Does anybody know what the formats are going to be for the ECAC West and NCAA
division III playoffs?
 
I saw the question regarding the rumor that the div. III championship is moving
to a neutral site. The schedule I got from RIT may support this - it shows the
NCAA playoffs being held on 2 consecutive weekends with games on
Friday-Saturday-Sunday each weekend. I'm trying to figure out how this will
work with an 8 team format. Perhaps regionals on the first weekend with either
best of 3 or having only one game each day? Ditto for the final four? Anybody
know?
 
There's also some puzzlement on my part regarding the new ECAC West playoffs. I
had heard that since the ECAC West now consists of only 8 teams
(Elmira, Mercyhurst, RIT, Hamilton, Cansisus, Hobart, St. Bonas, Scranton) due
to the SUNYs forming their own ECAC division, just the top four ECAC West teams
will make the playoff tournament. If so, why are games scheduled for Tuesday,
3/2 and Friday-Saturday 3/5-3/6? Are all 8 teams going to the playoffs like in
division I? Anybody know?
 
And for that matter,  have I listed the ECAC West teams correctly? This is
speculation on my part - I have Plattsburgh, Geneseo, Oswego, Brockport,
Fredonia, Cortland and Potsdam moving to the ECAC SUNY. This leads to another
question - I thought that the purpose for the SUNYs forming their own
conference was to have a 2 weekend tournament and invite 8 teams. How is this
going to be accomplished with just 7 teams? Didn't Binghamton drop their
program? Is there an 8th SUNY school playing divsion III hockey?
 
Sorry for so many questions on a monday.
 
Chris Lerch
Xerox Corp.
Rochester, NY
RIT '84 & '91