"You are the Committee"

[Chris '03]

Time for everyone's favorite game: find weird NCAA scenarios. http://www.collegehockeynews.com/ratings/yatc.php


What will it take to get 5 ECAC teams in? Here's one plausible way:

# WCHA Play-in #2: Minnesota-Duluth defeats Bemidji State.
# WCHA Play-in #1: Alaska-Anchorage defeats Colorado College.
# WCHA Semifinal #2: Denver defeats Minnesota-Duluth.
# WCHA Semifinal #1: North Dakota defeats Alaska-Anchorage.
# WCHA Championship game: North Dakota defeats Denver.
# Hockey East Semifinal #2: New Hampshire defeats Merrimack.
# Hockey East Semifinal #1: Boston College defeats Northeastern.
# Hockey East Championship game: Boston College defeats New Hampshire.
# ECAC Semifinal #2: Cornell defeats Dartmouth.
# ECAC Semifinal #1: Colgate defeats Yale.
# ECAC Championship game: Cornell defeats Colgate.
# ECAC Consolation game: Dartmouth defeats Yale.
# CCHA Semifinal #2: Notre Dame defeats Miami.
# CCHA Semifinal #1: Western Michigan defeats Michigan.
# CCHA Championship game: Western Michigan defeats Notre Dame.
# CCHA Consolation game: Michigan defeats Miami.
# Atlantic Hockey Semifinal #2: Holy Cross defeats Air Force.
# Atlantic Hockey Semifinal #1: RIT defeats Connecticut.
# Atlantic Hockey Championship game: Holy Cross defeats RIT.

1. North Dakota
1. BC
1. Yale
4. Michigan
5. Denver
6. Union
6. UMD
8. Merrimack
9. Notre Dame
9. Miami
11. Western
12. UNH
13. Dartmouth
13. RPI
21. Cornell
NR. Holy Cross

Out of curiosity, does "Yale beats Colgate, Cornell beats Yale" not accomplish the same result (5 ECAC teams in the NCAA tourney), or did you just deem Cornell over Yale to be an implausible scenario?  :-}

Dartmouth has to beat Yale to make it work I think. And if that happens Saturday night instead of Saturday afternoon, no CU in the NCAAs.

[nyc94]

I know what my intuition says about the answer to this question, but - is there any scenario in which Union doesn't make it?  Or are there just too many spots below them right now and not enough potential upsets?

Consensus on USCHO is that Union is in.  The worst I could get them was to 10th and that required Notre Dame to win the CCHA.  If Cornell loses to Colgate in the consolation game we would almost certainly not be a TUC and that would take away two TUC wins from Union.  That alone doesn't even seem to hurt them much.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Does anyone know why USCHO has NoDak going to Green Bay and Michigan going to St. Louis instead of vice versa?

If we win and have to go west, I'd prefer STL.  I have family there.  And there are lots more flight options.

[adamw]

The last time there were 2 ECAC teams in the Frozen Four, one of them was Providence (1983).

The last time there were 2 current ECAC members in the Frozen Four, they were Cornell and Dartmouth (1980).

Which was the last year that there HAD to be two ECAC teams in the Frozen Four, by definition. The next season, the tournament expanded to 8 teams.

[adamw]

Does anyone know why USCHO has NoDak going to Green Bay and Michigan going to St. Louis instead of vice versa?

If we win and have to go west, I'd prefer STL.  I have family there.  And there are lots more flight options.

Well, CHN has the same thing, so to speak (we haven't actually projected a bracket, per se, yet - though we discuss it on our Bracket ABCs article).

It's because North Dakota is closer to Green Bay than St. Louis ... That's it.

[djk26]

Mali doesn't play anyone!

...other than Darmouth and Brom.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Does anyone know why USCHO has NoDak going to Green Bay and Michigan going to St. Louis instead of vice versa?

If we win and have to go west, I'd prefer STL.  I have family there.  And there are lots more flight options.

Well, CHN has the same thing, so to speak (we haven't actually projected a bracket, per se, yet - though we discuss it on our Bracket ABCs article).

It's because North Dakota is closer to Green Bay than St. Louis ... That's it.

Ahh, thanks Adam.  I figured since Michigan is so much closer to Green Bay, and UND is flying anyway, it might make sense to improve attendance in Green Bay, since attendance in St. Louis will suck either way.

[Jim Hyla]

Does anyone know why USCHO has NoDak going to Green Bay and Michigan going to St. Louis instead of vice versa?

If we win and have to go west, I'd prefer STL.  I have family there.  And there are lots more flight options.

Well, CHN has the same thing, so to speak (we haven't actually projected a bracket, per se, yet - though we discuss it on our Bracket ABCs article).

It's because North Dakota is closer to Green Bay than St. Louis ... That's it.

Ahh, thanks Adam.  I figured since Michigan is so much closer to Green Bay, and UND is flying anyway, it might make sense to improve attendance in Green Bay, since attendance in St. Louis will suck either way.

But ND fans may be driving.

[adamw]

Ahh, thanks Adam.  I figured since Michigan is so much closer to Green Bay, and UND is flying anyway, it might make sense to improve attendance in Green Bay, since attendance in St. Louis will suck either way.

There would most likely be many more Sioux fans in Green Bay than Michigan fans.  And if Michigan fans are gonna travel - let 'em travel to St. Louis

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

[whining] But Green Bay is a bitch to get to!" [/whining]  :-D

Especially since we have to beat Yale to get there. ::whistle::

[Trotsky]

[whining] But Green Bay is a bitch to get to!" [/whining]  :-D

Especially since we have to beat Yale to get there. ::whistle::

Colgate called.  They said something about Bemidji but I pulled the phone out of the wall.

[adamw]

Under the assumption Cornell makes it (or else this conversation is moot) ... why is the assumption it will face North Dakota?  Boston College could just as easily move up to a No. 2 overall seed, for example, and then Cornell would be in Manchester.  Again - this is just an academic discussion - not trying to upset the gods  

[Rosey]

Under the assumption Cornell makes it

Yeah, can we please try to beat Dartmouth and Yale (or hope Cornell gets lucky again this year and gets Colgate to do its dirty work for it), and then be happy for getting an autobid? This is not any year to be talking about Cornell getting shipped anywhere: this team is living on borrowed time already.

[Trotsky]

this team is living on borrowed time already.

I prefer to think of it as playing with house money.  

[ajh258]

this team is living on borrowed time already.

I prefer to think of it as playing with house money.  

I agree, but CHN beat you to the punch for that line! ::whistle::

Cornell has a number of strong players, and many more with a lot of upside. But for now, it's a team with few standouts. That's OK though, for this season, because it could be enough to get the Big Red to Atlantic City, where it can roll the dice with house money.