Mike Abegg wrote:
> Rochester could have attendance problems unless the committee sees Niagara
> as enough of a draw.  The answer would be to get either SLU or Clarkson,
> or both, into Rochester.  The best solution for this that I can find would
> be to swap #9 BC and #12 DU, then you could have:
> 3/14 UNH/MSU vs 6/11 NoDak/UMO in MANCHESTER (UNH is host school)
> 1/16 Mn/SH vs 7/12 Mia/DU in DENVER (Denver is host school)
> 4/13 SCSU/SLU vs 5/9 Cla/BosC in ROCHESTER
> 2/15 NoDam/Nia vs 8/10 BosU/Mich in GRAND RAPIDS
> which DOES preserve the "banding" but isn't as pure a 1-16 seeding.  All
> depends, as usual, on what the committee sees as important.  The two
> neutral sites would seem to have attractive matchups for attendance
> purposes using this plan.

This is all a topic that's been getting extensive discussion on the 
USCHO fan forum.

Personally, I think the most likely modification to get an ECAC team 
into Rochester at this juncture would be flipping St. Lawrence.  It'd do 
the least disruption to the bracket.  Bracket integrity is totally 
trashed if you move Clarkson there.

My prediction (notwithstanding that possible issue) remains:
Grand Rapids:
1. Minnesota
8. Boston University
10. Michigan
16. AHA

Rochester:
2. Notre Dame
7. Miami
9. Boston College
15. CHA (or 13. St. Lawrence)

(I wouldn't be shocked to see Minnesota going to Rochester with one of 
AHA, CHA, or St. Lawrence, with Notre Dame staying Grand Rapids.  The 
question of what the committee will do in the face of an automatic 
flight for Minnesota should the Gophers be seeded ahead of ND is a the 
big conundrum of the seeding process.)

Manchester:
3. New Hampshire
6. North Dakota
11. Maine
14. Michigan State (or 15. CHA)

Denver:
4. St. Cloud
5. Clarkson
12. Denver
13. St. Lawrence (or 14. MSU)

If St. Lawrence isn't moved, this is as close as possible to a perfect 
bracket within the rules, and the only real attendance question is 
whether Boston College and (to a much lesser extent) Notre Dame are big 
enough to carry Rochester.