Breaking Down the NCAA Hockey Tournament
Once again it is time to start filling those NCAA Hockey Tournament brackets. Here is everything you need to know to dominate your office pool.
Let’s start with the only regional that matters – the West.
All of you Gopher haters out there will be well advised to skip watching this game and just pop in your DVD of last year’s Holy Cross upset – because that is not gonna happen again, not in a million years. Gophers 7, Falcons 0
North Dakota will beat a lousy Wolverines team as badly as they want to. Sioux 8, Wolverines 3
At first I was bitter that the Gophers, the top overall seed, were placed in the same region as the nation’s hottest team (at least they were the hottest until the Gophers spanked them Saturday). But, it really doesn’t matter that much whether the Gophers beat the Sioux in the National Championship game or here in the regional final.
Minnesota 5, North Dakota 3
(1) New Hampshire vs. (4) Miami
New Hampshire has been fading, but they should be able to hold off a questionable Miami team. Wildcats 4, RedHawks 2
Boston College is the hottest team in the East and St. Lawrence couldn’t even score a goal against Quinnipiac in the E-Z-AC tournament. Eagles 6, Saints 1
A rematch of the Hockey (L)East final, with the same result. Boston College 4, University of No Hardware 1
(1) Clarkson vs. (4) Massachusetts
Clarkson won the E-Z-AC, for what that’s worth (not much). Nevertheless, they should be able to hold off UMass.
Golden Knights 3, Minutemen 2
St. Cloud State needs goalie Bobby Goepfert to carry them like he was a month ago, but he won’t. The Huskies will continue their NCAA tourney tradition of losing in the first round. Black Bears 5, Huskies 4
Clarkson is no great shakes, but Maine has lost six of their last eight. Clarkson 5, Maine 4
The Midwest is the consensus weakest regional.
This won’t be as big an upset as it seems. Alabama-Huntsville is about the caliber of team that Notre Dame has been playing all year in a weak CCHA. Chargers 2, Fighting Irish 1
One of these lousy teams has to win; I don’t see it being Michigan State. Terriers 3, Spartans 0
BU advances almost by default. Boston University 2, Alabama-Huntsville 1
The two best teams remaining meet in the first semi-final. The Gophers will handle the Eagles, but it will be tight. Minnesota 3, Boston College 2
Who cares who wins the other semi, they will lose in the final. Boston University 4, Clarkson 2
The easiest game since the first round for the Gophers. Minnesota 6, Boston University 2
Nihilist Adds:
I know Sisyphus is just trying to bait me, but I'll wager any amount that the Irish send the Alabama-Huntsville team back home with a banjo on their knee.
posted by Sisyphus at 3/19/2007 11:15:00 PM
5 Comments:
It is obvious that the NCAA would prefer to NOT have a WCHA team win for the fifth year in a row.
How else do you explain?
(1) Tthe Gophers and the Fighting Souix in the same region
(2) Only three WCHA teams
(3) Five HockeyEast teams
I'm surprised the NCAA didn't find a way to stick St. Cloud State in the West too.
It's really a shame that they even had to allow SCSU into the tournament at all. They don't represent what the WCHA is all about in the NCAA playoffs: winning.
Hey nihly,
How about standing up for the Irish?
I think some editorial control needs to be exerted here.
I'm looking forward to the Irish returning to glory in St. Louis
Keep on discounting St. Lawrence. They always relish the underdog role. Yeah, 6-1 against one of the best defensive teams in the nation.
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