ECAC Playoff Possibilities as of 1998 March 6

© 1998, Joe Schlobotnik (archives)

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For each team, I've listed the following:

THIS WEEKEND:  The team's weekend games, its last two of the season.
ON THEIR OWN:  The highest the team could finish with no help from the
     competition.  Generally, this involves a weekend sweep.
BEST CASE:  The highest the team could finish if everything goes right.
WORST CASE:  The lowest the team could finish if everything goes wrong.
     This generally involves getting swept while teams nearby in the
     standings win.
TIEBREAKERS:  How the team would fare if they finished the season tied with
     some other team which is currently close (within 4 points) in the
     standings.

Again, for two or more teams tied in the standings, the ECAC tiebreakers are:

1.   Head-to-head record in ECAC games (non-conference meetings, such as in
     tournaments, do not count).
2.   Record against the top four teams in the conference.
3.   Record against the top eight teams in the conference.
4.   Goal differential (net goals) head-to-head.
5.   Goal differential against the top four teams in the conference.
6.   Goal differential against the top eight teams in the conference.

Union, who hosts Yale and Princeton this weekend, has already nailed down
twelfth place in the league.  As for the other teams, here they are in order
of their current standings:

Yale:
     THIS WEEKEND:  At Union, at Rensselaer.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Clinches first with a sweep.
     BEST CASE:  First.
     WORST CASE:  Finishes second if Clarkson picks up two more points than
     they do.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Could win or lose against Clarkson.

Clarkson:
     THIS WEEKEND:  Colgate, Cornell.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Has already clinched second.
     BEST CASE:  Would finish first with at least two more points than Yale.
     WORST CASE:  Second.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Could win or lose against Yale.

Rensselaer:
     THIS WEEKEND:  Princeton, Yale.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Two points gives the Engineers third place.
     BEST CASE:  Third.
     WORST CASE:  Would finish fifth if they got no more than one point on the
     weekend and Brown and Colgate sweep.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Loses to Brown and Colgate.

Brown:
     THIS WEEKEND:  At Dartmouth, at Vermont.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Clinches fifth with three points.
     BEST CASE:  Finishes third with a sweep if Rensselaer gets no more than one
     point and Colgate does not sweep.
     WORST CASE:  Would finish ninth if they lose both games, Colgate gets at
     least one point, Cornell and Princeton get at least three each, and Dart-
     mouth and Vermont both beat Harvard.  Brown would thus lose the three-
     way tie with Dartmouth and Vermont.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Beats Rensselaer; loses to Harvard and Vermont; could win or
     lose against Colgate, Cornell, Princeton, and Dartmouth.

Colgate:
     THIS WEEKEND:  At Clarkson, at St. Lawrence.
     ON THEIR OWN:  A sweep gives Colgate fourth place.
     BEST CASE:  Clinches third with a sweep if Rensselaer gets no more than
     one point.
     WORST CASE:  Finishes eighth if they get swept, Brown picks up at least
     one point, Cornell and Princeton get at least two, and Harvard sweeps.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Beats Rensselaer, Dartmouth, and Vermont; loses to Harvard;
     could win or lose against Brown, Cornell, and Princeton.

Cornell:
     THIS WEEKEND:  At St. Lawrence, at Clarkson.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Clinches sixth with a sweep.
     BEST CASE:  Finishes fourth with a sweep if Colgate loses to Clarkson and
     Brown gets fewer than two points.  If Princeton also sweeps, then Colgate
     and Brown could each get two points and Cornell would still finish fourth.
     WORST CASE:  Would fall to ninth if they get swept, Dartmouth and Vermont
     get at least three points each, and Princeton gets at least one point.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Beats Princeton, Vermont, and Harvard; could win or lose
     against Brown, Colgate, and Dartmouth.

Princeton:
     THIS WEEKEND:  At Rensselaer, at Union.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Three points gives the Tigers seventh place.
     BEST CASE:  Clinches fourth with a sweep if Cornell does not sweep, Col-
     gate loses to Clarkson, and Brown gets no more than one point.
     WORST CASE:  Finishes tenth if they get swept and Dartmouth and Harvard
     tie and each beats their other opponent.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Beats Dartmouth; loses to Cornell; could win or lose against
     Brown, Colgate, Vermont, and Harvard.

Dartmouth:
     THIS WEEKEND:  Brown, Harvard
     ON THEIR OWN:  Will guarantee themselves eighth place with a sweep.
     BEST CASE:  Could finish fifth with a sweep if:  Vermont also sweeps,
     Colgate loses twice, and Cornell and Princeton get no more than one point
     each.  Would also finish fifth with everything the same as above except
     that Cornell beats St. Lawrence and loses to Clarkson by at least two
     goals.  (This one is so much fun that I've gotta run through it in a
     separate posting!)
     WORST CASE:  Finishes eleventh if they lose twice, Vermont gets at least
     one point, and St. Lawrence sweeps.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Beats St. Lawrence; loses to Colgate, Princeton, and Harvard;
     could win or lose against Brown, Cornell, and Vermont.

Vermont:
     THIS WEEKEND:  Harvard, Brown.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Clinches ninth by beating Harvard, or by tying Harvard and
     beating Brown.
     BEST CASE:  Finishes fifth with a sweep if Brown loses twice, Cornell gets
     no more than one point, and Princeton gets no more than two points.
     WORST CASE:  Finishes eleventh if they lose twice and St. Lawrence sweeps.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Beats Brown and St. Lawrence; loses to Colgate and Cornell;
     could win or lose against Princeton, Dartmouth, and Harvard.

Harvard:
     THIS WEEKEND:  At Vermont, at Dartmouth.
     ON THEIR OWN:  A sweep would guarantee the Crimson eighth place.
     BEST CASE:  Clinches fourth with a sweep if Brown and Colgate lose twice,
     Cornell gets no more than one point, and Princeton gets no more than two
     points.
     WORST CASE:  Finishes eleventh if they lose twice and St. Lawrence
     sweeps.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Beats Brown, Colgate, and Dartmouth; loses to Cornell;
     could win or lose against Princeton, Vermont, and St. Lawrence.

St. Lawrence:
     THIS WEEKEND:  Cornell, Colgate.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Has already clinched eleventh and can finish no higher
     without help.
     BEST CASE:  Clinches ninth if they win twice and Dartmouth and Vermont
     are swept.
     WORST CASE:  Eleventh.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Loses to Dartmouth and Vermont; could win or lose against
     Harvard.

Last Modified: 2011 October 9

Joe Schlobotnik / joe@amurgsval.org

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