{"id":133392,"date":"2022-03-14T07:00:14","date_gmt":"2022-03-14T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/?p=133392"},"modified":"2022-03-13T22:54:19","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T03:54:19","slug":"monday-10-with-conference-tournament-title-games-final-fours-set-past-weekend-had-little-bit-of-everything-in-college-hockey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2022\/03\/14\/monday-10-with-conference-tournament-title-games-final-fours-set-past-weekend-had-little-bit-of-everything-in-college-hockey\/","title":{"rendered":"Monday 10: With conference tournament title games, final fours set, past weekend had little bit of everything in college hockey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Air Force advances in the AHA tournament after bouncing Army this past weekend (photo: Army Athletics).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each week during the season, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.<\/i><\/p>\n

1. It was a good weekend for your favorites<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take a look at the top 10 in the DCU\/USCHO.com poll, and it was a pretty good week. Only two teams didn\u2019t advance \u2013 No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 9 St. Cloud State \u2013 and it was impossible not to have top-10 teams fall as Notre Dame lost to No. 2 Michigan and St. Cloud State lost to No. 10 Minnesota Duluth.<\/p>\n

There was a silver lining for each, though, as both the Irish and the Huskies have punched their NCAA tickets already with at-large berths.<\/p>\n

2. The NCAA picture became a whole lot clearer<\/strong><\/p>\n

After Sunday night, we likely know a good number of NCAA tournament participants.<\/p>\n

There is still a bubble and concern for teams like Ohio State (see below) and maybe even Northeastern. The Huskies can control their destiny in next weekend\u2019s Hockey East semis, but really only have to root against an upset in the CCHA (Bemidji State beating Minnesota State) and the ECAC (Quinnipiac not winning their tournament).<\/p>\n

You can use the USCHO PairWise Predictor<\/strong><\/a>, though, if you want to try to understand the remaining 16,384 tournament scenarios that remain.<\/p>\n

3. Harvard posts a most unlikely of comebacks to open ECAC quarterfinals vs. RPI<\/strong><\/p>\n

Things did not look good for Harvard in the opener of their best-of-three quarterfinal with Rensselaer. Trailing 3-0 after RPI\u2019s Rory Herrman struck at 2:07 of the third period, Harvard coach Ted Donato pulled his goaltender for an extra attacker with about four minutes remaining.<\/p>\n

The move worked. Marshall Rifal got the Crimson on the board at 16:18. Ryan Siedem then pulled Harvard within one at 18:02.<\/p>\n

Then with 15 seconds left, Matthew Coronato tucked home a rebound to force overtime, where Jack Donato redirected a shot just two minutes in to complete the unlikely comeback.<\/p>\n

RPI impressively bounced back on Saturday for a double overtime victory, setting up Sunday\u2019s rubber match where Harvard advanced with a 3-1 win.<\/p>\n

4. Hockey East\u2019s single elimination format lacks upsets<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because of COVID, last season Hockey East made two major changes to their tournament \u2013 allowing all teams to participate and making every round single elimination. The result was some pretty exciting games, big-time upsets (anyone remember that UMass Lowell double overtime win over Boston College and plenty of drama.<\/p>\n

There was so much excitement that the 11 schools decided to stick with the format again this season. This year\u2019s tournament, though, didn\u2019t produce the same early-round drama.<\/p>\n

Using a gambling term, the entire first two rounds were chalk. All seven home teams advances and only on Boston College in the opening round needed overtime. It certainly doesn\u2019t mean the tournament isn\u2019t entertaining. It has been thus far. We\u2019re just not seeing the upsets one might have expected.<\/p>\n

5. The military academies put on quite a show in Atlantic Hockey<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the best rivalries in college hockey played out in the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals as Army hosted Air Force. And boy did the series deliver.<\/p>\n

Both games went to overtime and on both occasion, sixth-seeded Air Force pulled off the upset of third-seed Army West Point.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Luke Robinson scored with 7:06 remaining to force overtime and Blake Bride won the game at 15:30 of the extra frame. One night later, again the Falcons scored in the third, this time it was Austin Schwartz, before Parker Brown sent Air Force to the semifinals with his goal just 62 seconds into overtime.<\/p>\n

Two great military academies. Two great games.<\/p>\n

6. UConn wins first-ever Hockey East playoff game, advances to TD Garden<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long time coming, but Connecticut has won its first Hockey East tournament game, this one in the quarterfinal round over Boston University, 3-1, to send the Huskies to the TD Garden.<\/p>\n

Vladislav Firstov and Jonny Evans spotted the hosts a 2-0 lead. And after Domenick Fensore got the Terriers within a goal, it was Chase Bradley\u2019s empty-net goal that sent the UConn bench into a frenzy.<\/p>\n

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That 1\u20e3st Playoff "W" Feeling…<\/p>\n

Congrats to Coach Cav and the boys on a big one in Hartford tonight. What a crowd at @XLCenter<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/19BIyFgzEy<\/a><\/p>\n

— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) March 13, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n