Final 5 information/suggestions

[fargosioux]

Does anyone know how the seeding will work for the Final Five this year? If the Sioux make it will they play the Friday afternoon or night game? Is the Minnesota rule still in place? I cannot find any information on this and I am looking at purchasing single game tickets this year.

I don't think we'll know for sure until the first round is complete. It looks like the brackets will be set up initially, and re-seeding will not be done. I assume that if Minnesota makes it they will set up the brackets so they will play the night game on Thursday, and also again on Friday if they win.

[siouxweet]

Does anyone know how the seeding will work for the Final Five this year? If the Sioux make it will they play the Friday afternoon or night game? Is the Minnesota rule still in place? I cannot find any information on this and I am looking at purchasing single game tickets this year.

I do believe reseeding will occur after the first round and if I recall someone stated last year or the year before that the "minnesota rule" doesn't exist anymore and the highest remaining seed after the first round will play on friday night.

[Runninwiththedogs]

I do believe reseeding will occur after the first round and if I recall someone stated last year or the year before that the "minnesota rule" doesn't exist anymore and the highest remaining seed after the first round will play on friday night.

No.

[fargosioux]

I do believe reseeding will occur after the first round and if I recall someone stated last year or the year before that the "minnesota rule" doesn't exist anymore and the highest remaining seed after the first round will play on friday night.

This is what it says on the WCHA site:

Following the completion of the first round, the six winning teams will advance to the WCHA Final Five at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. The brackets for the Final Five will be pre-set and the top two seeded teams will receive a bye. The 2011 Red Baron WCHA Final Five, set for March 17-19, will get underway with two games on Thursday on a single-ticket for the opening day. The Thursday games are set for 3:37 pm and 7:07 pm. Team No. 3 will play Team No. 6 and Team No. 4 will play Team No. 5.

On Friday of Final Five weekend, Thursday's winners will advance to take on the top two-seeded teams in a pair of semifinal matchups on Friday with separate admission tickets set for 2:07 pm and 7:07 pm. As the brackets will be pre-set, the matchups on Friday could be different than usual. And there will no longer be a third place game.

I read this to mean they have some flexibility in who gets the night games. I could be wrong.

[Runninwiththedogs]

This is what it says on the WCHA site:

I read this to mean they have some flexibility in who gets the night games. I could be wrong.

I think the pre-set part means there isn't any flexibility.

[siouxweet]

I think the pre-set part means there isn't any flexibility.

if the top two teams get byes then there is a form of reseeding going on because if the brackets are preset and there is no flexibility then if tech were to beat us then they would get a bye into fridays games.

[fargosioux]

I think the pre-set part means there isn't any flexibility.

I took it to mean that there won't be re-seeding after the Thursday games. In other words, the winner of the 4/5 game will play the #2 seed, and the winner of the 3/6 game will play the #1 seed, regardless of who wins that game. If this is the case, then they could look at where Minnesota is seeded after the first round and make sure they get the night games. For example, Minnesota gets the #5 seed, they could set up the 4/5 game for Thursday night and then set up the 1 vs. 4/5 winner for Friday night.

Again, I don't know for sure, but this is my suspicion of how it will go down.

[Runninwiththedogs]

I took it to mean that there won't be re-seeding after the Thursday games. In other words, the winner of the 4/5 game will play the #2 seed, and the winner of the 3/6 game will play the #1 seed, regardless of who wins that game. If this is the case, then they could look at where Minnesota is seeded after the first round and make sure they get the night games. For example, Minnesota gets the #5 seed, they could set up the 4/5 game for Thursday night and then set up the 1 vs. 4/5 winner for Friday night.

Again, I don't know for sure, but this is my suspicion of how it will go down.

You are right, the flexibility is there in case UMTC gets in.

Sioux-weet, I misunderstood what you meant by "first round," I wasn't sure if you meant Final Five "first round" or the 6 hosted play-offs that are the true "first round."

Let me try to say this concisely as we are all on the same page. Once the home playoffs are completed, the seeds and brackets and times will be set and will not change.

[stickboy1956]

I took it to mean that there won't be re-seeding after the Thursday games. In other words, the winner of the 4/5 game will play the #2 seed, and the winner of the 3/6 game will play the #1 seed, regardless of who wins that game. If this is the case, then they could look at where Minnesota is seeded after the first round and make sure they get the night games. For example, Minnesota gets the #5 seed, they could set up the 4/5 game for Thursday night and then set up the 1 vs. 4/5 winner for Friday night.

Again, I don't know for sure, but this is my suspicion of how it will go down.

It also doesn't say specifically what "play-in" games are afternoon/evening on Thur. They have left that open-ended.

Schlossman and/or Dave need to come to the rescue.

[SJHovey]

It also doesn't say specifically what "play-in" games are afternoon/evening on Thur. They have left that open-ended.

Schlossman and/or Dave need to come to the rescue.

Call me cynical but I don't think we'll know until after the first round playoffs. If MN makes it, I suspect it will go as follows:

1. MN is 6 seed (or even 3 seed with first round upsets), the 3/6 game is Thursday night, and Friday night the winner of that game plays the #2 seed.

2. Mn is 4/5 seed, the 4/5 game is Thursday night, with winner playing #1 seed Friday night.

[siouxweet]

Call me cynical but I don't think we'll know until after the first round playoffs. If MN makes it, I suspect it will go as follows:

1. MN is 6 seed (or even 3 seed with first round upsets), the 3/6 game is Thursday night, and Friday night the winner of that game plays the #2 seed.

2. Mn is 4/5 seed, the 4/5 game is Thursday night, with winner playing #1 seed Friday night.

I think that should we get by tech whether minnesota plays a friday game against us or anyone else we will play that night regardless. the majority of tickets have already been sold and we have proven to be damn near as big a draw as minnesota at the final five.

[Stack]

I took it to mean that there won't be re-seeding after the Thursday games. In other words, the winner of the 4/5 game will play the #2 seed, and the winner of the 3/6 game will play the #1 seed, regardless of who wins that game. If this is the case, then they could look at where Minnesota is seeded after the first round and make sure they get the night games. For example, Minnesota gets the #5 seed, they could set up the 4/5 game for Thursday night and then set up the 1 vs. 4/5 winner for Friday night.

Again, I don't know for sure, but this is my suspicion of how it will go down.

Sorry I don't agree. My take is that the Number 1 seed wll play Friday night and the Number 2 seed will play Friday afternoon. The flexibility comes into play if Minnesota is one of the top 2 seeds. If they were either Number 1 or Number 2 they would play the Friday night game as they have in the past. This year they are most likely to play on Thursday assuming they make it to the Final Five so that leaves the Friday games already set up.

[fargosioux]

Sorry I don't agree. My take is that the Number 1 seed wll play Friday night and the Number 2 seed will play Friday afternoon. The flexibility comes into play if Minnesota is one of the top 2 seeds. If they were either Number 1 or Number 2 they would play the Friday night game as they have in the past. This year they are most likely to play on Thursday assuming they make it to the Final Five so that leaves the Friday games already set up.

One could argue that the Friday afternoon game would be more advantageous for the #1 seed. You'd get to play your opponent on fairly short turnaround, and you'd have more time between the semifinal and championship game if you won.

Will be interesting, but I'd be willing to bet that when the "all-set" brackets are released after the first round, Minnesota will be assured to never play an afternoon game. I guess we'll see.