Previewing the NCAA tournament, region by region

By Adam Wodon

When trying to determine its tournament field, The NCAA selects the teams and seeds then (by and large) using a completely objective method known as Pairwise Comparisons. There are many quibbles with this method, but most people like the transparency of it and the avoidance of back-room impropriety. However, that doesn't mean there aren't controversies.

Michigan, led by Hobey Baker Award favorite Kevin Porter (above), is the top see in the East Regional. Josh Holmberg/Icon SMI

There were two main ones this year. Wisconsin, with a sub-.500 record, snuck in the tournament over Minnesota State, a team which won the head-to-head matchup this season and finished higher in the WCHA standings. The other was how the NCAA decided to "protect" the top two overall seeds in the tournament -- Miami and Michigan -- and keep them away from home arenas.

In hockey, like many of the non-major college sports, teams that host a regional also get to play in that regional. So, for teams that earn the highest seeds, it would be unfair for them to have to play tougher teams on the road. The controversy this year arose because the committee chose to "protect" the top TWO overall seeds, and protect them through possible second-round matchups instead of just the first. And the result was that New Hampshire (the No. 4 overall seed) was pushed to the West Regional, and away from Worcester, Mass., where it would've brought in loads of fans.

More on that, and a lot else, as we preview the regionals.

EAST REGIONAL

1. Michigan
2. St. Cloud State
3. Clarkson
4. Niagara

It can be argued that this is the easiest regional, and that's probably as it should be for the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.

Michigan was the only team lined up to be a No. 1 seed entering last weekend, that followed through and won its conference tournament, doing so against Miami, the No. 2 overall seed.

As a result, the Wolverines plays Niagara in the first round. Michigan is a powerhouse from top to bottom, with Hobey Baker Award favorite Kevin Porter up front, complimented by 20-goal scorer Chad Kolarik and a bevy of talented freshmen. The defense, led by Mark Mitera, has been stronger than expected, and goaltender Billy Sauer improved considerably from his first two years. The blend of experience and youth has served the Wolverines well.

Clarkson finished first in the ECAC, but lost in the conference quarterfinals and didn't get a chance to defend its tournament crown. Last year, the Golden Knights were a No. 1 seed, only to lose to No. 4 Massachusetts, 1-0, in double overtime. Clarkson has had many strong teams over the years, but hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1996.

PREDICTED REGIONAL WINNER: Michigan

NORTHEAST REGIONAL

1. Miami (Ohio)
2. Boston College
3. Minnesota
4. Air Force

Miami (Ohio) has two of the best players in the country in seniors Nathan Davis, who has been injured most of the season, and Ryan Jones, a Hobey Baker finalist. Justin Mercier is a speedy 20-goal scorer with a great wrist shot. Alec Martinez and Mitch Ganzak anchor the defense with Jeff Zatkoff between the pipes.

In the recent CCHA final four, Miami scored a total of three goals, all by defensemen -- Martinez and Ganzak. It will need to rediscover its offense in order to beat Air Force, a pesky team that took Minnesota well into the third period during the first round of last year's tournament, only to lose late.

"I don't think our experience playing Minnesota is going to help us against Miami," Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. "Now, with that, I have to say playing Minnesota last year, playing Goliath last year and giving them more than just a run for their money, I think that that is helping us right now saying, "you know what? Miami, they've won 30-plus games playing in a big-time league but you know what? They ain't any better than Minnesota was last year".

The other semifinal is intriguing since both Boston College and Minnesota have postseason experience, but struggled at times during the season. BC had many ups and downs, losing two key players to discipline issues early in the season. The Eagles won the Beanpot, then went 1-5-2 down the stretch only to turn things around again in Hockey East playoffs, beating New Hampshire in the semi-finals and Vermont in the championship. The Eagles are peaking at the right time with Hobey finalist Nathan Gerbe leading the way up front, and freshman goalie John Muse in the back. Muse has played every minute of every game this season, filling the shoes of Cory Schneider, who went to back-to-back national title games. There's a good chance BC can do it again.

"Any time you get on a big stage and play for a championship, the osmosis stays with you," said BC coach Jerry York. "You can't duplicate it in practice or talking about it. You have to be in these type of contests."

Minnesota's struggles have been well-chronicled, which really makes its current run amazing. Sure, the Gophers are blessed with a lot of resources at its disposal, and a nice recruiting edge. But relatively speaking, the Gophers were besieged by early departures, and the subsequent season-ending injury to Ryan Stoa and mid-season NHL pilfering of Kyle Okposo. The Gophers struggled to score all season long, changed goalies to an unproven freshman (Alex Kangas), played a remarkable 16 overtime games -- winning none of them until a season-on-the-line best-of-three quarterfinal series win over Minnesota State.

PREDICTION: Boston College