It's simple math. Why does a team 13 games over .500 (Maine) in Division I competition get chosen over a team that was 24 games above the .500 mark and consistently ranked in the nation's top five (Harvard)?
What A Strong Schedule You Have
Strength of schedule. Forget about wonloss records, the NCAA said Sunday.
This season, Maine played 12 games against tournament teams (Boston College, Providence, Minnesota, Michigan State, Northern Michigan and Wisconsin). Final record: 6-6.
Harvard played four games against tournament teams (St. Lawrence and Boston College). Final record: 4-0.
Although Harvard did post a perfect record against two tournament squads, the Crimson did not play enough games against other tourney teams.
That's the NCAA's argument, and it is a disadvantage for the Crimson or any other ECAC team.
Why?
Since the 12-team ECAC is larger than the other major hockey conferences in the nation (CCHA, WCHA, Hockey East), ECAC teams must play 22 games against league opponents.
Throw in a Beanpot for the Crimson, and the options to play tournament teams are limited. Harvard had only two open dates to play non-league teams. The Crimson faced two Hockey East teams, New Hampshire and Boston College. It won both games.
The Black Bears play in the seven-team Hockey East league. They had to play only 18 league games. And since its schedule is not limited to just Hockey East teams, Maine can add an extra 22 games, which includes the Hockey East-WCHA joint scheduling agreement.
Naturally, Maine will play more tournament teams because it plays sqauds from two of the four major hockey leagues. There's your strength of schedule argument.
So what does this say about the committee's perception about the ECAC?
Do committee members think that Harvard and St. Lawrence play in a weaker conference because they don't have a sufficient number of dates to play squads from other conferences?
It's possible. But why should the ECAC be at fault for fielding 12 teams and maintaining a highly competitive level of hockey?
Maybe the top ECAC teams should play more tournament teams during the season. But for now, let this year's playoffs decide who really is the best team in the East.
The Black Bears shouldn't celebrate too early.