NEW WOMEN'S LEAGUE SIGNS SEVEN MEMBERS OF USA WOMEN'S TEAM

          Edward Saunders has founded the Women's Professional
     Hockey League, to be headquartered in NH.  Saunders, who
     wants to begin play November 1 '98, has signed seven members
     of the women's Olympic team to play in the four-team league,
     according to a report in NEWSDAY.  There will be slots for
     16 active players on each team.  Saunders: "This is very
     much grounded at the grass-roots level.  It holds what
     people are longing for in sports that has evaporated in the
     face of commercialism" (NEWSDAY, 3/15).
          COLLEGE: The Univ. of NH, Brown Univ., Northeastern
     Univ. and the Univ. of MN will participate in the inaugural
     American Women's College Hockey Alliance '98 D-1 National
     Ice Hockey Championship March 20-21 in Boston.  The women's
     championship game will be played at the FleetCenter prior
     the men's Hockey East Championship Game (USA Hockey).