Most College hockey teams have played about half of their games (somewhere between 15-17 games), so I think we can say that we are approximately half way through the college hockey season. So, as a result, I have posted the top sixteen in the Pairwise Rankings–which are a snap shot of the college hockey season to date. While the Pairwise Rankings are very fluid and can change with a team suffering a few bad losses or by losing comparisons against other teams, the PWR is interesting to look at and utilitize measure how your favorite team is doing. After taking a look, you shelf it and come take a look again a little later on in the season.
Teams per the Pairwise Rankings
1 Miami 12-2-5 (CCHA)
2 Denver 11-4-2 (WCHA)
3 Bemidji State 13-3-1 (CHA)
4 Boston College 9-3-2 (HE)
5 Ferris State 12-3-2 (CCHA)
6 Wisconsin 10-5-2 (WCHA)
7 North Dakota 9-5-3 (WCHA)
8 Colorado College 10-4-3 (WCHA)
9 Quinnipiac 12-3-1 (ECAC)
10 Michigan State (CCHA)
11 Mass.-Lowell 10-5-1 (HE)
12 St Cloud St 8-6-3 (WCHA)
13 Massachusetts (HE)
14 Minnesota-Duluth 10-6-1 (WCHA)
15 New Hampshire 8-6-3 (HE)
16 Air Force Academy or RIT (AHA) tourney winner
So far this season the WCHA has once again emerged as the pride of college hockey and if the tourney started today there would be an impressive six WCHA teams in the NCAA tournament. While there probably won’t be six WCHA teams in the top 14-15 spots of the PWR at season’s end, I think there is a good chance there could be five teams; simply, the WCHA is that good. The fact is, the NCAA is probably already sweating and hoping they don’t have another all WCHA Frozen Four.
Traditional teams like Minnesota, Michigan and Boston University would be on the outside looking in. Two of the four teams from last season’s frozen four would be sitting home UVM and BU.
This is how the NCAA tourney would shake out –
6 – WCHA
4 – HE
3 – CCHA
1 –ECAC
1 – CHA
1 –AHA
Here’s the Strength of Schedule for the WCHA teams [KRACH]
2 Denver 4
3 Colorado College 15
4 Wisconsin 7
5 North Dakota 5
7 St. Cloud State 1
9 Minnesota-Duluth 11
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