What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

Bracketology

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: Bracketology

UnionHockeyManiac said:
Hello Bracketology experts-

Due to the fact that Union has never come close to making the national tournament, I have never followed the PWR very closely. It seems like the people who are in the national tourney every year know what they are talking about.

With Union currently tied with Yale at #17 in the PWR, what exactly do we need to do to get an at-large bid? We have six regular season games remaining against Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Quinnipiac, Cornell, and Colgate. I miss the days when we were at #7 in the PWR but after a bit of a slump for two weekends in a row, we picked it up this past weekend and beat Clarkson 11-2 and St. Lawrence 4-2.

Anyway, can any bracketology experts help me out? I'm ready to travel to nearby Albany or Worcester and even far away Ft. Wayne or St. Paul...What needs to happen for me to make these trips? Thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...
Win. Finish in the top 15 of the PWR (assuming BSU wins the CHA, if not, top 14). If you go to the PWR on this site there's a pretty good description about how it works. When the conference tournaments start there's a PWR predictor on SiouxSports so you can see what will happen under different scenarios.
 
Re: Bracketology

I know we are talking NCAA here, I just think it is funny that after what happened two years ago that they think it would be best to play us.

Recent history suggests that SCSU should want to play UW in the tourney. .
 
Re: Bracketology

MinnesotaNorthStar said:
Win. Finish in the top 15 of the PWR (assuming BSU wins the CHA, if not, top 14). If you go to the PWR on this site there's a pretty good description about how it works. When the conference tournaments start there's a PWR predictor on SiouxSports so you can see what will happen under different scenarios.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. However, let's say we finish 15th in the PWR but Brown (for example) comes out of nowhere to win the ECAC tournament championship. Doesn't the winner of the ECAC tournament get an automatic bid to the NCAAs? According to the website, that is the case: "The 2010 League champion shall receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship." (http://www.ecachockey.com/men/tournament/2010_MensChampionship). Then, wouldn't Brown be the ECAC's rep for the national tournament?

Sorry, I just get a little confused about this stuff...
 
Re: Bracketology

UnionHockeyManiac said:
Thanks for the response. However, let's say we finish 15th in the PWR but Brown (for example) comes out of nowhere to win the ECAC tournament championship. Doesn't the winner of the ECAC tournament get an automatic bid to the NCAAs? According to the website, that is the case: "The 2010 League champion shall receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship." (http://www.ecachockey.com/men/tournament/2010_MensChampionship). Then, wouldn't Brown be the ECAC's rep for the national tournament?

Sorry, I just get a little confused about this stuff...
Click to expand...
Yes. But, going on that logic, you would have to finish 10th to guarantee the Dutchmen a spot in the dance. Heck, MTU could win the WCHA and Merrimack could win Hockey East.

It's just expected that a team from the four major conferences playing well enough to win the auto-bid will also be playing well enough to get an at-large bid.

Union needs to perform well for the rest of the season (note that I don't say they need to win out), but wins against Cornell and a deep run in the playoffs (at least making it to Albany) will help tremendously.

Once the last weekend of the regular season hits, there will be more predictor tools up and the info on what exactly needs to happen to put U into the tournament will be more readily available.
 
Re: Bracketology

UnionHockeyManiac said:
Thanks for the response. However, let's say we finish 15th in the PWR but Brown (for example) comes out of nowhere to win the ECAC tournament championship. Doesn't the winner of the ECAC tournament get an automatic bid to the NCAAs? According to the website, that is the case: "The 2010 League champion shall receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship." (http://www.ecachockey.com/men/tournament/2010_MensChampionship). Then, wouldn't Brown be the ECAC's rep for the national tournament?

Sorry, I just get a little confused about this stuff...
Click to expand...
Yep. All conference tourney winners get an auto bid. Any team that wins that is not in the top 16 will make you have to finish higher to get an at large. Usually the tournament winners of the ECAC, WCHA, Hockey East, and CCHA are already in the top 16 though. But, it is possible that all 6 automatic qualifiers are not even TUC's. It's unlikely, but possible.
 
Re: Bracketology

Thanks a lot guys. So technically, to be absolutely guaranteed a spot in the tournament you need to finish in the top 10 in the PWR. However, a team should be pretty safe if they finish in the top 13 or 14.

Does it hurt us that our five out of our six remaining regular season games are against teams NOT under consideration? Hard to believe that less than a month ago we would have been a #2 seed in the national tournament (on January 21st, we were at #7 in the PWR) and just 2 short weeks later, it looks like it will be very difficult to get an at-large bid into the national tournament at all, even if we do well over the final few weeks.
 
Re: Bracketology

UnionHockeyManiac said:
Thanks a lot guys. So technically, to be absolutely guaranteed a spot in the tournament you need to finish in the top 10 in the PWR. However, a team should be pretty safe if they finish in the top 13 or 14.

Does it hurt us that our five out of our six remaining regular season games are against teams NOT under consideration? Hard to believe that less than a month ago we would have been a #2 seed in the national tournament (on January 21st, we were at #7 in the PWR) and just 2 short weeks later, it looks like it will be very difficult to get an at-large bid into the national tournament at all, even if we do well over the final few weeks.
Click to expand...
It doesn't necessarily *hurt* you, but it does limit your opportunities to improve your standing, so I guess in some sense you could say that hurts you. If you had 6 games remaining against TUCs and you won them all, you would shoot pretty far back up the standings. 6 wins against non-TUCs won't help you as much.

On the flip side, losses against non-TUCs don't hurt quite so much, either.
 
Re: Bracketology

UnionHockeyManiac said:
Thanks a lot guys. So technically, to be absolutely guaranteed a spot in the tournament you need to finish in the top 10 in the PWR. However, a team should be pretty safe if they finish in the top 13 or 14.

Does it hurt us that our five out of our six remaining regular season games are against teams NOT under consideration? Hard to believe that less than a month ago we would have been a #2 seed in the national tournament (on January 21st, we were at #7 in the PWR) and just 2 short weeks later, it looks like it will be very difficult to get an at-large bid into the national tournament at all, even if we do well over the final few weeks.
Click to expand...

That's why the PWR in midseason is a not so good indicator. Heck, last week Maine was just on the outside looking in because of tie breaker not in their favor, this week they're looking at a #2 seed. That's what a two game sweep of a TUC can do.

The other thing to watch for, other than "keep winning", is the TUC line. Your standing might be impacted dramatically by which teams count toward the PWR and who drops out of that pool. If someone you lost to sneaks in at the end, down you go. If someone you beat up on sneaks in, pow, you're solid.
 
Re: Bracketology

BUPhD said:
That's why the PWR in midseason is a not so good indicator. Heck, last week Maine was just on the outside looking in because of tie breaker not in their favor, this week they're looking at a #2 seed. That's what a two game sweep of a TUC can do.

The other thing to watch for, other than "keep winning", is the TUC line. Your standing might be impacted dramatically by which teams count toward the PWR and who drops out of that pool. If someone you lost to sneaks in at the end, down you go. If someone you beat up on sneaks in, pow, you're solid.
Click to expand...

Right. Of note, SLU dropped below the line this weekend (thanks their tie to RPI and loss to you guys!), so your win vs. them back in November doesn't count as a TUC win right now, but it did before this weekend. SLU is 28th in RPI, so they could come back up - you guys should be rooting hard for them the rest of the way. Cornell has a 1-0-1 record vs. them, so we're in the same position - we both want SLU to be a TUC. Looks like that will be touch and go all the way to the end of the season.
 
Re: Bracketology

UnionHockeyManiac said:
Thanks a lot guys. So technically, to be absolutely guaranteed a spot in the tournament you need to finish in the top 10 in the PWR. However, a team should be pretty safe if they finish in the top 13 or 14.

Does it hurt us that our five out of our six remaining regular season games are against teams NOT under consideration? Hard to believe that less than a month ago we would have been a #2 seed in the national tournament (on January 21st, we were at #7 in the PWR) and just 2 short weeks later, it looks like it will be very difficult to get an at-large bid into the national tournament at all, even if we do well over the final few weeks.
Click to expand...

The cut line historically has been 13.85, but last year was 15 (Air Force played their way in). The cut line has been 15 but it is currently 14 because UNH is the projected autobid from Hockey East. The cut line has never been above 13.
 
Re: Bracketology

UnionHockeyManiac said:
Thanks a lot guys. So technically, to be absolutely guaranteed a spot in the tournament you need to finish in the top 10 in the PWR. However, a team should be pretty safe if they finish in the top 13 or 14.

Does it hurt us that our five out of our six remaining regular season games are against teams NOT under consideration? Hard to believe that less than a month ago we would have been a #2 seed in the national tournament (on January 21st, we were at #7 in the PWR) and just 2 short weeks later, it looks like it will be very difficult to get an at-large bid into the national tournament at all, even if we do well over the final few weeks.
Click to expand...

13 is somewhat of a safe place if you can get there, but the only way to gurantee you a spot is to win the ECAC tournament. Winning your remaining games will help but should you lose 2 to the wrong opponent it could hurt you dramatically. So all in all just tell your boys to keep winning and thats all they can control.
 
Re: Bracketology

ts8801 said:
Wait doesnt the #26 ranked school teach you this?!?!?!
Click to expand...

I was waiting for something like this. You didn't disappoint. :)

Thanks for the help guys. It would be amazing for this team to make the national tournament and it would make it even sweeter since this is my senior year. I guess time will tell...
 
Re: Bracketology

UnionHockeyManiac said:
I was waiting for something like this. You didn't disappoint. :)

Thanks for the help guys. It would be amazing for this team to make the national tournament and it would make it even sweeter since this is my senior year. I guess time will tell...
Click to expand...

Look at the individual match-ups in the PWR and see if you can move up. Check out your upcoming opponents and see if winning will change the head-to-head and common opponents sections.
Win the game against Cornell, and you win the head-to-head.
You also have the chance to surpass Yale with common opponents and RPI.
 
Re: Bracketology

SiouxSports has a new feature that breaks down the components of the PWR and looks at scheduled games that could still change ratings. Union can be found at: this link.
 
Re: Bracketology

Priceless said:
The cut line historically has been 13.85, but last year was 15 (Air Force played their way in). The cut line has been 15 but it is currently 14 because UNH is the projected autobid from Hockey East. The cut line has never been above 13.
Click to expand...
That's a good point.

Usually people assume the line is roughly 14 because the CHA and AHA winners usually get in only due to autobids (AFA last year being one exception, Niagara a long time ago being another). Of course, sometimes there's an upset (someone who wasn't going otherwise) winner in the other four conferences getting an autobid that bumps someone else out at 14 or higher.

What's funny is that right now, the CHA leader (Bemidji) would earn a bid easily, but the top of the stack in both HE (UNH) and ECAC (Cornell, Yale, Union) would need the autobid to make the tourney.
 
Re: Bracketology

Todd said:
That's a good point.

Usually people assume the line is roughly 14 because the CHA and AHA winners usually get in only due to autobids (AFA last year being one exception, Niagara a long time ago being another). Of course, sometimes there's an upset (someone who wasn't going otherwise) winner in the other four conferences getting an autobid that bumps someone else out at 14 or higher.

What's funny is that right now, the CHA leader (Bemidji) would earn a bid easily, but the top of the stack in both HE (UNH) and ECAC (Cornell, Yale, Union) would need the autobid to make the tourney.
Click to expand...

Well thats because of the SOS that Bemidji has played out of conference. Got to give them props for scheduling a very difficult schedule.
 
Re: Bracketology

Priceless said:
SiouxSports has a new feature that breaks down the components of the PWR and looks at scheduled games that could still change ratings. Union can be found at: this link.
Click to expand...

Priceless, why is it that when you look at individual comparison breakdowns, a team's TUC record shows up as different depending on which team the comparison is against? In other words, Maine has a .500 record against TUC's in the comparison with CC, but a .468 in the TUC comparison with Vermont. Please explain.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top