While they don't HAVE to avoid the first round Hockey East match ups, it sure seems like they should because it is so easy to do. If they choose not to then it doesn't look much different, you still have to do the NU/UMD swap and you'd consider the Notre Dame/Harvard swap for attendance purposes anyway.

Wouldn't be surprised if the committee swaps the entire Albany and Woo regionals, if their rules allow. Would be a better overall geographic balance - as is, 7 of the 8 schools pass each other on the Mass Pike between Worcester and I-84.

CHN's analyst says swap Michigan and Denver to get UM-Notre Dame in Cincinnati. To me, overall bracket balance says swap BU-Mich and DU-NoDm instead if you want Michigan in Cincinnati, but I think your assignments would be perfectly reasonable as they are.

Mike Abegg

Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 19, 2016, at 23:04, Charles Shub <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>    worcester
>        quinnipiac v rit
>        lowell v yale  (switch yale with bu to avoid lowell v bu)
>    St paul
>        st cloud v ferris
>        mich v bu  (see above)
>    cincy
>        nodak v northeastern (switch northeastern with duluth to avoid
> northeastern v prov)
>        denver v notre dame (switch notre dame with harvard to avoid bc
> v notre dame)
>    albany
>        prov v duluth (see above)
>        bc v harvard (see above)
> 
> -- 
> charlie shub at home  cell: (719) 761-8778
> [log in to unmask]     home: (719) 488-3634