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 enjoying right down to 10 computerized qualifiers.
There can even be eight at-large bids, which shall be shared largely by the ACC and Large Ten, however I’m fairly positive the Ivy League, Large East, and the MAC shall be preventing over the remainder of the at-large bids. I do know the choice committee for area hockey doesn’t undergo the identical sort of ritual the lads’s basketball selectors do, but when they did have a smoky ballroom in Indianapolis at their disposal, it might 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
Prime seed: Albany
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 1
The thin: There have been some basic video games performed within the America East during the last 5 years, among the greatest within the school sport. Nevertheless, it can take quite a bit to get a second crew within the postseason from this circuit
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
Prime seed: North Carolina
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 5
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 4 1/2
The thin: I believe an enormous story popping out of the match is what is going to occur to Syracuse and Duke. These groups have double-digit wins, however how will they evaluate to the remainder of the potential groups within the at-large area? I believe North Carolina, Virginia, and Boston School are in it doesn’t matter what they do
ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE
Prime seed: St. Joseph’s
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 1
The thin: I believe St. Joseph’s makes the match it doesn’t matter what it does; some other crew on this convention is a bonus
BIG EAST CONFERENCE
Prime seed: Connecticut
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 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 had been 10-7 general and 4-3 within the league
BIG TEN CONFERENCE
Prime seed: Northwestern
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 4
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 4
The thin: Northwestern, Maryland, Michigan, and Ohio State are full locks to make the Division I bracket. Indiana, Rutgers, and Iowa should win the match to get in
IVY LEAGUE
Prime seed: Princeton
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 1 1/2
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 2
The thin: I believe Princeton and Harvard are going to make the NCAA Event until each groups lose Friday afternoon within the match semis
COASTAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Prime seed: Drexel
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 1
The thin: Drexel and Northeastern are positive sides with good out-of-conference performances, however solely the winner of the CAA remaining will make the NCAAs
MID-ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
Prime seed: James Madison
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 2
The thin: That is going to be a one-bid convention, however it might be an ideal story if Appalachian State had been to win this convention match. The realm round Boone, N.C. was one of the adversely impacted cities affected by the remnants of Hurricane Irene, forcing the Mountaineers to briefly relocate to Charlotte
NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Prime seed: Wagner
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 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 Event
PATRIOT LEAGUE
Prime seed: American
Variety of groups more likely to make the NCAA Event: 1
Variety of groups that ought to make the Event: 1
The thin: American and Lafayette are the 2 groups we fancy to make the match remaining subsequent weekend, and solely the winner of the ultimate will make the NCAA bracket
