Friday saw Clarkson saying goodbye to the Golden Knights' NCAA Tournament hopes and Penn State hoping its resume is enough for an at-large bid.
Someone's feelings will be hurt Sunday with the number of possibilities opening.
For the fourth time in eight days, St. Lawrence defeated Clarkson, this time advancing to the ECAC championship game after Aly McLeod's OT winner saved the Saints from blowing a 3-0 lead. SLU meets Colgate, who defeated Quinnipiac for the conference tournament title and automatic bid.
Meanwhile, Clarkson ends its season 8-10-1 and out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
In the CHA, Syracuse and Robert Morris defeat the top-two seeds in PSU and Mercyhurst, advancing to Saturday's championship game. The Orange put at-large bubble teams on guard after Penn State's attempt at erasing a 3-0 third period deficit came just short. The Nittany Lions will now either be the CHA's first at-large bid since the conference received an automatic bid in 2014-15 or the CHA's best team to miss the NCAA Tournament.
If you need a refresher on what subjective criteria the NCAA Tournament selection committee will be using to choose the eight teams, click here. Otherwise, here is the latest updated bracket.
The Bracket:
1. Northeastern (Hockey East) vs. Robert Morris/Syracuse winner (CHA)
4. Minnesota vs. Colgate (ECAC)
2. Wisconsin (WCHA) vs. 7. Boston College
3. Ohio State vs. 6. Minnesota Duluth
How Did We Get Here:
No Hockey East and WCHA games mean seedings hold steady. Only one change today with the possibility of several more tomorrow.
Since no team can earn an automatic bid before conference tournaments end, this bracketology assumes the highest remaining seed in each of the four conferences earns the automatic bid. (That team has its conference next to it in parenthesis.) Penn State's loss opens the CHA automatic bid to the Robert Morris/Syracuse winner. Without an argument, either would be the lowest team to make the NCAA Tournament, making a match-up with No. 1 overall seed a given.
While there is a good argument for Penn State to earn an at-large bid, taking away Boston College's spot, history has shown a second Hockey East team will be above a second CHA team when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. I am leaning on the side of caution and leaving in BC. It's disappointing to have a 16-3-2 team like PSU outside of this bracket due to one loss on the wrong weekend, but it doesn't take away from the remarkable job Jeff Kampersal has done.
Speaking of the Eagles, Boston College's fate becomes clearer Saturday. Providence can earn the Hockey East's automatic bid with a victory Saturday night against Northeastern. Doing so would knock out BC. On the other side, the ECAC's results mean a St. Lawrence win Sunday might do the same, or spell disaster to Colgate or the fourth WCHA team, who will become known tomorrow between Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota.
And there's still the possibility of Penn State. This is going to be a fun weekend. Well, maybe not for those on the bubble.
Nuts and Bolts:
Teams By Conference:
4- WCHA
2- Hockey East
1- ECAC, CHA
Bubble: Minnesota, Colgate, Minnesota Duluth
Last Team In: Boston College
First Three Teams Out: Penn State, Providence, St. Lawrence
Related:
2021 NCAA Tournament Women's Hockey Bracket Version 1.0
Five Selection Questions + NCAA Tournament Locks & Bubble Teams
--
No comments:
Post a Comment