D3 18-19 season

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: D3 18-19 season

I was just reading over the 2019 NCAA Division 111 Women’s Ice Hockey Championship Manual and the way I read it Hamline, River Falls and Eau Claire are all Pool B teams, along with Elmira. If that is accurate then only one of those 4 teams would make the tournament. Here are a couple of excerpts from the manual:

Pool A - 6 Pool B - 1 Pool C - 3

Pool B will consist of independent institutions and institutions that are members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification.

Pool B (4)
Independents (4)
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire University of Wisconsin-River Falls
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point University of Wisconsin-Superior


Pool B (12)
United Collegiate Hockey Conference (11)
Chatham University Elmira College
King’s College Lebanon Valley College Manhattanville College Nazareth College
Neumann University Stevenson University Utica College
Wilkes University William Smith College

Independents (1)
Anna Maria College

Here is the link for the manual:

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/ch...key/d3/women/2018-19D3WIH_PreChampsManual.pdf

If I am reading this wrong and someone can explain why that would be appreciated. If I am accurate the field will look significantly different.

Pool B is reserved for conferences that do not have an auto bid. This year that's the UCHC and the WIAC. UCHC is in 2-year waiver period and WIAC does not have the required 7 teams.

Teams that are eligible for Pool B ARE ALSO eligible for Pool C if they do not get the Pool B bid (which only one team will). The rest of the Pool A teams that don't win their conferences are put into Pool C along with the other Pool B teams and then the next three best teams according to the pairwise are given the Pool C slots.

I believe the field for next year will look like this once the UCHC gets its autobid.

UCHC winner
Colonial winner (2-year probation period will be in effect to try and get back up to the required 7 teams after Canton and Morrisville leave to join the other SUNYs)
NEHC winner
NESCAC winner
NEWHL winner
MIAC winner
NCHA winner

Pool B
Pool C
Pool C

 

[Scott_TG]

Re: D3 18-19 season

If they want to care a little more about bracket integrity and are willing to gamble, they should send Endicott to Elmira. Odds are heavily favored towards Elmira winning that matchup and if Endicott comes away with it they deserve a flight to the QF.

Whoever decided that the First Round had to be on March 6th really put unnecessary shackles on what the committee can do bracket-wise. Why take away the option of a First Round on Friday? Why preemptively take away flexibility?


A Friday first round would allow for a bracket that looks like:

Endicott/Adrian @ Elmira
Norwich/Middlebury @ Plattsburgh
Eau Claire @ St. Thomas
River Falls @ Hamline

Not ideal, as the most fair First Rounds would be Endicott @ Middlebury and Norwich @ Eau Claire, but it keeps the top 3 teams out of the first round.

Maybe Lake Forest will shock us all and spare us the Adrian problem for one year. Or, looking at other 2nd place teams, is there any chance the NCAA waives the 23 miles over 500 should Morrisville get in over Endicott? They could let Morrisville bus 523 miles to Adrian for a first round in that scenario...

 

[Transplanted Tiger Fan]

Pool B is reserved for conferences that do not have an auto bid. This year that's the UCHC and the WIAC. UCHC is in 2-year waiver period and WIAC does not have the required 7 teams.

Teams that are eligible for Pool B ARE ALSO eligible for Pool C if they do not get the Pool B bid (which only one team will). The rest of the Pool A teams that don't win their conferences are put into Pool C along with the other Pool B teams and then the next three best teams according to the pairwise are given the Pool C slots.

I believe the field for next year will look like this once the UCHC gets its autobid.

UCHC winner
Colonial winner (2-year probation period will be in effect to try and get back up to the required 7 teams after Canton and Morrisville leave to join the other SUNYs)
NEHC winner
NESCAC winner
NEWHL winner
MIAC winner
NCHA winner

Pool B
Pool C
Pool C

Once UCHC has the autobid, are there enough teams remaining for Pool B to exist? I seem to recall there being a minimum number of available teams required for there to be a “Pool B”, and if that minimum is not met, those teams are only eligible for “Pool C” bids. Exactly what that minimum is, I cannot remember... but I do not believe it was a “hard number”, but arrived at by “the magic ratio” (6.5:1?) that also dictates the size of the Championship field.

...but then again, I’m also rapidly-aging, so I’m not going to swear by my memory!

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Once UCHC has the autobid, are there enough teams remaining for Pool B to exist? I seem to recall there being a minimum number of available teams required for there to be a “Pool B”, and if that minimum is not met, those teams are only eligible for “Pool C” bids. Exactly what that minimum is, I cannot remember... but I do not believe it was a “hard number”, but arrived at by “the magic ratio” (6.5:1?) that also dictates the size of the Championship field.

...but then again, I’m also rapidly-aging, so I’m not going to swear by my memory!

I believe they will have 7, which I’m pretty sure is enough to keep it going.

4 WIAC, Northland, Anna Maria and Alvernia.

EDIT: upon further review, Alvernia is a member of the MAC so I have to imagine they will pursue UCHC affiliation which would leave six teams and if you’re correct about the 6.5 ratio, which I think you are, Pool b would be gone next year and everyone would be eligible for the 3 pool c slots.

 

[Scott_TG]

Re: D3 18-19 season

I believe they will have 7, which I’m pretty sure is enough to keep it going.

4 WIAC, Northland, Anna Maria and Alvernia.

EDIT: upon further review, Alvernia is a member of the MAC so I have to imagine they will pursue UCHC affiliation which would leave six teams and if you’re correct about the 6.5 ratio, which I think you are, Pool b would be gone next year and everyone would be eligible for the 3 pool c slots.

As of October, Alvernia was announced as a member of the UCHC Also, Northland is a member of the NCHC (unless they're dropping out and I missed that?). It will leave Anna Maria and the WIAC schools, assuming the UCHC accepts Wilkes next season (they are an independent this year). WIAC really needs to try and find a way to get three more teams...

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

As of October, Alvernia was announced as a member of the UCHC Also, Northland is a member of the NCHC (unless they're dropping out and I missed that?). It will leave Anna Maria and the WIAC schools, assuming the UCHC accepts Wilkes next season (they are an independent this year). WIAC really needs to try and find a way to get three more teams...

They had a perfectly good conference with the NCHA and they pulled out of it 8ish years or so ago now? Not sure how long it’s been now.

 

[gojackets]

Maybe Lake Forest will shock us all and spare us the Adrian problem for one year. Or, looking at other 2nd place teams, is there any chance the NCAA waives the 23 miles over 500 should Morrisville get in over Endicott? They could let Morrisville bus 523 miles to Adrian for a first round in that scenario...

I’d still think that if Lake Forest beats Adrian in the NCHA championship and the other autobid favorites win that Adrian would get in over one of Eau Claire, Hamline, River Falls. Hamline will likely have played 3 games against St Thomas at that point and lost at least one. River Falls/Eau Claire will likely play each other two more times. If Eau Claire dominates those like they did last weekend, River Falls could be in trouble...Adrian has some pretty big wins, so I gotta believe they’d still be ahead.

 

[gojackets]

They had a perfectly good conference with the NCHA and they pulled out of it 8ish years or so ago now? Not sure how long it’s been now.

And clearly it’s hurt the quality of Superior and Stevens Point...Superior really hasn’t been good since then. Stevens Point similarly. River Falls always draws good players...don’t know where this good Eau Claire team came from. Lol

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

And clearly it’s hurt the quality of Superior and Stevens Point...Superior really hasn’t been good since then. Stevens Point similarly. River Falls always draws good players...don’t know where this good Eau Claire team came from. Lol

It seems Eau Claire men and women have both kind of ascended together.

 

[GTOWN]

As of October, Alvernia was announced as a member of the UCHC Also, Northland is a member of the NCHC (unless they're dropping out and I missed that?). It will leave Anna Maria and the WIAC schools, assuming the UCHC accepts Wilkes next season (they are an independent this year). WIAC really needs to try and find a way to get three more teams...

Anna Maria has applied to the NEHC so that may also throw a wrench into things.

 

[Birdwatcher]

Gustavus has won or shared the MIAC title the last two years and three of the last four. That seems like "regularly".
If St Thomas is the only undefeated team, they should be #1. Simple.

PAIRWISE is all that matters!

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: D3 18-19 season

PAIRWISE is all that matters!

Big opportunity for St. Thomas this weekend vs. Hamline. They come away with three points or better I'd expect them to jump past Plattsburgh in the Pairwise.

 

[Scott_TG]

Re: D3 18-19 season

Anna Maria has applied to the NEHC so that may also throw a wrench into things.

Given the ratio of teams with access to autobids for the 2020 tourney, there would need to be 4 independents to add to the 4 WIAC schools to keep the Pool B bid. Anna Maria could remain independent and there still wouldn't be a Pool B bid.

 

[spwood]

Re: D3 18-19 season

Big opportunity for St. Thomas this weekend vs. Hamline. They come away with three points or better I'd expect them to jump past Plattsburgh in the Pairwise.

That goes both ways. Big opportunity for Hamline to cement an at-large bid too. Lose twice this weekend, and they'd likely need the MIAC tourney title to get in. The way Plattsburgh and St. Thomas have flipped back and forth each week, I wonder what would happen if St. Thomas split with Hamline....

 

[Birdwatcher]

That goes both ways. Big opportunity for Hamline to cement an at-large bid too. Lose twice this weekend, and they'd likely need the MIAC tourney title to get in. The way Plattsburgh and St. Thomas have flipped back and forth each week, I wonder what would happen if St. Thomas split with Hamline....

The Plattsburgh-Middlebury game rescheduled for next Tuesday also looms large.

 

[spwood]

Re: D3 18-19 season

The Plattsburgh-Middlebury game rescheduled for next Tuesday also looms large.

I forgot about that one, but I still feel the #1 seed is in St. Thomas' hands - two games with Hamline plus possible games with GAC and/or Hamline in the conference tourney trumps anything Plattsburgh's schedule can offer and the comparison is already close right now.

 

[gojackets]

Re: D3 18-19 season

I forgot about that one, but I still feel the #1 seed is in St. Thomas' hands - two games with Hamline plus possible games with GAC and/or Hamline in the conference tourney trumps anything Plattsburgh's schedule can offer and the comparison is already close right now.

I'd tend to agree. Imagine how y'all would flip out if an Eastern Team finsihed undefeated and wasn't the #1 seed.

 

[Birdwatcher]

I'd tend to agree. Imagine how y'all would flip out if an Eastern Team finsihed undefeated and wasn't the #1 seed.

It really doesn't matter how we "feel" It is all numbers now and if St Thomas PWR ends higher, then they are #1. Any hiccups by either? And Elmira could sneak right in there !

 

[gojackets]

Re: D3 18-19 season

It really doesn't matter how we "feel" It is all numbers now and if St Thomas PWR ends higher, then they are #1. Any hiccups by either? And Elmira could sneak right in there !

I know...but again...St Thomas's road through the rest of the season and the MIAC conference tourney is much more challenging than Plattsburgh with the Potsdam/Cortland/Buffalo State guantlet in their tourney. They're currently separated by .002 in RPI. You gotta assume that if St Thomas sweeps the #5 team while Plattsburgh sweeps the #38 team this weekend that it will shift back in St Thomas's favor.

 

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

I know...but again...St Thomas's road through the rest of the season and the MIAC conference tourney is much more challenging than Plattsburgh with the Potsdam/Cortland/Buffalo State guantlet in their tourney. They're currently separated by .002 in RPI. You gotta assume that if St Thomas sweeps the #5 team while Plattsburgh sweeps the #38 team this weekend that it will shift back in St Thomas's favor.

I absolutely agree. I accepted a while ago that Plattsburgh probably needs St. Thomas to lose a game if they want to host. Maybe the math will surprise us, but I doubt it.