Running College Hockey Thread

Putting the Gophers and Sioux in the same bracket eliminates one WCHA team that might otherwise make the Frozen Four. Politics as usual. That shouldn't happen; with three lWCHA teams and four brackets to spread them between, no need to double up.

 

And considering the WCHA's complete postseason dominance the last few years, it's obviously an attempt to keep the maximum number of WCHA teams in the frozen four to 2.

I mean, how can you be the top overall seed and draw one of the hottest teams in the tournament in the second round?

 

Hasn't Air Force always struggled as a Division I program, especially when it was independent?

I thought Alabama-Huntsville had some decent history behind it, possibly another NCAA tournament appearance years ago.

 

It seems to me that when Huntsville was good, recordwise, it couldnt crack the Four-conference hold on the tourney....

 

With how unevenly they played against LSSU in Saturday's CCHA third-place game, I was surprised that Michigan State got a 3 seed in Grand Rapids (and yes, I am an MSU fan). Forgive me for not being completely up on things, but how is BU this year? Thanks.

 

Seems like a lot of you aren't familliar with the NCAA selection process for hockey. It goes STRICTLY by the Pairwise Rankings, and nothing else. There's no conspiracy to keep out WCHA dominance in the Frozen Four.

Jayson Moy on USCHO predicted the bracket nearly perfectly, aside from Maine and UMass being transposed.

http://www.uscho.com/news/id,14107/BracketologyFinal.html

 

Walter --

I'm quite familiar with the Pairwise. Doesn't mean it's a perfect system. For example, didn't they drop the L10 component just a few years ago?

Such a component this year would have SURELY seeded North Dakota higher.

 

Doesn't the NCAA also take into account distance from sites and conference affiliations when making its pairings? So while the Pairwise system cranks out who the 1, 2, 3, and 4s are, the NCAA can adjust where those teams go as needed for attendance reason and to keep conference foes from meeting in the first round?

 

Ok, so what's the update on the tournament. How many teams left? Where's the final?

 

JR --

Conference tournaments just finished, and national field was announced on Sunday.

16 teams make the tournament, sent to four regions and seeded 1-4 at those places.

They'll play the regionals out until they're down to four teams, take a week off for the hoopy tournament and then reconvene in (I think) St. Louis) for the Frozen Four.Here are regional pairings...

Denver
1 Minnesota vs. 4 Air Force
2 Michigan vs. 3 North Dakota

Grand Rapids
1 Notre Dame vs. 4 Alabama-Huntsville
2 Boston University vs. 3 Michigan State

Rochester
1 Clarkson vs. 4 Massachusetts
2 St. Cloud vs. 3 Maine

Manchester
1 New Hampshire vs. 4 Miami
2 Boston College vs. 3 St. Lawrence

Minnesota is the top seed overall, but, as has been discussed, drew a tough region. Notre Dame is next, and should win that region easily. Rochester is a clusterfuck. I'll take St. Cloud -- if they can beat Maine.

New Hampshire is easily the weakest top seed, and drew the hottest #2 seed in Boston College.

My Frozen Four picks:

Minnesota
Notre Dame
Maine
Boston College

After that, all bets are off...

 

Maine should buy the creator of the PairWise a dozen roses. The Black Bears are 2-6 in their last eight games, have just two wins against the other four Hockey East teams in the field, and have are coming off of four consecutive losses to UMass. I can't think of another team that's limped into the tournament like this.

Maine got in because of early season wins at Minnesota and North Dakota. Now that it looks like the Black Bears have Ben Bishop back, they could actually make a run. If the good Bishop shows up, not the turnover-prone Bishop that allows soft goals.

 

Sparty isn't vintage Sparty, but they are tough to beat so close to home...