>And, by the way, it seems to me that the Clarkson-Cornell game will be
>for an NCAA berth (assuming Vermont wins, and I know that can't
>necessarily be assumed).
>   If Vermont wins, we know they're already in, so the Clarkson-Cornell
>winner could lose the final to Vermont, and then go.  Obviously if they
>win, they'd definitely be in.
>   I'm not sure Clarkson has a strong enough record to get in
>regardless, though they certainly are higher rated than Cornell.
>   On the other hand --> how much does Cornell defeating Colgate, as
>opposed to Clarkson's wins over Brown, affect Cornell in the RPI in a
>positive way?  Also, Cornell is 12-1-1 in its last 14 games, which has
>to help. So if Cornell loses the final, what justifies the committee
>taking someone else?  Anything?  Someone more familiar with the process
>and rankings let me know.
 
        It all comes down to the Pairwise Comparisons, which Erik
Biever just posted.  Assuming no susprises in the conference tourneys,
#13 and above, not including Maine, make it.  Cornell has been 15 for
a while, but they just jumped into a 13th-place tie with Denver, and
have a higher RPI (ratings percentage index).  Denver is done with
their schedule.  I haven't looked at the details, and of course the
RPI can go wild this weekend, but on sheer instinct I'd have to say
that a win over Clarkson followed by a loss to Vermont would give
Cornell a reasonable chance of staying where they are and slipping
into the final slot.  Of course, that's not the outcome I'm hoping
for!
 
        Now to call the box office in Lake Placid.
 
                                        John Whelan, Cornell '91
                                        <[log in to unmask]>
        <http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/people/john_whelan/jphock.html>
 
Cornell Hockey: 1995-'96 Undefeated Ivy League Champions
A Big Red "Feather in the Cap"
 
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