Welcome everyone,
Today, we are going to take a glance at each conference race and the impact the remaining games have on every potential outcome going forward. While you are probably used to me writing on the national landscape of the sport, let’s zoom in on each league, and examine where things sit with three weekends left in the regular season. Yes, we’ll talk conference championships, and who will be hanging banners. But we will also look at potential playoff bids, who gets home ice come tournament time, and much, much more. I will do this in a two-step approach, to save the readers some time. First off, we’ll look at the first half of conferences on the women’s side, which includes the CNE, MAC, MASCAC, MIAC, and NCHA.
CNE
After letting the CNE (formerly CCC) split through their fingertips the last few years and missing out on the NCAA tournament, Endicott looks like they’re on a mission to return to form as one of the program’s top programs. Endicott started a big sluggish, but has really found their groove as of late, winning 10 of their last 11 games.
Below the Gulls, there is a heated battle for playoff positioning and playoff spots altogether. The next five teams in the standings are separated by just five points. Nichols brings up the rear of the conference, but aren’t too far out of it, and are a threat to defeat anyone in the league.
Five of the seven teams in the league make the conference tournament, meaning the top three teams get first round byes, while #4 hosts #5 in a play-in game. Each team besides Endicott has five games remaining, while EC has six. Despite the big lead, Endicott hasn’t clinched a spot yet, but is just one point away from doing so. No one is eliminated from postseason contention either.
Remaining Schedules
The Contenders:
Again, there isn’t a ton to see here, as the Gulls are close to having home ice throughout the playoffs wrapped up. Endicott has lost to WNE and Suffolk in conference play, but this team has improved since then, and looks like a well-oiled machine. To sum up, the Gulls need one point to clinch a playoff spot, and just six points to clinch the #1 seed. However, if the Gulls get upset in the conference tourney, they should win as many games as possible. They do have a real at-large case for now, but could always bank some more wins to be safe.
The Playoff Bubble:
The one common denominator here, is that each single team plays Endicott the rest of the way. So that’s one extremely challenging game for everyone. UNE is definitely in the best spot with a three point edge over the next-closest team, Johnson & Wales. Those two play this Saturday, and I would expect this to be potentially the largest game remaining in the CNE season, as this could determine not only who gets home ice, but also a bye, or perhaps even a playoff appearance. The Suffolk vs. WNE game on the final day of the regular season also looks like what could be an extremely intense affair.
As you can tell by the standings, don’t be shocked by any number of outcomes when you have a group of teams this close together. Suffolk and Nichols have been playing poorly as of late, but during desperation time, there’s no telling what each team can bring to the table with their seasons on the line. Western New England has been slightly disappointing this season after their breakthrough campaign last year, so I would be wary about the Golden Bears and their ability to up their game. This was a wild conference tournament last year, which shows the across-the-board evenness of this league.
My Call:
- Endicott (Conference Champion & First Round Bye & Semifinal Home Game)
- Western New England (First Round Bye & Semifinal Home Game)
- Curry (First Round Bye)
- UNE (First Round Home Game)
- Suffolk (Playoff Berth)
- Johnson & Wales
- Nichols
MAC
In the first year in which it broke away from the UCHC, teams of the MAC are thrilled for the opportunity at the automatic bid. There’s also a few teams ranked fairly high in the NPI rankings, which might be a surprise to them, had you asked those coaches at the beginning of the season. Regardless, these teams are thrilled, as some of these programs are accumulating as many wins as they ever have. Wilkes , Arcadia, and LVC have had very strong seasons, and it sure appears that one of those teams will be representing the MAC for the first time in the national tournament.
In the MAC, only the top half of the league makes the conference tournament, meaning it’s an easy four-team bracket, with the first two seeds getting home ice advantage. Teams either have 5 or 6 games remaining over the last three weekends. Wilkes and Arcadia have clinched playoff berths thus far. Unfortunately, Hood has been eliminated from making the postseason in the program’s first season.
Remaining Schedules
The Contenders:
If Arcadia has any shot at catching Wilkes for the regular season title, they are most likely going to need to go on the road and beat the Colonels this Saturday. With just a three point deficit, that game is massive for the championship picture, and race for home ice. The challenging weekend doesn’t stop there for the Knights, though. The Dutchmen of Lebanon Valley also come to Wilkes on Sunday. While LVC is more of a longshot in terms of winning the conference title, it is no doubt a challenging game.
The reality is LVC needs utter freefall from the two programs above them, and based on how Wilkes and Arcadia have handled most of the conference, I wouldn’t necessarily bet my mortgage on that one. Still, they have a shot.
If Arcadia can beat Wilkes, they have to hope the likes of Alvernia can pick up points when they get their chance with Wilkes. Even with an Arcadia win Saturday, if the Knights and Colonels tie, Wilkes still would have the tiebreaker, as they won the previous two games. Whatever happens this weekend, we will know a lot more about where we stand the rest of the way in the MAC.
The Playoff Bubble:
Only one of these four schools is qualifying for the postseason, barring a Lebanon Valley collapse. Alvernia and King’s definitely are the most likely to earn that bid, Alvernia having a three point lead over the Monarchs. Both teams have a pair of tough games remaining, both hosting Wilkes in what could be a signature opportunity to steal points in the standings. Then, Alvernia hosts LVC, while King’s travels to Arcadia. This weekend could be huge though, as the Golden Wolves host the Monarchs this Friday. If Alvernia can get a victory, that puts King’s into a very precarious spot, and they would need lots of help moving forward.
Stevenson and Neumann are both alive (particularly SU with the additional game to be played), but are very much on their last legs. Stevenson has an opportunity against a team its semi-closely chasing, hosting Alvernia, but will need to pull off some tough wins against Leb Valley and Arcadia to even have a chance. If I’m being honest, Neumann has struggled mightily as of late, and needs to flip a switch to keep their season alive.
My Call:
- Wilkes (Conference Champion & First Round Home Game)
- Arcadia (First Round Home Game)
- Lebanon Valley (Playoff Berth)
- Alvernia (Playoff Berth)
- King’s
- Neumann
- Stevenson
- Hood
MASCAC
The MASCAC is in an interesting spot this year. Even though this is the first year the conference is sponsoring women’s hockey, they are in a holding pattern and have to wait it out in order to get an automatic bid. So even though they’re running a full conference season, there is no proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that is the auto-bid. However, these programs have been looking to take firm control over the league and establish themselves as the class of the new conference.
At the top, it’s been fairly competitive thus far, with Plymouth State, Worcester State and Rivier showing themselves to be the class of the league. Anna Maria has shown to be pretty solid too. In this league, all six teams will make the field, with the top 2 seeds earning byes. Seeds #3 and #4 will have home games in Round 1. No one from the MASCAC will play for the natty in 2025, but I’m excited to see how the league progresses and grows, with this first season being the opening chapter! Teams still have anywhere from 5-8 games left!
Remaining Schedules
The Contenders:
Last week, Plymouth State defeated Worcester State in a massive showdown to settle (currently) first place in the league. The Lancers sit three points back, but the final game of the year for both programs is the anticipated rematch at Worcester.
Rivier has tied Worcester and beaten Plymouth this year, so if they can turn some of those games at hand into W’s, there’s a chance they can sneak back into this thing. They do have one more game against each of the top 2. The remaining schedule strength between the three programs is fairly similar, and they’ve shown they do have the ability to be upset now and again.
Playing for Seeding:
Anna Maria is in great shape to earn that home game and 4th seed, as long as they can keep winning at the decent clip they have been. MCLA has a marathon schedule upcoming, still having to play eight(!) games in less than three weeks. There’s not a ton to say here, other than maybe MCLA can climb back into home-game territory. The home and home series towards the end of the season between MCLA and Anna Maria should be key to see if they have a chance. Regardless, these teams have great opportunities to gain confidence as they continue on building their programs.
My Call:
- Plymouth State (Conference Champion & First Round Bye & Semifinal Home Game)
- Worcester State (First Round Bye & Semifinal Home Game)
- Rivier (First Round Home Game)
- Anna Maria (First Round Home Game)
- MCLA
- Framingham State
MIAC
The MIAC is up there as one of, if not the strongest conference this year in terms of top-to-bottom strength. As good as the top of the league is with two title contenders with Augsburg and Gustavus, the bottom of the league has shown they can skate very well with those types of teams. The middle class of this league is very close too, and features very strong teams that have all beaten each other up along the way.
With the MIAC being a little different, only 5 of the 10 teams make the playoffs, meaning these bids are extremely hard to come by. In a conference this competitive, playoff berths are worth celebrating. Any team that makes the playoffs in the MIAC really has to earn it. The top 3 seeds will get a bye to the semis, with #4 and #5 playing in a play-in game. Each team has six games remaining, and no one has clinched or been eliminated just yet. We should be headed for a photo finish here.
Remaining Schedules
The Contenders:
When we look at this title race, there is quite the history on the line. As strong of a program Augsburg has been, it’s crazy that they have never made the NCAA Tournament. This could be the year, as they are in strong position at #3 in the NPI rankings. The Auggies should try to win the automatic bid, just in case. They’re also looking to end Gustavus’ MIAC title streak, as they’ve won 4 straight regular season and postseason titles.
AU and GAC split earlier this year, but GAC got tripped up on the big sheet over at Saint Mary’s last month, thanks to a phenomenal goalie win for the Cardinals. Thus, Gustavus sits 2 points back, and needs to make up ground if they wish to get home ice throughout the tournament. GAC has a couple tough series coming up though, with strong St. Ben’s and Hamline squads awaiting.
Saint Mary’s has lots of talent, but has been inconsistent at times this year. They have the Auggies to close out the season, so the ball is in their court in terms of catching Augsburg. They’ll need a little more help, but if they can sweep the Auggies and end up in a tie with Gustavus, Augsburg or both, SMU will get the 1 seed. All three teams are starting to heat up as of late, but nothing is off the table in this league.
The Playoff Bubble:
All these teams have work to do, but all are more than capable of doing so. I debated putting St. Ben’s in the top category with the top 3, especially because they have the Gusties and Auggies on deck. But, at 11 points back of Augsburg, that’s going to be a very hard case to make with just six games left. However, they can definitely make some noise, and definitely climb up the standings if things go their way.
Hamline is an extremely talented team, but similar to SMU, very inconsistent. They started out the season very strong, being ranked in the national poll, but have struggled as of late, dropping 6 of 8. They are in a pretty decent position to make the playoffs, and could definitely be an upset candidate. However, they need to take care of business against Concordia and St. Kate’s. Then, they have an opportunity to steal some points against the Gusties.
In terms of teams currently outside of the field, St. Olaf definitely has the strongest case. Bethel also could make a move. If the Oles or Royals can get some points against Saint Mary’s, that might be the golden ticket to the playoffs. But then, those two face off the final weekend of the season, which could lead to a chaotic finish.
Concordia, St. Kate’s, and Scholastica appear to be the bottom tier of the league, although they each have been very close in upset losses, and at times have pulled upsets, so they will play a factor, no doubt. It’s going to take a near perfect stretch and some help to make it though, for these three. Regardless of how the final three weekends shake out, I’m predicting it to come down to the last day of the season in a tight finish.
My Call:
- Augsburg (Conference Champion & First Round Bye & Semifinal Home Game)
- Gustavus (First Round Bye & Semifinal Home Game)
- Saint Mary’s (First Round Bye)
- Hamline (Playoff Berth
- St. Benedict (Playoff Berth)
- St. Olaf
- Bethel
- Concordia
- St. Scholastica
- St. Kate’s
NCHA
While the NCHA appears to be a two-horse race in terms of legitimate threats, the bottom part of the league is starting to flourish and grow with some more stability. We have to start with Adrian, who has been the class of the league since the WIAC broke away over ten years ago. However, St. Norbert’s ascension is one of the stories of the year. The Green Knights have put together yet another strong season under coach A.J. Aitken.
In the NCHA, eight of the ten teams make the postseason, with the top four earning first round home games. What makes the AC/SNC race so important, is who earns home ice come tournament time. So far, St. Norbert, Adrian, and Concordia-Wisconsin have all clinched berths to the field, with everyone else still alive to make it. Each team has just four games left, meaning the playoffs will be set in just two weekends. Until then, there is plenty to be settled.
Remaining Schedules
The Contenders:
While the Bulldogs aren’t quite as deep as they’ve been the past two seasons, they are still a top 5 team and have just as strong of a chance to be cutting the nets when it’s all said and done. But now, the Green Knights have the lead in the standings after a crucial series split last weekend, including a dramatic 5-round shootout victory. Again, that shootout gave the Green Knights the one-point lead. If it holds up, it will give them home ice in the conference playoffs, should they get that far.
The next two weeks, both powerhouses will be tested by the next two challengers in league, but the frontrunners both get their opponents at home. I have a hard time imagining SNC or AC dropping points against Lawrence and Trine, respectively. So, I think it will probably come down to this weekend. The key here, is that Adrian needs to outscore St. Norbert by one point the remainder of the way. That’s it. If they tie in the standings, Adrian gets home ice. This should be a thrilling conclusion. Regardless of who gets the regular-season crown and #1 seed, these teams are both legit threats that could make a run in the national tournament.
The Playoff Bubble:
Outside of those top two, CUW sits in the 3 spot. They started off blazing hot, but have cooled down as of late. They’re still alive for the regular-season crown mathematically, but it’s too much to ask for to have Adrian and Norbert lose that much in just two series. Lake Forest is not the team it was 3-4 years ago, but they have separated themselves ahead of the pack in the middle of the league standings.
In the middle, we have a giant cluster of five schools within 5 points. Assuming LFC can clinch and wrap up a spot, at least 1 of these next 5 will be finishing their season early. Dubuque is up against it, but has four home games to boot. The Spartans will need MSOE to lose quite a bit. In terms of those five schools, Lawrence and Trine will have focused Adrian and St. Norbert teams the final weekend, so those are huge knocks against their chances.
This weekend, the Aurora vs. MSOE series will be huge, and even more so the Trine vs. Marian series. I’m not sure if anyone can catch Lake Forest for the home game in Round 1, but Aurora does have a decently favorable schedule to try and do so. Whatever happens, I think it’ll be on the margins, and don’t be surprised to see more shootouts decide things.
My Call:
- Adrian (Conference Champion & Quarterfinal Home Game)
- St. Norbert (Quarterfinal Home Game)
- Concordia-WI (Quarterfinal Home Game)
- Lake Forest (Quarterfinal Home Game)
- Aurora (Playoff Berth)
- Marian (Playoff Berth)
- Trine (Playoff Berth)
- MSOE (Playoff Berth)
- Lawrence
- Dubuque
Wrap-Up
Thanks for checking out Part 1 of my women’s conference breakdowns! Stay tuned for Part 2 later tomorrow featuring the NEHC, NESCAC, SUNYAC, UCHC, and WIAC. Hopefully this provided some insight on what helps your team in the next couple weeks and who you should be rooting for! Any comments or questions are appreciated down below!
