College Hockey Conference Championship Preview
Atlantic Tournament
Predicted winner – Army
Format: All 11 teams qualify. The top five seeds get byes into the quarterfinals, while seeds six through 11 play first-round series to determine the final three teams in the quarterfinals.
First round: Best-of-three series, March 2-4 at campus sites: Seed 11 at 6, 10 at 7, 9 at 8.
Quarterfinals: Best-of-three series, March 9-11 at campus sites: Lowest remaining overall seed at 1; second-lowest remaining overall seed at 2, third-lowest remaining seed at 3, 5 at 4.
Championship: At Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, N.Y. March 16: Semifinals, 4:35 p.m. EDT and 8 p.m. March 17: Semifinal winners, 7:35 p.m. EDT. (via USCHO.com)
- Mercyhurst
- Canisius
- Air Force
- Army
- Holy Cross
- RIT
- Robert Morris
- American International
- Bentley
- Niagara
- Sacred Heart
This weekend’s matchups:
7:05 ET
Bentley
@
Robert Morris
84 Lumber Arena Atlantic Hockey First Round Game 1
7:05 ET
Niagara
@
American International
MassMutual Center Atlantic Hockey First Round Game 1
7:05 ET
Sacred Heart
@
RIT
Gene Polisseni Center Atlantic Hockey First Round Game 1
The Atlantic conference has definitely seen better years. The conference went the entire year without having a team ranked inside the Spittin’ Chiclets or USCHO top-10. None the less, it is tournament time and the only team from the Atlantic that will make the tournament will probably be the conference winner and I think it is pretty up for grabs. I do like Mercyhurst, obviously with a conference record of 16-8-4 they are the favorites heading into the tournament. But I like the #4 seed Army to win it all. This is a team I told everyone to keep an eye out for early in the year and they kind of let me down, but look for the Black Knights to make a run for the Atlantic crown.
Big10 Tournament
Predicted winner – Ohio State
Format: All seven teams qualify. The top seed earns a bye to the semifinals, where is joined by the winners of three first-round series. Semifinal winners meet in the championship game.
First round: Best-of-three series, March 2-4 at campus sites: Seed 7 at 2, 6 at 3, 5 at 4.
Semifinals: Single games, March 10 at campus sites of higher seeds. Lowest remaining seed at 1, second-lowest remaining seed at second-highest remaining seed.
Championship: Single game, March 17 at site of highest remaining seed. (via USCHO.com)
1. Notre Dame
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan
4. Penn State
5. Minnesota
6. Wisconsin
7. Michigan State
This weekend’s matchups:
7:00 ET
11 Minnesota
@
15 Penn State
Pegula Ice Arena Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 1
7:00 ET
Michigan State
@
6 Ohio State
Value City Arena Big Ten Quarterfinal Game 1
7:30 ET
Wisconsin
@
12 Michigan
The Big10 tournament is a very interesting one. Not only are two of the top teams in the country in this conference, arguably the best team in college hockey, Notre Dame, is limping into the playoffs and not playing good hockey right now. They’ll still get a tournament big regardless of the outcome of this tourney. But they need to get their shit together, and fast. That why I am going with Ohio State as the winner. I think Ohio State has the easiest path, with Michigan State in the opening weekend. All the other matchups are pretty much a coin flip.
ECAC Tournament
Predicted winner – Harvard
Format: All 12 teams qualify. The top four seeds get byes into the quarterfinals.
First round: Best-of-three series, March 2-4 at campus sites: Seed 12 at 5, 11 at 6, 10 at 7, 9 at 8.
Quarterfinals: Best-of-three series, March 9-11 at campus sites. Lowest-remaining seed at 1, second-lowest remaining seed at 2, third-lowest remaining seed at 3, fourth-lowest remaining seed at 4.
Championship: At Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid, N.Y. March 16: Semifinals, 4 and 7:30 p.m. EDT. March 17: Championship game, 7:30 p.m. EDT. (via USCHO.com)
- Cornell
- Union
- Clarkson
- Harvard
- Colgate
- Dartmouth
- Princeton
- Yale
- Quinnipiac
- Brown
- Rensselaer
- Lawrence
Matchups this weekend:
7:00 ET
Brown
@
Princeton
Hobey Baker Rink ECAC First Round Game 1
7:00 ET
St. Lawrence
@
Dartmouth
Thompson Arena ECAC First Round Game 1
7:00 ET
Quinnipiac
@
Yale
Ingalls Rink ECAC First Round Game 1
7:00 ET
Rensselaer
@
Colgate
Class of 1965 Arena ECAC First Round Game 1
If you asked me at the beginning of the season who would win this conference the easy answer would have been Harvard. But after a disappointing start to the season the Crimson never really got to play the hockey that they wanted. Just as they started to heat up they had to send their best player to South Korea for the Olympics. Cornell and Clarkson have absolutely dominated this division all season and it’s tough for me to not pick one of them as the winner. I just can’t see Ryan Donato letting his college hockey career at Harvard end like this.
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Hockey East Tournament
Predicated winner – Northeastern
Format: All 11 teams qualify. The top five seeds get byes into the quarterfinals.
First round: Best-of-three series, March 2-4 at campus sites. Seed 11 at 6, 10 at 7, 9 at 8.
Quarterfinals: Best-of-three series, March 9-11 at campus sites. Lowest remaining seed at 1, second-lowest remaining seed at 2, third-lowest remaining seed at 3, 5 at 4.
Championship: At TD Garden, Boston. March 16: Semifinals, 5 and 8 p.m. EDT. March 17: Semifinal winners, 7 p.m. EDT. (via USCHO.com)
- Boston College
- Northeastern
- Providence
- Boston University
- UConn
- Maine
- UMass Lowell
- UMass Amherst
- Vermont
- Merrimack
- New Hampshire
Matchups this weekend:
7:00 ET
Merrimack
@
UMass Lowell
Tsongas Center Hockey East Opening Round Game 1
7:00 ET
Vermont
@
Massachusetts
William D. Mullins Center Hockey East Opening Round Game 2
7:30 ET
NESN
New Hampshire
@
Maine
Alfond Arena Hockey East Opening Round Game 1
What a tough year for the Hockey East. Usually one of the best conferences in all of college puck didn’t show their best stuff this season. Lucky for them, they still have Northeastern. Who is basically having a fairytale year this season. Beanpot champs and probably a Hobey Baker winner in Adam Gaudette. No question I am going with the Huskies for the Hockey East championship. I went into the year without them even on the radar, all of BU’s shiny new toys impressed me too much. But the Huskies had themselves a year, and I think it will continue.
NCHC Tournament
Predicted winner – Denver
Format: All eight teams qualify.
Quarterfinals: Best-of-three series, March 9-11 at campus sites. Seed 8 at 1, 7 at 2, 6 at 3, 5 at 4.
Championship (Frozen Faceoff): At Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn. March 16: Semifinals — 4 and 7:30 p.m. CDT. March 17: Third-place game, 3:30 p.m. CDT; championship game, 7:30 p.m. CDT. (via USCHO.com)
1. SCSU
2. Denver
3. Minnesota Duluth
4. North Dakota
5. Colorado College
6. Omaha
7. Western Michigan
8. Miami of Ohio
(First round matchups not completely set)
Probably the best conference in all of hockey this season. Between St. Cloud State and Denver there is so much star power in this conference. I had to pick Denver as my winner though. Between Troy Terry, Henrik Borgstrom and Tanner Jalliet I just don’t see a world where Denver loses to anyone come tournament time. But who knows, St. Cloud State can play and will definitely give them a run for their money. I think UMD is a team to keep an eye on too. They are playing for their lives. A team who may or may not get an automatic bid to the tournament is relying heavily on this tournament to put their name on the map.
WCHA Tournament
Predicted winner – Minnesota State
Format: The top eight of 10 teams qualify.
Quarterfinals: Best-of-three series, March 2-4 at campus sites. Seed 8 at 1, 7 at 2, 6 at 3, 5 at 4.
Semifinals: Best-of-three series, March 9-11 at campus sites. Lowest remaining seed at highest remaining seed, second-lowest remaining seed at second-highest remaining seed.
Championship: Single game, March 17 at campus site of highest remaining seed. (via USCHO.com)
1. Minnesota State
2. Northern Michigan
3. Bowling Green
4. Bemidji State
5. Michigan Tech
6. Ferris State
7. Alabama Huntsville
8. Alaska
9. Lake Superior (DNQ)
10. Alaska Anchorage (DNQ)
Matchups this weekend:
8:07 ET
Ferris State
@
17 Bowling Green
Slater Family Ice Arena WCHA Quarterfinal Game 1
7:07 CT
Alaska
@
3 Minnesota State
Verizon Wireless Center WCHA Quarterfinal Game 1
7:07 CT
Michigan Tech
@
Bemidji State
Sanford Center WCHA Quarterfinal Game 1
7:07 ET
Alabama Huntsville
@
19 Northern Michigan
Berry Events Center WCHA Quarterfinal Game 1
I don’t see any way that Minnesota State doesn’t win the WCHA conference title. There really isn’t too much competition in the conference this season for the Mavs, so it should be pretty easy for them. I think Northern Michigan is the only team with a real chance of taking down the Mavs. But it shouldn’t be too tough at all for Minnesota State to continue their great season with a WCHA championship.