Inside College Hockey

Thought bubble: I'm sticking with my 12 locks from last week — Boston University, New Hampshire, Northeastern, and Vermont from Hockey East; Miami, Michigan, and Notre Dame from the CCHA; Cornell, Princeton, and Yale from ECAC Hockey; and Denver and North Dakota from the WCHA. In fact, I feel even better about them this week ... I guess that should stand to reason, seeing as we're seven days closer to Selection Sunday. Air Force and Bemidji State are the picks to win autobids in Atlantic Hockey and College Hockey America, respectively.

That leaves two at-large bids. Minnesota Duluth stays, but Wisconsin gets the heave-ho in favor of St. Lawrence. Yeah, I realize that's four ECAC Hockey teams in the 16-team field, but the Saints deserve it. They get the nod over Ohio State. — Mike Eidelbes

1. Northeastern

This has nothing to do with tourney seeds, but unless you're a BU fan, don't you really want to see the Huskies win the Hockey East regular-season title this weekend?

1. Boston U.

The Terriers will earn the top overall seed unless they lose four in a row starting with Providence this weekend, or a meteor hits Agganis Arena. The meteor seems more likely.

2. Denver

If the season ended today, the Pios would be a No. 1 seed. But I have a funny feeling they'll lose two between now and Selection Sunday.

2. New Hampshire

After a 5-6-3 start, the Wildcats have gone 13-3-2 since Dec. 1. Three or four points at Vermont this weekend could be enough to secure a second seed.

3. Yale

Winning the quarterfinal series in the ECAC Hockey tournament should be enough to get the Elis in. Keith Allain has to be one of the favorites for the Penrose, eh?

3. Cornell

The Big Red has been the anti-UNH in the second half of the season, going 5-6-1 after getting out to a 13-1-3 start. The week off appears to come at the right time for this group.

4. St. Lawrence

The Saints have a number of quality wins (UNH and UVM among them) and are 12-3-3 since Jan. 1. A first-round date with Northeastern would be an interesting matchup.

4. Bemidji State

The Beavers are virtually assured of the CHA regular-season title, and with the league tournament in Bemidji and a 8-3-0 home mark this season, the odds of a postseason crown are pretty good.

1. Notre Dame

I've vacillated between the Irish and Michigan as the second overall seed. I think Notre Dame can take on a loss in the CCHA tournament and still end up as the top seed in GR.

1. Michigan

I replaced the Wolverines with Notre Dame as the projected CCHA playoff winner. Then I calculated that Michigan is 17-3 in its last 20 and has scored 82 goals during that span. Yikes.

2. Vermont

From a travel standpoint, it would make more sense to keep the Catamounts in Bridgeport and send Denver to GR, but I'm all about bracket integrity. Really.

2. North Dakota

Rip on the Sioux, and the fans remember your name. Praise them and they have no idea who you are. That happened in the latest podcast. I was the first guy on the bandwagon, NoDak.

3. Miami

The RedHawks are the college hockey equivalent of Rob Deer — they're either going to hit a 485-foot home run or strike out on three straight fastballs three feet off the plate.

3. Princeton

Like Cornell, the Tigers were another ECAC Hockey team to pull back on the reins at the halfway mark: they were 12-2-0 before Jan. 1, and 8-7-0 after.

4. Air Force

A quick review of the Falcons' regular season: 13-0-0 to start, then a 2-6-1 stretch followed by an 8-3-1 closing run.

4. Minnesota Duluth

Because there is such parity (some would call it mediocrity) in the middle of the WCHA that I like St. Lawrence's chances to hang on to an at-large bid better than UMD's.

Last two in: Minnesota Duluth, St. Lawrence First two out: Ohio State, Minnesota
Stock rising: New Hampshire, North Dakota Stock falling: Minnesota Duluth, Princeton
INCH's projected auto-bids: Atlantic Hockey-Air Force; CCHA-Notre Dame; College Hockey America-Bemidji State;
ECAC Hockey-Princeton; Hockey East-Boston University; WCHA-North Dakota