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2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

Results coming in from the early games...

Atlantic Hockey Semifinals

Army v. AIC
The Black Knights of Army squared off with the Yellow Jackets of AIC in this afternoon's AHA Semifinal. Army's Zach Evancho started the scoring near the midpoint of the first period on a wrister from the near circle that beat AIC netminder Zackarias Skog blocker-side. The Black Knights extended their lead shortly thereafter, when Mason Krueger found John Zimmerman at the point, who blasted a slap shot through traffic and past Skog to give Army a 2-0 advantage. The Black Knights maintained their two-goal lead until early in the second period when AIC's Elijah Barriga potted the Yellow Jackets' first goal of the night on a one-timer from the top of the far circle. The Yellow Jackets had numerous opportunities to knot the score at two in the second, but Army's Trevin Kozlowski kept AIC at the single goal, which gave Army a one-goal lead through forty minutes. Kozlowski continued his impressive performance early in the third after Army went two men down, stopping each of AIC's three powerplay shots on goal. Army's Michael Wilson then tallied an insurance goal for the Black Knights late in the third period, and when the final horn sounded, the Army Black Knights advanced to the AHA Championship tomorrow night thanks to a 3-1 victory.

ECAC Semifinals

RPI v. Cornell
The Engineers and Big Red squared off in the first semifinal from Lake Placid this afternoon. RPI started off strong, earning consecutive powerplays early in the first period, and tallied the first goal of the night on the powerplay thanks to Will Reilly's howitzer that rang off the crossbar and went into the back of the net. Cornell responded quickly however, tying the game on Sam Malinski's wrister from the bottom of the near circle that appeared to fool the Engineer's goaltender Owen Savory. Savory and Cornell's Matthew Galajda kept the skaters off the ice for the remainder of the first, and after twenty minutes it was knotted at 1-1. Cornell broke the tie early in the second when Travis Mitchell threaded a pass through the neutral zone to Brendon Locke, who was all alone on Savory, and roofed a wrister top shelf to put Cornell up 2-1. The Big Red added to their lead midway through the period on Malinski's second goal of the night, as Malinski redirected Yanni Kaldis' blast from the point past Savory to give Cornell a two-goal advantage. RPI responded before the end of the middle frame, when Patrick Polino's wrister bounced off Galajda's shoulder, but not past the goal line. Fortunately for the Engineers, Todd Burgess found the puck and slammed it in the net to get RPI's second goal of the afternoon. As the game wore on, RPI tried desperately for the tying goal, but Galajda was up to the task, stopping each of the Engineer's 14 shots on goal in the third period, and when the clock read all zeroes, it was Cornell advancing to the ECAC title game with a 3-2 victory.

Hockey East Semifinals

Maine v. Boston College
With the Black Bears back in Beantown, the Maineacs flooded the Garden to watch Maine take on Boston College. However, it would be a troubling start for Maine. The Eagles soared to an early lead, thanks to Alex Newhook's impressive individual effort. Newhook won a puck battle behind the net, then muscled to the side of the crease where his wrister deflected off Black Bear netminder Jeremy Swayman's blocker and into the back of the net. BC then took a two-goal lead midway through the first on the powerplay on Matt Boldy's one-timer from the far circle. Swayman would rebound from the tough start, blanking the Eagles in the rest of the first, same as his counterpart Spencer Knight, and after twenty minutes Boston College led 2-0. BC nearly took a three-goal lead early in the second when JD Greenway lost an edge in the neutral zone, leading to a partial breakaway for Jack McBain. Swayman would stone the Sophomore forward, and just moments later the Black Bears pulled within a goal thanks to Adam Dawe's wrister that found Knight's five hole. Swayman and Knight would engage in an epic goaltender battle for the rest of the second period, and BC held a 2-1 advantage going into the third. The Eagles mounted a strong attack early in the third, but were unable to solve Swayman. As the minutes waned, Knight continued his strong performance. However, with just over three minutes to go, Maine's Mitchell Fossier found just enough space to let fly a wrister from the slot that flew past Knight's ear and into the back of the net to send the crowd in blue in an uproar as Maine tied the game at 2. Extra time was necessary, and midway through the overtime session, BC's Luke McInnis was called for tripping, and Maine's Tim Doherty ripped a wrister past Knight's outstretched glove to give the Black Bears the 3-2 victory, and a spot in the Hockey East Championship.

NCHC Semifinals

Western Michigan v. North Dakota
In front of a packed house, full of greens and browns, the Western Michigan Broncos met up with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks for a shot at playing for the NCHC Tournament Championship. North Dakota's Adam Scheel and Western Michigan's Brandon Bussi kept the game scoreless in the first twenty minutes, and nearly for the next twenty. With the second period winding down, the Fighting Hawks' Jordan Kawaguchi fed a beautiful pass from the side of the net to Collin Adams in the slot, who one-timed a bullet through Bussi's five hole to give North Dakota a 1-0 advantage. North Dakota added to its lead early in the third when Colton Poolman unleashed a slapper from the point that fooled Bussi, and gave UND a 2-0 advantage. Western finally solved Scheel midway through the final frame, when Wade Allison roofed a wrister from the bottom of the near circle that beat Scheel stick-side and brought the Broncos back within a goal. However, it was not to be Western Michigan's day. North Dakota scored twice more in the final minutes, once from Shane Pinto on the powerplay, and an empty netter from Grant Mismash in the final seconds, and North Dakota advanced to the NCHC title game with a 4-1 victory.
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

Hockey East Semifinals

Maine v. Boston College
With the Black Bears back in Beantown, the Maineacs flooded the Garden to watch Maine take on Boston College. However, it would be a troubling start for Maine. The Eagles soared to an early lead, thanks to Alex Newhook's impressive individual effort. Newhook won a puck battle behind the net, then muscled to the side of the crease where his wrister deflected off Black Bear netminder Jeremy Swayman's blocker and into the back of the net. BC then took a two-goal lead midway through the first on the powerplay on Matt Boldy's one-timer from the far circle. Swayman would rebound from the tough start, blanking the Eagles in the rest of the first, same as his counterpart Spencer Knight, and after twenty minutes Boston College led 2-0. BC nearly took a three-goal lead early in the second when JD Greenway lost an edge in the neutral zone, leading to a partial breakaway for Jack McBain. Swayman would stone the Sophomore forward, and just moments later the Black Bears pulled within a goal thanks to Adam Dawe's wrister that found Knight's five hole. Swayman and Knight would engage in an epic goaltender battle for the rest of the second period, and BC held a 2-1 advantage going into the third. The Eagles mounted a strong attack early in the third, but were unable to solve Swayman. As the minutes waned, Knight continued his strong performance. However, with just over three minutes to go, Maine's Mitchell Fossier found just enough space to let fly a wrister from the slot that flew past Knight's ear and into the back of the net to send the crowd in blue in an uproar as Maine tied the game at 2. Extra time was necessary, and midway through the overtime session, BC's Luke McInnis was called for tripping, and Maine's Tim Doherty ripped a wrister past Knight's outstretched glove to give the Black Bears the 3-2 victory, and a spot in the Hockey East Championship.

Figures that McInnis ends up being the goat again...
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

Has been a long time since we pregamed at a Boston sports bar before the HE championship game.
 
Results coming in from the early games...

Atlantic Hockey Semifinals

Army v. AIC
The Black Knights of Army squared off with the Yellow Jackets of AIC in this afternoon's AHA Semifinal. Army's Zach Evancho started the scoring near the midpoint of the first period on a wrister from the near circle that beat AIC netminder Zackarias Skog blocker-side. The Black Knights extended their lead shortly thereafter, when Mason Krueger found John Zimmerman at the point, who blasted a slap shot through traffic and past Skog to give Army a 2-0 advantage. The Black Knights maintained their two-goal lead until early in the second period when AIC's Elijah Barriga potted the Yellow Jackets' first goal of the night on a one-timer from the top of the far circle. The Yellow Jackets had numerous opportunities to knot the score at two in the second, but Army's Trevin Kozlowski kept AIC at the single goal, which gave Army a one-goal lead through forty minutes. Kozlowski continued his impressive performance early in the third after Army went two men down, stopping each of AIC's three powerplay shots on goal. Army's Michael Wilson then tallied an insurance goal for the Black Knights late in the third period, and when the final horn sounded, the Army Black Knights advanced to the AHA Championship tomorrow night thanks to a 3-1 victory.

I feel an upset coming in the second game tonight. Go tigers
/QUOTE]
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

Has been a long time since we pregamed at a Boston sports bar before the HE championship game.

Tell me about it :rolleyes: (of course, it's not really fair for me to say that seein' how I haven't been following as long as the rest of you. But, still... Enjoy every minute!! :)
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

Maine vs BC
How many in a row now?? oh - 6
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

Cmon already! Are we in OT or 3?? On tenderhooks
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

And the evening games have wrapped up...

Atlantic Hockey Semifinals

RIT v. Sacred Heart
The RIT Tigers and the Sacred Heart Pioneers battled for the other spot in the AHA Championship tilt this evening. The Tigers and Pioneers both struggled to get shots on net early, with both sides generating just 6 shots on goal in the first period. RIT's Logan Drackett and SHU's Josh Benson handled the dozen shots with relative ease, and through twenty minutes it remained scoreless. Sacred Heart broke the stalemate midway through the second period on the powerplay when Jason Cotton lit the lamp, gathering a rebound and lifting a backhand over Drackett's outstretched leg to put the Pioneers up 1-0. RIT battled back and tied the game minutes later when Will Calverley's wrister from right along the goal line found just enough space between Benson and the near post to slide in and put the sides all square at 1-1. As the middle stanza crept towards an end, Sacred Heart wrestled the lead back on Vito Bavaro's one-timer from the point, and after forty minutes of action Sacred Heart led 2-1. The first half of the third period was a defensive battle, with neither side giving an inch, but midway through the frame RIT's Nick Bruce electrified the Tiger faithful in the stands when his wraparound attempt slid through Benson's five hole to knot the game at 2 apiece. The Pioneers stormed back, and with just over six minutes to play, Matt Tugnett gave SHU the lead, picking up a loose rebound and burying it in the back of the net from the bottom of the far circle. RIT put on the pressure, but Benson stood tall in net, and the Pioneers added an empty netter in the waning seconds to capture a 4-2 victory, and a spot in the AHA Championship game tomorrow night against Army.

ECAC Semifinals

Quinnipiac v. Clarkson
The Bobcats and Golden Knights met in Lake Placid this evening in the nightcap of the ECAC Semifinals in Lake Placid. The Bobcats had opportunities early in the first, earning two powerplays in the first ten minutes, but were unable to solve Clarkson's Frank Marotte. The same could not be said when Clarkson earned its first powerplay midway through the opening frame, as Connor McCarthy blasted a slapper from the point that weaved its way through traffic and past Keith Petruzzelli to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. Clarkson took a 2-0 advantage with just over two minutes to play in the first period when Zach Tsekos intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and lasered a wrister past Petruzzelli's blocker. The Golden Knights continued to put on pressure in the second period, and just before the midway point of the tilt, Chris Klack tipped in a Brian Hurley's shot from the near boards, and Clarkson could smell the ECAC Final. While the Bobcats mounted a ferocious attack towards the end of the second period, Marotte was up to the task, stopping all 19 shots on frame by Quinnipiac through forty minutes of play. The Bobcats finally solved Marotte midway through the third period when Ethan Layh's wrister squeezed its way past Marotte to pull QU within two goals. It would not be enough. Clarkson scored two more goals in the final ten minutes of action, one by Heralds Egle, and the other by Josh Dunne, and when the final buzzer sounded, it was Clarkson winning 5-1 to set up an epic ECAC Title tilt with Cornell.

Hockey East Semifinals

Massachusetts Lowell v. Massachusetts
Lowell and Amherst...a rivalry like no other...renewed itself this evening in the Hockey East Semifinals. John Leonard put the Minutemen up early, pushing his own rebound past Tyler Wall to put UMASS up 1-0. Wall kept Massachusetts off the board the rest of the way in the first period though, despite the Minutemen launching an incredible 16 shots on frame, and after one, UMASS led Lowell 1-0. The RiverHawks responded early in the second when Andre Lee took a loose puck in the near corner, and whistled a wrister on net that deflected off a Massachusetts defender and past Minutemen goalie Matt Murray and into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1. Murray and Wall then battled in a classic goaltender dual in the second period, with Wall stopping each of UMASS' 9 shots on goal, and Murray fending off Lowell's last six shots of the period, and it was all square at 1-1 through forty minutes. Murray and Wall continued their dual in the third, with each goalie trying to outdo the other. With just over four minutes to play, Lowell's Lee got called for boarding. The officials reviewed the play to see if it would be called a major penalty for checking from behind. After a lengthy review, the minor call stood. Wall stood tall on the penalty kill, and after sixty minutes of action, the game remained tied 1-1. Both sides played cautious early in the extra frame, and it appeared that a second overtime would be necessary. However, with just over three minutes to play in overtime, Seth Barton launched a blast from the near boards that went wide on the near side, but ricocheted off the boards and right onto the stick of Lucas Condotta. Condotta lifted a wrister over the outstretched blocker of Murray and into the net to give the RiverHawks a 2-1 victory, and a spot in the Hockey East final.

NCHC Semifinals

Denver v. Minnesota Duluth
Denver and Duluth met up this evening at the X in front of a lot of fans clad in darkish red. While the game started off slow, the action picked up midway through the first period when Ian Mitchell feathered a wrister through traffic that surprised Hunter Shepard, who only had enough time to watch the puck sail into the net to give DU a 1-0 lead. The Pioneers then added a second tally in the final minute of play in the opening stanza, when Cole Guttman scored on the powerplay, and through twenty minutes, Denver held a 2-0 advantage. The Bulldogs stormed back in the second behind back-to-back goals by Cole Koepke and Kobe Roth midway through the period, which leveled the score at 2-2. Shepard put on a sterling performance in the second period, stopping numerous grade A opportunities from Denver, with perhaps none looming larger than his breakaway save on Liam Finley, who attempted a forehand to backhand deke, but Shepard gloved the backhand attempt, giving the Bulldogs even more momentum heading into the third period. However, the third belonged to Denver. Mitchell tallied his second goal of the game on a one-timer from the point that caught Shepard out of position. Bobby Brink added the fourth goal for the Pioneers on a wrister from the near circle, and that would be all Magnus Chrona would need, as the DU netminder stopped all 11 shots on goal by the Bulldogs in the final twenty minutes to propel Denver to a 4-2 victory, and a place in the NCHC Championship.
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

Updated pairwise:

1 North Dakota
2 Cornell
3 MSU-Mankato
4 Minnesota-Duluth
5 Denver
6 Boston College
7 Penn State
8 Clarkson
9 Maine
10 Massachusetts
11 Ohio State
12 Mass.-Lowell
13 Michigan
14 Arizona State
15 Bemidji State
16 Sacred Heart/Army
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

I would like to issue a formal protest. No way did Denver beat UMD. I demand a recount!
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

And the evening games have wrapped up...
Hockey East Semifinals

Massachusetts Lowell v. Massachusetts
Lowell and Amherst...a rivalry like no other...renewed itself this evening in the Hockey East Semifinals. John Leonard put the Minutemen up early, pushing his own rebound past Tyler Wall to put UMASS up 1-0. Wall kept Massachusetts off the board the rest of the way in the first period though, despite the Minutemen launching an incredible 16 shots on frame, and after one, UMASS led Lowell 1-0. The RiverHawks responded early in the second when Andre Lee took a loose puck in the near corner, and whistled a wrister on net that deflected off a Massachusetts defender and past Minutemen goalie Matt Murray and into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1. Murray and Wall then battled in a classic goaltender dual in the second period, with Wall stopping each of UMASS' 9 shots on goal, and Murray fending off Lowell's last six shots of the period, and it was all square at 1-1 through forty minutes. Murray and Wall continued their dual in the third, with each goalie trying to outdo the other. With just over four minutes to play, Lowell's Lee got called for boarding. The officials reviewed the play to see if it would be called a major penalty for checking from behind. After a lengthy review, the minor call stood. Wall stood tall on the penalty kill, and after sixty minutes of action, the game remained tied 1-1. Both sides played cautious early in the extra frame, and it appeared that a second overtime would be necessary. However, with just over three minutes to play in overtime, Seth Barton launched a blast from the near boards that went wide on the near side, but ricocheted off the boards and right onto the stick of Lucas Condotta. Condotta lifted a wrister over the outstretched blocker of Murray and into the net to give the RiverHawks a 2-1 victory, and a spot in the Hockey East final.

#NOTMYFLAGSHIP!! w00t!! On to play Maine! Virtual meet and greet at the Harp with the blue wig and red beads on tomorrow! Still- can't they let Lee put in one of those wrap arounds??

I let out a yell when I saw the results and this garnered a look of :rolleyes: from mr les who would have been on the bench trying to maintain his sangfroid until tomorrow night. Not quite as good but still a nice sense of satisfaction for the virtual stoning of #notmyflagship Amherst :D
 
Re: 2020 NCAA Hockey Tournament - What If: A Simulation of the 2019-2020 Postseason

If the NCHC never happened the old WCHA would have 4 of the top 5 seeds.

Now, bring on the Beavers tomorrow night. Unfortunately after we beat them, the nWCHA will probably only have 1 team in the tourney again.
 
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