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Wednesday, March 24, 1999
Well we’re down to the last two weekends of the college hockey season. Well the last three, there is still what is basically a college all star game between college players from the United States and Canada to be played the week after the NCAA finals. However, for us Wolverine fans these last two weekends are it. This is what we play for every year, we haven’t had our best year leading up to this tournament, but we are back in the tournament. This is Michigan’s ninth straight trip to the NCAA hockey tournament, tying them with Boston University for the most consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament. BU didn’t make it this year allowing Michigan to draw even and giving them the chance to take the lead next year (but I’m getting way ahead of myself there).
As you know, or may not know, there are only twelve teams invited to the NCAA hockey tournament and this tournament is a single elimination tournament. In other words, you win or you go home. The twelve teams in this tournament are very strong and each and every one of them is capable of winning the whole thing. If any team has an off night they will be going home. There are two regions in this tournament, the East and the West. Each region has six teams and those six teams are further broken down into groups three. The #1 and #2 seed in each region get a first round bye, they only have to win one game to make the "frozen four" (the hockey tournaments version of the basketball final four). In each region the #6 seed will play the #3 seed and the #4 seed will play the #5 seed in the first round. The winner of the game between the #3 and #6 seed will play the #2 seed and the winner of the game between the #4 and #5 seeds will play the #1 seed in the second and final round of this weekends play. The team that wins this tournament is generally the one that plays consistent focused hockey for four straight games. No big down sides and no big up sides, you want steady focused hockey. The winning team also usually catches one or two big breaks along the way. A little bit of luck goes a long way in this tournament.
Lets take a quick look at which teams went to which region and their seedings.
East Regional playing on Friday and Saturday night we have the following teams.
#1 University of New Hampshire
They ended the year at number 2 in the national polls and number 2 in the Pairwise rankings. They were in the frozen four last year and were ousted by Michigan in their semi-final game. They are still loaded with talent this year and will be a formidable opponent for anyone who has to play them. They get a first round bye in this weekends action. They will play the winner of the Michigan-Denver game starting at 8:30 Friday night.
#2 Clarkson
Another excellent team out of the East. They ended the year at number 6 in the national polls and number 6 in the Pairwise rankings. They also get a first round bye in this weekends action and they will play the winner of the Maine-Ohio State game starting at 5:00 PM Friday night.
#3 Maine
The Blackbears have been a fixture in the NCAA tournament this year and have been knocking on the door for all of those years. Once again they are loaded up with talent. They finished at number 4 in the national polls and at number 4 in the Pairwise rankings. They will play Ohio State in the game starting at 5:00 PM (EST) on Friday night.
#4 Denver University
One of the teams out of the WCHA and also one of the hottest teams coming into this tournament. They are on a 7 or 8 game win streak coming into this tournament, including last weekends tournament win over the number 1 team in the country, to take the WCHA tournament title and make the NCAA tournament. Denver was picked to finish quite low in the WCHA this year, after a rather lack luster year last year, and at the start of the year that prediction appeared to be holding true. However, after the Christmas break Denver turned things around and have been playing extremely well. They finished the year at number 8 in the national polls and number 8 in the Pairwise rankings. They will play Michigan in the game starting at 8:30 PM (EST) on Friday night.
#5 University of Michigan
Well we all know about this team, they started the year looking as good as we all thought they could be, with their only weakness being a problem with scoring. Heading into the Christmas break it looked like their scoring problem had been corrected and we expected big things in the second half of the year. After the break they beat up on a seriously out gunned Michigan Tech, but lost the GLI championship to Michigan State for the second straight year (wait till next year MSU, we’re going to get that one back). They then went on to have a somewhat off January, but we all waited for them to turn the corner and really start pushing toward the playoffs. Then came February where they went winless for some 31 or 32 days, putting together a woeful record of 0-4-4. Then came March and suddenly things started to turn around. They swept Miami in a great weekend of hockey, where both defense and offense came alive. They then went into the north country where they played hard, but again lost to Lake State (something that we all knew simply shouldn’t have happened). The following night they went to Northern Michigan and beat up on the Wildcats and they have never looked back. Then finished the regular season unbeaten. Swept their first round series against Bowling Green to advance to the CCHA semi-finals and finals. There they beat the Buckeyes of Ohio State for the first time this year and then again beat the Wildcats to claim the CCHA tournament championship. This was Michigan’s third CCHA tournament title in the last four years. They have been playing extremely good team hockey, with the defense stopping some high powered offenses and the offense putting some mighty big numbers on the board (in contrast to the rest of the year anyway). They finished the year at number 9 in the national polls (they got pushed down one spot by Denver) and they finished at number 11 in the Pairwise rankings. They will play Denver in the game starting at 8:30 PM (EST) on Friday night.
#6 Ohio State
The Buckeyes were on the bubble going into the CCHA tournament (as was Michigan, Northern, and Notre Dame) and things didn’t look real good for them after their first round loss to the Wolverines. However, with some losses in the East that put some other teams in even worse positions the Buckeyes made the tournament for the second year in a row. They play extremely good team defense and have the potential to score points. They finished the year just out of the top ten in the national polls and at number 12 in the Pairwise rankings. They play Maine in the game starting at 5:00 PM (EST) Friday night.
West Regional playing Saturday and Sunday night, we have the following teams.
#1 University of North Dakota
ND one the National Championship two years ago (the year Michigan didn’t) and was the favorite to win it last year (as Michigan was the favorite to win it the year ND won it). The Fighting Sioux ran into an inspired pack of Wolverines in the quarterfinals and never made it to Boston. Make no mistake about it, this team is loaded with talent and is the hands down favorite to win this years title. Even this Wolverine fan will admit that on paper they look pretty darn good. I’ve also seen them play a game or two this year and folks, there good. They remind me of Michigan two years ago, a well-oiled, skate and gun team. They have an adequate defense, but not overpowering. They give up a little on the defense, but make up for it on the offense. They have eight seniors on this team and 5 or 6 players (maybe more) who have scored 20 or more goals this year. It doesn’t matter who’s on the ice for them, there is always a scoring threat. If what I’ve read is true they have used last year’s loss to Michigan as a motivating factor during this entire season and if these two teams meet in Anaheim, expect one great hockey game. They finished the year at number 1 in the national polls and number 1 in the Pairwise rankings. They get a first round bye in the West and will play the winner of the Boston College-Northern Michigan game.
#2 Michigan State
The Spartans are yet another team from the CCHA and were the regular season champions of the CCHA (by a wide margin). The Spartans aren’t known for putting up big scores, but they do have a stifling defense. MSU has also gained somewhat of a reputation for not doing well in the NCAA tournament. They were also favorites to end up in the finals last year, and didn’t get anywhere close to Boston. Look for the Spartans to do all within their power to reach Anaheim this year. MSU finished the year at number 3 in the national polls and number 3 in the Pairwise rankings. They also get a buy on Saturday night, but will play the winner of the Colorado College-St. Lawrence game.
#3 Colorado College
The third and final team out of the WCHA, they are no stranger to the NCAA tournament. Michigan beat them in overtime three years ago to claim the National Championship, they were in Milwaukee two years ago, and were in the tournament last year, but got bounced by Boston College in the quarter finals. They finished the year at number 7 in the national polls and number 7 in the Pairwise rankings. They play St. Lawrence in the game starting at 1 PM (CT) Saturday afternoon.
#4 Boston College
BC was of course in the final game of the tournament last year where they lost in a dramatic over time finish to the Wolverines of Michigan (Michigan likes to win those National Championships in overtime don’t they). They return a very talented team to the ice this year and want another shot at the National Championship. They are an explosive offensive team and can really hurt you if you don’t get on them and get on them early. They finished the year at number 5 in the national polls and number 5 in the Pairwise rankings. They play Northern Michigan in the game starting at 4:30 PM (CT) on Saturday afternoon.
#5 Northern Michigan
The fourth and final team out of the CCHA in the tournament. It is rare that any one conference places four teams in the hockey tournament, but this year the CCHA did it. I believe that goes a long way to proving what I have said this year and for the last couple of years. From top to bottom the CCHA is the premier league in the country. The Wildcats can really light up a score board and the first round game against BC should be a thriller. I don’t look for a lot of defense in this game, but I do look for a lot of offense. Northern finished just out of the top ten in the national polls and they finished at number 13 in the Pairwise rankings. They will play Boston College in the game starting at 4:30 PM (CT) on Saturday afternoon.
#6 St. Lawrence
Another strong team out of the East St. Lawrence has been in or close to being in this tournament for the last several years. I know next to nothing about them so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the tournament. They finished the year at number 10 in the national polls and number 9 in the Pairwise rankings. They will play Colorado College in the game starting at 1:30 PM (CT) Saturday afternoon.
Closing Comments
Well that was a quick run through the schools, their tournament seed, how they finished in the polls, whom they will play, and when they will play. Now here is where I stick my neck out there and make some predictions based on absolutely no scientific evidence what so ever. In the East I expect Michigan and Ohio State to win on Friday night. On Saturday night I expect Michigan to win over New Hampshire, but the Buckeyes will loose to Clarkson. Michigan has seen New Hampshire and knows how to take them out of their game. The Buckeyes are good, but I don’t think their ready for the all out scoring blitz that will be mounted by Clarkson. In the West I see Colorado College dispensing with St. Lawrence and Boston College beating Boston College. On Sunday I expect Michigan State to beat Colorado College and North Dakota to beat Boston College. If these predictions hold true that will send Michigan and Michigan State from the CCHA, Clarkson from the ECAC, and North Dakota from the WCHA to Anaheim next weekend. I would really like to see three teams in California from the CCHA, but the level of competition is so intense I think we’ll make up only 50% of the teams in California. If this holds true won’t the possibilities be interesting next weekend (more on that when it becomes necessary).
Some final tid bits of information about our Wolverines. As stated in the opening paragraph this is Michigan’s ninth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. This is now the countries longest streak. We were one game behind Boston University, but since they didn’t make the tournament this year we take over with the longest active streak. If Michigan can win the tournament it will be the first time in 27 years that a team has won back-to-back National Championships in Ice Hockey. This is the longest stretch of time without a repeat champion in any NCAA sport, any division. The game between Denver and Michigan will be a first for the Comrie family (at least at this level of play). As you all know Mike Comrie, a Freshman this year at Michigan, has led the team in points for most of the year. What some of you may not know is that his older brother Paul (I think that’s right) plays for Denver University and he leads their team in points (but he’s a Senior). For the first and last time the Comrie brothers will play against each other in college and their father can see them both play at the same time. Dad has always had to alternate between sons since they’ve not played on the same team or against one another. So Friday night the whole Comrie family can gather in Massachusetts and have a family hockey weekend. Well until Friday that’s all I have, so until then C-ya!!
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