Harvard Owns Regular Season Title
Seven of the Eight Playoff Spots Have Been Filled
 
Harvard, Brown, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Dartmouth, Providence and
Princeton all know that they will be playing in the first round of the
ECAC playoffs the second weekend in March.  The questions that need to be
answered is just who each of these teams will be playing, where they will
be playing and which team will join them to round out the field of eight.
 
We do know that Harvard has already won the ECAC regular season crown as
the Crimson win all tiebreakers with teams below it.
 
After this weekend's action all 14 teams will have just two games
remaining to determined their fate for the ECAC playoffs.  A total of
eight teams advance to the single elimination quarterfinals which can be
played on either March 12,13 or 14.  The host institution has the
discretion.  The quarterfinal winners advance to Brown University and
championship March 20-21.
 
Home Ice
The top four teams in the final regular season standings earn home ice
for the quarterfinals.  Harvard has already secured home ice for the
quarterfinals.  Brown needs just two more points to stake claim to one of
the four slots.  New Hampshire and Northeastern both need five more
points to secure a slot, heading into this weekend.
 
Dartmouth, Providence and Princeton can still mathematically grab a home
ice spot.
 
Cornell in Driver's Seat
Cornell is in the driver's seat for the final playoff spot.  The Big Red
own a five-point lead on late charging Niagara.  A sweep by the Big Red
this weekend would lock up a playoff berth.  Cornell travels to Maine for
a pair this weekend while Niagara visits Providence for two.
 
Princeton and Yale Visit Colby-New Hampshire
New Hampshire will look to move into a tie for second place when it plays
host to Yale and Princeton.  With Brown competing at Minnesota the
Wildcats could mark up the four-point lead that Brown currently holds on
them.
 
Princeton will be looking to position itself for as good of a seed as
possible as the Tigers will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back
losses to Niagara.
 
Dartmouth-Boston College Visit Harvard-Northeastern
Harvard has already wrapped up the regular season crown and the top seed
in the AWCHA national championship.  Northeastern will be looking to pull
into a tie for second place with Brown.  The Huskies trail the Bears by
four points and would need a sweep to make up ground.
 
Dartmouth could jump right back into the home ice picture with a pair of
wins.
 
Follow ECAC Ice Hockey at Hockey.ECAC.Com
---
Deron Treadwell - [log in to unmask]
 
"Any idiot can face a crisis -- it's this day-to-day living
that wears you out."    - Anton Chekhov
 
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