The Other Bracket
I know you're all busy sticking needles into your Coach K voodoo dolls—for safety's sake make sure your doll is not actually Coach K before inserting—but about an hour ago Michigan's hockey fate was determined. Drumroll, please:
St. Louis
1. Boston College
4. Colorado College
2. Michigan
3. Nebraska-Omaha
Michigan plays at 5:30 on Friday on ESPN3, with ESPNU replaying the game at 11:30.
Yeah, so to get to a hypothetical final Michigan probably has to beat Boston College and North Dakota, but that's why you show up on Friday against Western Michigan instead of whatever that was. Michigan split with UNO at Yost earlier this year, losing 4-2 on Friday and winning 6-1 the next night. Shots were 35-25 Michigan on Friday and about even Saturday.
Let me take this opportunity to urge anyone considering going: don't. You'll notice that the CCHA is the only conference not to have a region, you know, within hundreds of miles of it. A couple years ago there were regionals in Wisconsin and Colorado. The CCHA is the only conference to get so regularly screwed. I don't think the committee actually cares—if they did we'd have home regionals for top seeds—but on the off chance a St. Louis regional featuring 50 people in an NHL building is the hockey equivalent of Houston Nutt signing 37 kids you should save your money.
You may resume poking K right in the eye.
I am feeling evil today and have gone past the Voodoo doll to other spells. Right now I am working on the black (socks) magic spell. It will turn all Plumlees into bitches.
too late, brother.
But go blue!
It would have been nice to get one of the brackets with an ECAC team, but I'm tired of complaining about the bracket every year. Win and move on. Besides, the tournament's been an upset generator the last 2 years. for all we know, We could see RPI in the FF. and Union in the title game.
The CCHA is the host of the St. Louis regional so they were the ones who decided to bid for the site. Thus, they screwed themselves (not the conference getting screwed by the NCAA) by not going for site within the footbprint of the conference.
The NCAA does regularly screw us, but it's not their fault that the CCHA offered to host a regional in St. Louis. Furthermore, getting the NCAA to give the CCHA more hosting opportunities will not be helped by poor attendance at CCHA hosted regionals.
Still, this is kind of ridiculous:
Number of NCAA Hockey Regionals Hosted by Conference 2003-2012
Atlantic Hockey: 5
CHA/Indpendent: 0
CCHA: 7
ECAC: 7
Hockey East: 8
WCHA: 13
Number of Frozen Fours Hosted by Conference 2003-2014
Atlantic Hockey: 1
CHA/Independent: 2
CCHA: 3
ECAC: 2
Hockey East: 1
WCHA: 3
We do have to go through a harder schedule to get to the final, but on the bright side, we don't have to deal with a veritable road game against UNH, followed by a possible veritable road game against Merrimack.
I will resume curbstomping my Coach K voodoo doll now
The NCAA is a fuck-up for not putting these on campus sites. I know it's all been said before but I feel bad for the kids who worked so hard to get to play in an 15000 seat NHL/AHL arena with four people there none of whom are your students. Playing these in New Haven, Oxford, Boston and whereverthefuck North Dakota is would be just an amazing experience for the players and the fans etc. 3000 people (at Yale which is close to the smallest arena that would ever host a reigonal) screaming is so much better for TV as well (and you know the NCAA loves them some TV revenue) than 4000 people sitting on their hands
March 20th, 2011 at 10:59 PM ^
Last year Michigan and Miami played in Fort Wayne and couldn't fill the stadium, or really even come close. The NCAA didn't help things by playing it at 7pm on Sunday but still. I went to a number of NCAA first/second round games at Van Andel in Grand Rapids. It was never close to being full. Not sure exactly why but the interest/publicity just isn't there for true neutral site games in the Midwest.
Seriously Brian? You're encouraging michigan fans not to travel to st louis to support their team? I plan on being there and I hope to see a good michigan contigent there. Do NOT listen to brian all, come to st louis. It's not the teams fault we don't have a regional nearby, they want your support. Brian, I havent thought much of your hockey coverage, but this is a new low. if youre going to continue to say such ridiculous things, leave the hockey coverage to others like mhnet or yostbuilt.
It's not the teams fault we don't have a regional nearby, they want your support.and that pretty much sums up why.
I actually know the person that posted this response. He has gone to the regionals the last few years. However, this year he is actually not going to the regionals. He is staying back in Ann Arbor because of a girl, and an MSU girl nonetheless. He has no room to talk. He is a liar.
in 1996, we beat 5 of the top 6 teams on the way to the title.
In 1996, Michigan got a first round bye (only 12 teams back then made the tournament, top four seeds in each region got 1st round byes.)
They were the 2nd seed in the west. They beat 3rd seed Minnesota 4-3 (Mike Legg goal) at Munn. Minnesota had beaten #6 seed Providence. Sparty #4 got bombed on home ice by U-Mass Lowell #5. #1 seed CC beat UM-Lowell.
#2 west seed Michigan shut out #1 east seed BU. #1west seed CC beat #2 east seed Vermont.
Michigan (Brendan Morrison OT) beat CC, 3-2 to win the NC.
So Michigan beat Minnesota, BU and CC in the tourney- but only two of those teams were ranked higher than them.
Got my ticket already before reading this. I'm in Springfield, IL so it's an easy trip.
Logged on to Ticketmaster a couple hours after it was announced and get a ticket in Sec. 117 Row A. I just got to Illinois a couple months ago so I'm looking forward to seeing St. Louis for the first time.
I hear it's nice if you stay away from random bullets flying around in some parts.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:15 AM ^
i completely agree that it's a tough road, but i don't see that it's any more difficult than any other road we might have travel...we might get north dakota in the frozen four, yes, but is that substantially harder than facing them in the final? you gotta beat the best to be the best. i don't see how it matters when you play them.
if we don't win, it won't be because of the seedings. we can beat anyone. we can also be beaten by anyone.
by the way - 2012 regional sites? green bay. st. paul. boston. bridgeport. with the finals in hockey heaven. aka tampa. sigh.
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