Atlantic Hockey Playoffs 2005 - 3/3/05

March 3, 2005

Atlantic Hockey Playoffs 2005
View Playoff Release (PDF)

Wrap It Up:

Quinnipiac clinched the 2004-05 Atlantic Hockey regular season championship with a 4-2 win at Connecticut on Thursday evening. The Bobcats will be the top seed in the upcoming Atlantic Hockey Tournament, which kicks off next week.

Musical Chairs:

Four teams are still vying for the three home ice slots left in the Quarterfinal round of the Atlantic Hockey tournament.

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 a win Friday night against Army. 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 two 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.

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.

Holy Cross can secure home ice this weekend with a sweep of Bentley. Anything less, and the Crusaders will need to obtain more points than Sacred Heart or Mercyhurst, or end up tied with Canisius in the standings.