UAA Series Will Determine Playoff Fate For DU

(above) DU's post season route will be determined this weekend
From: Denver Post
by Adrian Dater

Death, taxes and the University of Denver getting home ice for the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

They have been things you could count as guarantees, along with DU winning at least 20 games every season.

The latter two are in jeopardy for the Pioneers this season, which has caused considerable consternation among their many dedicated fans [read entire article].

7 comments:

Shram said...

working link:
http://www.denverpost.com/du/ci_22743881/du-pioneers-trying-extend-two-remarkable-streaks-ice

It doesn't mention what exactly needs to happen to get home ice? Two wins plus at least one loss by Wisc? Or UNO?

dggoddard said...

DU can finish anywhere between 4th place to 7th place.

DU has the tiebreakers over UNO & Minnesota State so if they tie in points, DU will be higher.

Minnesota, Wisconsin & North Dakota have the tiebreakers over DU. DU would get the tiebreaker over Minnesota if they outscore UAA by 22 goals this weekend and the Gophers lose twice.

So long and the short of it. DU moves up with two wins and a tie or loss by UNO, A loss by Minnesota State and/or Sconnie gets one point or less this weekend.

FYI - WCHA Playoff Seedings

a) If two or more teams are tied, head-to-head competition during the regular (conference) season will be used to break the tie.

b) If two or more teams are still tied after (a), the highest seed will go to the team with the most WCHA (conference) wins during the regular season.

c) If two or more teams played a four-game series during the regular season and the teams have the same win-loss records for those series & the same number of WCHA wins, the team having the least number of goals scored against it in the four-game series shall have the higher rank. If two or more teams played a two-game series during the regular season, procede to tie-breaker d).

d) If two or more teams are still tied after applying the provisions of (a), (b) and (c), the team having the greatest ‘winning margin’ during the regular season will have the higher rank. Winning margin = WCHA goals for during the regular season minus WCHA goals against.

e) Games played against WCHA opponents in holiday tournaments will not be counted in the determinations.

f). Coin Toss.

dggoddard said...

WCHA Series this weekend:

MN @ BSU
UAA @ DU
UND @ MSUM
CC @ Tech
UNO @ UMD
SCSU @ WI

DU fans should cheer for UND, UMD & SCSU this weekend.

vizoroo said...

No prob cheering for tUMD or SCSU, but ir will take some effort to cheer for the "mascot challenged" NoDaks. For the good of the order I will do it.

Pios we need a SWEEP!

vizoroo said...

And it would be nice if Bemidji could take a point or 2 from the gophs. Just for the fun of it.

miller said...

The series with Anchorage is far from a "gimme". These guys have nothing to lose. If you recall, several years ago Anchorage played at Magness and things got so heated between the two teams that there was no customary handshake on Saturday night. DU do not look past this weekend.

Twister said...

Agree with Miller. It's easy to be optimistic about this weekend, given that UAA only has two league wins and four overall. But DU is playing for home ice next weekend, as well as a possible tournament berth, and has all the pressure. UAA has nothing to lose. I expect two hard-fought and possibly close games.

Hard to believe the Pios are sitting in seventh place at this late stage of the season, but that's where they are. I didn't peg this team as one of the top 2 in the WCHA, but I thought they would be a comfortable position in the top half.