This was posted on the national list and it is one man's view on "If the
Season Ended Today".... I think someone on this very list suggested that
they were convinced Maine would ply Michigan in Ann Arbour...

----- Original Message -----
> Things are a little crazier than before.
>
> The 14th tournament bid goes to Harvard over Providence. Ohio State also
> replaces Denver as the 13th team.
>
> Once the tournament is set, Minnesota and St. Cloud gain points for
dropping
> their losses to Dartmouth; North Dakota gets the point for their loss to
> Providence.
>
> This ties Minnesota with BU, but BU wins the HTH comparison. BU #4,
> Minnesota #5.
>
> BC (#6) wins the HTH comparison with Maine (#7).
>
> There's now a circular tie for #9 with North Dakota, Michigan,
MSU-Mankato,
> so this is where the RPI is invoked, to place those teams in that order.
>
> #1 seeds: CC, Cornell, UNH, BU (host).
>
> #2 host is Minnesota at Minneapolis
> #3 host is Michigan at Ann Arbor
> Providence is hostless.
>
> #1 seeds draft home sites: #4 BU at home in Worcester, #1 CC is
> closest to Minneapolis, #2 Cornell is closest to Providence, #3UNH is left
> with Ann Arbor.
>
> #2's left are BC, Maine and Ferris - it's clear that Ferris can't play
> Michigan, so they could be either in Providence or Minneapolis. Maine and
BC
> are not restricted (and essentially interchangeable), so give lower-ranked
> Maine the "tougher" path through Ann Arbor. It's not clear how to place BC
> and Ferris, so let's put higher seed BC against the lower #1 seed, BU.
>
> #3's left are the three WCHA teams; ND, MSUM, SC. Since one of them would
> play Minnesota, this doesn't work. So switch OSU and SC, placing OSU in
> Minneapolis. Put higher-ranked ND up against lower-ranked Ferris in
> Providence.
>
> #4 Harvard must avoid Cornell, so put them in Worcester, and St. Cloud
goes
> to Ann Arbor.
>
> Another option on the #3 problem is to flip-flop Ferris and North Dakota,
> which would allow ND to take the #2 seed in Ann Arbor, keeping Maine in
> Providence (and hence potentially improving attendance).
>
> Providence: #2 Cornell vs. Mercyhurst (MAAC), #8 Ferris vs. #9 ND
> Worcester: #4 BU vs. #14 Harvard, #6 BC vs. #11 MSU-Mankato
> Ann Arbor: #3 UNH vs. #12 SC, #7 Maine vs. #10 Mich
> Minneapolis: #1 CC vs. Alabama-Huntsville (CHA), #5 Minn vs. #13 OSU
>
> Somehow this is what Maine "deserves" for their slip-up against UMass, the
> spot in the tournament that nobody really wants, followed by a potential
> rivalry match-up against UNH.
>
> And how about that "Beanpot Bracket" for BU: Harvard, then BC.
>
> Patrick Abegg