With the Friday night games in the books this weekend, let’s reset the playoff race heading into tonight, including some clinching scenarios that are on the table. A website that I use for this is playoffstatus.com, which provides (most of the time) up to the minute statuses on clinching and elimination scenarios, along with likely percentages for all finishing spots. The following are only the clinching scenarios heading into tonight, although scenarios do exist where teams could be eliminated from finishing in particular slots:
Current Standings:
1. Robert Morris – 32 points
T-2. Air Force – 29 points
T-2. Holy Cross – 29 points
4. RIT – 28 points
5. Mercyhurst – 26 points
6. Canisius – 23 points
7. Bentley – 22 points
8. Army West Point – 21 points
9. Sacred Heart – 19 points
10. American Int’l – 14 points
11. Niagara – 13 points
If the playoffs started today (first round):
Niagara at Canisius
AIC at Bentley
Sacred Heart at Army West Point
Mercyhurst at RIT in the quarterfinals
RMU, Air Force, and Holy Cross would await series winners, reseeded.
What can be clinched tonight (teams in order of current standings):
Robert Morris:
Clinches at least the #5 seed (first round bye):
-Win vs. Army West Point
-Bentley win vs. Canisius
-Tie vs. Army West Point and Bentley tie vs. Canisius
-Tie vs. Army West Point and AIC win vs. RIT and Niagara win vs. Mercyhurst
Clinches at least the #4 seed (first round bye, home ice in quarterfinals):
-Win vs. Army West Point and Niagara win vs. Mercyhurst or AIC win vs. RIT
-Win vs. Army West Point and Niagara-Mercyhurst tie and AIC-RIT tie
-Tie vs. Army West Point and Bentley win or tie vs. Canisius and AIC win vs. RIT and Niagara win vs. Mercyhurst
Air Force:
Clinches at least the #6 seed (top first round home series seed):
-Win vs. Holy Cross
-Canisius win vs. Bentley and RMU win vs. Army West Point
-Tie vs. Holy Cross and Bentley-Canisius tie and RMU win vs. Army West Point
-Tie vs. Holy Cross and Bentley-Canisius tie and RMU tie vs. Army West Point and Niagara win vs. Mercyhurst
Clinches at least the #5 seed (first round bye):
-Win vs. Holy Cross and Bentley win vs. Canisius
Holy Cross:
Clinches at least the #6 seed (top seed in first round home series):
-Win vs. Air Force and Niagara win or tie vs. Mercyhurst or RMU win or tie vs. Army West Point
-Tie vs. Air Force and RMU win vs. Army West Point
-Tie vs. Air Force and RMU-Army West Point tie and Niagara win over Mercyhurst
RIT:
Clinches at least the #7 seed (first round home series):
-Win or tie vs. AIC
-Canisius win or tie vs. Bentley
-RMU win or tie vs. Army West Point
Clinches at least the #6 seed (top seed in first round home series):
-Win vs. AIC and Canisius win or tie vs. Bentley and RMU win or tie vs. Army
-Tie vs. AIC and Canisius win vs. Bentley and RMU win vs. Army
Mercyhurst:
Clinches at least the #8 seed (first round home series):
–Win vs. Niagara
-Tie vs. Niagara and Canisius win or tie vs. Bentley and RMU win over Army West Point
-Tie vs. Niagara and Canisius win over Bentley and RMU tie vs. Army West Point
Clinches at least the #7 seed (first round home series):
-Win vs. Niagara and Canisius win or tie vs. Bentley or RMU win or tie vs. Army West Point
Canisius:
-No clinching scenarios exist for Canisius based on tonight’s result
Bentley:
Clinches at least the #9 seed (top seed of road teams in first round):
-Win vs. Canisius or Mercyhurst win over Niagara
-Tie vs. Canisius and Mercyhurst tie vs. Niagara
Army West Point:
Clinches at least the #10 seed (middle seed of first round road teams):
-Tie vs. RMU and Mercyhurst win over Niagara or RIT tie vs. AIC
-RIT win over AIC
Clinches at least the #9 seed (top seed of road teams in first round):
-Win vs. RMU
-RIT win over AIC and Mercyhurst win over Niagara
-Tie vs. RMU and RIT tie vs. AIC and Mercyhurst win or tie vs. Niagara
-Tie vs. RMU and RIT win vs. AIC and Mercyhurst tie vs. Niagara
No clinching scenarios currently exist for Sacred Heart, AIC, or Niagara
