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Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

gojackets

gojackets

New member
How bad did the WIAC schools shoot themselves in the foot moving themselves out of the NCHA?

Its hard to tell due to the severe lack of WIAC-NCHA games but the WIAC schools are 7-2-2 against the NCHA (3-1-1 against NCHA leader CSS, 1-1 against St. Norbert, 2-0 against Finlandia, 1-0-1 against Marian)

It would be hard to imagine that a WIAC school wouldn't be at the top of NCHA right now.

Looking at the USCHO rankings (yes I know they don't mean squat) WIAC schools are 5,6, & 7.


With the current set up, however, a WIAC school isn't gauranteed a spot in the playoffs.

If the NCAA elects to go with a 5/3 split I assume one gets in but the NCAA could easily decide to save money and go 6-2.

If you look at tournament contenders

Assume Pool A's

ECAC-W Plattsburgh
NESCAC Middlebury
ECAC-E Norwich
NCHA Adrian/CSS/Lake Forest/SNC
MIAC St Thomas/Gustavus/Bethel


Pool C's
Elmira--probably in for sure

I don't really see any other contenders for a Pool C in the ECAC-E, nor the NESCAC really. (I'm sure I'll take some heat here.)

That is probably favorable for the WIAC.

If Adrian wins the Peters Cup...CSS/LFC/SNC all have a lot of losses...WIAC schools all have wins over CSS

Depending on how the MIAC shakes out...All 3 contenders have yet to play eachother...I could see one of them getting a Pool C.


With no upsets out east in the tournaments...IS THERE POTENTIAL FOR A 4-4 split here?? Am I missing something on that?

Plattsburgh
Elmira
Middlebury
Norwich

Adrian
MIAC Winner
WIAC Winner
MIAC/WIAC Runner Up???


Just throwing some thoughts out there and wondering if anyone will bite :)
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

The key to any of this will be upsets in the east (either the NESCAC or after the action in Pine Valley, the ECAC-West). Should your favorites advance, (Middlebury, Norwich and Elmira/Plattsburgh-a Pool C for the loser in the conference final) I could see a 4-4 split with the west spots going to MIAC and NCHA auto bid winners and two WIAC Pool C teams. KRACH and Rutter models all rate the WIACs above the NCHA and MIAC teams, but a clearer picture will come with the NCAA regional rankings (next week?). 4-4 is very economical for the NC$$ although they did fly a quarter-final team last season.
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

Interesting to take a look at the East Pairwise after the Soaring Eagle win last evening. It now has the major eastern players, Middlebury, Norwich and Elmira, all tied with Plattsburgh in the comparisons. Lots of hockey left to play, and today could change everything.
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

I hope none of the WIAC schools get a bid. It would serve them right for pulling out of the NCHA. That selfish move resulted in a big step backwards for women's hockey in the Midwest.
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

I think there is almost no chance that an ECAC West team upsets Elmira or Plattsburgh (Utica would be the only one with a real chance) nor that an ECAC East team upsets Norwich (UMass Boston?). However, I think there is a fairly significant chance that Middlebury is upset in the NESCAC - they have several league ties and have escaped a couple of overtime games - just like last season with Bowdoin. Worst case for the West would be if Utica wins ECAC West, UMass Boston wins ECAC East and Amherst or Williams (or someone else) gets hot and upsets Middlebury. Hard to imagine how 2 of Elmira, Plattsburgh, Norwich, and Middlebury don't make the NCAA tournament even if they lose their conference tourneys...and it would have to be 2 for there to even be 3 West teams in that scenario let alone 4.
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

HockeyEast33 said:
I think there is almost no chance that an ECAC West team upsets Elmira or Plattsburgh (Utica would be the only one with a real chance) nor that an ECAC East team upsets Norwich (UMass Boston?). However, I think there is a fairly significant chance that Middlebury is upset in the NESCAC - they have several league ties and have escaped a couple of overtime games - just like last season with Bowdoin. Worst case for the West would be if Utica wins ECAC West, UMass Boston wins ECAC East and Amherst or Williams (or someone else) gets hot and upsets Middlebury. Hard to imagine how 2 of Elmira, Plattsburgh, Norwich, and Middlebury don't make the NCAA tournament even if they lose their conference tourneys...and it would have to be 2 for there to even be 3 West teams in that scenario let alone 4.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I get your final statement...there are 8 tournament spots...

If there are no upsets in the conference tournaments out east then Plattsburgh or Elmira get the ECAC W autobid, Norwich gets the ECAC-E autobid and Middlebury gets the Nescac autobid. 2 west teams are guaranteed a spot through autobids. There are 3 at large bids...loser of Elmira/Plattsburgh will get one and then its a question of who gets the other two.

Unless something drastic happens I would think River Falls has one of those spots. Depending on what happens this weekend in Superior with Stevens Point if one of those teams sweep...they should be in the running as well. If Superior sweeps and beats CSS the following Tuesday they will be 17-4-4 with all 4 losses coming to River Falls(3)/Stevens Point(1). I'm assuming in this situation they will consider the WIAC tournament almost as an autobid tournament.
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

gojackets said:
I'm not sure I get your final statement...there are 8 tournament spots...

If there are no upsets in the conference tournaments out east then Plattsburgh or Elmira get the ECAC W autobid, Norwich gets the ECAC-E autobid and Middlebury gets the Nescac autobid. 2 west teams are guaranteed a spot through autobids. There are 3 at large bids...loser of Elmira/Plattsburgh will get one and then its a question of who gets the other two.

Unless something drastic happens I would think River Falls has one of those spots. Depending on what happens this weekend in Superior with Stevens Point if one of those teams sweep...they should be in the running as well. If Superior sweeps and beats CSS the following Tuesday they will be 17-4-4 with all 4 losses coming to River Falls(3)/Stevens Point(1). I'm assuming in this situation they will consider the WIAC tournament almost as an autobid tournament.
Click to expand...

The West worst case scenario I listed:

ECAC-East - Someone other than Norwich (used U Mass Boston)
ECAC-West - Someone other than Elmira or Plattsburgh (used Utica)
NESCAC - Someone other than Middlebury (used Amherst or Williams)
MIAC winner
NCHA winner

That means for the West to get a third spot, 2 of Middlebury, Norwich, Elmira, and Plattsburgh can't go and I can't see that happening....so the West ends up with two teams.
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

HockeyEast33 said:
The West worst case scenario I listed:

ECAC-East - Someone other than Norwich (used U Mass Boston)
ECAC-West - Someone other than Elmira or Plattsburgh (used Utica)
NESCAC - Someone other than Middlebury (used Amherst or Williams)
MIAC winner
NCHA winner

That means for the West to get a third spot, 2 of Middlebury, Norwich, Elmira, and Plattsburgh can't go and I can't see that happening....so the West ends up with two teams.
Click to expand...

Yes but in the real world :) : ) :)
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

Twolinepass said:
I hope none of the WIAC schools get a bid. It would serve them right for pulling out of the NCHA. That selfish move resulted in a big step backwards for women's hockey in the Midwest.
Click to expand...

Yeah punish the players, because they made that call
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

northhockey said:
Yeah punish the players, because they made that call
Click to expand...

Northockey, you took the words right out of my mouth! Twolinepass, please enlighten me on why you made your comment, as I fail to see how the WIAC pulling out of the NCHA “resulted in a big step backwards for women’s hockey in the Midwest.” First, that decision had no impact on the MIAC, except that maybe this year it gave the top MIAC teams some good competition – and isn’t that a good thing? Second, the NCHA is still intact with an auto bid, and this year’s winner is guaranteed to be a non-WIAC school -- isn’t that a plus for the remaining NCHA teams? As I see it, the WIAC decision only hurt the four WIAC teams . Because they cannot rely on an auto bid, they must each have a very strong strength of schedule and must do well in every conference and non-conference game – there are no nights off. If one or two of the WIAC teams can pull that off, they should be considered for a tournament spot.

Can someone explain to me the possibility of a Pool B team and whether that might happen this year? I'm not sure I understand the process. Thanks.
 
Re: Will a WIAC team make the D3 Playoffs??

DedicatedFan said:
Northockey, you took the words right out of my mouth! Twolinepass, please enlighten me on why you made your comment, as I fail to see how the WIAC pulling out of the NCHA “resulted in a big step backwards for women’s hockey in the Midwest.” First, that decision had no impact on the MIAC, except that maybe this year it gave the top MIAC teams some good competition – and isn’t that a good thing? Second, the NCHA is still intact with an auto bid, and this year’s winner is guaranteed to be a non-WIAC school -- isn’t that a plus for the remaining NCHA teams? As I see it, the WIAC decision only hurt the four WIAC teams . Because they cannot rely on an auto bid, they must each have a very strong strength of schedule and must do well in every conference and non-conference game – there are no nights off. If one or two of the WIAC teams can pull that off, they should be considered for a tournament spot.

Can someone explain to me the possibility of a Pool B team and whether that might happen this year? I'm not sure I understand the process. Thanks.
Click to expand...

From what I understand the Pool B will never come into play again for the WIAC schools. This year two of the independent teams...Canton and UNE I think are probational NCAA members and do not qualify. Then next year some of the independents are joining conferences which will take us below the required 6.5 teams in order to have a pool B slot.
 
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