For the first time in a generation, NCAA hockey teams need to showcase their body of work and sell accomplishments to the selection committee.
It's new. It's different. College hockey coaches on the NCAA Tournament bubble have stopped being polite and started using postgame pressers to stump for why their team is worthy and their opponents should be sitting at home eating popcorn and watching TV.
And honestly? Not every team knows how to do it.
Take this attempt by Bowling Green, one of several WCHA teams fighting for 1-2 NCAA Tournament spots.
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— Bowling Green Hockey (@BGFalconHockey) March 17, 2021
πBowling Green rosters four of the nation's top-12 active scorers and are the only team in the country with four 100-point scorers (Kruse, 142 - Johnson, 122 - Ford, 114 - Wright, 101)! #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/9kM9KZEjEj
Active scorers? The NCAA Tournament does not constitute a lifetime achievement award. This isn't the Hobey Baker.
C'mon Bowling Green, lead with the fact the Falcons beat Quinnipiac twice at Quinnipiac! Lead with the 20 wins, or the 10-4-1 road record, or the sweep over Michigan Tech, or the 3.48 goals per game and +10.03 shot differential that is second in the WCHA behind Minnesota State! Don't bring up active scorers. It helps BGSU as much as bringing up the 6-8-1 finish, first-round series loss to Northern Michigan, and losses to nearly every WCHA team in the hunt. You need to sell yourself, Bowling Green. NCAA Tournament bids are not just handed out!
As a public service, I am going to help 14 other teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble with their resumes. Unlike the rest of these programs, I come with plenty of experience writing resumes. #HireNate
In alphabetical order:
Army:
Point out: Atlantic Hockey has won three straight first-round series. In a year where there are few true non-conference games and a limited ECAC, why shouldn't Atlantic Hockey get a second bid? The league has proven itself in the NCAA Tournament. The Black Knights are 15-5-0 this season, a better win/loss record than many on the bubble, and help shore up the East-West split if the team beats Canisius and proves it is the second-best AHA team. (This blueprint can also be used for Canisius if the Golden Griffins beat Army Friday.)
Avoid: Discussing the 1-3 record against AIC, who hasn't played since January, or the loss to a first-year LIU. The Sharks did not exist this time last year. Maybe the committee does not know about Long Island in the way the Hobey committee (but not Toronto fans) do not about Colin Bilek.
Bemidji State:
Point out: Of all the WCHA teams fighting behind Minnesota State for a spot, Bemidji State has the best record. Of the Mavericks' three losses, two came against Bemidji, who also went 3-1-0 against Bowling Green. The win total is not boosted by Division III wins or four games against Ferris State and Alabama Huntsville. It is a legit WCHA strength of schedule. Maybe sweeten with Zach Driscoll's performance in the net or the fact that the state of Minnesota has never gotten all five schools in the men's NCAA hockey tournament.
Avoid: Being swept by Northern Michigan, or losing two of three in March to Lake Superior State if the Lakers go on to win Friday in the WCHA Conference Tournament semifinal. Or that one of those Minnesota State wins saw the Beavers outshot 36-10 and score 4 goals on 10 shots against not Dryden McKay.
Boston University:
Point out: How the Terriers' lack of experience is not a detriment. Boston University only played 15 games this season and was without key players for several. Finishing 10-4-1 with wins over UMass and Boston College helps immensely. Plus with that record and results, which also includes a sweep of Providence, who else out East deserves a spot over Boston University? Hockey East is not getting only two teams.
Avoid: Discussing the Hockey East tournament loss to UMass-Lowell. Even though rival BC also lost, it's not a good look. Nor is the -7.47 shots on goal margin per game (43rd of 51 teams). BU has won yet those wins come at the expense of a possession stat that sees the Terriers surrounded by bottom feeders.
Connecticut:
Point Out: The better Hockey East record and wins in regulations. All 10 victories came in regulations. The Huskies have a 0-3-2 record in overtime and a 1-1-1 record against Boston College. Against Providence in the regular season, Connecticut went 2-1-0. Maybe also bring up the season Jonny Evans is having since it flew a little under the radar.
Avoid: Saying anything about the 6-1 Hockey East quarterfinal loss to Providence, who is in position with the Huskies to take a fourth Hockey East bid. Or how it dropped UConn below .500 this season while UMass Lowell sits above .500 even with a loss in the Hockey East championship game.
Denver:
Point out: Head-to-head matchups. If the NCHC deserves four teams, and the argument comes down between Denver and Omaha for that fourth spot, well the Pioneers went 3-2-0 against Omaha. DU also won at the most important time, playing with 16 skaters in the NCHC Conference Tournament. Add two wins over North Dakota and no one being quite sure how overtime losses work - Denver is 0-3-1 with the extra period - and DU can punch above its weight to try and extend the nation's longest NCAA Tournament streak. It would not be the first time someone gets a job without the qualifications.
Avoid: Bringing up the full sub-.500 record or the bad with the good. Say nothing about how the two North Dakota wins can be contrasted with losses to the two worst NCHC teams, Colorado College and Miami. Same with the 0-4-0 record against Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State. A lot of teams just missing the NCAA Tournament in a normal year look to be among the top-16 best teams while ending up on the outside, a bad loss or two away from being a No. 3 seed. That is exactly where Denver sits, but this is a year where Pairwise does not make the math rules.
Lake Superior State:
Point out: Play down the stretch. The Lakers are 11-1-0 in its last 12 games. While that is technically not a part of the criteria, the subjective human element seems to be a fan of how teams leave last impressions. Not only that, but the Lakers can avenge the one loss by defeating Bemidji State in the WCHA semifinals. Doing so might be enough to end one of the longest NCAA Tournament droughts, as Lake Superior State has not been in since 1996 when Jeff Jackson still coached.
Avoid: Discussing how the 17-6-3 record looks better on paper than in reality. Two of those wins come against Division III Adrian. Four came against Alabama Huntsville and three more were against Northern Michigan. The Lakers did not play Minnesota State on the road and went 1-2-1 against Bemidji State. LSSU did play well against Bowling Green, but so did several other teams. Not that Lake Superior State needs someone to tell the Lakers, but avoiding a loss Friday would help the resume stand out big time.
Massachusetts Lowell:
Point out: How things are coming up Milhouse for the RiverHawks. The new skill of upsetting Hockey East teams named Boston (University and College) when it matters makes UMass Lowell an at-large spoiler for a potential fourth Hockey East bid. One more win over Massachusetts and it's a guarantee. If last impressions make a difference, playing while Providence and Connecticut sit at home make a final statement.
Avoid: Making comparisons. No matter what happens Saturday night, UMass Lowell finishes above .500, doing so with a lineup without a double-digit goal scorer, and in a time where the options for Eastern teams are limited. If the RiverHawks lose, there are plenty of comparisons that put Providence ahead of UMass Lowell for a fourth Hockey East spot. Asking for a fifth might be a bridge too far for the RiverHawks.
Northern Michigan:
Point Out: Multiple wins against Bowling Green, Bemidji State, and a win over Lake Superior State. Sing the praises of that 2021 WCHA conference tournament semifinalist appearance (at worst) in the "accomplishments" section.
Avoid: Losing? Honestly, the Wildcats sit in a spot where the team needs an automatic bid to get in the NCAA Tournament. Losing to either Minnesota State or the Bemidji State/Lake Superior State winner does very little to help those options. 11-17-1 will not put Northern Michigan in an at-large bid
Notre Dame:
Point out: It's been a good year for the Big Ten and the Fighting Irish, with a 14-13-2 record, end the season with a good record. Notre Dame swept Minnesota and Michigan on the road. None of the wins in OT while several losses did. If finishing strong matters, Jeff Jackson's current team ended the year 4-1-1 with dominating wins. If location matters when deciding whether a fourth Big Ten team makes sense in an NCAA Tournament searching for eastern teams, Indiana is further east than Nebraska or Colorado.
Avoid: Bringing up why there is a mid-March gap in accomplishments, or why there is a gap in accomplishments at home. Minnesota ended up with as many wins (5) in Compton Family Ice Arena this season as Notre Dame. Luckily, there is no regional in South Bend. The 9-2-1 road record helps, however, an extra home win or two would make an easier argument for a fourth Big Ten team.
Omaha:
Point out: The record. The Mavericks sit above .500 and have a better record (14-10-1) than Denver and several teams on the bubble. Perception matters and it helps UNO. Outside of an early 1-0 loss to Miami, Omaha has a consistent season with only the one bad loss, going 6-0-0 against Colorado College. The Mavericks also took two wins against North Dakota, going 2-4-0 in six games against the Fighting Hawks. UNO also has a higher goal margin than DU. Many of the arguments for the Mavericks are also the same ones that the women's hockey committee saw in Minnesota Duluth's favor. Maybe bring that up?
Avoid: The record. The math is closer than it seems because four of the wins came in overtime (compared to zero OT losses), leaving Omaha with 10 regulation wins. Denver, as mentioned previously, has the better head-to-head record with the Mavericks. Conference tournaments continue to be a thorn in the Mavericks' side, as an NCAA Tournament bid would be the fourth for Omaha since its last conference semifinal appearance two conferences ago. Two players on this year's Omaha team were not even born when the streak began (s/t Chris Dilks for this tidbit).
Penn State:
Point out: The Big Ten conference tournament results like this week is the only thing that matters. Hammer that home. Say nothing else. Just point out that and how the Nittany Lions beat Wisconsin the time before losing in OT. That Notre Dame win showed Penn State can play when healthy and not missing a month of play. If you guilt the committee about 2020 and say the Big Ten deserves four teams, and that the Nittany Lions are the fourth-best, maybe it will work? Stranger things have happened.
Avoid: Mentioning the 0-5 start, being swept by a combined 12-3 score to Notre Dame the week prior to the Big Ten conference tournament, the sub-.500 record, the fifth-place finish, the six regulation victories, and...at this point I've said too much. Brevity is key.
Providence:
Point out: How head-to-head put the Friars ahead. Against UMass Lowell, Providence won the only game. That helps when the two teams are competing for what might be one at-large bid. PC would also have a better record and zero OT wins compared to the RiverHawks. Against UConn, the Friars split the series, but took the all-important Hockey East conference tournament game and finished with the better record. While it does not need to be pointed out, PC has made its brand on finding ways in the NCAA Hockey Tournament.
Avoid: Bringing up weaknesses like bad losses. Math and RPI only care whether a win or loss occurs, but a human selection committee might look at 9-0 and 8-1 losses to BC and UMass, respectively and ask a few extra questions. At the same time, it would help if Massachusetts wins the Hockey East championship after defeating PC in the semifinals. Not much the Friars can do there besides pray and hope an at-large spot remains for Providence. It's just best to avoid.
Quinnipiac:
Point out: Of the remaining ECAC teams, Quinnipiac is by far the most deserving to make the NCAA Tournament. Even without an automatic bid. QU's 17-6-4 record stands out in most conferences. Leaving the Bobcats out if St. Lawrence wins pushes the boundaries of how many Eastern teams can make the 16-team NCAA Tournament.
Avoid: Mentioning that Bowling Green sweep. Yes, it keeps coming up, but the Bobcats are one of the few teams who played a true non-conference schedule, which includes a two-game sweep over three-loss AIC. Normally, that would be a good thing. This year? Take the gift and discuss the ECAC.
St. Lawrence:
Point out: A top-two ECAC conference tournament finish for future generations. The ECAC automatic bid if the Saints defeat Quinnipiac for its fifth win of the season.
Avoid: Failing to win the ECAC automatic bid. Yes, it's a weird year. No, it's not that weird.
Related:
2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament Bracket 3.0
Bracketology 101: Five More Selection Questions + NCAA Tournament Locks & Bubble Teams
Bracketology 101: How Many Teams From Each Conference Make The Men's NCAA Hockey Tournament?
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