> At 05:07 PM 3/18/03 -0500, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> Why the ECAC would choose to change the order of games (originally set
> >for #2 vs. #3 in the afternoon, and #1 vs. #4 in the evening) at the
> >midnight hour without warning prospective attendees of the change is
> >incomprehensible.  
> >    Considering this to be a major snafu, what is going on in Centerville?
> 
        Which is followed by Bill Fenwick saying:

> Rumor has it (and it's probably more than a rumor) that the Big Red's Coach
> Schafer requested the earlier slot to give his charges more time to rest
> before the Saturday night game -- the idea being, of course, that the game
> in question would be for the championship.
> I have heard of other leagues offering the choice to the top seed of which
> game they want to play in.  
> 
In the WCHA the timing of who plays in what semifinal game is completely different!!!
IF the Gophers are in a semifinal game, THEN they play their game in the later 7:00 pm slot regardless of the rankings of the various teams. BECAUSE of the TV contract -- the gophers are the bigger TV audience and since Fox (that is, Midwest) Sports will carry the WCHA games, they want to have the gophers in prime time. It does not matter what the coach wants.

Nathan Hampton