched 12 goals and 15 assists last season.

The Bears have won either the ECAC regular season or tournament championship each of the last four years.

Northeastern

The Huskies (26-6-5) finished second in the league before losing to Brown in the semifinals of both the ECAC and AWCHA tournaments. But Northeastern returns a solid nucleus to make another run at the Bears and Wildcats for the league title.

The Huskies can count on an abundance of scoring from their front line, which is led by two junior forwards who were Kazmaier Award nominees last season. Hilary Witt (32 g. 26 a) was second in the league in scoring, earning her a Second-Team All-ECAC selection. Stephanie Acres (17 g. 25 a) finished ninth in the league scoring last season.

Northeastern will rely on senior Jaime Totten (7 g, 22 a), a First-Team All-ECAC defender, and junior Jennie Setaro (7 g, 14 a) to anchor the defensive end of the ice. If opposing front lines get past the defense, they will have to deal with sophomore goalie Erika Silva, who led the league with a 1.27 GAA in limited action, or senior netminder Shannon Meyers, who finished fifth with a 2.07 GAA.

Harvard

Please see preview, page 12.

Providence

Picked by the coaches to finish just behind Harvard, the Friars (9-21-2) should improve on last season's sixth-place finish.

The brightest spot in Providence's roster is sophomore goalie Sara DeCosta, who returns from her stint with the U.S. Olympic team. Although the Friars' defense loses to graduation Catherine Hanson, a Second-Team All-ECAC defender, DeCosta's presence between the pipes should frustrate opposing offenses.

On the front line, Providence will look to sophomore forward Jess Tabb (22 g, 17 a) for leadership. Tabb was a Kazmaier Award nominee and beat out Harvard's Angie Francisco and Kiirsten Suurkask for the ECAC Rookie of the Year award. She is joined up front by senior forward Myia Yates (12 g, 16 a).

Dartmouth

The Big Green (20-9-1) is relying on a new head coach, former assistant Judy Parish, to fill the big hole on the bench left with the retirement of ECAC Coach of the Year George Crowe. But the biggest void will be in the front line, where Parish needs to find a replacement for AWCHA All-American forward Sarah Hood (22 g, 21 a).

The team hopes sophomore forward Jen Wiehn (13 g, 21 a) and senior forward Kathleen O'Keefe (8 g, 16 a) can lead the team offensively. The Big Green will also need its defense to pick up the slack in Hood's absence.

The anchor of the defense should be sophomore goalie Meaghan Cahill, who finished sixth in the league with a 2.62 GAA.

Princeton

The Tigers (12-16-2) hope to repeat their surprise performance in the ECAC Tournament last year, when they upset No. 2 Northeastern in the quarterfinals.

But Princeton will have to replace goalie Tammy Orlow, who started every game for the Tigers last season. Sophomore Annamarie Holmes (10 g, 13 a), a Second-Team All-Ivy defender, will have to anchor the Princeton defense in Orlow's absence.

Holmes will receive help from junior Dani Holtschlag (4 g, 19 a), a Second-Team All-Ivy defender who also plays on the front line. Junior forward Danya Marshman (13 g, 18 a) should be another offensive contributor.

But the bulk of Princeton's offense should be generated by senior forward Ali Coughlin (25 g, 16 a). Coughlin finished 13th in the league in scoring, good enough for a spot on the All-Ivy second team and a Kazmaier Award nomination.

Cornell

Six-year assistant Carol Mullins take over the coaching duties from Julie Anderhan, who left the Big Red (15-8-3) to try to build a team at Wisconsin. Cornell's front line will miss forward Janna Dewar, a first-team All-Ivy selection and Kazmaier Award nominee last season.

Filling in for Dewar will be junior Colette Bredin (21 g, 12 a), a Second-Team All-Ivy forward, and senior forward Morag McPherson (14 g. 7 a). Senior netminder Alanna Hayes (2.06 GAA) will anchor the Big Red defense.

St. Lawrence

The Saints (8-16-2) finished ninth in a rebuilding year last season, but should be improved. The team is still very young, however, and may be a year away from making a run at the ECAC title.

St. Lawrence will rely on the Class of 2001 at both ends of the ice. Sophomore goalie Emily Stein will lead the defense after finishing 11th in the league with a 4.23 GAA in her rookie campaign.

On the front line, sophomore forwards Caroline Trudeau (22 g, 9 a) and Nicole Kirnan (14 g, 15 a) should do most of the scoring for the Saints.

Niagara

The 1998-99 Purple Eagles will be the first women's varsity ice hockey team in school history. It is fitting that Niagara's team leaders in its rookie season should be freshman.

Frosh forward Amanda Reid will lead the front line after spending last season with the Toronto Junior Aeros. Rookie goalie Tania Pinelli will start between the pipes.

Freshman defender Barbara Prall played for the Hull High School boys" team and was the first female over to earn a spot on the All-South Shore League team.

Niagara's roster consists of 19 freshmen and four sophomores.

Boston College

The Eagles (9-22-1) finished in 11th place last year, but only lost two players to graduation.

Senior forward Erin Magee (21 g, 17 a) is the most experienced Eagle. She is joined in the front line by sophomore Kathleen Savino (17 g, 27 a).

But Boston College's top scorer was sophomore defender Jennifer Buckley (23 g, 24 a), who will be the key player on defense. Junior goalie Christy Nentwig is the Eagles' most experienced netminder.

Yale

The Bulldogs (7-19-2) may be the biggest benefactors of the league's expansion this year, as the ECAC's perennial doormat hopes the new schools will join or perhaps replace them in the league's cellar.

It was bad enough when Yale finished last for the third straight season last year. This year may be worse because the Elis lose goalie Laurie Belliveau, an AWCHA All-American and Kazmaier Award finalist, probably the best goalie in the nation last year.

Without its star netminder, Yale's front line will need to be more productive this season. That means juniors Susie Barnes (10 g, 14 a) and Joni Kletter (11 g, 12 a) and sophomore Lisa Meyers (10 g, 8 a) must score early and often for the Elis to pull themselves out of last place.

In its desperate search for another goalie of Belliveau's caliber, the Elis have recruited three freshman keepers: Katie Hirte, Lauren Kinnee and Sarah MacGregor.

Maine

The Black Bears (12-6-2) enter the Women's Division I League this year after spending three seasons in Division III.

Junior Alison Lorenz (38 g, 22 a) was the ECAC Division III Player or the Year last season and will lead the front line against Maine's new league opponents. She will be joined up front by senior Christine Hedges (16 g, 17 a).

Hedges also plays defense, but the defensive stopper for the Black Bears should be junior Alison Haley. However, Maine only has five players returning from last year's squad, which makes its task of joining Division I even tougher.

Colby

The White Mules (5-15-4) will have a tough season after losing two All-Americans in defender Courtney Kennedy and forward Meaghan Sittler.

That means Colby's most experienced player is senior forward Juliana Bontecon (3 g, 1 a). Junior forward Jenny O'Donnell (1 g, 4 a) joins Bontecon on the front line.

Colby will need sophomore goalie Katie Mangan to improve her 5.94 GAA this season if the White Mules are to stay competitive with their ECAC rivals.