March 20, 2008
NCAA Tournament Bracket ABCs, Thursday Update
by Adam Wodon/Managing Editor
Despite a win in the WCHA Final Five play-in game, Minnesota is far from out of the woods when it comes to the NCAA tournament.
You can use CHN's You Are The Committee tool to see for yourself, but there are a number of scenarios where Minnesota is squeezed out due to Pairwise machinations. They all include Minnesota losing the next two games, to Colorado College in the semis, then to either Denver or North Dakota in the consolation game. That is certainly feasible.
The scenarios also include Vermont winning the Hockey East tournament.
If Vermont or Boston University wins the HEA tournament, it will squeeze someone out. But if that team is BU, it is more likely to squeeze out Notre Dame than Minnesota.
But a scenario where Miami and Michigan play in the CCHA final with Notre Dame winning the consolation game, Vermont winning Hockey East, with Minnesota losing two games the rest of the weekend, seems to drop the Gophers out of the tournament.
Good the gophers are the luckest team in the wcha.
Mar 21 2008, 12:44 am by Sioux For Life,North Dakota
Please, there is no luck involved. They have multiple NHL draft picks, even more than UND. They are just (finally) starting to gel as a team. It is good talent and good coaching that finally mesh, no luck involved. On a side note, a Minnesota grad or fan would have spelled "luckiest" correctly, as opposed to a UND grad or fan that spell it "luckest".
Mar 21 2008, 3:52 am by jbuss, seattle
Typical Sioux Fan. They only know Sioux wins and Gopher loses beyond that they are not fans of the game.
Mar 21 2008, 8:44 am by MN
luckiest ask pohl how lucky he feels
Mar 21 2008, 10:28 am by SARGE, MN
ECAC Semifinal #2: Harvard defeats Cornell.
ECAC Semifinal #1: Princeton defeats Colgate.
ECAC Championship game: Princeton defeats Harvard.
ECAC Consolation game: Cornell defeats Colgate.
WCHA Semifinal #2: North Dakota defeats Denver.
WCHA Semifinal #1: Colorado College defeats Minnesota.
WCHA Championship game: North Dakota defeats Colorado College.
WCHA Consolation game: Denver defeats Minnesota.
CCHA Semifinal #2: Miami defeats Notre Dame.
CCHA Semifinal #1: Michigan defeats Northern Michigan.
CCHA Championship game: Michigan defeats Miami.
CCHA Consolation game: Notre Dame defeats Northern Michigan.
Hockey East Semifinal #2: Vermont defeats Boston University.
Hockey East Semifinal #1: New Hampshire defeats Boston College.
Hockey East Championship game: Vermont defeats New Hampshire.
Minn is out - MSM is in
Mar 21 2008, 10:31 am by stickboy1956, St. Paul
Lucky, the little sioux fans have only their hockey and snirt to look forward to each winter. The gophers are finally playing with more grit than north dakota snow.
Mar 21 2008, 10:33 am by kevin, elk river
Are you forgetting that there are 16, not 12 mind you, teams in the NCAA's? None of the above scenarios seem to put the Gophers out. Maybe someone else can explain it. Get better soon Tommy!!!
Mar 21 2008, 12:17 pm by Gopherboy, Minneapolis
The scenario posted above does knock Minnesota out, as they lose the three way tie for 12th to drop to 14th. Three teams below them, Princeton, Niagara and Air Force, would all qualify with automatic bids. So the tourney would be the top 13 plus those three I mentioned and Minnesota would be last out.
Mar 21 2008, 12:26 pm by Mike Machnik, CHN
I am a Sioux fan and hope the Gophers make it. The scary part, from the perspective of a UND fan, is that the Gophers have grit, a defensive intensity not seen in recent years, and a goaltender that is simply outstanding. It is not luck that is on the Gophers side. I would say it's team play.
I wish the best for Tom Pohl!!!
Mar 21 2008, 12:43 pm by ke, grand forks
Enough of the stereotypes. There are Rabid, tunnel visioned fans for all teams. Both Minnesota and UND have lots of talent, but Minnesota is finally starting to play well. My point is that there is no luck involved.
Mar 21 2008, 1:35 pm by phil
What do you see as the reality of all of that scenario taking place?
Mar 21 2008, 1:52 pm by Gopherboy, Minneapolis
