Jim Love wrote:
 
> Of course Bill is too polite to mention BU's "special dispensation"
> that allowed them even to get into the NC$$s that year.
<deleted>
> After BU's tough OT victory over #8 UNH in the 1/4-finals, and then
> a loss to PC in the semi-finals, it seemed that BU would be sittin'
> home come NC$$ Tournament time in favor of ECAC Champion BC and BU
> vanquisher PC.  But n-o-o-o-o-o-o .... For the first (and only) time
> in NC$$ history, a special pre-NC$$ play-in game was ordered played
> at Schneider Arena in Providence, the winner to advance with BC to
> the NC$$ Tournament.
 
According the NCAA Division Tournament File in the Hockey-L Archives
at Maine this statement is completely false.  The first NCAA
Quarterfinal/Play-in game occurred in the previous year, 1977, when
the CCHA tournament champion Bowling Green faced then WCHA member
Michigan to determine which team would advance to the NCAA
Championship Tournament Semifinals.
 
In 1978 the NCAA again had a west quarterfinal/play-in game, this
time between Bowling Green of the CCHA and WCHA member Colorado
College.  The NCAA continued to have the western quarterfinal/play-in
game for 1979 & 1980.  The NCAA then went to an eight team format
beginning in 1981.
 
So the NCAA had already established a precedent for an extra game to
determine which team would advance to the semifinals.  Yes, it was
the only eastern quarterfinal/play-in game before the tournamnet
expanded to 8 teams, but it was not the first, nor the only,
quarterfinal/play-in game.
 
From the Hockey-L Archives at Maine:
 
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT RESULTS 1977-80
 
Below the year are the rink at which the championships were played and
the host team(s).
 
 
========================================================
 1977 Olympia Arena (Detroit, MI) Michigan State/Michigan
 
QUARTERFINAL (West Region)
at Michigan 7, Bowling Green 5
 
SEMIFINALS
Michigan 6, Boston University 4
Wisconsin 4, New Hampshire 3 (ot)
 
THIRD PLACE
Boston University 6, New Hampshire 5
 
CHAMPIONSHIP
WISCONSIN 6, Michigan 5 (ot)
 
===========================================================
 1978 Providence Civic Center (Providence, RI) Brown
 
QUARTERFINAL (East Region)
Boston University 5, at Providence 3
 
QUARTERFINAL (West Region)
at Bowling Green 5, Colorado College 3
 
SEMIFINALS
Boston University 5, Wisconsin 2
Boston College 6, Bowling Green 2
 
THIRD PLACE
Bowling Green 4, Wisconsin 3
 
CHAMPIONSHIP
BOSTON UNIVERSITY 5, Boston College 3
 
=========================================================
 1979 Olympia Arena (Detroit, MI) Michigan State/Michigan
 
QUARTERFINAL (West Region)
at Minnesota 6, Bowling Green 3
 
SEMIFINALS
Minnesota 4, New Hampshire 3
North Dakota 4, Dartmouth 2
 
THIRD PLACE
Dartmouth 7, New Hampshire 3
 
CHAMPIONSHIP
MINNESOTA 4, North Dakota 3
 
=========================================================
 1980 Providence Civic Center (Providence, RI) Brown
 
QUARTERFINAL (West Region)
Northern Michigan 4, at Minnesota 3
 
SEMIFINALS
North Dakota 4, Dartmouth 1
Northern Michigan 5, Cornell 4
 
THIRD PLACE
Dartmouth 8, Cornell 4
 
CHAMPIONSHIP
NORTH DAKOTA 5, Northern Michigan 2
 
 
 
Sean Pickett            E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Go Terriers  1995 NCAA, Hockey East and Beanpot Champions
BU Hockey:  http://www.tiac.net/users/spickett/hockey.html
The Bedford Flag:  http://www.tiac.net/users/spickett/flag.html
But I Digress:  http://www.tiac.net/users/spickett/bid.html
 
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