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From: ryan@fremen.DEC (DTN 264-8280 MK01-2/E25)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: NCAA pairings
Message-ID: <1772@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Date: Wed, 19-Mar-86 10:31:37 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.1772
Posted: Wed Mar 19 10:31:37 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Mar-86 03:12:16 EST
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Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
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>Posted by: decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-hydra!thaller
>Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
> 
>It just doesn't seem fair to me that Cornell who won the ECAC title does
>not get home ice for the NCAA semi-finals while Harvard who came in 3rd in
>the ECAC does.  There, I got that off my chest.  Best of luck to both teams
>as they again try to make another ECAC U.S. champion.
> 
>	-Kurt*

	Well, I think Harvard deserved it on the basis of their regular
	season record - did one skin-of-the-teeth loss to Clarkson (with
	Scott Fusco playing well below par with a separated shoulder)
	nullify a mere three losses in league play? There does seem to
	be an inconsistency, though, since BU was given the #1 seed in
	the East despite BC's excellent first-place regular season
	record. I'd say the difference was that BU beat BC head-to-head
	(not only in the Hockey East championship, but in the Beanpot
	championship) and convincingly at that, while Harvard didn't
	meet Cornell in the playoffs and I believe swept the regular
	season series, and only lost in a very close game against
	Clarkson. AND Cornell was out-played in both their semi-final
	and final OT wins, winning only on the basis of Doug Dadswell's
	outstanding goaltending (shades of Terreri and Providence...).
	If the playoffs are all that count, do you think Clarkson should
	have made the NCAA's instead of Harvard?
	
	So, as long as I'm here, I might as well give my predictions.
	Cornell has to go to Denver for their series. I haven't seen
	Denver play, but the #1 team in the country (according to the
	polls, at least) hosting the third-place ECAC team does give a
	strong hint. I'll have to go with Denver (but keep in mind the
	similarity in circumstance with Providence and Michigan State
	last year - the "hot goaltender" effect can't be counted out).
	
	Harvard hosts Western Michigan - judging by how CCHA teams have
	performed against other leagues this year, Harvard ought to blow
	them out. Even without Fusco healthy, they should win without
	too much trouble. Harvard's top players compare with anyone's,
	but they're not as deep as, say, BC, so I won't count on them
	going much farther (I certainly hope they do, as an ECAC
	representative).
	
	BC goes to Michigan State - BC's mad. They're also an excellent
	team (attribute last week's blowout by BU to the two-week layoff
	they "earned" by winning the regular season championship). When
	they're on, they're unbeatable. BC wins a low-scoring series.
	
	BU hosts Minnesota - Finally, a series where I've seen both
	teams play! Very evenly matched, should be an excellent series.
	I'll give the edge to BU on the basis of home advantage.

Mike Ryan
ARPA:	ryan%fremen.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
UUCP:	{decvax,allegra,ihnp4,ucbvax,...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-fremen!ryan