Atlantic Hockey Playoffs 2005 - 2/27/05

February 27, 2005

Atlantic Hockey Playoffs 2005
View Playoff Release (PDF)

Driving The Bus:

Quinnipiac became the fourth different team this season to claim first place in Atlantic Hockey with a win at home Friday over Sacred Heart, 5-3, combined by a Holy Cross loss to Mercyhurst, 4-3. While Sacred Heart was able to achieve the same feat last weekend as the second-place team in the league (win over then first-place Holy Cross), the Pioneers were unable to distance themselves from the group. Quinnipiac didn't repeat the Pioneer's misfortune, beating second-place Sacred Heart 5-3 in Milford Saturday afternoon. Once sitting as far back as seventh place in the league in January, the Bobcats have made a steady climb to the top of the Atlantic Hockey standings, and now control their own destiny. A win Thursday night at Connecticut by Quinnipiac will guarantee it the Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Championship and the top seed in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs.

It's Not Trigonometry, It's Home Ice:

At first glance, it appears that Quinnipiac still needs to gain one point to claim home ice in the Quarterfinals of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs. But look closer. Due to the mathematical anomaly created by the Sacred Heart at Mercyhurst series slated to begin March 4 and conclude March 5, the Bobcats have in fact secured home ice for March 12. Here's how it works: The maximum number of points either Sacred Heart or Mercyhurst can garner is four points, but both teams cannot achieve this feat, only one can. Therefore, since Quinnipiac is three points ahead of both the Pioneers and the Lakers, only one of the two teams can catch them, if the Bobcats happen to stumble and fail to gain any points in their last two games. If Sacred Heart and Mercyhurst split on the weekend (or tie both games), then the maximum number of points gained by either would be two, one shy of the Bobcats current mark of 30. So, since Quinnipiac will finish ahead of one of the two teams (or both), it is guaranteed home ice in the Quarterfinals.

The Rest of the Class:

Canisius will host Army for two games beginning March 4 to close out the regular season. The easiest way for the Golden Griffins to claim home ice is to secure at least three points on the weekend out of a potential four. Although Holy Cross can catch Canisius with a four-point weekend - the Crusaders hold the tiebreaker over the Griffs - Canisius is guaranteed a home ice slot with at least three points due to the same anomaly that has given Quinnipiac home ice in the Quarterfinals, since Mercyhurst and Sacred Heart cannot both garner three points or more. Canisius, Mercyhurst, and Sacred Heart are all tied for second. Canisius can still be bounced from the home ice equation if it secures no points on the weekend while Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, and Sacred Heart each obtain at least one point.

Holy Cross is a longshot at the moment for repeating as the regular season champion in Atlantic Hockey. The Crusaders need the following to happen: Sweep a home-and-home series against Bentley, Quinnipiac fails to get any points during the week, Sacred Heart and Mercyhurst either split or tie both games over the weekend, and Canisius gets three points or less. Then, and only then, Holy Cross will share the regular season title with Quinnipiac (and potentially Canisius), and the Crusaders would have the tiebreaker for the top seed over both Quinnipiac and Canisius (season head-to-head). The Crusaders can secure home ice with a weekend sweep of Bentley.

A win for Sacred Heart in either game this weekend will secure the Pioneers home ice in the Quarterfinals, no matter how the rest of the league does over the weekend. If Sacred Heart and Mercyhurst tie in the standings come Saturday night, the Pioneers have the tiebreaker. This is accomplished through the second tiebreaker, conference wins, as the Pioneers currently have one more than Mercyhurst.

Mercyhurst can secure home ice with a three-point weekend. If the Lakers obtain anything less than three, they must finish with more points than Canisius or tie Holy Cross in the standings.

Fit To Be Tied:

While Quinnipiac sits in first place, three teams are in a three-way tie for second place in the Atlantic Hockey standings. Canisius, Mercyhurst, and Sacred Heart are all three points behind Quinnipiac. The biggest movement of the weekend came from the Mercyhurst-Holy Cross series in Worcester, after the Lakers swept the Crusaders, 4-3 and 3-2 respectively. Mercyhurst jumped to second from fifth, while Holy Cross dropped to fifth from second, and now needs help to get into the home ice picture.

Atlantic Hockey Tiebreaking Procedures

1. If two teams tie, the in-season series results (head-to-head)will be used to determine higher rank. If the records are identical, the team with the most conference wins will gain the higher seed. If they are still tied, the team with the best record against Atlantic Hockey teams in descending order of the final standings shall gain the higher rank. After that, a coin flip shall decide the higher rank.

2. If more than two teams are tied, the in-season series results will determine the higer rank, applying the provisions as stated in #1 until the number of teams are reduced. Then the criteria will be reapplied for the new number of teams remaining tied (three-way to two-way tie for example).

Head to Head - Top Five Teams:

# 1 Quinnipiac
Won season series over Sacred Heart, 2-1-0
Won season series over Mercyhurst, 2-1-0
Tied season series against Canisius, 1-1-1
Lost season series to Holy Cross, 1-2-0

# 2 Sacred Heart
Lost season series to Quinnipiac, 1-2-0
Tied with Mercyhurst with two games remaining, 0-0-1
Won season series over Canisius, 2-1-0
Won season series over Holy Cross, 2-1-0

# 2 Mercyhurst
Lost season series to Quinnipiac, 1-2-0
Tied with Sacred Heart with two games remaining, 0-0-1
Lost season series to Canisius, 0-2-1
Won season series over Holy Cross, 2-1-0

# 2 Canisius
Tied season series with Quinnipiac, 1-1-1
Lost season series to Sacred Heart, 1-2-0
Won season series over Mercyhurst, 2-0-1
Lost season series to Holy Cross, 0-2-1

# 5 Holy Cross
Won season series over Quinnipiac, 2-1-0
Lost season series to Sacred Heart, 1-2-0
Lost season series to Mercyhurst, 1-2-0
Won season series over Canisius, 2-0-1

Other Notables:

With a tie between American International and Army Saturday night, 3-3, Bentley is assured of a few things. The Falcons cannot finish lower than eighth in the Atlantic Hockey standings, however, they are unable to finish any higher than their current seventh. Connecticut will finish the season in sixth place no matter how the Huskies do in their final two games.

Playoff Format:

All nine Atlantic Hockey teams qualify for the postseason. The 8th seed will host the 9th seed in a play-in game for the Quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 8. The Quarterfinals are a single-game elimination round that occurs on Saturday, March 12, hosted by the top four teams in the league. The highest remaining seed after the Quarterfinal round will host the Semifinals and Atlantic Hockey Championship on March 18 and 19.