It began yesterday at 10 a.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C. with a whistle and a smack of a plastic ball on moist turf. It’s the season of convention tournaments in NCAA Division I area hockey, because the 51 groups which certified for his or her respective postseasons at the moment are taking part in right down to 10 computerized qualifiers.
There can even be eight at-large bids, which will probably be shared largely by the ACC and Huge Ten, however I’m fairly positive the Ivy League, Huge East, and the MAC will probably be combating over the remainder of the at-large bids. I do know the choice committee for area hockey doesn’t undergo the identical type of ritual the boys’s basketball selectors do, but when they did have a smoky ballroom in Indianapolis at their disposal, it will be attention-grabbing to see who would obtain the designation of “Final In” and “First Out.”
Right here’s our annual have a look at the Division I area hockey convention tournaments
AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE
High seed: Albany
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 1
The thin: There have been some basic video games performed within the America East over the past 5 years, among the finest within the school sport. Nonetheless, it should take loads to get a second group within the postseason from this circuit
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
High seed: North Carolina
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 5
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 4 1/2
The thin: I believe North Carolina, Virginia, and Boston Faculty are in it doesn’t matter what they do. However what about Syracuse and Duke? These groups have double-digit wins, however how will they examine to the remainder of the potential groups within the at-large area? Certain, they received yesterday, however will that be sufficient for the committee?
ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE
High seed: St. Joseph’s
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 1
The thin: I believe St. Joseph’s makes the match it doesn’t matter what it does; some other group on this convention is a bonus
BIG EAST CONFERENCE
High seed: Connecticut
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 2
The thin: I believe Connecticut makes the match it doesn’t matter what it does; there are some high quality sides on this convention which aren’t going to listen to their names on Choice Sunday. Spare a thought for Villanova, which didn’t even qualify for this match regardless of a dead-on tie for fifth within the league with Liberty; each have been 10-7 total and 4-3 within the league
BIG TEN CONFERENCE
High seed: Northwestern
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 4
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 4
The thin: Northwestern, Maryland, Michigan, and Ohio State are full locks to make the Division I bracket. Indiana, Rutgers, and Iowa must win the match to get in
IVY LEAGUE
High seed: Princeton
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 1 1/2
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 2
The thin: I believe Princeton and Harvard are going to make the NCAA Match until each groups lose Friday afternoon within the match semis
COASTAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
High seed: Drexel
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 1
The thin: Drexel and Northeastern are nice sides with good out-of-conference performances, however solely the winner of the CAA last will make the NCAAs
MID-ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
High seed: James Madison
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 2
The thin: That is going to be a one-bid convention, however it will be a terrific story if Appalachian State have been to win this convention match. The world round Boone, N.C. was probably the most adversely impacted cities affected by the remnants of Hurricane Irene, forcing the Mountaineers to quickly relocate to Charlotte
NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
High seed: Wagner
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 1
The thin: The NEC has 4 groups with greater than 10 wins this season, however the NEC will nonetheless solely get one bid this season to the NCAA Match
PATRIOT LEAGUE
High seed: American
Variety of groups prone to make the NCAA Match: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Match: 1
The thin: American and Lafayette are the 2 groups we fancy to make the match last subsequent weekend, and solely the winner of the ultimate will make the NCAA bracket
