Home or Away for the Playoffs?

[Jwo]

I don't know if anyone has looked at the tiebreakers and all the scenarios, but what would need to happen this weekend for us to get a first round bye, and a second round series at home against Harvard(sucks). Would anyone feel more comfortable playing them at home, rather than RPI or Dartmouth, who beat us at home?

[Jeff Hopkins \'82]

Too many permutations are possible to make your situation possible ::help::

But as to your second question, i'd much rather play Sucks than RPI or Dartmouth.  The latter two are much better teams, and I'd rather play a weaker opponent.

JH

[Killer]

Yeah, go with Harvard.  They're in a season-long meltdown.  They have their moments, but Mazzoleni will find a way to make sure they lose when it really counts.

[dss28]

I guess Boston is running dangerously low on jam....

[Section A]

[Q]Yeah, go with Harvard[/Q]


Definitely. And as if Lynah wouldn't already be intense for the playoffs, just imagine....



Post Edited (02-26-04 18:56)

[Keith K \'93]

[Q]Definitely. And as if Lynah wouldn't already be intense for the playoffs, just imagine....[/Q]Um, careful what you wish for.  As much as they have shown an utter lack of jam this year, the Cantabrigians (sp?) have plenty of talent.  I'd much rather find ourselves playing Yale.

[Al DeFlorio]

Keith K '93 wrote:

[Q]Definitely. And as if Lynah wouldn't already be intense for the playoffs, just imagine....[/Q]Um, careful what you wish for.  As much as they have shown an utter lack of jam this year, the Cantabrigians (sp?) have plenty of talent.  I'd much rather find ourselves playing Yale.

Yep.  And let's not forget they took an ECAC championship away from us two years ago and came within 32 seconds of doing it again last year.  As Keith said, "careful what you wish for."

[redredux]

I definitely think we want top 4 and the associated bye.  However, finishing 3 or 4 is going to mean a tough series at Lynah.  Playing RPI, Dartmouth, or Harvard will be no picnic.  (I just don't see Yale finishing in the 6 spot.)  If the Red manage to finish 2nd, I expect they'll play Yale, and then I'll be much more confident about the chances of making it to Albany.  With all this in mind, do we root for Dartmouth to beat Brown on Friday night?  (If Dartmouth loses on Friday then our chances for second go away barring a collapse by Colgate, which seems unlikely.)  Or do we just root against Dartmouth and RPI and aim for 3rd place?  I'm going to think positive for the Red's results this weekend and therefore root for Dartmouth on Friday and against them on Saturday.  If we handle the NC teams and Dartmouth beats Brown and loses to Harvard, I think we're in second.

[Jeff Hopkins \'82]

Sure, if Yale is an option, I pick Yale over Harvard.  But of RPI, Dartmouth or Harvard, I pick Harvard.

JH

[Chris 02]

I could see Vermont making it to the second round.  They're a hot team and going to end up in 10th or 11th place, play a team in the 1st round that just missed a bye and will be on a bit of a downswing.  Of course, if Colgate hangs onto first they'll get to play the lower seed.

[Jay Fisher]

I remember that mini-game in '88 as well.  That was the loudest I ever heard Lynah during my four years, but to no avail.  

87-90 was a time of close but yet so far and was sandwiched between the NCAA teams of '86 and '91.  '87 failed to make the playoffs.  '88 lost in mini-game. '89 went to the Garden and lost to SLU in the semis and to Sucks in the Consolation (though I was sitting in the first row and got to taunt Lane MacDonald mercilessly), '90 beat Sucks at Lynah, but lost to RPI in the semis.  I went to the Garden again in '91 (girlfriend (now wife) at MIT) only to see us lose again to SLU.  My all-time record at the Garden 0-4.

My record at the Everbaldes is a lot better at 3-1.

Jay Fisher '90

[Killer]

Just to be sure, I'm assuming there's no re-seeding of the teams after Round 1.  The brackets are fixed, in the sense that the top team, after gettings its bye in the first round, plays the winner of the #8 vs #9 series.  They do not play the lowest remaining seed from Round 1, which would be the case if re-seeding took place.

No need to post a response unless I'm wrong.

[Section A]

[Q]I'm assuming there's no re-seeding [/Q]

Actually, there is re-seeding :-)

[Killer]

Avash '05 wrote:

[Q]I'm assuming there's no re-seeding [/Q]

Actually, there is re-seeding :-)

Interesting.  Thanks.

That would go counter to what's posted on the USCHO site for the ECAC tourney.  They make no mention of re-seeding and show the brackets playing out as I described.

Oh, man, now I'm gonna have to go through a whole new set of mental gymnastics to figure out how this thing could play out. ::twitch::

[Greg Berge]

Yes, the brackets reseed (as they have for decades).  So, the RS champ will host the worst seeded survivor of the First Round, and so on.

For the record, here are the First Round upsets since the PIG:

-----10-PIG Format-----------
1998: 8/3, 7/4
1999: 6/5
2000:
2001: 10/1
2002:
-----12-Bye Format-------
2003: 11/6, 10/7



Post Edited (02-27-04 15:17)