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2026 Bracketology: The Road to the Aud

We're into the final month of the regular season! Here's where I think the bracket would stand. With a 10/4 spilt with both byes in the East, this is I think the easiest and fairest interpretation of the bracket, with only 1 flight necessary before the Frozen Four


CNE: UNE (6)
Little East: Babson (11)
MAC: Stevenson (34)
MASCAC: Fitchburg State (31)
MIAC: Gustavus (20)
NCHA: Adrian (5)
NESCAC: Hamilton (2)
SUNYAC: Hobart (1)
UCHC: Utica (4)
WIAC: Eau-Claire (17)

At-Large:

Aurora: (3)
Oswego (7)
Bowdoin (8)
Salve Regina (9)

First Round:

Stevenson @ Utica
Fitchburg @ UNE
Babson @ Oswego
Salve Regina @ Bowdoin
Gustavus @ Aurora
Eau-Claire @ Adrian

Quarterfinals:

Salve Regina/Bowdoin @ Hobart
Babson/Oswego @ Hamilton
Eau-Claire/Adrian @ Gustavus/Aurora
Fitchburg/UNE @ Stevenson/Utica
 
In a scenario of Hobart v. The Field of the Other 13 .... is anyone taking The Field? and if so, why?
 
Pioneer247 said:
We're into the final month of the regular season! Here's where I think the bracket would stand. With a 10/4 spilt with both byes in the East, this is I think the easiest and fairest interpretation of the bracket, with only 1 flight necessary before the Frozen Four


CNE: UNE (6)
Little East: Babson (11)
MAC: Stevenson (34)
MASCAC: Fitchburg State (31)
MIAC: Gustavus (20)
NCHA: Adrian (5)
NESCAC: Hamilton (2)
SUNYAC: Hobart (1)
UCHC: Utica (4)
WIAC: Eau-Claire (17)

At-Large:

Aurora: (3)
Oswego (7)
Bowdoin (8)
Salve Regina (9)

First Round:

Stevenson @ Utica
Fitchburg @ UNE
Babson @ Oswego
Salve Regina @ Bowdoin
Gustavus @ Aurora
Eau-Claire @ Adrian

Quarterfinals:

Salve Regina/Bowdoin @ Hobart
Babson/Oswego @ Hamilton
Eau-Claire/Adrian @ Gustavus/Aurora
Fitchburg/UNE @ Stevenson/Utica
Click to expand...
I remember that last year was basically a true seeding bracket, but don't remember - was the 500 mile rule disregarded/eliminated for the first round games? Eau Claire is over 500 miles for Adrian.
 
altazo said:
I remember that last year was basically a true seeding bracket, but don't remember - was the 500 mile rule disregarded/eliminated for the first round games? Eau Claire is over 500 miles for Adrian.
Click to expand...
Trine and Oswego faced off in Round 1 and were 515 miles apart, so their is precedent. I'm leaning on the theory that they will allow for as few flights as possible while also holding the most integrity possible.

A 3v5 and 4v6 quarterfinal is a fair compromise in my opinion
 
Pioneer247 said:
Trine and Oswego faced off in Round 1 and were 515 miles apart, so their is precedent. I'm leaning on the theory that they will allow for as few flights as possible while also holding the most integrity possible.

A 3v5 and 4v6 quarterfinal is a fair compromise in my opinion
Click to expand...
Agreed, and I think 550ish miles is still OK on the bus. On that note, did Oswego fly or bus to Trine?
 
elbojpb said:
In a scenario of Hobart v. The Field of the Other 13 .... is anyone taking The Field? and if so, why?
Click to expand...
They're a great team, but they're not world enders in my opinion.

Really since they've played Utica in November, they haven't seen great competition (this poster thinks Oswego is a tad overrated, but that's another topic for another time), so you don't really know how they're going to match up with some of these teams that are going to make the tournament.

And last year they won all their tourney games by a goal, 2 of them in OT.

Great team and program? Absolutely. Favorite going into the tourney? Probably yes. But are they going to destroy everyone in their path the way they have been in the SUNYAC? Absolutely not
 
elbojpb said:
In a scenario of Hobart v. The Field of the Other 13 .... is anyone taking The Field? and if so, why?
Click to expand...

Pioneer247 said:
They're a great team, but they're not world enders in my opinion.

Really since they've played Utica in November, they haven't seen great competition (this poster thinks Oswego is a tad overrated, but that's another topic for another time), so you don't really know how they're going to match up with some of these teams that are going to make the tournament.

And last year they won all their tourney games by a goal, 2 of them in OT.

Great team and program? Absolutely. Favorite going into the tourney? Probably yes. But are they going to destroy everyone in their path the way they have been in the SUNYAC? Absolutely not
Click to expand...
They are beatable and I don’t think this team is as good as the previous 3. They haven’t played anyone outside Utica and Oswego. That being said they have dismantled everyone this season amd are undoubtedly the favorites. 17/20 games have been won by 2+ goals and they have outshot everyone by 10+.
 
It is true that the Hobart schedule has not tested them enough this season. Although Oswego is coming off a loss, I think this could be their last big test before the playoffs. This Senior class is a difference maker with the experience and skills to make it thru another single elimination tournament for the fourth in a row. BUT it is a single elimination tournament and the teams out West are the ones that concern me the most as they all seem to have tested each other. Last year in the first round in The Cooler, Trine came in and should have finished the Statesmen off, but they didn't. We all saw the final against Utica in OT last year. I know the team feels very comfortable playing in the AUD, so if they get past the first home game at The Cooler ,we'll feel like we're on our adopted FF home ice . All of this assumes Beaver and the rest of the team stay healthy and the puck bounces favorably. Can't wait.
 
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With a nice shuffling at the top, including now an All-East Top 4 for the time being, I thought this would be a fun one to look at. This option is the NCAA pays for 3 flights to make it have the most bracket integrity option

CNE: UNE (8)
Little East: Babson (9)
MAC: Stevenson (34)
MASCAC: Fitchburg State (26)
MIAC: Saint Mary’s (32)
NCHA: Adrian (5)
NESCAC: Hamilton (2)
SUNYAC: Hobart (1)
UCHC: Utica (3)
WIAC: Eau Claire (19)

At-Large:

Bowdoin (4)
Endicott (6)
Aurora (7)
Salve Regina (10)

First Round:

Stevenson @ #3 Utica
Fitchburg State @ #4 Bowdoin
Saint Mary’s @ #5 Adrian
Salve Regina @ #6 Endicott
Eau Claire @ # 7 Aurora
Babson @ #8 UNE

Quarterfinals:

Babson/#8 UNE @ #1 Hobart
Eau Claire/#7 Aurora @ #2 Hamilton
Salve Regina/#6 Endicott @ #3 Utica
Saint Mary’s/#5 Adrian @ Fitchburg State/#4 Bowdoin
 
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That's a tough drop for Oswego losing to the #1 team in the country. They drop to #11 (4 spots?) and right out of the tournament. They have four losses and two of them are to Hobart.
 
spwood said:
That's a tough drop for Oswego losing to the #1 team in the country. They drop to #11 (4 spots?) and right out of the tournament. They have four losses and two of them are to Hobart.
Click to expand...
The problem they have it really just no key wins. Geneseo is their best win, which isn't bad at #16, but you drop two to Hobart, one to Utica, which probably just one of those wins has them in the Top 10

Coupled with the fact that you tie Williams and lose to Canton at home, when home games are weighed heavier, it's just not a great resume.

If they can beat Geneseo tonight, win out and then lose to Hobart in the SUNYAC final, they might get an at-large, but if they lose tonight, it's auto-bid or nothing at this point
 
Pioneer247 said:
The problem they have it really just no key wins. Geneseo is their best win, which isn't bad at #16, but you drop two to Hobart, one to Utica, which probably just one of those wins has them in the Top 10

Coupled with the fact that you tie Williams and lose to Canton at home, when home games are weighed heavier, it's just not a great resume.

If they can beat Geneseo tonight, win out and then lose to Hobart in the SUNYAC final, they might get an at-large, but if they lose tonight, it's auto-bid or nothing at this point
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Its moreso to do with how poor the SUNY is this year. After Hobart/Oswego there isn’t another SUNY team in the top 45. Utica doesn’t have any marquee wins either outside of Oswego.
 
Unfortunately, unless we see some upsets come playoff time I don’t see how Salve doesn’t get in. They have been fluctuating between that 8-10 spot without playing a game.
 
This is a fun one because you have two West teams in Adrian and Aurora who haven't earned byes, and the NCAA looking like they are going to uphold that, so there's 3 ways I could figure out that the bracket could go, depending on how many flights they are willing to do

CNE: UNE (7)
Little East: Norwich (16)
MAC: Neumann (31)
MASCAC: Anna Maria (30)
MIAC: Saint Mary’s (29)
NCHA: Adrian (6)
NESCAC: Hamilton (2)
SUNYAC: Hobart (1)
UCHC: Utica (5)
WIAC: Eau Claire (19)

At-Large:
Bowdoin (3)
Endicott (4)
Salve Regina (8)
Aurora (9)

Option 1: Least Flights Possible

Round 1:

Neumann @ #3 Bowdoin
Anna Maria @ #4 Endicott
Norwich @ #5 Utica
Saint Mary’s @ #6 Adrian
Salve Regina @ #7 UNE
Eau Claire @ #9 Aurora

Quarterfinals:

Salve Regina/#7 UNE @ #1 Hobart
Norwich/#5 Utica @ #2 Hamilton
Anna Maria/#4 Endicott @ Neumann/#3 Bowdoin
Eau Claire/#9 Aurora @ Saint Mary’s/#6 Adrian

Option 2: Straight Bracket

Round 1:

Neumann @ #3 Bowdoin
Anna Maria @ #4 Endicott
Saint Mary’s @ #5 Utica
Eau Claire @ #6 Adrian
Norwich @ #7 UNE
Aurora @ #8 Salve Regina

Quarterfinals:

Aurora/#8 Salve Regina @ #1 Hobart
Norwich/#7 UNE @ #2 Hamilton
Eau Claire/#6 Adrian @ Neumann/#3 Bowdoin
Saint Mary’s/#5 Utica @ Anna Maria/#4 Endicott

Option 3: Minimum flights Round 1, flights in QF

Round 1:

Neumann @ #3 Bowdoin
Anna Maria @ #4 Endicott
Norwich @ #5 Utica
Saint Mary’s @ #6 Adrian
Salve Regina @ #7 UNE
Eau Claire @ #9 Aurora

Quarterfinals:

Eau Claire/#9 Aurora @ #1 Hobart
Salve Regina/#7 UNE @ #2 Hamilton
Saint Mary’s/#6 Adrian @ Neumann/#3 Bowdoin
Norwich/#5 Utica @ Anna Maria/#4 Endicott
 
JSicedog said:
Unfortunately, unless we see some upsets come playoff time I don’t see how Salve doesn’t get in. They have been fluctuating between that 8-10 spot without playing a game.
Click to expand...
There's going to be more QWB points to be had by teams thanks to conference playoff games, which Salve won't be able to get.
 
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