2013 Frozen Four: NCAA Hockey Bracketology: February 5, 2013

Step 1: Pick the 16 tournament teams

1. Quinnipiac -- ECAC champ
2. Minnesota -- WCHA champ
3. Miami -- CCHA champ
4. Boston College -- Hockey East champ
5. New Hampshire
6. Western Michigan
7. Yale
8. St. Cloud State
9t. Niagara -- Atlantic Hockey champ
9t. North Dakota
11. Denver
12t. Minnesota State
12t. Boston University
12t. Alaska
15t. Dartmouth
15t. Notre Dame

Bubble teams (in order): Colgate, Lowell, Union, Northern Michigan, Nebraska-Omaha

By conference: WCHA 5, CCHA 4, Hockey East 3, ECAC 3, Atlantic Hockey 1

Step 2: Assign the seeds

No. 1 seeds: Quinnipiac, Minnesota, Miami, Boston College
No. 2 seeds: New Hampshire, Western Michigan, Yale, St. Cloud State
No. 3 seeds: Niagara, North Dakota, Denver, Minnesota State
No. 4 seeds: Boston University, Alaska, Dartmouth, Notre Dame

Step 3: Place host teams in regionals

This year's four regional hosts are New Hampshire (Northeast in Manchester), Brown (East in Providence), Bowling Green (Midwest in Toledo) and Michigan (West in Grand Rapids).

Only UNH is in this week, so the no. 2 seeded Wildcats will be slotted into the Northeast Regional.

Step 4: Place number 1 seeds in Regionals

Number 1 seeds are placed based on proximity to regional site.

No. 1 Quinnipiac is placed in the East Regional in Providence.
No. 2 Minnesota is placed in the West Regional in Grand Rapids.
No. 3 Miami is placed in the Midwest Regional in Toledo.
No. 4 Boston College is placed in the Northeast Regional in Manchester.

Step 5: Place the other 12 teams avoiding intra-conference match ups if possible. Begin by filling each bracket by banding groups. Remember that teams are not assigned to the regional closest to their campus sites by ranking order within the banding.

If this is the case, then the committee should seed so that the quarterfinals are seeded such that the four regional championships are played by No. 1 v. No. 8, No. 2 v. No. 7, No. 3 v. No. 6 and No. 4 v. No. 5.

Number 2 seeds:

No. 8 St. Cloud State is placed in No. 1 Quinnipiac's Regional, the East.
No. 7 Yale is placed in No. 2 Minnesota's Regional, the West.
No. 6 Western Michigan is placed in No. 3 Miami's Regional, the Midwest.
No. 5 New Hampshire is placed in No. 4 Boston College's Regional, the Northeast.

Number 3 seeds:

No. 9 Niagara is placed in No. 8 St. Cloud State's Regional, the East.
No. 10 North Dakota is placed in No. 7 Yale's Regional, the West.
No. 11 Denver is placed in No. 6 Western Michigan's Regional, the Midwest.
No. 12 Minnesota State is placed in No. 5 New Hampshire's Regional, the Northeast.

Number 4 seeds:

No. 13 Boston University is placed in No. 4 Boston College's Regional, the Northeast.
No. 14 Alaska is placed in No. 3 Miami's Regional, the Midwest.
No. 15 Dartmouth is placed in No. 2 Minnesota's Regional, the West.
No. 16 Notre Dame is placed in No. 1 Quinnipiac's Regional, the East.

Our bracket as we have it set up:

East Regional (Providence, Rhode Island)
1 Quinnipiac vs. 16 Notre Dame
8 St. Cloud State vs. 9 Niagara

Northeast Regional (Manchester, New Hampshire)
4 Boston College vs. 13 Boston University
5 New Hampshire vs. 12 Minnesota State

West Regional (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
2 Minnesota vs. 15 Dartmouth
7 Yale vs. 10 North Dakota

Midwest Regional (Toledo, Ohio)
3 Miami vs. 14 Alaska
6 Western Michigan vs. 11 Denver

After initially populating the bracket, the NCAA then looks to avoid intra-conference matchups. So ... BC-BU and Miami Alaska are in a got to go situation. That's relatively painless. Send the Terriers to Toledo and the Nanooks to Manchester. That was easy

Our bracket as we have it set up now:

East Regional (Providence, Rhode Island)
1 Quinnipiac vs. 16 Notre Dame
8 St. Cloud State vs. 9 Niagara

Northeast Regional (Manchester, New Hampshire)
4 Boston College vs. 14 Alaska
5 New Hampshire vs. 12 Minnesota State

West Regional (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
2 Minnesota vs. 15 Dartmouth
7 Yale vs. 10 North Dakota

Midwest Regional (Toledo, Ohio)
3 Miami vs. 13 Boston University
6 Western Michigan vs. 11 Denver

Finally, the NCAA looks at ways of boosting attendance by tweaking the programs within each band. The East looks pretty solid with Quinnipiac, Niagara and Hockey "East" in waiting Notre Dame. The Northeast not only has host UNH but also benefits from having the Eagles in Manchester. The West is set with Minnesota and North Dakota. As is the Midwest with Miami and Western Michigan. No changes this week.

Some thoughts on this bracket.

-- Still a ton of hockey to play, but if the Eagles were able to weather Slump Time (TM) and manage to hold onto one of the top four National tournament seeds ... well you are doing something right. Bonus: That's not a terrible draw to get to Pittsburgh, either. BC would have to deal with the Nanooks (again) and, should the seeds hold, a Wildcats teams on "almost" home ice in Manchester. Annoying, but not overly terrible with where both BC and New Hampshire currently sit in the PairWise. I'd probably take my chances with a Regional final vs. UNH over having to travel to Toledo or Grand Rapids, to be honest.

-- Niagara! The Atlantic Hockey champ is NOT last. In fact, they are currently tied with North Dakota for ninth in the latest PairWise. What I don't even. Implications are two-fold: 1) the tournament's top seed, Quinnipiac, would not be rewarded with the Atlantic Hockey representative and 2) should Niagara fail to win the AHA tournament crown, the Purple Eagles are creeping closer and closer to being a lock for an autobid anyway. Playoffstatus.com currently puts Niagara's chances at making the National tournament at 67 percent. Robert Morris is next at 17 percent.

-- Three from Hockey East. BC and New Hampshire in the Northeast, while the Terriers get shipped to Toledo. You can keep them, Ohio. Lowell took a PairWise face plant last weekend and is now on the outside looking in at the National tournament. For the year Hockey East is having -- at least at the top -- it would be pretty disappointing to see the conference only send three reps to the NCAAs (with two playing in the same Regional). That said, if BU wants to play itself out of the National Tournament, I won't complain too much.

-- An Atlantic Hockey club is tied for 9th in the PairWise, Michigan's tournament streak is likely coming to an end, the Big Ten outside of the state of Minnesota is MIA. I have a feeling this year's Frozen Four could top last year's on the weirdness scale (Union/Ferris State for a shot at a title?!). Just a strange year in college hockey.

-- Projected Frozen Four this week: St. Cloud State, BC, Minnesota, Western Michigan