NCAA hockey

[epstud74 24]

How does Hockey East get FIVE teams in the tourney??

[pat19 0]

cause it's the best conference in the country.

[LkptTiger 1]

Bracket

[epstud74 24]

Not even close...None of the Hockey East teams can skate with the top tier WCHA teams..End of story.

[pat19 0]

Really? UNH was 1-0 against Minnesota this year and 2-0 against Colorado College, BC was 2-0 against Wisconsin, Maine was 1-0 against Minnesota and 2-0 against North Dakota. I'd call that skating with them.

[epstud74 24]

UNH never played Minnesota this year. Maine beat MN earlier in the year, yet U of MN outshot them by a significant margin with 9 new freshmen in the top 4 lines. Minnesota skated circles around Maine, yet couldnt put it in the net. This was the first game of the year. Same goes for UND, like U of MN..a very young team, but at this point in the season, Maine/UNH wouldnt be able to skate with them. UND is a slow starting team, they even lost to Michigan Tech, but I highly doubt any Hockey East team could beat Minnesota or North Dakota at the top of their games. Wisconsin? They didnt make the NCAA tourney after losing a large number of their team from last years mediocre National title team..

[Doctor Hook 0]

Best conference in college hockey. Deal with it.

Go BC!

[chilaxin12 2]

What I really dont get is how UMass gets a 4 seed, in the same region Maine gets the 3 seed when UMass beat Maine 4 times in a row the last week of the regular season and the first round of the HEA Tourney

[JGraz15 53]

Are any of these games going to be picked up by Vs, Fox Sports, ESPN?

[chaz 0]

CSTV is doing coverage that i know of.

Go Maine!

[Langenbrunner15 0]

BU is the best of them all I tell you!

[epstud74 24]

Anyone who actually knows hockey knows the WCHA is the one conference stocked with the most talent, Michigan may have the most outside the these two teams. Anyways, at this time of year, I highly doubt BU/BC could beat MN or UND. BU got a better seed in the tourney, but UND is a better team right now. Both teams had to replace their top 3-4 players from last years squad and there's a total of 5 seniors combined on the UND/UMN squads.. When was the last time a Hockey East team won the national title? 2001? A WCHA team has won it the last 6 out of 7 times. Heck, the women's title is between two WCHA teams even though they're a relative newcomer to the NCAA hockey scene compared to the older, established Eastern schools.

2000-North Dakota-WCHA

2001-Boston College-Hockey East

2002-Minnesota-WCHA

2003-Minnesota-WCHA

2004-Denver-WCHA

2005-Denver-WCHA

2006-Wisconsin-WCHA

By my count, there are 30 national championships won by a WCHA team not counting the ones Michigan won as a member of the WCHA. I dont think they joined the CCHA til the 80s. The Wolverines have won 9 National titles with the last being in 1998.

Top 5 in number of titles: Michigan-9

North Dakota-7

Denver U-7

Wisconsin-6

Minnesota-5

Whatever happened to Lake Superior State?

[D-MaN88 0]

How is Notre Dame seeded lower than Minnesota when ND has the best record?

[epstud74 24]

Strength of schedule, pairwise/krach ratings apparently, but they got a heck of a lot easier bracket too. They play a team with a losing record UA-Huntsville 13-19-3 in the 1st round and get teams with average talent like BU or Michigan State in the 2nd round of the regional. BU is easily the worst #2 seed in the tournament and I think they'll end up playing Maine or St Cloud State. How did Clarkson get in? I dont think they could beat Denver or Wisconsin. The same goes for St Lawrence...Damned autobids

A better question...How does a #1 seed not end up playing UA-Huntsville which has a losing record? Notre Dame got the better end of the deal in this case, and put in a much easier regional.

[Gongshow11 1]

Autobids are useful, if you win you're conference you should get in (Pool A). If you are a top 10 team nationally all year, you should be considered since most playoffs are single elimination

[hockeyismylife 0]

For all your bracket questions, go to USCHO

[Scarecrow 0]

The west looks tough. I was kind of surprised to see a potential Minnesota/North Dakota match up in the second round. It would have been nice to see them meet up in St. Louis. Anyways, I am going with North Dakota and the super sophmores over the Irish in the final.

[stickfixchaska 0]

How does a #1 seed not end up playing UA-Huntsville which has a losing record? Notre Dame got the better end of the deal in this case, and put in a much easier regional.

Ticket Sales. Without Denver or CC, they needed a local in the bracket. Besides, does it really matter? #15 Airforce shoud be easy for the over-rated Gophers.

SCSU is my team, but they have not faired well in the NCAA tourney...ever.

Go Huskies!!

[cch 0]

epstud74- You seem to be just talking history and not present. What happened in the past has nothing to do with what has happened this year, BU had a 20-9-9 record how can you not reward that? Hockey east is the only conference with 5 teams with 20 or more wins so having 5 teams in the tournament makes sense. The only reason Maine made it has to be due to the fact Denver ended its season with two loses to Wisconsin and thus having one more loss than Maine. I can't argue the fact that WCHA produces more talent to proffesional leagues but it doesn't change the fact that this year there were five damn good teams in hockey east, and I gaurentee that New Hampshire and BC (who is playing there best hockey of the year right now) can beat any team in the tournament. Also auto bids are what makes it exciting because everyone likes a good upset. So lets keep an open mind for teams that you probably haven't seen play very much because you might be suprised with teams like UNH, BC, UMASS, and St Lawrence.

[epstud74 24]

Since when has New Hampshire won a game that matters? Boston College is like UND/Minnesota...Started off the season slow and finished strong.. Perhaps the most talented team in the HockeyEast..St Lawrence? They get in via autobid? At this point Minnesota/UND is a complete toss up, The Gophers may be the deepest team in the country, but its hard finding a line that can top the Toews/Duncan/Oshie line.

[MLSman 22]

Are any of these games going to be picked up by Vs, Fox Sports, ESPN?

First round and regionals covered by ESPNU - sure NESN will cover some of the Hockey East games as well.

Semis are on ESPN2

Final on ESPN

[hockeyismylife 0]

Another interesting fact is that if KRACH had been used, there would have been 7 WCHA teams in the tourney. This is how the bracket would have likely looked:

Midwest Regional:

Minnesota (1) vs Alabama-Huntsville (16)

Michigan (8) vs Boston University (9)

East Regional:

Notre Dame (2) vs Air Force (15)

Clarkson (7) vs Wisconsin (10)

Northeast Regional:

St. Cloud State (3) vs Michigan Tech (14)

New Hampshire (5) vs Michigan State (12)

West Regional:

North Dakota (4) vs Colorado College (13)

Boston College (6) vs Denver (11)

WCHA: 7 teams

CCHA: 3 teams

HE: 3 teams

ECAC: 1 team

AH: 1 team (autobid)

CHA: 1 team (autobid)

[epstud74 24]

Another interesting fact is that if KRACH had been used, there would have been 7 WCHA teams in the tourney. This is how the bracket would have likely looked:

Midwest Regional:

Minnesota (1) vs Alabama-Huntsville (16)

Michigan (8) vs Boston University (9)

East Regional:

Notre Dame (2) vs Air Force (15)

Clarkson (7) vs Wisconsin (10)

Northeast Regional:

St. Cloud State (3) vs Michigan Tech (14)

New Hampshire (5) vs Michigan State (12)

West Regional:

North Dakota (4) vs Colorado College (13)

Boston College (6) vs Denver (11)

WCHA: 7 teams

CCHA: 3 teams

HE: 3 teams

ECAC: 1 team

AH: 1 team (autobid)

CHA: 1 team (autobid)

Those brackets would be a nightmare for HockeyEast. BC vs Denver isnt a good match up for them and if they get past them, likely facing North Dakota.. Not good.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

If BU beat Michigan..they'd have to verse Minn. That would be an interesting game.

[epstud74 24]

Why would BU even face Michigan?? Michigan would have to get past UND or Minnesota (assuming MN beats Air Force)to face Minnesota. BU would have to slow the game down dramatically to have a chance to beat Minnesota.