March 17, 2025 • 45 mins
Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Derek Schooley (@derekschooley), and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) review games of the weekend and news of the week.
We look at quarterfinal results in Hockey East, NCHC, and ECAC Hockey, including Northeastern's upset of Boston College, North Dakota's road sweep of Omaha, and Cornell's sweep of Colgate.
In semifinal results, we look at the AHA and Bentley's sweep at Sacred Heart and Holy Cross winning two at home against Army West Point, bringing an end to Brian Riley's tenure as the Black Knights' head coach. In the Big Ten, Ohio State advance in overtime past Penn State and Michigan State's lone goal vs. Notre Dame advanced the Spartans and meant the final game for Jeff Jackson as coach of the Fighting Irish. In the CCHA, both Minnesota State and St. Thomas advanced, but the Tommies' ineligibility for the NCAA tournament means the Mavericks picked up the autobid.
We also look at the PairWise rankings, where 12 teams are in and on the bubble are Michigan, Penn State, and Quinnipiac. Only the Bobcats control their own destiny among those three.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and sponsorship
00:36 Northeastern's upset over Boston College and Hockey East Quarterfinals recap
04:54 Hockey East Semifinals preview
07:32 NCHC Quarterfinals recap
10:14 ECAC Quarterfinals recap
15:25 Atlantic Hockey Semifinals recap
22:43 Big Ten Semifinals recap
26:37 Ohio State's remarkable season
27:06 Jeff Jackson's legacy
27:56 Michigan State and tournament seeding
28:26 CCHA championship scenario
32:35 NCAA Tournament bubble wWatch
44:02 Potential Regional matchups
46:19 Wrapping up and final thoughts
We look at quarterfinal results in Hockey East, NCHC, and ECAC Hockey, including Northeastern's upset of Boston College, North Dakota's road sweep of Omaha, and Cornell's sweep of Colgate.
In semifinal results, we look at the AHA and Bentley's sweep at Sacred Heart and Holy Cross winning two at home against Army West Point, bringing an end to Brian Riley's tenure as the Black Knights' head coach. In the Big Ten, Ohio State advance in overtime past Penn State and Michigan State's lone goal vs. Notre Dame advanced the Spartans and meant the final game for Jeff Jackson as coach of the Fighting Irish. In the CCHA, both Minnesota State and St. Thomas advanced, but the Tommies' ineligibility for the NCAA tournament means the Mavericks picked up the autobid.
We also look at the PairWise rankings, where 12 teams are in and on the bubble are Michigan, Penn State, and Quinnipiac. Only the Bobcats control their own destiny among those three.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour
Times are approximate:
00:15 Introduction and sponsorship
00:36 Northeastern's upset over Boston College and Hockey East Quarterfinals recap
04:54 Hockey East Semifinals preview
07:32 NCHC Quarterfinals recap
10:14 ECAC Quarterfinals recap
15:25 Atlantic Hockey Semifinals recap
22:43 Big Ten Semifinals recap
26:37 Ohio State's remarkable season
27:06 Jeff Jackson's legacy
27:56 Michigan State and tournament seeding
28:26 CCHA championship scenario
32:35 NCAA Tournament bubble wWatch
44:02 Potential Regional matchups
46:19 Wrapping up and final thoughts
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Usccho dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to US Echo Weekend Review from Monday, March seventeenth,
twenty twenty five. I'm Met Trevsker alongside Jim Connolly and
Derek Schooley. This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's
Division one. Frozen four April tenth and twelfth in Saint Louis.
Get your tickets now at NCAA dot com slash Frozen four.
(00:36):
It was the ultimate upset in Hockey East on Saturday
night is Northeastern eliminated Number one Boston College three to one,
a game you were on the call for Jim twenty
nine saves from Cameron Whitehead and the Huskies held the
nation's goals leader Ryan Leonard off the board.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
What an incredible effort from Northeastern. And this was not
the regular season the Huskies were looking for. I think
Jerry Keith thought he had a lot of talent. He does,
it's just the performance throughout the regular season wasn't there.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
So hitting the reset button was pretty big.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
And they got to Saturday with a double overtime win
on Wednesday night, so even surviving there against Merrimack was
pretty big. So I feel like Northeastern's just playing loose
right now and confident.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
BC on the other side.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
It was one of those games where it reminded me
a little bit of Lasha's National Championship game, where the
opportunities were there. They continued to get better and better
throughout the game. But a goaltender did a great job
this time was Cameron Whitehead. Did a great job of
just shutting down the Eagles. They missed some opportunities, hit
(01:50):
some posts, and next thing you know, it's hockey. It's
a close game in Northeastern. Credit to them found a
way to win. I'll talk about this weekend.
Speaker 6 (01:58):
First of all, I had multiple TV going flipping from
HULUD on ESPN plus back to regular. It was a
lot of drama this week with overtime games and everything.
But I really thought that if Boston College had another
maybe two minutes where they didn't have to pull their
(02:19):
goalies so early, they were going to tie that game.
I think they just they got the goal too late
and they ran out of time. Basically, I thought, I've
the chances that they had the shot blocks at the
end by Northeastern and the chances around the net that
Boston College had everything going. I really expected the game
(02:39):
to be tied. But credit to Northeastern. They're surviving and advancing.
Survived a tough one against Merrimack, going to double overtime.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And then obviously this one.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
So it.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
Was a lot of drama on TV this weekend, and
like I said, good weekend of hockey.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Yeah, you just.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Pointed one thing out about Northeastern. They blocked a lot
of shots twenty to be exact, And I think that
becomes when you're playing a really good team and you're
that heavy of an underdog. Yes, you have to find
some timely scoring and that's what Northeastern did. They got
two quick ones in the second. But you have to
commit to playing that defense that will block shots, will
(03:19):
make things frustrating for your opposition. I think BC by
the end of the game, you're right, Derek, if they
had some more time, I think they come back and
maybe find a way to tie that and get the
game to overtime. They ran out of time, but they
also ran out of patience. That's one of the big things.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I think.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
You can get frustrated when you're facing a team that's
playing such good defense.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
Yeah, and obviously they didn't expect to be in that.
You get the you have the you're the one seed
you expect to advance. You can see the dejection on
their face afterwards, and people say, oh, they scored an
empty nutters, so they didn't really run out of time.
What I'm saying is if they had a couple more
minutes on the front side and they scored a little
bit earlier they had, I really thought the ice was tilted,
(04:03):
and I thought Northeastern did a great job of surviving.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And sometimes that's what happens in an.
Speaker 6 (04:09):
Upset, is just surviving the scrums around the net when
the puck just goes wide, surviving them missing the net, getting.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
A big block.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
There's a lot that goes into hockey games that everybody
just sees the result and just sees the big saves
or this. There's like the guy gaining the zone or
guy creating a scrum along the boards to eat fifteen
seconds here and there. So I think that I think
when you say, oh, they got the empty net goal,
they what do you mean they needed more time? I
(04:41):
think it would have been if they just would have
scored a few minutes earlier, then you would have had
a lot more doubt scrambling for Northeastern and urgency on
Boston College's behalf.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Elsewhere, earlier in the week, both U Mass and you
Mass Lowell advanced with winds on winds Day, Maine down
to UMass will Ull seven to one to advance. Yukon
a great game three to one over Providence and BU.
It took over time to defeat UMass to advance. So
that sets up this weekend a TD Garden Yukon versus
(05:16):
BU and Maine Northeastern in the semi finals, and that'll
be on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Interestingly, three of those four teams already in the field,
so it's Northeastern as the outsider trying to play their
way in.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
I think I have to say it. I called that.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Friday night Yukon Providence game on Nessen, and there is
something about it when two teams are playing in that
type of scenario but they already know that they're in
the NCAA tournament. The focus was more on advancing to
the Garden and not can we keep our NCAA season
our hopes alive. So I think that the fact that
(05:53):
Hockey East has had teams lock things up really early,
and you had six teams locked up going into this weekend,
that those teams have entered this postseason playing with a
little bit more freedom, and that I think is advantageous.
Speaker 6 (06:10):
We got everybody playing with freedom, and Louis she said
Northeastern was playing free and loose. This must be the
most wide open, free and loose and no pressure series
Hockey East Championship around.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
But I'll tell you.
Speaker 6 (06:24):
This, Northeastern there came in as a nine seed Hockey East.
But they're twenty two in the pair wise, and I
know we're going to get to the pairwise, but to
be they've got some good wins. This isn't a team.
It's not like we're getting a team that's running the
table from the bottom twenty and that this is like
(06:44):
a Cinderella story. It may seem like one, but it's not.
And I know we'll talk more about it. This is
still a really good hockey team and if they if
Northeastern ends up winning the Hockey East, I would have
a hard time believing they're not in the the top
twenty in the pairwise. So this is an interesting group
(07:05):
that is peaking at the right time. I'm going to
not use the word playing free. They're peaking. They really
took advantage of the second season.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Well, there is a ton on the line for those
teams in hockeys that are already in We'll get to
that more with a pair. Wise, let's just say that
those teams could end up anywhere from a first seed
to a low second seed depending on how they do
on the tournament. So there's a lot on the line
when you get to the Garden. NCHC. There was only
(07:37):
one upset and that was a mild one number five
seed over forst. North Dakota took a pair on the
road at Omaha three two and three to two. Top
seed Western Michigan advanced easily six to two both nights
over Saint Cloud State. Arizona State had a lot of fun,
winning four to three on Friday, but it was six
(07:58):
to five in overtime on Saturday, and then last night
it went to three games Denver and CC smacked down
by Denver in game three nine to two. So that
sets up the NCCHC semi finals. North Dakota takes on
Western Michigan and Denver as the three seed versus two
seed Arizona State.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I have to say I got to watch that Arizona
State series just the timing. It was when I was
coming home both nights, Friday and Saturday.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Credit to the administration, the coaching staff, the players that
that building was awesome, and the overtime winner on Saturday
night had Mullet going nuts. Hats off to great Power
as his staff just for that. But everything was choky
in the NCCHC. Obviously North Dakota getting those two or
(08:50):
only two points difference, Yeah, exactly. It still feels it
came down to the final weekend of the regular season
to even have to go on the road. Yeah, I
feel like this league kind of followed Shock, but there's
just so much these teams are playing for. If your
name's not Western Michigan or Denver, everybody else had a lot.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
Going, a lot on the line going into this weekend.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
Weird Arizona State game three nothing in favor of Duluth.
Arizona State never led until they scored the overtime winner
three nothing, four to three, five to four. It was
back and forth and five to five, and I'm sure
the goaltender for d Luth above to have that one back,
but it set off a celebration. And then last night
(09:38):
with that Calora College Denver game, you could tell that
it was rivalries because Denver wasn't stopping scoring and there
were a lot of penalties in the third and a
lot of power play goals and short handed goals.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
There's a little bit of everything.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
And I think Colorall College without Canden Burko last night
just ran up out of gas and not them their
top goaltender and do or die game. He got hurt
in the third period of Game two. I think that
was a I think that was a the TSN turning point,
I would say for the series.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Onto the ECAC. Mike Schaefer continues his coaching career. Mild
upsets there, but Cornell down Colgate on the road in Hamilton,
New York at four to one and three nothing. A
good defensive effort on the weekend for Cornell. The other
games and we'll talk about what happened overall in ECAC.
(10:36):
Quinnipiac down to Brown four to one and four nothing.
Fifth seed Dartmouth knocked off Union on the road three
to two and seven to two. So that closes Messer
rank as the Guardet Chargers move into a new building
in the fall. Clarkson needed three games against Harvard, a
three to two win on Friday, two to three overtime
(10:59):
loss on Saturday, and then two to one for Clarkson
yesterday in what was you know? It was to me?
I watched most of the game, and it was an
exciting game, but it didn't seem like it was this
knockdown drag out back and forth. It just seemed to
(11:19):
I don't know, maybe it's because I was thinking of
other stuff. It seemed to plot along for me. But
it was a great overtime win for Clarkson. So in
Lake Placid again, number one Quinnipiac versus number six Cornell
and number two Clarkson versus number five Dartmouth, and these
are must win games at least the semi finals for everybody,
and Quinnipiac, from what we can see, even if they
(11:41):
get to the championship game don't lock things up. So
really all four teams if they want to make the postseason,
need to win that tournament.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
I watched a lot of the ECAC because of obviously
ESPN plus being on Hulu and get all the other
streaming going on yours and all that, but I agree
with you, I didn't like it looked to me that
game three yesterday with clarks and those retired hockey teams.
It didn't look like there was a it didn't feel
(12:12):
like it was your season's over. But for the ECAC
to get Clarkson a North country team Withake Blast a
big deal, big draw with Cornell and Mike Shaffer's going
out there were they had a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
At the at Colgate. It almost looked like a second
line of arena.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
So I think that you got some of the best
teams there, at least the teams that are playing the
best at at the right time. And nobody's surprised that
Cornell plays tight defensively this time of year, and Ian
Shane pitched a shut out that that'd be.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
That's like saying it snows in Ithaca in the winter.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
I really believe that you might see Mike Shaeffer continue
to coach another weekend.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
The way they're going about it right.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Now, yeah, I mean, but the ad that's coming these
EASYAC teams, they know what's on the line right now.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
They understand that you lose right now and the season's over.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
I do agree, Derek, this is going to set up
a great atmosphere in Lake Placid, both Cornell and Clarkson
getting there.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
That they'll really bring their fans, and.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Then Cornipiac they're used to being there, and Dartmouth that
might be a little bit new for them, but that
they've been that fan base has been dying. They try
to get back into some of these big situations. So
this sets up a great weekend in that little hockey
town in upstate New York. I think you've got to
be pleased if you're anybody from the ECAC.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
And they're trying to go all out in Lake Placid.
I saw an interview with their commissioner, Doug Christiansen during
the broadcast yesterday. They're adding VIP seeding to the arena,
and as of yesterday morning, I guess there were only
four tickets left board, so they were pretty excited about
continuing to build a fan experience. They continue, as does
(14:06):
Hockey East, to have a neutral site while everybody else
is moving the opposite direction. But when we've talked to Doug,
they think it's a pretty special thing and they've already
extended a contract there. So it should be a lot
of fun up in Lake Placid. If you can find
a hotel room this late, you may have to die
it a little bit.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
That is one of the bigger challenges. Small town, not
a lot of places to stay. And I also think
it'll be interesting in Saint Paul this weekend. As they
call it, they're calling it the last call in Saint
Paul for the NCCHC, their lost neutral site championship.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Well, with that, we're going to take a break and
look at semi finals as we've wrapped up the quarterfinals.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's D one
Frozen four April tenth and twelfth in Saint Louis. The
(15:01):
NCAA Men's Frozen four the pinnacle of men's collegiate ice
hawk Any.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
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Be prepared to hype your squad for all three periods?
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It's Frozen four time.
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Speaker 5 (15:26):
Buy your seas today at NCAAA dot com.
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Speaker 2 (15:35):
Welcome back to usc CHO Weekend Review Atlantic Hockey America.
Both series ended in two games. Holy Cross brought a
close to the coaching career of Brian Riley and his
Army Black Knights, a three two overtime win on Friday
and five to one on Saturday. Meanwhile, on the other
side of the ledger, Bentley swept Sacred Heart on the
(15:57):
road five to two and three nothing that Friday win.
Bentley was down to nothing pretty early in that game,
and then a slew foot penalty led to a five
minute major and two power play goals for Bentley to
tie it up. They got a late goal and followed
it up with a wrap around and then got the
(16:17):
empty netter and then just a terrific goaltending on Saturday.
Connor Hasley his eleventh shutout for the season, which puts
him one behind the NCAA record of twelve that Greg
Gardner had with Niagara. And so that's going to be
an All Massachusetts championship game in Worcester at the Heart Center.
(16:39):
Is Bentley head to holy Cross once again?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
You got it.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
You got two teams that were separated by two points
and the five points from holy Cross to Buckley in
the season. So it once again the two to three upset.
Other than happen to go on the road is was
a is a minute upset. You've got two of the
hotter teams in the league going at it here to
end the year and playing the championship. And what they
(17:07):
always say is you got to peak at the right time,
and obviously these two teams are doing it. But when
it was two nothing, I thought this might be sacred
hearts here and Bentley just completely turned that game on
the five minute major. And then you had Connor Hasley
doing what Connor Hasley's doing in Game two, and that's
just pitching shutouts and the other series overtime winner for
(17:33):
holy Cross, and then really it was not in doubt
from the start of the game on Saturday, and hats
off to Brian Riley. He goes out with a tremendous
run and they were leaking oil. They were I wouldn't
even call it leaking oil. They might have dropped their
engine until they picked a new one back up when
(17:54):
they pummeled the Merciers that weekend, and they didn't stop
and they sent him out on a good run. So
congratulations of Brian. I'm gonna miss having them in league meetings.
I'm gonna miss talking Atlantic cocky stuff with him. Now
he's just going to be talking as an outsider critiquing
everything that we do. So he's not going away, but
(18:15):
it's sad to see his coaching career come to on.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
But congratulations to him.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
Yeah, I thought this was a great semi final weekend
for Atlantic cocky. You talk about the comeback there on Friday,
the other game going to overtime. That's the drama you
were looking for. You getting another shutout from Hazi. This
story is just growing its own legs and now you
have the All Massa choose that's final.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
That's fantastic for this league. Beau.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
I think that the Massachusets portion of this of Atlantic Hockey, there.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
Were times that it was really.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Feeling like they would never have any real role in
this league. Because you go back to the beginning. Holy
Cross was great when the mac first started, Yukon was great.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
The year after.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
With that that mercy Hurst comes in and he Quinnipiak,
it was harder to get back championships. And so to
see two Massachusetts teams in the finals of this conference,
I think that this is as a good thing to
show that there's great parody throughout this league top to bottom,
that you have different teams that can and will win
(19:21):
this championships. It shows that there's it's not just one team,
two teams in Atlantic Hockey. I think that's really critical
for the conference. And you mentioned Brian Riley. He became
a good friend over the years, and you're right, Derek,
I really love the way his team played for him
down the stretch this season, second half of the year,
right into the playoffs into last weekend. I'm sure we'll
(19:45):
see his face around. He's been around this game for
too long to just go into hiding, but yeah, he'll
probably be critiquing you pretty heavily next year.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
Their schools.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
You know what the funny thing is just and it's
almost one in cycles becausein ed list in the two
thus you could write usually three teams into the semi
finals in Rochester? Can you guess what three teams were
there almost every year?
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Rit, Robert Morris and.
Speaker 6 (20:15):
Air Force air Force. Yeah, and then you would throw
another one in. We went the seventh straight. Rit went
to was almost there all the time we played in
two finals against air Force.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
So I'm not pumping my tires.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
It's just the shift and cycles, and it goes in cycles,
and a lot of it has to do with you
talk about the teams that were in there. You got
Bentley and Sacred Heart in the finals. Why do you
Why are they there? Because they've got new buildings and
they've got renewed energy on campus and a lot of that.
(20:49):
That's cicular And for us in the West, who does
who only had We didn't have any teams from the
New York Pennsylvania contingent in the final four. The share
it's up to us to continue to get better, just
like it was up to them when it was dominated
by the West, And he went a canisis there? You
(21:09):
had merciters there, so it wasn't just it just wasn't
those three then you would throw those other ones. There
were numerous times where it was New York and Pennsylvania finals.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
And one other interesting thing with this matchup. Holy Cross
does not have grad students on so they on their team.
They were not able to get grad transfers in their
high profile transfer Liam mcclinsky as a senior. He came
in in his sophomore year from Quinnipiac. Meanwhile, Bentley Andy
Jones has done a terrific job with transfers and grad
(21:41):
transfers and this is going to be the last year
for that It'll be interesting to see what develops next year,
but that matchup should be pretty good. Both teams play
very well defensively, and so you may see a tight
game and as soon as I say that, we'll see
him a big scoring game. But I think that's going
to be a terrific matchup. Last time those two teams
(22:01):
match for the league championship was two thousand and six,
Holly Cross went on to defeat Minnesota in the first
round of the tournament. The winner of that league, either
Bentley or holy Cross, it's all set. They're going to
have to take on Boston College, probably in Manchester. Good
for travel and attendance for that underdog team, but a
(22:22):
big obstacle looms ahead for whoever wins that.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Especially in an angry Boston College team.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Right who will have lost their last game three to
one to Northeastern. That should be fun.
Speaker 6 (22:36):
Struct teams, the two most structured teams in the league,
structured and defense orientated, two best goaltenders in my opinion,
and two of the best players in mcclensky and Ethan Lay.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
It's a good matchup here.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Yeah, And boy did even Lay get beat up in
that series and just kept working. Michigan State only needed
one goal to advance ants to the finals in the
Big Ten. Isaac Howard got his twenty fourth of the
season as they down Notre Dame. That was the end
of the coaching career Notre Dame for Jeff Jackson six
(23:13):
hundred and one wins and either he ends with six
hundred and one, where we say six hundred and one
and counting, I'm not saying anything, I'm just speculating a
little bit. Ohio State got an overtime goal, beautiful play
two on one gunner Will Fonteine five hole to get
past Penn State four to three, which was just an
(23:35):
outstanding game. So it's number one Michigan State hosting number
three seed Ohio State for the Big Ten title on Saturday.
And we should point out, and we talked about it
all season, but Ohio State was picked a last in
the Big Ten. Coaches pulled back in September. I imagine they
(23:56):
probably already voted for a Coach of the Year in
the Big Ten. But boy, Steve Rollick sure has earned
the opportunity.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
Big controversy in the Penn State Ohio State game with
a height stick that would not have been allowed last
year when it would be above the crossber, it just
happened to be I think that I don't remember the
player's name, but I know he was about six foot six,
so it was It's a tough rule now because it's
no matter where you play the puck from. You could
(24:27):
be on your knees and you can knock it down
from below the crossbar, but it's above your shoulders. It's
from where you play the puck. So it's a tough call.
I mean, granted, officials had a tough call. They called
it a goal. It wasn't the determining factor because Penn
State then obviously came back and forced overtime and great
(24:49):
hockey game going into overtime and big time play to
win at obviously. What more can you say about Isaac
Howard in Michigan State, it's I think they're waiting for
the opportunity to get back to Saint Louis, and that's
it's been.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
That they're going to be there in the tournament.
Speaker 6 (25:06):
Now it's about getting back to Saint Louis where they
won their last national championship.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I thought that the effort from Ohio State was great
and not taking any away from Penn State because it
was great as well. That building was fantastic. I want
to give credit to the Big Ten into hockey as well,
staggering the stark times on these games, allowing fans to
watch as many games as possible on TV.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
I know you could see a couple of the games.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
On I think three of the four quarterfinals in Hockey
East runnessen throughout the weekend, and then the two Big
Ten games going back to back on BTN.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
I thought that was just fantastic. I'll stop there, but I.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Think that Ohio State, when you look at where they've
been this season, picked to finish last, they've had a
great season, and now after surviving against Wisconsin and that
literally was surviving, now they're in the championship game. I
think that the guys scoring the game winning goal of
Fonteinn Gunner wolf Fontaine. His addition to this team was
(26:13):
so big offensively and he's been a big part, so
it was almost appropriate to see him score the game winner.
On the other side, I do want to mention Jeff Jackson,
what a fantastic career and I don't know, I don't
know that going to Lake Superior State as a coach
and me turning that program into the powerhouse that he
(26:34):
did for the little under a decade. I think that
he was there. That's nothing short of amazing too. That
is not those are hard things to do today. Hats
off to Jeff on such a fantastic career.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
Yeah, absolutely surprising he didn't win a national championship in
Notre Dame with all the success they had. That's that's
probably the one thing that he probably wishes that he
would have had because he's got so many accolades and
been such a great coach.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
He just didn't get over the hump there with Notre
Dame with some of those teams.
Speaker 6 (27:07):
And don't forget I said, all you all Michigan State
needed was the one goal by as How sneaky shut
out by Trey Augustine. I think it was under twenty saves,
but there were some breakaways in there, so sneaky shutout
there for Trey Augustine.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
So Michigan State, they're going to be the number two
overall seed in the tournament in Ohio State is already
and they're going to be a three seed somewhere, and
we'll get to it in a moment. But Penn State
now has to sit and wait and hope for favorites
to win in these other tournaments. Onto the CCHA. It
was a scenario they probably didn't want to happen, but
(27:46):
Saint Thomas downed Bowling Green to advance to the league
championship game. However, the Tommy's are in their final year
of transition to Division One. It would have been there
next to last, but the NCAA reduced that from five
to four in some legislation during the season, so it's
their final year ineligible, which means they will go to
(28:10):
man Cato to take on Minnesota State. Man Cato shut
out Bamichi for nothing, but since Saint Thomas is ineligible
for the tournament, Minnesota State has already gotten the auto
bed and this is a chance for Saint Thomas either
to take some hardware with them out the door to
the nc SEA or for Minnesota State to finally say
(28:32):
goodbye to Saint Thomas on behalf of the other members
of the CCHA.
Speaker 6 (28:38):
Yeah, weird scenarios throughout the CCHA this year with the
August Dana points and plan for a league title. Now
Saint Thomas on their way out the door. Can't even play,
can you say in junction.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
I'm just throw that out there, seeing I don't think
you can appeal anything or do anything, unfortunately, but what
a story that that's put together with potentially Saint Thomas
winning but not being never go to the tournament. But
kudos to that St. Thomas for getting there, and that
(29:14):
Mantato they're in the tournament already.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
This was a strange situation no matter how you looked
at it, but credit to Saint Thomas.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
I don't know that there's something here that reminds.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Me of when Notre Dame went to the Big Ten
and their final season in Hockey East. They were that
lame duck member, but they were allowed to play and
everything it was.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
They were bull fledged members.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
It wasn't like saying Thomas where they were ineligible for
the tournament.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
But Notre Dame was.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
The only Hockey East team to reach the Frozen Four
that year twenty seventeen.
Speaker 5 (29:50):
That's something I think they'll remembered by many.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
I don't love this scenario where you are playing a
game and you already know who's going to the nca
It's not the spirit of what college athletics is usually about.
That's the I think one of the things that makes
college sports so unique is you win your conference championship,
you usually get a chance to keep playing, so's it'll
(30:16):
be a little strange for the Tommies and for Don
the Cheer and his league. Credit to the two teams
that got to the finals. They played really well in
this postseason. And yeah, I feel when all is said
and done, it still is going to be Minnesota State.
They feel like the powerhouse right now. But it's it
does create just one of those scenarios that probably wasn't
(30:36):
the most desirable for the c.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Let's go on to looking at the pairwise and by
the way, if you go to uscho dot com, the
link is on the front page for this year's Pairwise predictor,
you can play around with different scenarios. There are four
thousand and ninety six possible combinations of results coming up
from this weekend and you can see what puts your
team in or out and running all those different possibilities.
(31:15):
We know that twelve bids have been clinched BC Michigan State.
They will be one and two, and the rest of
these are pretty flexible, with teams anywhere from a first
seed to a low second in some of these Maine, Minnesota, Western,
Michigan all In, also bu Yukon, Providence, Ohio State, Denver,
(31:37):
UMass and as we mentioned, Minnesota State with a CCHA
auto bid. So that leaves us to what happens in
the championship games. ECAC and Atlanta Hockey Champions each take
one spot, so that leaves a bubble of three teams
for the NCAA tournament Quinnipiac, Penn State, and Michigan. Penn
(31:58):
State and Michigan are done playing, so they've got to
sit and watch. Quinnipiac can almost cement their way in
by making it to the championship game, and of course
if they win, that's great for Penn State and Michigan.
There are teams that can also burst the bubble North Dakota,
Arizona State, Northeastern, Clarkson, Dartmouth, and Cornell. Only one of
(32:21):
those teams wins, Michigan is out. They have right now
about an eighteen percent chance of getting in. If two
teams win, Penn State at seventy nine percent is out
and if three win, Quinnipiac at eighty seven percent is out.
We knew it was going to be a fairly small
bubble a week ago. Now we know what's going to
contribute to it, and we know now what teams, what
(32:45):
games fans of those teams on the bubble have to
root for.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
Yeah, I think Quinnipiac is the one team that you
can't put them in in penyet it's still pencil, but
it's it's darker pencil because I think that it's considered
probably an extreme case that you think that three of
those six teams would win. Yes, do I think Arizona
Stair North Dakota could win the NCAAC.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Do I think somebody besides Quinnipiac could win the ECAC.
Maybe it's happened a lot of late so that leaves
Hockey East, but it's only Northeastern. You only have one
team there that can pull off the upset. I will
know a lot on by the time we get to
Saturday night. Hockey's will have played their championship game at
(33:33):
that point, so well the CCHA that that doesn't really matter,
and then we'll have will know who's at least advanced
in the NCC Championship in ECAC. By the time we
get to Saturday morning, we're usually in one of those
kind of tense situations. We might actually know the entire
sixteen team field by the time we get to Saturday morning.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Yeah, you still will have the possibility of an upset
in ECAC on Saturday morning, but the others could be
all set. If North Dakota and Arizona State are ousted
and Northeastern loses in the semi final round, then it'll
come down to who wins the ECAC to determine things
(34:14):
from Michigan.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
And at that point, Quinnipiac could be in a position
that they've actually they've cemented. If they've reached the final
there's a chance that they could have cemented their position already.
Speaker 5 (34:24):
What do you do?
Speaker 6 (34:25):
What do you guys think? How many are going to
pop the bubble? One, two, or three?
Speaker 5 (34:31):
That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Let's see this. That's why I'm going to go.
Speaker 5 (34:35):
I'm only gonna go with the point. And I'm not
even saying I think it might be the state.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
So you're gonna say Michigan is going to be out.
Speaker 5 (34:44):
I'm gonna say Michigan is out.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
That's the most likely thing to happen. I don't see three,
but you never know.
Speaker 6 (34:51):
You're giving up a chance for three. Still you never know,
you said, are you saying two?
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yeah? I think two is possible. I think one this
most likely.
Speaker 4 (35:02):
I think I've also seen enough Hockey East all year
to know that, well, Northeastern is playing well right now,
I still think that they.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
Are real underdog this weekend.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
I'd probably give their overall chances of getting out of
the garden with the trophy under ten percent.
Speaker 6 (35:21):
Yeah, you gotta get They got to get two wins.
That's that's why you're That's why you're talking. That's heart
you think about it. If they get two wins, they
were to beat Boston College, Boston University.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
And no but that Boston College, Main Merrimack, Boston been
made and then either yeah, either be you or Yukon,
and then they.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
Deserve they really deserve it. They've really earned.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
It now, Jim, you pointed out something, and I know
Nate Lehman wasn't planning on this. However, Providence may have
helped out their regional seeding by losing the Yukon on Friday.
The Friars are ninety nine percent. There are forty four
scenarios where it doesn't include them. They would be either
(36:12):
the eighth or ninth overall seed, which would probably put
them in BC's region, which would be Manchester. An easy
travel up from Rhode Island to that one, bring out
some fans and so forth. I don't think at this
point they really care. They certainly are just happy to
be in the tournament and wherever they go they would
be happy. But this is the cherry on top of
(36:34):
the Sunday well we hear.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
Of playing games. This was almost a play not in
game or a play not to I don't know how
to say it. If whoever lost on Friday night between
Yukon and Providence was going to be in this situation.
If Yukon had been the team that lost, they would
have been in this situation where they'd be either eight
or nine and likely aligning with BC. So I'd rather
(36:58):
still win and go to the Garden. But it is
a nice little consolation prize for the Friars, knowing that
they're going to play a couple of hours from home.
Speaker 6 (37:06):
You always that's one of your goals is to probably
to for especially Hockey East, is to get to the
Garden and then win the Garden. So I think that's
probably something that is right disappointing. But the ultimate goal
is a national championship. And the only thing I would
say is you want to be playing. You want to
be playing your best hockey. You also want to feel
(37:28):
good about yourself. And now they've got a practice for
two weeks, and you know how it is coming off
of bye week. Sometimes it's hard. It's hard to come
off that bye week and be ready to go. You're
going to probably play potentially a fresh team. You're going
to play a team that probably played this weekend, so
it's going to be hard.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
By the way, do we think that there's any discussions
at the league level after this year's season, after this
year's tournament where you're going to have Minnesota, Boston College, Michigan, UMass.
You're having a lot of teams in the NCAA field
(38:09):
that are taking extended periods off before they play their
NCUBLEA game.
Speaker 5 (38:13):
The Minnesota one is the most extreme.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
That'll be two years in a row in the Big Ten.
Speaker 5 (38:19):
Now, I think it is that right that the number
two seed. Yeah, I think you're right. The number two
seed was eliminated last year as well.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
It's just a lot of time off. You're talking almost
three weeks, three full weeks before you play your next
game nineteen twenty days. I don't know that there's a
perfect way, but we were talking geography and budgets and
all that stuff. Play in the Hockey East tournament went
from eleven to one and in ten days because of
the geography Atlantic cocky, though when you look at it,
(38:49):
the war week got from eleven to one.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
It takes a month.
Speaker 4 (38:54):
Just I don't feel like the postseason efficiency is there
in all the tournaments. I honestly, especially in the league
like the Big Ten, I would be more inclined to
go back to the way they treated it when they
first started, go to one city, play all three games
in one night. I know attendance is one of the
(39:16):
big things that come up there. I just I think
that we're now seeing it. We're a nineteen day break
before a tournament game. It doesn't make sense to me,
and I think that's something that will get discussed.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
Two things.
Speaker 6 (39:28):
One, don't lose in the first round, and then two
I can tell you it's been discussed in Atlanta Cockey
that to shorten the time and our play in game
because our first round is one game and it's technically
a play in game for the quarterfinals to potentially have
(39:48):
that game on Tuesday, and that will be discussed in Florida.
A Tuesday night game followed by Friday Saturday Sunday. For example,
if when we played ri I T two years ago,
ed we would have played Tuesday night and then had
to be at rit on Friday for a two out
of three games series. I think that really you want
(40:10):
your best teams. That also gives your big advantage. They
don't have the off week, and it gives a tired
team to play against.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
The only thing I can see with that, and it
comes up with everything you got to figure out with
with Atlanta Hockey is air Force. Do you want to
play on a Saturday night and have to be out
at air Force on it Tuesday.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
We would have had to do it, and they've got
they've got they've got some plans for to be able
to do that, So it would have had to happen
to us. We would have had to basically get on
a flight back to Colorado with air Force this weekend.
If that's the case and it could have been done,
you cannot play a makeup game on Monday, That's right,
(40:51):
you could you It could be done.
Speaker 4 (40:54):
If you're a coach do you prefer that or do
you prefer cutting three teams from the postseason.
Speaker 5 (41:01):
I could the right.
Speaker 6 (41:04):
I think everybody where we'd be cutting two now because
we're going to be at ten teams next year. But
I know what, Uh, the n cut one this year.
I think that's the only league if I'm correct, that
that cuts somebody?
Speaker 5 (41:21):
Did they think?
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Yeah, they cut Northern, So there are two teams.
Speaker 6 (41:25):
But I think college hockey, the history of college hockey,
I think everybody should make the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
I don't think it's right to cut any teams unless
everybody plays an identical schedule. And the wrong league that
does that is ECAC.
Speaker 6 (41:42):
You're because you're going to get harder teams, you're going
to get a home and road split, you're gonna have,
you're gonna play more within your region.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
Adds right.
Speaker 6 (41:52):
To be able to do that, you need a balanced schedule,
And then you could cut because then everybody plays everybody
in't think that's going to be able to happen.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
So that's right.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
One last thing before we go. We know that BC's
number one in Michigan State is number two in the
seedings for the NCAA. But five teams can still make
the top four and be a number one regional seed.
Maine can finish anywhere from third to sixth, same with
Western bu can finish anywhere from third to seventh, Yukon
(42:28):
anywhere from third to eighth, and Minnesota anywhere from third
to six So a lot on the line in seeding
coming up with these games. Even if there's not a
lot of action along the bubble.
Speaker 4 (42:40):
There will be some shifting here in that number one speed.
We'll see where the value of it is. Sometimes the
number one seed is very valuable because it's the opponent
that you get to play maybe a bit more of.
Speaker 5 (42:52):
An inferior opponent.
Speaker 4 (42:53):
But oftentimes if you're the number one seed and you're
not the one or the two, you're often playing pretty
far away from home. And I think that, especially this year,
where you have three regions that aren't in New York
or New England, you're going to end up in a
scenario where you might have two teams, two number one
seats really traveling a long distance.
Speaker 6 (43:15):
I would love to see a obviously this time next week,
well know, but I would love to see a region
and aldo with Michigan State and Western Michigan. I think
that would bang it out and then you throw in
potentially somehow along the way, get Ohio State there for tenants. Wow,
that could be big time. And who knows, if Michigan
(43:38):
stays around, maybe they're a fifteen seed. Didn't go with
the number two seed Michigan State Spartans, and we've got
a rivalry right off the bat that will take that
will certainly take both Western Michigan and Ohio State losing
this weekend.
Speaker 4 (43:56):
I'm not even sure that it's possible to get all
three in that region because of where they'll be in
Bays one, two three.
Speaker 5 (44:01):
I think you're going to have two of them in
the same band.
Speaker 4 (44:03):
But I think that is what would make Toledo is
a big question mark, right. It's not a traditional regional site.
We haven't had have we had a regional there and
I don't remember it. I don't remember it. We did,
yeah once wants it and I don't remember it being
a great site. So if you can get some teams
(44:24):
that are pretty close, that will bring the fan bases
that they this is the region. I've been very concerned
about Allentown as well, but now Penn State, if they
can get in, makes me feel a little better about Allentown.
Speaker 6 (44:37):
Can you imagine a first round game Michigan State and Michigan.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
They wouldn't do that in the first round. They would
avoid that no matter.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, But it could be it
could be a regional championship that would be a two
fifteen seed that they would have to make. They would
have to make changes.
Speaker 2 (44:57):
Yeah, they definitely would. It'll be fun for the committee
come Sunday for sure, or Saturday night. Maybe it'll be easy.
Maybe they put the we'll find out. Jim. You're gonna
have a bracketology on Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (45:11):
Correct, Tuesday afternoon, and then we'll have bra Bracketology extra
after Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
All right, lots of hockey to watch this weekend, and
with that we'll wrap it up here. This episode has
been sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division One Frozen four
April tenth and twelfth, then Saint Louis. Get your tickets
now at NCAA dot com. Slash Frozen four for Jim Connolly,
for Derek Schooley, I'm Ed Trevsker And this has been
(45:40):
usc CHO Weekend Review
Usccho dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to US Echo Weekend Review from Monday, March seventeenth,
twenty twenty five. I'm Met Trevsker alongside Jim Connolly and
Derek Schooley. This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's
Division one. Frozen four April tenth and twelfth in Saint Louis.
Get your tickets now at NCAA dot com slash Frozen four.
(00:36):
It was the ultimate upset in Hockey East on Saturday
night is Northeastern eliminated Number one Boston College three to one,
a game you were on the call for Jim twenty
nine saves from Cameron Whitehead and the Huskies held the
nation's goals leader Ryan Leonard off the board.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
What an incredible effort from Northeastern. And this was not
the regular season the Huskies were looking for. I think
Jerry Keith thought he had a lot of talent. He does,
it's just the performance throughout the regular season wasn't there.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
So hitting the reset button was pretty big.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
And they got to Saturday with a double overtime win
on Wednesday night, so even surviving there against Merrimack was
pretty big. So I feel like Northeastern's just playing loose
right now and confident.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
BC on the other side.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
It was one of those games where it reminded me
a little bit of Lasha's National Championship game, where the
opportunities were there. They continued to get better and better
throughout the game. But a goaltender did a great job
this time was Cameron Whitehead. Did a great job of
just shutting down the Eagles. They missed some opportunities, hit
(01:50):
some posts, and next thing you know, it's hockey. It's
a close game in Northeastern. Credit to them found a
way to win. I'll talk about this weekend.
Speaker 6 (01:58):
First of all, I had multiple TV going flipping from
HULUD on ESPN plus back to regular. It was a
lot of drama this week with overtime games and everything.
But I really thought that if Boston College had another
maybe two minutes where they didn't have to pull their
(02:19):
goalies so early, they were going to tie that game.
I think they just they got the goal too late
and they ran out of time. Basically, I thought, I've
the chances that they had the shot blocks at the
end by Northeastern and the chances around the net that
Boston College had everything going. I really expected the game
(02:39):
to be tied. But credit to Northeastern. They're surviving and advancing.
Survived a tough one against Merrimack, going to double overtime.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And then obviously this one.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
So it.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
Was a lot of drama on TV this weekend, and
like I said, good weekend of hockey.
Speaker 5 (02:57):
Yeah, you just.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Pointed one thing out about Northeastern. They blocked a lot
of shots twenty to be exact, And I think that
becomes when you're playing a really good team and you're
that heavy of an underdog. Yes, you have to find
some timely scoring and that's what Northeastern did. They got
two quick ones in the second. But you have to
commit to playing that defense that will block shots, will
(03:19):
make things frustrating for your opposition. I think BC by
the end of the game, you're right, Derek, if they
had some more time, I think they come back and
maybe find a way to tie that and get the
game to overtime. They ran out of time, but they
also ran out of patience. That's one of the big things.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I think.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
You can get frustrated when you're facing a team that's
playing such good defense.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
Yeah, and obviously they didn't expect to be in that.
You get the you have the you're the one seed
you expect to advance. You can see the dejection on
their face afterwards, and people say, oh, they scored an
empty nutters, so they didn't really run out of time.
What I'm saying is if they had a couple more
minutes on the front side and they scored a little
bit earlier they had, I really thought the ice was tilted,
(04:03):
and I thought Northeastern did a great job of surviving.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And sometimes that's what happens in an.
Speaker 6 (04:09):
Upset, is just surviving the scrums around the net when
the puck just goes wide, surviving them missing the net, getting.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
A big block.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
There's a lot that goes into hockey games that everybody
just sees the result and just sees the big saves
or this. There's like the guy gaining the zone or
guy creating a scrum along the boards to eat fifteen
seconds here and there. So I think that I think
when you say, oh, they got the empty net goal,
they what do you mean they needed more time? I
(04:41):
think it would have been if they just would have
scored a few minutes earlier, then you would have had
a lot more doubt scrambling for Northeastern and urgency on
Boston College's behalf.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Elsewhere, earlier in the week, both U Mass and you
Mass Lowell advanced with winds on winds Day, Maine down
to UMass will Ull seven to one to advance. Yukon
a great game three to one over Providence and BU.
It took over time to defeat UMass to advance. So
that sets up this weekend a TD Garden Yukon versus
(05:16):
BU and Maine Northeastern in the semi finals, and that'll
be on Thursday.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Interestingly, three of those four teams already in the field,
so it's Northeastern as the outsider trying to play their
way in.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
I think I have to say it. I called that.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Friday night Yukon Providence game on Nessen, and there is
something about it when two teams are playing in that
type of scenario but they already know that they're in
the NCAA tournament. The focus was more on advancing to
the Garden and not can we keep our NCAA season
our hopes alive. So I think that the fact that
(05:53):
Hockey East has had teams lock things up really early,
and you had six teams locked up going into this weekend,
that those teams have entered this postseason playing with a
little bit more freedom, and that I think is advantageous.
Speaker 6 (06:10):
We got everybody playing with freedom, and Louis she said
Northeastern was playing free and loose. This must be the
most wide open, free and loose and no pressure series
Hockey East Championship around.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
But I'll tell you.
Speaker 6 (06:24):
This, Northeastern there came in as a nine seed Hockey East.
But they're twenty two in the pair wise, and I
know we're going to get to the pairwise, but to
be they've got some good wins. This isn't a team.
It's not like we're getting a team that's running the
table from the bottom twenty and that this is like
(06:44):
a Cinderella story. It may seem like one, but it's not.
And I know we'll talk more about it. This is
still a really good hockey team and if they if
Northeastern ends up winning the Hockey East, I would have
a hard time believing they're not in the the top
twenty in the pairwise. So this is an interesting group
(07:05):
that is peaking at the right time. I'm going to
not use the word playing free. They're peaking. They really
took advantage of the second season.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Well, there is a ton on the line for those
teams in hockeys that are already in We'll get to
that more with a pair. Wise, let's just say that
those teams could end up anywhere from a first seed
to a low second seed depending on how they do
on the tournament. So there's a lot on the line
when you get to the Garden. NCHC. There was only
(07:37):
one upset and that was a mild one number five
seed over forst. North Dakota took a pair on the
road at Omaha three two and three to two. Top
seed Western Michigan advanced easily six to two both nights
over Saint Cloud State. Arizona State had a lot of fun,
winning four to three on Friday, but it was six
(07:58):
to five in overtime on Saturday, and then last night
it went to three games Denver and CC smacked down
by Denver in game three nine to two. So that
sets up the NCCHC semi finals. North Dakota takes on
Western Michigan and Denver as the three seed versus two
seed Arizona State.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I have to say I got to watch that Arizona
State series just the timing. It was when I was
coming home both nights, Friday and Saturday.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Credit to the administration, the coaching staff, the players that
that building was awesome, and the overtime winner on Saturday
night had Mullet going nuts. Hats off to great Power
as his staff just for that. But everything was choky
in the NCCHC. Obviously North Dakota getting those two or
(08:50):
only two points difference, Yeah, exactly. It still feels it
came down to the final weekend of the regular season
to even have to go on the road. Yeah, I
feel like this league kind of followed Shock, but there's
just so much these teams are playing for. If your
name's not Western Michigan or Denver, everybody else had a lot.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
Going, a lot on the line going into this weekend.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
Weird Arizona State game three nothing in favor of Duluth.
Arizona State never led until they scored the overtime winner
three nothing, four to three, five to four. It was
back and forth and five to five, and I'm sure
the goaltender for d Luth above to have that one back,
but it set off a celebration. And then last night
(09:38):
with that Calora College Denver game, you could tell that
it was rivalries because Denver wasn't stopping scoring and there
were a lot of penalties in the third and a
lot of power play goals and short handed goals.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
There's a little bit of everything.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
And I think Colorall College without Canden Burko last night
just ran up out of gas and not them their
top goaltender and do or die game. He got hurt
in the third period of Game two. I think that
was a I think that was a the TSN turning point,
I would say for the series.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Onto the ECAC. Mike Schaefer continues his coaching career. Mild
upsets there, but Cornell down Colgate on the road in Hamilton,
New York at four to one and three nothing. A
good defensive effort on the weekend for Cornell. The other
games and we'll talk about what happened overall in ECAC.
(10:36):
Quinnipiac down to Brown four to one and four nothing.
Fifth seed Dartmouth knocked off Union on the road three
to two and seven to two. So that closes Messer
rank as the Guardet Chargers move into a new building
in the fall. Clarkson needed three games against Harvard, a
three to two win on Friday, two to three overtime
(10:59):
loss on Saturday, and then two to one for Clarkson
yesterday in what was you know? It was to me?
I watched most of the game, and it was an
exciting game, but it didn't seem like it was this
knockdown drag out back and forth. It just seemed to
(11:19):
I don't know, maybe it's because I was thinking of
other stuff. It seemed to plot along for me. But
it was a great overtime win for Clarkson. So in
Lake Placid again, number one Quinnipiac versus number six Cornell
and number two Clarkson versus number five Dartmouth, and these
are must win games at least the semi finals for everybody,
and Quinnipiac, from what we can see, even if they
(11:41):
get to the championship game don't lock things up. So
really all four teams if they want to make the postseason,
need to win that tournament.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
I watched a lot of the ECAC because of obviously
ESPN plus being on Hulu and get all the other
streaming going on yours and all that, but I agree
with you, I didn't like it looked to me that
game three yesterday with clarks and those retired hockey teams.
It didn't look like there was a it didn't feel
(12:12):
like it was your season's over. But for the ECAC
to get Clarkson a North country team Withake Blast a
big deal, big draw with Cornell and Mike Shaffer's going
out there were they had a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
At the at Colgate. It almost looked like a second
line of arena.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
So I think that you got some of the best
teams there, at least the teams that are playing the
best at at the right time. And nobody's surprised that
Cornell plays tight defensively this time of year, and Ian
Shane pitched a shut out that that'd be.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
That's like saying it snows in Ithaca in the winter.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
I really believe that you might see Mike Shaeffer continue
to coach another weekend.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
The way they're going about it right.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Now, yeah, I mean, but the ad that's coming these
EASYAC teams, they know what's on the line right now.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
They understand that you lose right now and the season's over.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
I do agree, Derek, this is going to set up
a great atmosphere in Lake Placid, both Cornell and Clarkson
getting there.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
That they'll really bring their fans, and.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Then Cornipiac they're used to being there, and Dartmouth that
might be a little bit new for them, but that
they've been that fan base has been dying. They try
to get back into some of these big situations. So
this sets up a great weekend in that little hockey
town in upstate New York. I think you've got to
be pleased if you're anybody from the ECAC.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
And they're trying to go all out in Lake Placid.
I saw an interview with their commissioner, Doug Christiansen during
the broadcast yesterday. They're adding VIP seeding to the arena,
and as of yesterday morning, I guess there were only
four tickets left board, so they were pretty excited about
continuing to build a fan experience. They continue, as does
(14:06):
Hockey East, to have a neutral site while everybody else
is moving the opposite direction. But when we've talked to Doug,
they think it's a pretty special thing and they've already
extended a contract there. So it should be a lot
of fun up in Lake Placid. If you can find
a hotel room this late, you may have to die
it a little bit.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
That is one of the bigger challenges. Small town, not
a lot of places to stay. And I also think
it'll be interesting in Saint Paul this weekend. As they
call it, they're calling it the last call in Saint
Paul for the NCCHC, their lost neutral site championship.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Well, with that, we're going to take a break and
look at semi finals as we've wrapped up the quarterfinals.
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men's D one
Frozen four April tenth and twelfth in Saint Louis. The
(15:01):
NCAA Men's Frozen four the pinnacle of men's collegiate ice
hawk Any.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
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Be prepared to hype your squad for all three periods?
Bring glory home to your campus.
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Oh You're ready.
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It's Frozen four time.
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Buy your seas today at NCAAA dot com.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
S's Frozen Fool.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Welcome back to usc CHO Weekend Review Atlantic Hockey America.
Both series ended in two games. Holy Cross brought a
close to the coaching career of Brian Riley and his
Army Black Knights, a three two overtime win on Friday
and five to one on Saturday. Meanwhile, on the other
side of the ledger, Bentley swept Sacred Heart on the
(15:57):
road five to two and three nothing that Friday win.
Bentley was down to nothing pretty early in that game,
and then a slew foot penalty led to a five
minute major and two power play goals for Bentley to
tie it up. They got a late goal and followed
it up with a wrap around and then got the
(16:17):
empty netter and then just a terrific goaltending on Saturday.
Connor Hasley his eleventh shutout for the season, which puts
him one behind the NCAA record of twelve that Greg
Gardner had with Niagara. And so that's going to be
an All Massachusetts championship game in Worcester at the Heart Center.
(16:39):
Is Bentley head to holy Cross once again?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
You got it.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
You got two teams that were separated by two points
and the five points from holy Cross to Buckley in
the season. So it once again the two to three upset.
Other than happen to go on the road is was
a is a minute upset. You've got two of the
hotter teams in the league going at it here to
end the year and playing the championship. And what they
(17:07):
always say is you got to peak at the right time,
and obviously these two teams are doing it. But when
it was two nothing, I thought this might be sacred
hearts here and Bentley just completely turned that game on
the five minute major. And then you had Connor Hasley
doing what Connor Hasley's doing in Game two, and that's
just pitching shutouts and the other series overtime winner for
(17:33):
holy Cross, and then really it was not in doubt
from the start of the game on Saturday, and hats
off to Brian Riley. He goes out with a tremendous
run and they were leaking oil. They were I wouldn't
even call it leaking oil. They might have dropped their
engine until they picked a new one back up when
(17:54):
they pummeled the Merciers that weekend, and they didn't stop
and they sent him out on a good run. So
congratulations of Brian. I'm gonna miss having them in league meetings.
I'm gonna miss talking Atlantic cocky stuff with him. Now
he's just going to be talking as an outsider critiquing
everything that we do. So he's not going away, but
(18:15):
it's sad to see his coaching career come to on.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
But congratulations to him.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
Yeah, I thought this was a great semi final weekend
for Atlantic cocky. You talk about the comeback there on Friday,
the other game going to overtime. That's the drama you
were looking for. You getting another shutout from Hazi. This
story is just growing its own legs and now you
have the All Massa choose that's final.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
That's fantastic for this league. Beau.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
I think that the Massachusets portion of this of Atlantic Hockey, there.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
Were times that it was really.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Feeling like they would never have any real role in
this league. Because you go back to the beginning. Holy
Cross was great when the mac first started, Yukon was great.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
The year after.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
With that that mercy Hurst comes in and he Quinnipiak,
it was harder to get back championships. And so to
see two Massachusetts teams in the finals of this conference,
I think that this is as a good thing to
show that there's great parody throughout this league top to bottom,
that you have different teams that can and will win
(19:21):
this championships. It shows that there's it's not just one team,
two teams in Atlantic Hockey. I think that's really critical
for the conference. And you mentioned Brian Riley. He became
a good friend over the years, and you're right, Derek,
I really love the way his team played for him
down the stretch this season, second half of the year,
right into the playoffs into last weekend. I'm sure we'll
(19:45):
see his face around. He's been around this game for
too long to just go into hiding, but yeah, he'll
probably be critiquing you pretty heavily next year.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
Their schools.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
You know what the funny thing is just and it's
almost one in cycles becausein ed list in the two
thus you could write usually three teams into the semi
finals in Rochester? Can you guess what three teams were
there almost every year?
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Rit, Robert Morris and.
Speaker 6 (20:15):
Air Force air Force. Yeah, and then you would throw
another one in. We went the seventh straight. Rit went
to was almost there all the time we played in
two finals against air Force.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
So I'm not pumping my tires.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
It's just the shift and cycles, and it goes in cycles,
and a lot of it has to do with you
talk about the teams that were in there. You got
Bentley and Sacred Heart in the finals. Why do you
Why are they there? Because they've got new buildings and
they've got renewed energy on campus and a lot of that.
(20:49):
That's cicular And for us in the West, who does
who only had We didn't have any teams from the
New York Pennsylvania contingent in the final four. The share
it's up to us to continue to get better, just
like it was up to them when it was dominated
by the West, And he went a canisis there? You
(21:09):
had merciters there, so it wasn't just it just wasn't
those three then you would throw those other ones. There
were numerous times where it was New York and Pennsylvania finals.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
And one other interesting thing with this matchup. Holy Cross
does not have grad students on so they on their team.
They were not able to get grad transfers in their
high profile transfer Liam mcclinsky as a senior. He came
in in his sophomore year from Quinnipiac. Meanwhile, Bentley Andy
Jones has done a terrific job with transfers and grad
(21:41):
transfers and this is going to be the last year
for that It'll be interesting to see what develops next year,
but that matchup should be pretty good. Both teams play
very well defensively, and so you may see a tight
game and as soon as I say that, we'll see
him a big scoring game. But I think that's going
to be a terrific matchup. Last time those two teams
(22:01):
match for the league championship was two thousand and six,
Holly Cross went on to defeat Minnesota in the first
round of the tournament. The winner of that league, either
Bentley or holy Cross, it's all set. They're going to
have to take on Boston College, probably in Manchester. Good
for travel and attendance for that underdog team, but a
(22:22):
big obstacle looms ahead for whoever wins that.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Especially in an angry Boston College team.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Right who will have lost their last game three to
one to Northeastern. That should be fun.
Speaker 6 (22:36):
Struct teams, the two most structured teams in the league,
structured and defense orientated, two best goaltenders in my opinion,
and two of the best players in mcclensky and Ethan Lay.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
It's a good matchup here.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Yeah, And boy did even Lay get beat up in
that series and just kept working. Michigan State only needed
one goal to advance ants to the finals in the
Big Ten. Isaac Howard got his twenty fourth of the
season as they down Notre Dame. That was the end
of the coaching career Notre Dame for Jeff Jackson six
(23:13):
hundred and one wins and either he ends with six
hundred and one, where we say six hundred and one
and counting, I'm not saying anything, I'm just speculating a
little bit. Ohio State got an overtime goal, beautiful play
two on one gunner Will Fonteine five hole to get
past Penn State four to three, which was just an
(23:35):
outstanding game. So it's number one Michigan State hosting number
three seed Ohio State for the Big Ten title on Saturday.
And we should point out, and we talked about it
all season, but Ohio State was picked a last in
the Big Ten. Coaches pulled back in September. I imagine they
(23:56):
probably already voted for a Coach of the Year in
the Big Ten. But boy, Steve Rollick sure has earned
the opportunity.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
Big controversy in the Penn State Ohio State game with
a height stick that would not have been allowed last
year when it would be above the crossber, it just
happened to be I think that I don't remember the
player's name, but I know he was about six foot six,
so it was It's a tough rule now because it's
no matter where you play the puck from. You could
(24:27):
be on your knees and you can knock it down
from below the crossbar, but it's above your shoulders. It's
from where you play the puck. So it's a tough call.
I mean, granted, officials had a tough call. They called
it a goal. It wasn't the determining factor because Penn
State then obviously came back and forced overtime and great
(24:49):
hockey game going into overtime and big time play to
win at obviously. What more can you say about Isaac
Howard in Michigan State, it's I think they're waiting for
the opportunity to get back to Saint Louis, and that's
it's been.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
That they're going to be there in the tournament.
Speaker 6 (25:06):
Now it's about getting back to Saint Louis where they
won their last national championship.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I thought that the effort from Ohio State was great
and not taking any away from Penn State because it
was great as well. That building was fantastic. I want
to give credit to the Big Ten into hockey as well,
staggering the stark times on these games, allowing fans to
watch as many games as possible on TV.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
I know you could see a couple of the games.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
On I think three of the four quarterfinals in Hockey
East runnessen throughout the weekend, and then the two Big
Ten games going back to back on BTN.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
I thought that was just fantastic. I'll stop there, but I.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Think that Ohio State, when you look at where they've
been this season, picked to finish last, they've had a
great season, and now after surviving against Wisconsin and that
literally was surviving, now they're in the championship game. I
think that the guys scoring the game winning goal of
Fonteinn Gunner wolf Fontaine. His addition to this team was
(26:13):
so big offensively and he's been a big part, so
it was almost appropriate to see him score the game winner.
On the other side, I do want to mention Jeff Jackson,
what a fantastic career and I don't know, I don't
know that going to Lake Superior State as a coach
and me turning that program into the powerhouse that he
(26:34):
did for the little under a decade. I think that
he was there. That's nothing short of amazing too. That
is not those are hard things to do today. Hats
off to Jeff on such a fantastic career.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
Yeah, absolutely surprising he didn't win a national championship in
Notre Dame with all the success they had. That's that's
probably the one thing that he probably wishes that he
would have had because he's got so many accolades and
been such a great coach.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
He just didn't get over the hump there with Notre
Dame with some of those teams.
Speaker 6 (27:07):
And don't forget I said, all you all Michigan State
needed was the one goal by as How sneaky shut
out by Trey Augustine. I think it was under twenty saves,
but there were some breakaways in there, so sneaky shutout
there for Trey Augustine.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
So Michigan State, they're going to be the number two
overall seed in the tournament in Ohio State is already
and they're going to be a three seed somewhere, and
we'll get to it in a moment. But Penn State
now has to sit and wait and hope for favorites
to win in these other tournaments. Onto the CCHA. It
was a scenario they probably didn't want to happen, but
(27:46):
Saint Thomas downed Bowling Green to advance to the league
championship game. However, the Tommy's are in their final year
of transition to Division One. It would have been there
next to last, but the NCAA reduced that from five
to four in some legislation during the season, so it's
their final year ineligible, which means they will go to
(28:10):
man Cato to take on Minnesota State. Man Cato shut
out Bamichi for nothing, but since Saint Thomas is ineligible
for the tournament, Minnesota State has already gotten the auto
bed and this is a chance for Saint Thomas either
to take some hardware with them out the door to
the nc SEA or for Minnesota State to finally say
(28:32):
goodbye to Saint Thomas on behalf of the other members
of the CCHA.
Speaker 6 (28:38):
Yeah, weird scenarios throughout the CCHA this year with the
August Dana points and plan for a league title. Now
Saint Thomas on their way out the door. Can't even play,
can you say in junction.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
I'm just throw that out there, seeing I don't think
you can appeal anything or do anything, unfortunately, but what
a story that that's put together with potentially Saint Thomas
winning but not being never go to the tournament. But
kudos to that St. Thomas for getting there, and that
(29:14):
Mantato they're in the tournament already.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
This was a strange situation no matter how you looked
at it, but credit to Saint Thomas.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
I don't know that there's something here that reminds.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Me of when Notre Dame went to the Big Ten
and their final season in Hockey East. They were that
lame duck member, but they were allowed to play and
everything it was.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
They were bull fledged members.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
It wasn't like saying Thomas where they were ineligible for
the tournament.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
But Notre Dame was.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
The only Hockey East team to reach the Frozen Four
that year twenty seventeen.
Speaker 5 (29:50):
That's something I think they'll remembered by many.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
I don't love this scenario where you are playing a
game and you already know who's going to the nca
It's not the spirit of what college athletics is usually about.
That's the I think one of the things that makes
college sports so unique is you win your conference championship,
you usually get a chance to keep playing, so's it'll
(30:16):
be a little strange for the Tommies and for Don
the Cheer and his league. Credit to the two teams
that got to the finals. They played really well in
this postseason. And yeah, I feel when all is said
and done, it still is going to be Minnesota State.
They feel like the powerhouse right now. But it's it
does create just one of those scenarios that probably wasn't
(30:36):
the most desirable for the c.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Let's go on to looking at the pairwise and by
the way, if you go to uscho dot com, the
link is on the front page for this year's Pairwise predictor,
you can play around with different scenarios. There are four
thousand and ninety six possible combinations of results coming up
from this weekend and you can see what puts your
team in or out and running all those different possibilities.
(31:15):
We know that twelve bids have been clinched BC Michigan State.
They will be one and two, and the rest of
these are pretty flexible, with teams anywhere from a first
seed to a low second in some of these Maine, Minnesota, Western,
Michigan all In, also bu Yukon, Providence, Ohio State, Denver,
(31:37):
UMass and as we mentioned, Minnesota State with a CCHA
auto bid. So that leaves us to what happens in
the championship games. ECAC and Atlanta Hockey Champions each take
one spot, so that leaves a bubble of three teams
for the NCAA tournament Quinnipiac, Penn State, and Michigan. Penn
(31:58):
State and Michigan are done playing, so they've got to
sit and watch. Quinnipiac can almost cement their way in
by making it to the championship game, and of course
if they win, that's great for Penn State and Michigan.
There are teams that can also burst the bubble North Dakota,
Arizona State, Northeastern, Clarkson, Dartmouth, and Cornell. Only one of
(32:21):
those teams wins, Michigan is out. They have right now
about an eighteen percent chance of getting in. If two
teams win, Penn State at seventy nine percent is out
and if three win, Quinnipiac at eighty seven percent is out.
We knew it was going to be a fairly small
bubble a week ago. Now we know what's going to
contribute to it, and we know now what teams, what
(32:45):
games fans of those teams on the bubble have to
root for.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
Yeah, I think Quinnipiac is the one team that you
can't put them in in penyet it's still pencil, but
it's it's darker pencil because I think that it's considered
probably an extreme case that you think that three of
those six teams would win. Yes, do I think Arizona
Stair North Dakota could win the NCAAC.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Do I think somebody besides Quinnipiac could win the ECAC.
Maybe it's happened a lot of late so that leaves
Hockey East, but it's only Northeastern. You only have one
team there that can pull off the upset. I will
know a lot on by the time we get to
Saturday night. Hockey's will have played their championship game at
(33:33):
that point, so well the CCHA that that doesn't really matter,
and then we'll have will know who's at least advanced
in the NCC Championship in ECAC. By the time we
get to Saturday morning, we're usually in one of those
kind of tense situations. We might actually know the entire
sixteen team field by the time we get to Saturday morning.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Yeah, you still will have the possibility of an upset
in ECAC on Saturday morning, but the others could be
all set. If North Dakota and Arizona State are ousted
and Northeastern loses in the semi final round, then it'll
come down to who wins the ECAC to determine things
(34:14):
from Michigan.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
And at that point, Quinnipiac could be in a position
that they've actually they've cemented. If they've reached the final
there's a chance that they could have cemented their position already.
Speaker 5 (34:24):
What do you do?
Speaker 6 (34:25):
What do you guys think? How many are going to
pop the bubble? One, two, or three?
Speaker 5 (34:31):
That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Let's see this. That's why I'm going to go.
Speaker 5 (34:35):
I'm only gonna go with the point. And I'm not
even saying I think it might be the state.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
So you're gonna say Michigan is going to be out.
Speaker 5 (34:44):
I'm gonna say Michigan is out.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
That's the most likely thing to happen. I don't see three,
but you never know.
Speaker 6 (34:51):
You're giving up a chance for three. Still you never know,
you said, are you saying two?
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yeah? I think two is possible. I think one this
most likely.
Speaker 4 (35:02):
I think I've also seen enough Hockey East all year
to know that, well, Northeastern is playing well right now,
I still think that they.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
Are real underdog this weekend.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
I'd probably give their overall chances of getting out of
the garden with the trophy under ten percent.
Speaker 6 (35:21):
Yeah, you gotta get They got to get two wins.
That's that's why you're That's why you're talking. That's heart
you think about it. If they get two wins, they
were to beat Boston College, Boston University.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
And no but that Boston College, Main Merrimack, Boston been
made and then either yeah, either be you or Yukon,
and then they.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
Deserve they really deserve it. They've really earned.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
It now, Jim, you pointed out something, and I know
Nate Lehman wasn't planning on this. However, Providence may have
helped out their regional seeding by losing the Yukon on Friday.
The Friars are ninety nine percent. There are forty four
scenarios where it doesn't include them. They would be either
(36:12):
the eighth or ninth overall seed, which would probably put
them in BC's region, which would be Manchester. An easy
travel up from Rhode Island to that one, bring out
some fans and so forth. I don't think at this
point they really care. They certainly are just happy to
be in the tournament and wherever they go they would
be happy. But this is the cherry on top of
(36:34):
the Sunday well we hear.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
Of playing games. This was almost a play not in
game or a play not to I don't know how
to say it. If whoever lost on Friday night between
Yukon and Providence was going to be in this situation.
If Yukon had been the team that lost, they would
have been in this situation where they'd be either eight
or nine and likely aligning with BC. So I'd rather
(36:58):
still win and go to the Garden. But it is
a nice little consolation prize for the Friars, knowing that
they're going to play a couple of hours from home.
Speaker 6 (37:06):
You always that's one of your goals is to probably
to for especially Hockey East, is to get to the
Garden and then win the Garden. So I think that's
probably something that is right disappointing. But the ultimate goal
is a national championship. And the only thing I would
say is you want to be playing. You want to
be playing your best hockey. You also want to feel
(37:28):
good about yourself. And now they've got a practice for
two weeks, and you know how it is coming off
of bye week. Sometimes it's hard. It's hard to come
off that bye week and be ready to go. You're
going to probably play potentially a fresh team. You're going
to play a team that probably played this weekend, so
it's going to be hard.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
By the way, do we think that there's any discussions
at the league level after this year's season, after this
year's tournament where you're going to have Minnesota, Boston College, Michigan, UMass.
You're having a lot of teams in the NCAA field
(38:09):
that are taking extended periods off before they play their
NCUBLEA game.
Speaker 5 (38:13):
The Minnesota one is the most extreme.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
That'll be two years in a row in the Big Ten.
Speaker 5 (38:19):
Now, I think it is that right that the number
two seed. Yeah, I think you're right. The number two
seed was eliminated last year as well.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
It's just a lot of time off. You're talking almost
three weeks, three full weeks before you play your next
game nineteen twenty days. I don't know that there's a
perfect way, but we were talking geography and budgets and
all that stuff. Play in the Hockey East tournament went
from eleven to one and in ten days because of
the geography Atlantic cocky, though when you look at it,
(38:49):
the war week got from eleven to one.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
It takes a month.
Speaker 4 (38:54):
Just I don't feel like the postseason efficiency is there
in all the tournaments. I honestly, especially in the league
like the Big Ten, I would be more inclined to
go back to the way they treated it when they
first started, go to one city, play all three games
in one night. I know attendance is one of the
(39:16):
big things that come up there. I just I think
that we're now seeing it. We're a nineteen day break
before a tournament game. It doesn't make sense to me,
and I think that's something that will get discussed.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
Two things.
Speaker 6 (39:28):
One, don't lose in the first round, and then two
I can tell you it's been discussed in Atlanta Cockey
that to shorten the time and our play in game
because our first round is one game and it's technically
a play in game for the quarterfinals to potentially have
(39:48):
that game on Tuesday, and that will be discussed in Florida.
A Tuesday night game followed by Friday Saturday Sunday. For example,
if when we played ri I T two years ago,
ed we would have played Tuesday night and then had
to be at rit on Friday for a two out
of three games series. I think that really you want
(40:10):
your best teams. That also gives your big advantage. They
don't have the off week, and it gives a tired
team to play against.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
The only thing I can see with that, and it
comes up with everything you got to figure out with
with Atlanta Hockey is air Force. Do you want to
play on a Saturday night and have to be out
at air Force on it Tuesday.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
We would have had to do it, and they've got
they've got they've got some plans for to be able
to do that, So it would have had to happen
to us. We would have had to basically get on
a flight back to Colorado with air Force this weekend.
If that's the case and it could have been done,
you cannot play a makeup game on Monday, That's right,
(40:51):
you could you It could be done.
Speaker 4 (40:54):
If you're a coach do you prefer that or do
you prefer cutting three teams from the postseason.
Speaker 5 (41:01):
I could the right.
Speaker 6 (41:04):
I think everybody where we'd be cutting two now because
we're going to be at ten teams next year. But
I know what, Uh, the n cut one this year.
I think that's the only league if I'm correct, that
that cuts somebody?
Speaker 5 (41:21):
Did they think?
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Yeah, they cut Northern, So there are two teams.
Speaker 6 (41:25):
But I think college hockey, the history of college hockey,
I think everybody should make the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
I don't think it's right to cut any teams unless
everybody plays an identical schedule. And the wrong league that
does that is ECAC.
Speaker 6 (41:42):
You're because you're going to get harder teams, you're going
to get a home and road split, you're gonna have,
you're gonna play more within your region.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
Adds right.
Speaker 6 (41:52):
To be able to do that, you need a balanced schedule,
And then you could cut because then everybody plays everybody
in't think that's going to be able to happen.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
So that's right.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
One last thing before we go. We know that BC's
number one in Michigan State is number two in the
seedings for the NCAA. But five teams can still make
the top four and be a number one regional seed.
Maine can finish anywhere from third to sixth, same with
Western bu can finish anywhere from third to seventh, Yukon
(42:28):
anywhere from third to eighth, and Minnesota anywhere from third
to six So a lot on the line in seeding
coming up with these games. Even if there's not a
lot of action along the bubble.
Speaker 4 (42:40):
There will be some shifting here in that number one speed.
We'll see where the value of it is. Sometimes the
number one seed is very valuable because it's the opponent
that you get to play maybe a bit more of.
Speaker 5 (42:52):
An inferior opponent.
Speaker 4 (42:53):
But oftentimes if you're the number one seed and you're
not the one or the two, you're often playing pretty
far away from home. And I think that, especially this year,
where you have three regions that aren't in New York
or New England, you're going to end up in a
scenario where you might have two teams, two number one
seats really traveling a long distance.
Speaker 6 (43:15):
I would love to see a obviously this time next week,
well know, but I would love to see a region
and aldo with Michigan State and Western Michigan. I think
that would bang it out and then you throw in
potentially somehow along the way, get Ohio State there for tenants. Wow,
that could be big time. And who knows, if Michigan
(43:38):
stays around, maybe they're a fifteen seed. Didn't go with
the number two seed Michigan State Spartans, and we've got
a rivalry right off the bat that will take that
will certainly take both Western Michigan and Ohio State losing
this weekend.
Speaker 4 (43:56):
I'm not even sure that it's possible to get all
three in that region because of where they'll be in
Bays one, two three.
Speaker 5 (44:01):
I think you're going to have two of them in
the same band.
Speaker 4 (44:03):
But I think that is what would make Toledo is
a big question mark, right. It's not a traditional regional site.
We haven't had have we had a regional there and
I don't remember it. I don't remember it. We did,
yeah once wants it and I don't remember it being
a great site. So if you can get some teams
(44:24):
that are pretty close, that will bring the fan bases
that they this is the region. I've been very concerned
about Allentown as well, but now Penn State, if they
can get in, makes me feel a little better about Allentown.
Speaker 6 (44:37):
Can you imagine a first round game Michigan State and Michigan.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
They wouldn't do that in the first round. They would
avoid that no matter.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, But it could be it
could be a regional championship that would be a two
fifteen seed that they would have to make. They would
have to make changes.
Speaker 2 (44:57):
Yeah, they definitely would. It'll be fun for the committee
come Sunday for sure, or Saturday night. Maybe it'll be easy.
Maybe they put the we'll find out. Jim. You're gonna
have a bracketology on Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (45:11):
Correct, Tuesday afternoon, and then we'll have bra Bracketology extra
after Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
All right, lots of hockey to watch this weekend, and
with that we'll wrap it up here. This episode has
been sponsored by the NCAA Men's Division One Frozen four
April tenth and twelfth, then Saint Louis. Get your tickets
now at NCAA dot com. Slash Frozen four for Jim Connolly,
for Derek Schooley, I'm Ed Trevsker And this has been
(45:40):
usc CHO Weekend Review
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