I agree with Deron and others -- Maine needs to go to Albany.  I would say
they look good to Albany if they:

# 1 - earn 75 % or more of available points in the remaining regular season
games;
# 2 - (which should assure home ice in HE championships and a trip to Boston
unless a swoon like last year) where they will need to win one game

Anything less sends them out of the East, I should think, especially if they
have to contend with the committee having to give BC a high seed, slotting
NH at "home", putting UMass in the East (yes, I do figure them into the
Round of 16), plus keeping the EZAC champion out here, which therefore
accounts for four of the eight seeds in the two sites.

Maine should feel lucky that there are soooo many CCHA and WCHA teams
bunched at the top of RPI right now, which makes it easier for east to stay
east.

The VW sold out first of all regional sites becuase tickets were marketed
first to New Hampshire season ticket holders (all grabbed up), then to
Manchester Monarch season ticket holders.  Any others left were pitched on
ticketmaster and sold out the same day (lousy seats besides, I am given to
understand).




On Sun, 8 Feb 2004 18:22:03 -0800, Deron Treadwell <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>I beg to differ. 10,000 people, the majority of which are die-hard fans
>of your program, is a home-ice advantage.
>
>With UNH a guarantee to be in Manchester, if they make the tournament,
>Manchester is already sold out.
>
>-Deron
>
>
>--- james acheson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> I do not think UNH has a home rink advantage in Manchester... the
>> advantage UNH gets is Olympic related, I think... Manchester will not
>> do that for UNH
>>