Bracketology

[UnionHockeyManiac]

Re: Bracketology

Seeing Union on these lists makes me very happy. It would be a huge accomplishment for our school.

 

[brianvf]

Re: Bracketology

Fort Wayne = Bracket of Death

 

[Union93]

Re: Bracketology

I am a homer and I am not an expert on why certain schools play in certain locals and I am getting WAY ahead of myself, but if Union were to make the NC2A, how could they not be in Albany?

After all, the past couple of Albany regionals had an empty to occupied seat ratio of about 4:1

 

[Priceless]

Re: Bracketology

I am a homer and I am not an expert on why certain schools play in certain locals and I am getting WAY ahead of myself, but if Union were to make the NC2A, how could they not be in Albany?

After all, the past couple of Albany regionals had an empty to occupied seat ratio of about 4:1

Straight seeding. They are ranked #13 so they pair up with #4 Wisconsin. It is doubtful the committee would swap because Yale is there to represent the ECAC and Maine is there.

 

[burgie12]

Re: Bracketology

Because bracket integrity is more important than seats sold (well, it's supposed to be, anyways).

The #4 seed band is 13 - Union, 14 - Maine, 15 - BC / UNH, 16 - AHA Champ (RIT).
The #1 seed band is 1 - Denver, 2 - Miami, 3 - Ferris, 4 - Wisconsin.

The 1 seeds are placed closest to their home, in order (Denver gets St. Paul because they choose first and it's their closest home site). Towards the end of the process, the 4 seeds are placed such that the (1-seed rank) + the (4-seed rank) = 17, as long as none of these match-ups are intra-conference. So, Union gets stuck with Wisconsin, who was stuck with Worcester after the other three #1 seeds had chosen their closest home for the regionals.

It will all make much more sense once we get closer to Selection Sunday, and when the Bracketology blog goes up on USCHO. You can read some of last year's blog if you're really curious.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Bracketology

For example, the #3 seeds get reversed because of the intra-conference matchups...North Dakota and St. Cloud are both moved because their first round games should be against WCHA rivals.

Read the blog at USCHO or last year's thread to learn more.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Bracketology

Fort Wayne = Bracket of Death

pfffffft.

c'mon. only one wcha team.

 

[AFHockeyFan]

Re: Bracketology

I am a homer and I am not an expert on why certain schools play in certain locals and I am getting WAY ahead of myself, but if Union were to make the NC2A, how could they not be in Albany?

After all, the past couple of Albany regionals had an empty to occupied seat ratio of about 4:1

Because the NCAA loves to screw lower-seeded teams and send them across the country even if there is a regional in their hometown. See Air Force in 2008 in the Worcester instead of Colorado Springs regional.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Bracketology

Because the NCAA loves to screw lower-seeded teams and send them across the country even if there is a regional in their hometown. See Air Force in 2008 in the Worcester instead of Colorado Springs regional.

Or bracket integrity...

 

[Patman]

Re: Bracketology

Because the NCAA loves to screw lower-seeded teams and send them across the country even if there is a regional in their hometown. See Air Force in 2008 in the Worcester instead of Colorado Springs regional.

I don't understand why an AHA team is complaining about playing in Worcester... you'd think that'd be a dream.

 

[AFHockeyFan]

Re: Bracketology

I don't understand why an AHA team is complaining about playing in Worcester... you'd think that'd be a dream.

It almost was, until Miami scored in OT.
Except I was sitting in the World Arena watching the #4 seed (Notre Dame) win a regional I couldn't unload my tickets for, and bitter about the 1-week airfares from Denver to Boston.

I'll show the NCAA next time one comes to town...

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Bracketology

No minnesota? I call shenanigans. East coast bias.

 

[UMDBulldogHockeyIsKing]

Re: Bracketology

This week's bracketology (straight PWR)

[b]Albany	   Worcester	Fort Wayne	St. Paul[/b]
Ferris	   Wisconsin	Miami	        Denver
Duluth     Bemidji 	Michigan St.	Colorado College
Yale	   St. Cloud	North Dakota	Vermont
Maine	   Union	Boston College	AHA Champ

Last in: BC, Maine
Last out: UMass, UNH

UNH is leading Hockey East. Remove Boston College and replace with New Hampshire to get the pairings using all conference leaders.

Albany would be a tough bracket to come out of. Lucky for us, Mike Ditka appeared to me in a dream and told me the (UMD) Bulldogs would win the national championship this year. And Ditka has NEVER steered me wrong before. Well, except last year when he told me to bet on Rhode Island winning the NCAA tournament. So other than that one time, he's never steered me wrong. Proof that the Dogs win it all this year.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Bracketology

Today's bracketology:

[b]Albany	        Worcester	 Fort Wayne	St. Paul[/b]
Wisconsin	Ferris 	         Miami	        Denver
North Dakota	Duluth	         St Cloud	Boston College
Bemidji State	Union	         Michigan St	Colorado College
New Hampshire	UMass	         Vermont	AHA Champ

Last in: UMass, UNH, Vermont
Last out: Cornell, Maine

Dropped out: Maine, Yale
Replaced by: UMass, UNH/BC

 

[umassfan49]

Re: Bracketology

Today's bracketology:

[b]Albany	        Worcester	 Fort Wayne	St. Paul[/b]
Wisconsin	Ferris 	         Miami	        Denver
North Dakota	Duluth	         St Cloud	Boston College
Bemidji State	Union	         Michigan St	Colorado College
New Hampshire	UMass	         Vermont	AHA Champ

Last in: UMass, UNH, Vermont
Last out: Cornell, Maine

Dropped out: Maine, Yale
Replaced by: UMass, UNH/BC

I like the bracket UMass would be in at this point. Still very early, but def. winnable. We need to remember that Bemidji may end up being a lock for the tournament, but a team like Robert Morris could win the CHA playoff title, and therefore two CHA teams could get in along with the AHA winner, which would really change a lot of things.

 

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: Bracketology

If Union got in, I don't see how the committee wouldn't force them to go to Albany. I know RPI is the host school in Albany, but Union would be the "local draw" here since, well, Schenectady is as close to Albany as Troy is. Swapping Bemidji with Union would make more sense.

 

[Red Till I'm Dead!]

Re: Bracketology

As it stands now, I would say that the Albany bracket would be the "Bracket of Death"
YOu have UW and UND as powers, Bemidji St reached the frozen four last year and UNH is pretty close to a staple in the tournament.

 

[Federal League]

Re: Bracketology

If Union got in, I don't see how the committee wouldn't force them to go to Albany. I know RPI is the host school in Albany, but Union would be the "local draw" here since, well, Schenectady is as close to Albany as Troy is. Swapping Bemidji with Union would make more sense.

Or just swapping those two regionals entirely. Albany is a little further from Amherst than Worcester, but not far enough to prevent their fans from making the drive. UNH fans would definitely be more likely to go to Worcester than Albany. Moving Wisconsin to Worcester and Ferris to Albany doesn't change anything for those fan bases. Either way, they're flying.

 

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: Bracketology

Or just swapping those two regionals entirely. Albany is a little further from Amherst than Worcester, but not far enough to prevent their fans from making the drive. UNH fans would definitely be more likely to go to Worcester than Albany. Moving Wisconsin to Worcester and Ferris to Albany doesn't change anything for those fan bases. Either way, they're flying.

Also certainly a possibility to do things that way, but I think they'd view UMass as the local draw in Worcester. Folks in Amherst wouldn't take kindly to coming to Albany I'd imagine.

 

[HoosierBBall_GopherHockey]

Re: Bracketology

Today's bracketology:

[b]Albany	        Worcester	 Fort Wayne	St. Paul[/b]
Wisconsin	Ferris 	         Miami	        Denver
North Dakota	Duluth	         St Cloud	Boston College
Bemidji State	Union	         Michigan St	Colorado College
New Hampshire	UMass	         Vermont	AHA Champ

Last in: UMass, UNH, Vermont
Last out: Cornell, Maine

Dropped out: Maine, Yale
Replaced by: UMass, UNH/BC

6 WCHA teams with Denver and CC in the same bracket and UND and Wisconsin in the same bracket. Interesting. Worcester is the easiest bracket by far.