NCAA Tourney Team Selection Options

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Should be easy for the neutrals. St. Cloud/Minnesota State vs. UMass for the title.

Which means we'll get Boston College v. Minnesota Duluth...the two best programs of the 21st Century squaring off for who gets the title of #1.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

The last two games are tough. Root against BC or an NCHC team? Root for the B1G or for a WCHA team?

Of the last left, I would hope the most for MSU- I hate Minny as much as anyone else, but the B1G has sucked so much since PSU forced it to form. BC has won more than enough, so Jan Brady State it is (St Cloud was that, right?).

The long standing trio of national hate has been Minny, Michigan, and BC- so with us out, haters have to hate.

I'm certainly pulling for St. Cloud and Minnesota State today. I haven't seen Minnesota or Boston College play this year, (was hoping to watch their First Round games, but BC got the bye and then Minnesota's game last night was preempted by an NCHC marathon) but I would anticipate them getting the wins.

Personally, I hate Denver more than any program. If they never won another game again (unless it benefitted North Dakota), I would sleep happy tonight. Michigan ranks a solid 3rd for level of "hate" for B1G schools (Minnesota, Wisconsin occupy the 1/2 slots, interchangeably depending on the era/situation). To be honest, I don't really care all that much about the Wolverines, I just don't want Michigan to get their 10th before North Dakota. As for Boston College, they would probably rank on par with BU...although I don't really "hate" any of the eastern teams.

I'll cheer for a Duluth/St. Cloud final. I would like to see the NCAA Title remain in conference. Outside of the NCHC teams, I typically cheer for schools that have never won it all before, so I will likely cheer as follows: (1) Minnesota State; (2) Massachusetts; (3) Boston College; (4) Minnesota.

[J.D.]

Should be easy for the neutrals. St. Cloud/Minnesota State vs. UMass for the title.

[MichVandal]

The last two games are tough. Root against BC or an NCHC team? Root for the B1G or for a WCHA team?

Of the last left, I would hope the most for MSU- I hate Minny as much as anyone else, but the B1G has sucked so much since PSU forced it to form. BC has won more than enough, so Jan Brady State it is (St Cloud was that, right?).

The long standing trio of national hate has been Minny, Michigan, and BC- so with us out, haters have to hate.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

As I saw our team, they were SO good on the first night that I had huge confidence that they would be able to take UMD. They can score a TON on night one. The second night, on the other hand. Can't say that they would have won for sure, but I really thought they could have beaten anyone in the first game.

But we will never know.

Last year, we had a LOT more confidence in the team going all the way- the entire second half of the season, you could see them ramp it up. So we were all hoping for the same thing this year. That only really translated to game one of a weekend.

Good luck to UMD, but the only game I would root for them was last night... :-)

You're right. We'll never know. None of the top-end players on Michigan's roster have ever won an NCAA Tournament game. Nobody on Duluth's roster has ever lost an NCAA Tournament game (9-0). Could Michigan have beaten Duluth? Sure. Would they have? I doubt it. I think it would have looked a lot like the Wisconsin-Bemidji State game.

Enjoy cheering for Massachusetts, and then whoever comes out of the BC/SCSU/Minnesota/Minnesota State pileup. : - )

[J.D.]

Ya it's tough to quantify. For example, Sanderson was clearly best player out there and didn't look tired at all. And it was the UMD goalie that had to come out due to cramps.

[MichVandal]

As I saw our team, they were SO good on the first night that I had huge confidence that they would be able to take UMD. They can score a TON on night one. The second night, on the other hand. Can't say that they would have won for sure, but I really thought they could have beaten anyone in the first game.

But we will never know.

Last year, we had a LOT more confidence in the team going all the way- the entire second half of the season, you could see them ramp it up. So we were all hoping for the same thing this year. That only really translated to game one of a weekend.

Good luck to UMD, but the only game I would root for them was last night... :-)

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Knowing that was largely a routine save, the goalie was exhausted, too. Not quite like UMD who had to come out of the game, but exhausted.

As for the FF, I still think it's impossible to read who can do what- BSU looked so impressive against Wisconsin, but much less than that vs UMass. The BC game today will be interesting to see how they play- seeing how BU looked.

I honestly had doubts about my team, as there was just a few weekends the entire season where they won both games.

Minnesota Duluth just has that innate understanding of the game that carries them through these NCAA Tournament games. North Dakota was trying to pick corners with their shots (and hitting posts). Duluth was putting their chances on frame. In a 5OT game, that was the difference where, as you said, the goalies were exhausted and "routine" saves became anything but. I'd be curious to see a shots attempted chart. I would imagine it would be far more lopsided in favor of North Dakota than the shots on goal were.

As for the FF, the last FF game saw Duluth absolutely dominate Massachusetts. Hopefully UMass has significantly improved their team this season compared to 2018-2019. If not, expect a similar result.

I only saw Michigan play 1/2 a game this season...and I saw very little of the B1G. Wisconsin looked like dog ****, and the Gophers dominated the 5th best team in the NCHC. My guess, if Michigan had been able to play, is they would have lost to UMD. The Bulldogs are just built for the NCAA Tournament. What would have been interesting is how the Duluth/North Dakota game would have played out had the Michigan/Duluth game been played. My guess is very similar to how it played out last night.

[MichVandal]

Knowing that was largely a routine save, the goalie was exhausted, too. Not quite like UMD who had to come out of the game, but exhausted.

As for the FF, I still think it's impossible to read who can do what- BSU looked so impressive against Wisconsin, but much less than that vs UMass. The BC game today will be interesting to see how they play- seeing how BU looked.

I honestly had doubts about my team, as there was just a few weekends the entire season where they won both games.

[paulfb]

It's Russian roulette when a favorite has to face a conference rival at any sport, any level. Different dynamic at play.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Congratulations to Duluth. I think they win it all again and become the first team since Michigan in the 50s to win three NCAA Tournaments in a row. They just have an uncanny ability to win these type of games come tournament time.

From North Dakota's perspective, that was an unfortunate end. North Dakota overcame tremendous odds to tie the game up late in the third, and it seemed by the third and fourth overtimes they had more energy than Duluth. I'd be curious how many posts North Dakota hit in the overtimes. It seemed like about 4-5.

Oh well. Great season for North Dakota. Great game for college hockey. Good luck to the Bulldogs against Massachusetts.

[BCeagle]

Offsides replays are ruining games. These tiny centimeter frame by frame reviews of hockey are joke. Let ref call offides and live with it.

Honestly I couldn't see the offside on replay on the UML game but a slight lift of the skate was all that was needed to call offside on that potential winning goal

[BCeagle]

Watching UMD now in the 4th OT they looked tired obviously and making mistakes clearing the puck out of their end. UND is tired too but still has a bit of a jump in their legs and pressing more to end the game.

Goalie is cramping and being replaced suddenly.

Oh oh

At this point, no shot is a bad shot

[Numbers]

Longest game in NCAA tournament history, and 5th longest ever.

[J.D.]

Maybe 4 on 4 would be good now. If there's a blatant penalty on a scoring chance make the call.