The NCAA Division III selection committee has announced the teams and bracket for the 2000 men’s hockey championship tournament.
ECAC East champion Norwich University, ranked #1 in the U.S. College Hockey Division III poll, received the number one seed in the east, and will host fourth-seeded RIT, the ECAC West champion.
Five time defending national champion Middlebury, the 1999-2000 NESCAC winner, received the number three eastern seed, and will travel to SUNYAC champion Plattsburgh.
Out west, St. Thomas received the top seed, and will host ECAC Northeast Champion Wentworth, the number five eastern seed, at the Aldrich Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.
NCHA champion and last year’s runner-up Wis-Superior is seeded third in the west but is hosting second seeded Concordia, the MIAC winner.
To summarize:
East
No. 4 RIT (21-5-1) at No. 1 Norwich (25-2-1)
No. 3 Middlebury (20-5-1) at No. 2 Plattsburgh (25-3-1)
West
No. 5E Wentworth (17-10-1) at No. 1 St. Thomas (23-3-2)
No. 2 Concordia (20-7-2) at No. 3 Wis.-Superior (22-8-1)
At this time, it is assumed that the games will be held on Friday, March 10th and Saturday, March 11th.
The format for the first round, quarterfinal games are “best of two” with a possible minigame. Each game will be a regulation 60-minute contest, but no overtime will be played in the event of a tie. If the teams split the games, or tie both, then a 15-minute minigame will ensue at the end of the second game. If the teams are tied at the end of the minigame, then a sudden-victory overtime will be played.
The quarterfinal winners will meet the weekend of March 17-18 at a site yet to be determined for single elimination semifinals, championship and consolation.
