February 6, 2009

Cornell-Princeton Marks Start of College Stretch Run

The following article appeared in the February 6 issue of the New York Times.

 

By Nathan Sandals

February means the final stretch of the college hockey regular season. Most teams have fewer than 10 games left on their schedule, so for teams at the top of the standings with pursuers nipping at their heels, there can be no let-up. And if a team at the bottom of its conference wants to make waves this year, it has to make its move now.

Here’s a look at Jason Moy’s most recent bracketology on uscho.com. The current brackets show a lot of balance, with four teams each from the W.C.H.A. and Hockey East and three each from the C.C.H.A. and E.C.A.C. (All three from the E.C.A.C. are Ivy League.)

If you take a look at the current PairWise rankings, there are a few matchups this weekend that could have a substantial impact come tournament selection time. On Saturday, the 10th-ranked Princeton Tigers head to Lynah Rink at Cornell for a key E.C.A.C. matchup. Cornell has slipped a bit in recent weeks but still comes in ranked No. 5 in the nation. More important though, the Big Red need to get back on the winning track to hold onto a No. 1 seed in the N.C.A.A. tournament.

Complete article can be accessed via the Times Web site by clicking here.