:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69005828/517059386.0.jpg)
One of the most fun traditions of any NCAA tournament selection is viewing the angry reactions of fans who feel that their team got screwed. (It’ll happen to all of us eventually!)
Usually this is especially comical in hockey, when the field is purely chosen through objective math. This year had the potential to be extra funny due to the role of the selection committee.
Twitter, your thoughts? Who got screwed?
Minnesota
It’s a little weird to think of Minnesota as getting screwed after they earned a #1 seed and will be playing close to home, with traditional tournament underachiever Minnesota State as the #2 seed in their bracket. But don’t worry, the all-time hockey grievance champions in Minnesota still have reasons to feel slighted.
Gophers got screwed
— Danny Thomas (@Dannystevens84) March 21, 2021
Mankato (who hasn’t won a tournament game since the WCHA split) as the #2?! Balderdash.
Think they got screwed having Mankato as their 2 seed. They were strong enough to be a 1 over WI but had one bad game at the end of the season.
— Tommy Rempfer (@MNWildGuy) March 22, 2021
Playing the late game for TV purposes? S C R E W E D
Interesting that @GopherHockey is the ONLY #1 seed playing the later game in the 1st round in each regional. Normally top seed gets the early game to give them a few extra hours of rest.
— The Daily Gopher (@TheDailyGopher) March 21, 2021
BUT... early game in Loveland on ESPN3 only--no TV. So Gophers sacrifice rest for TV coverage https://t.co/qhFNHFzrhz
Goldy was on the case to investigate this travesty:
https://t.co/RfJpCme5t8 pic.twitter.com/nD0tEb8ntL
— BC Interruption (@bcinterruption) March 21, 2021
Thankfully, turns out it was a false alarm:
Never mind...North Dakota also playing the late game for TV reasons.
— The Daily Gopher (@TheDailyGopher) March 21, 2021
UMass-Amherst
@WarmingHouseDen maybe I'm biased, but UMass got screwed. They should've got an automatic #1 as the winner of Hockey East tournament. Trust me, no one wants to face that team. #mnwild Lindberg Wall....
— Derek Felska (@CreaseAndAssist) March 21, 2021
Automatic #1! Perhaps they can discuss this travesty in the Boston Globe. We know they won’t be discussing it on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Denver
Denver finished below .500, but had reasonable hopes of qualifying for the tournament due to their postseason performance and their status as the 5th team in the pretty-much-undisputed best conference, the NCHC. Alas, their bubble was burst.
Denver got screwed
— Excon (@excon44548733) March 22, 2021
Craziest part is @DU_Hockey got screwed over because their conference did what they thought was best with a pandemic going on and they got stuck playing the #1 team 6 times so their record was awful
— Zach Galo (@ZGalo35) March 22, 2021
I’ll be honest, I kind of expected more belly-aching after big name Denver was left out. “Our record was so bad just because we played really good teams and lost to them over and over again, and therefore we should make the tournament and get to lose to them again” is usually a gold mine in these situations.
Providence
The Selection Committee likely has a lifetime of good will with most Providence fans after the Friars snuck into the NCAA tournament as the last team in in 2015, then had the brutal path of having to take the bus 1.2 miles from their home rink to host their regional at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. But it surely did sting to be left out yesterday.
Providence got screwed.
— Vance Morgan (@thorsenchair) March 22, 2021
UMass-Lowell
Foiled by the computers... again.
Garbage Lowell got screwed.
— douglas noworyta (@dnoworyta) March 21, 2021
Bowling Green?
Sure, why not:
Has me scratching my head, Im really confused
— Jason D (@JJRD96) March 21, 2021
No way they should be in ahead of Providence and especially over Bowling Green