No matter what happens tonight against North Dakota or on Saturday against either Wisconsin or St, Cloud State, the University of Denver hockey team will be the #1 or #2 Pairwise team in the Tournament. More than likely DU will either be playing in Albany, New York or St. Paul, Minnesota next week in the NCAA Regionals.Almost certainly DU will face either Alabama-Huntsville or the champion of the Atlantic Hockey Association in the first round next weekend.
Finally Denver, Miami-Ohio, Wisconsin, Boston College, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, Bemidji State, Yale & Alabama-Huntsville have clinched spots in the NCAA Tournament. The champions of the ECAC and the Atlantic Hockey Tournament are also guaranteed spots. Every other team will be battling for the five remaining invites to the Tourney.
3 comments:
"No matter what happens this weekend....." Excuses, excuses.
It's not excuses, it's fact.
This is a DU blog, and most DU fans see the WCHA tourney far differently than many Sioux fans do.
Sioux fans can go to St. Paul every year by hopping in their car and cheering on their team, so the the tourney means far more when you can invest emotionally in it. For DU fans, St. Paul is too far to drive, and those fans fortunate enough to fly will do so for the NCAAs, and not the WCHA tourney. For DU fans, the WCHA final five is little more than another TV game.
Additionally this year, DU is not going to be affected much by the WCHA tourney outcome in NCAA seeding terms, so the meaning is lessened.
So essentially for the DU fan, the WCHA tourney is little more than pride and preparation for the NCAAs.
Sure we want to win every time our team plays, but this year, I am more concerned about DU staying healthy for the NCAAs than I am about who wins a low priority tourney.
And I think a lot of DU fans think the same way.
Pray we don't face Air Force in the Tourney!!!
Post a Comment