Mike did a GREAT job detailing the facts behind why Vermont would have been selected over Brown. I will only add a few comments. >Luiz Valente writes: >>In 1995 regular season champion Clarkson and playoff champion RPI >>participated. Both were automatic picks, and were eliminated in the >>first round. Brown probably would have been picked if it had advanced >>to the ECAC finals in Lake Placid. I know from reliable sources, however, >>that after Brown was eliminated in the semifinals, it was decided that ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >>if Clarkson also won the ECAC playoffs (as the NC$$ evidently hoped), >>Vermont have been picked despite having finished fifth in the regular >>season, having been eliminated by Colgate in the semifinals, and having >>a worse overall record than second-place Brown (which had defeated >>Vermont twice in the regular season, including a 6-3 pasting in >>Burlington). Do you know HOW this decision was reached? It was not a bunch of Brown- hating committee members, sitting in a smoke-filled room, rubbing legs and drooling over the chance to stick it to another Ivy League school. The committee ran a scenario. They did a what-if: what if Clarkson wins the playoffs? They plugged in that result and re-ran the entire selection process on their computer. A few minutes later they came to the same conclusion that Mike spelled out. They probably looked at a few other scenarios. And then they could "decide" ahead of time BASED ON THE NUMBERS who would be selected based on what could happen. I quote "decide" because the committee didn't decide anything--the numbers did. The committee merely sets up the system and enforces it. I did many scenarios myself. For example, I knew that BG's fate was partially in the hands of Red Berenson. If Michigan beats LSSU in the semis, BG is in regardless of what they do against MSU. If BG and LSSU both advance, to the championship game, the winner is in and the loser is out. >>I guess that for the NC$$ not every school is created >>equal. Criticize the system if you want--it is not perfect. But do not criticize the individuals because they are in fact treating every school equally. "Too equal" some people might even say. It is amazing that as much as HOCKEY-L has talked about the selection process, people on the list still think committee members are out to screw their favorite team. Keith HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.