ECAC Playoffs

[Dafatone]

Yale 2, Harvard 1 (Yale advances)
SLU 3, Brown 2 (SLU advances)
Clarkson 4, Princeton 0
Dartmouth 3, RPI 2

We would prefer to face Clarkson or Yale? We split 1-goal games with Clarkson. We beat Yale twice in 1-goal games, the second time in OT. In recent years we've thought of Yale as a quick team that is more of a threat to Cornell's style of play.

My gut says Clarkson.  My brain points out that Yale's RPI is higher, and that facing them will be better for us in the pairwise than facing Clarkson.

[dbilmes]

I'd rather have us play Clarkson. Yale is the defending national champ and will need to beat us just to get back into NCAA tournament. The only reason we beat them a few weeks ago was because Iles had one of his better games. I haven't seen Clarkson this year, but I'd rather have us play them and let Yale and Q duke it out. That way only one of those teams will make it to Lake Placid!

[Jim Hyla]

I agree, CLK for me.

[KGR11]

I'd say Clarkson, since it looks like Yale is playing better in the past couple of weeks.  Yale's only losses in the last month have been to Cornell, Union, and Quinnipiac.  Clarkson has lost to the same opponents, as well as to Harvard, Dartmouth, and now Princeton.

Either way, if the regular season games have been any indication, these are going to be some close games.

[Trotsky]

Clarkson and RPI each score in the opening 4 minutes.

[Trotsky]

Princeton and Dartmouth each tie it up about halfway through the first; 1-1 each.

[Trotsky]

Clarkson and RPI both up 2-1 late 1st.

[Trotsky]

Late 2nd:

RPI 3 Drt 1
Clk 3 Prn 2

[Trotsky]

End 2:

RPI 4 Drt 2
Clk 3 Prn 2

[Rita]

Dartmouth beats RPI 5-4 to advance to the QFs.

Clarkson still hanging onto a 1 goal lead. under 4 min left in the 3rd.

Clarkson does hang on to win its first playoff series in an eternity (at least according to the Clarkson announcers).

[kingpin248]

The Knights hang on 3-2. Quarterfinal matchups now set:

10 Dartmouth at 1 Union
8 St. Lawrence at 2 Colgate
6 Yale at 3 Quinnipiac
5 Clarkson at 4 Cornell

[billhoward]

The Knights hang on 3-2. Quarterfinal matchups now set:
10 Dartmouth at 1 Union
8 St. Lawrence at 2 Colgate
6 Yale at 3 Quinnipiac
5 Clarkson at 4 Cornell

Cornell gets the Clarkson team that had to play 3 games to get to Ithaca. Yale and Quinnipiac will reduce one of two pesky contenders. But if seeds hold to form, we'd be in for a huge battle with Union Friday night in Lake Placid. Union beat Dartmouth on the road 7-2 in November and 3-2 in December at Messa. But it does reseed for the quarterfinals? (I think so.) If so then Union could wind up facing St Lawrence or Yale.

Coming up, this would be a great return-to-Ithaca road trip weekend: Men's hockey, women's hockey NCAA quarterfinals, lax vs Yale.

[ajh258]

The Knights hang on 3-2. Quarterfinal matchups now set:
10 Dartmouth at 1 Union
8 St. Lawrence at 2 Colgate
6 Yale at 3 Quinnipiac
5 Clarkson at 4 Cornell

Cornell gets the Clarkson team that had to play 3 games to get to Ithaca. Yale and Quinnipiac will reduce one of two pesky contenders. But if seeds hold to form, we'd be in for a huge battle with Union Friday night in Lake Placid.

I think Yale has a descent chance of beating Quinnipiac. The cross town rivalry will give Yale the spark that it needs to play well, and the Bobcats have been experiencing their usual end-of-the-season dry spell.

[Trotsky]

Sounds like RPI self-destructed in the third.  They went in leading 4-2 at home and gave up goals at 5, 10 and 17 mins.  Yikes.

[billhoward]

Quarterfinal matchups
10 Dartmouth at 1 Union
8 St. Lawrence at 2 Colgate
6 Yale at 3 Quinnipiac
5 Clarkson at 4 Cornell

ECAC Hockey Media Association's 2013-14 preseason poll
1. Rensselaer (18) - 367
2. Yale (5) - 224
3. Quinnipiac (6) - 292
4. Union (3) - 287
5. Cornell (1) - 238
5. Dartmouth - 238
7. St. Lawrence - 212
8. Brown - 188
9. Colgate - 125
10. Harvard - 108
11. Princeton - 102
12. Clarkson - 83