Dustin

I think we’ll end up in Missouri with Michigan State. The 3 seed would probably be a big ten team, Michigan or Wisconsin. Denver and Minnesota go to Sioux Falls.

My 3 takes: start Persson in the NCAA we won’t be in same regional as Omaha the home site NCHC playoffs can’t come soon enough

The only way this pays off is if the new assistants make him look better than the old ones did.

Probably had to be done for the new assistants not walking a plank with uncertainty. The Bubba situation should have been handled immediately after the season. Ask him to resign or fire him.

Won't put them out of their misery. They'll be right there in Sioux Falls the next weekend, perhaps meeting us in the final.

UND v Omaha early semifinal, Denver v SCSU late semifinal. https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/game-times-set-for-nchc-frozen-faceoff

if anything, I would say the final pairwise on Saturday night shouldn't make things any harder than the current pairwise do.

I heard on this site that 5 teams in the tourney an exception can be made. However, if you look at the non-UND hockey thread, I did find a bracket that includes 5 NCHC teams (based on current pairwise), and still avoids first round matchups.

If Persson is questionable at all for Friday, I would go with Hedquist.

I added the current pairwise as seeds.

I did find a possible solution that avoids all the intraconference matchups, but it would involve the AHA and CCHA champions playing the #3 and #4 overall seeds. Not sure how the committee views that. That set up goes as follows: Providence: BC v CC, Q v Michigan Springfield: BU v W Michigan, Michigan St. v UMass Sioux Falls: UND v AHA/CCHA, Minnesota v Omaha Maryland Heights: Denver v AHA/CCHA, Maine v Wisconsin

So, I keep looking at this, and it's kind of a mess! With natural bracketing, (1 v 4, 2 v 3), conference matchups abound because with current pairwise, Big Ten has 4 teams: (2) 2 seeds, (2) 3 seeds. The NCHC has 5 teams: (2) 1 seeds, (2) 4 seeds, and 3 seed who's hosting. I'm not sure if a conference matchup in the first round is avoidable.

Actually, with Michigan State at #5 currently, all of the 4 Big Ten teams are either 2 seeds or 3 seeds (at the moment). In that case, there will be a Big Ten team in every regional.

Because of the 3 Big Ten teams around the 8-9-10 mark (think 1st round match up conflicts), and both UMass and Omaha looking in good shape to play in the regionals they're hosting, one of the Big Ten teams will have to go east, and one of the eastern teams will have to west. As it stands now. There's some movement still available that could shape things differently.

That could be there motivation for that game. But UND losing to Omaha doesn't necessarily prevent them from being a 1 seed.

To me, it depends on how "regionalized" the committee wants to be. From the eye test (didn't actually count teams), it seems like there's about the right amount of teams with pretty even seed distribution from each region to be put into their closest (or maybe closer) regionals.

I wouldn't say I am underestimating them, just that what they have to play for this weekend has no bearing on the NCAA tournament. Not saying they wouldn't like to be NCHC champions, because I'm sure they do. But they have to be at a disadvantage compared to UND, since they traveled to Colorado Springs, played 3 games, and then will travel to St. Paul for a Friday game. All the while, UND played two games at home and will travel to St. Paul.

I played with every scenario (I think) with the NCHC and Big Ten, and as long as UND wins Friday, I didn't find a scenario where they finished lower than #4 PWR, even if they lost to SCSU in the final.

Agreed. Omaha did what they needed to do, and really can't do any more, as far as NCAA tourney goes. Omaha should be the more tired team and are probably just elated to get to St. Paul. They are ripe for UND to make amends from two weekends ago. As long as UND wins the semi-final game, that should solidify their 1 seed? I guess they it depends on who they play in the championship (and whether they lose), and maybe a little bit on what happens to Michigan State.

I came to the same conclusion. So UND can either be a 1 seed in Sioux Falls, or a 2 seed somewhere else.

Fair point.

2025-26 season, I believe.

Wouldn't UND be good with some "below the cut line" teams getting AQs and taking bids away from 13-14 pairwise teams? As long as Omaha isn't the NCHC AQ? Take out UMass and take out Omaha and the committee is free to do things without concern for bidding hosts.

Omaha bouncing around the 3-4 regional seed is really bumming me out.

I couldn’t care less about how many NCHC teams make it. I don’t want Omaha to spoil anything for UND. If they can be knocked out by CC tonight, I’m all for it.