We're in the home stretch of the college hockey regular season. With a month to go before conference championships, the NCAA tournament field is beginning to take shape.
Of course, there's still plenty of hockey left to play, but NPI boosts come at a premium this time of year, and there are only so many at-large berths to go around. Let's take a look at some of the teams who control their own destiny down the stretch, and what they may need to do to secure a spot in the postseason.
Rankings mentioned below are NPI rankings as of Feb. 12
No. 12 Boston College — Beat UConn
Sitting at No. 12 in the NPI with eight games remaining, Boston College has little room for error down the stretch. While each remaining series is important, the home-and-home against UConn is the toughest remaining test for the Eagles on paper. If BC wants to secure a bid to the NCAA tournament, a series sweep of UConn could knock the Huskies out of the at-large field and give the Eagles some more breathing room.
Now, winning its first Beanpot title in 10 years could give BC a massive morale boost heading into the final stretch — after all, it's the beginning of "trophy season," as former BC coach Jerry York used to call it — we'll see if they can grab a couple more pieces of hardware.
Remaining games for Boston College:
- Feb. 13 | Boston College at Merrimack, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 14 | Boston College vs Merrimack, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 20 | Boston College vs. UConn, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 21 | Boston College at UConn, 3 p.m.
- Feb. 27 | Boston College at Boston U., 7 p.m.
- Feb. 28 | Boston College vs. Boston U., 7 p.m.
- March 5 | Boston College at UMass, 7 p.m.
- March 7 | Boston College vs. Northeastern, 7 p.m.
No. 15 UConn — Beat Boston College
With the No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament likely going to the AHA conference champion, the No. 15 spot in the NPI is looking like the cut line for the postseason, and UConn is on the razor's edge right now. The good news? The Huskies control their own destiny. A couple of wins over Boston College could all but eliminate the Eagles from the postseason — or at least let UConn jump them in the NPI, firmly cementing the Huskies as an at-large bid.
Yes, UConn's goal is the same as Boston College's. Does that mean that series is "win-and-get-in?" Not necessarily, but any head-to-head series against another at-large hopeful offers a huge opportunity in the NPI and is definitely circled on the calendar.
Remaining games for UConn:
- Feb. 13 | UConn at Maine, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 14 | UConn at Maine, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 20 | UConn at Boston College, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 21 | UConn vs. Boston College, 3 p.m.
- Feb. 27 | UConn vs. UMass, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 28 | UConn at UMass, 7 p.m.
- March 5 | UConn vs. New Hampshire, 7 p.m.
- March 7 | UConn at Providence, 4 p.m.
No. 14 Wisconsin — Don't get swept
For a team that spent over three months in the top-three of the NPI, Wisconsin's fall to No. 14 has been a tough pill for the Badgers to swallow. With six remaining games, they're hovering around the cut line, and UConn is nipping at their heels. Wisconsin has a tough task ahead before the Big Ten tournament: beginning with a road trip to Columbus to face Ohio State, a team which took 4/6 points from the Badgers in a series split back in November.
It doesn't stop there, though. The Badgers then host No. 2 Michigan before heading to State College to face No. 5 Penn State. Now, Wisconsin has already beaten Michigan this season — a Nov. 8 win that kicked off the Badgers' strong first-semester finish — but the Nittany Lions were not so kind, beating them twice by a combined score of 10-3.
Wisconsin's first half resume could be enough to get the Badgers into the dance, but they would do themselves a huge favor if they took some points from the Buckeyes, Wolverines and Nittany Lions.
Remaining games for Wisconsin:
- Feb. 13 | Wisconsin at Ohio State, 6:30 p.m.
- Feb. 14 | Wisconsin at Ohio State, 7:30 p.m.
- Feb. 20 | Wisconsin vs. Michigan, 8 p.m.
- Feb. 21 | Wisconsin vs. Michigan, 7 p.m.
- March 5 | Wisconsin at Penn State, 7 p.m.
- March 6 | Wisconsin at Penn State, 7 p.m.
Race to the No. 1 seed in the CCHA
The end of the CCHA season is shaping up to be chaotic. With only one team inside the top 16 in the NPI right now (No. 13 St. Thomas), it’s looking increasingly likely that the CCHA tournament auto bid could be the only team in the NCAA tournament field.
So, who might that auto bid be? Well, it’s anyone's game right now. St. Thomas is probably the strongest team out of the conference at the moment, but Michigan Tech, Augustana, Bowling Green and Minnesota State are all hanging around.
With four weeks left in the regular season, the remainder of CCHA play could act as a sort of round robin for the Mason Cup, as the top five teams battle for tournament seeding. With a scrappy Bemidji State team sitting in the No. 6 spot currently, that No. 3 seed is a dangerous spot, and the 4 vs. 5 series could be a toss-up. The race to No. 1 is on.
Current CCHA standings:
| Team | points | Games remaining (Max points) | W-l-t |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas | 47 | 4 (59) | 15-5-2 |
| Michigan Tech | 45 | 4 (57) | 15-5-2 |
| Augustana | 42 | 4 (54) | 12-7-3 |
| Bowling Green | 40 | 6 (58) | 12-5-3 |
| Minnesota State | 37 | 6 (55) | 11-6-3 |
| Bemidji State | 30 | 4 (42) | 9-10-3 |
| Lake Superior State | 20 | 6 (38) | 6-14-0 |
| Ferris State | 13 | 4 (25) | 4-18-0 |
| Northern Michigan | 11 | 6 (29) | 3-17-0 |
