UND Hockey’s Must-Win Situation with Three Weeks Left in the Regular Season
As the regular season draws to a close, the UND Fighting Hawks hockey team faces an important yet challenging task. They must win all their remaining games to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament as an at-large, or win the NCHC tournament for an automatic bid. But what exactly does this mean for the Fighting Hawks, and what are their chances of achieving these goals?
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The Importance of Must-Win Games
The term "must win" is thrown around a lot in sports, often misused or overused. However, in UND’s case, the term is accurate, as the team must win all their remaining six games to have a good shot at making it to the NCAA tournament as an at-large.
UND’s Current Standings and Upcoming Schedule
UND is currently ranked No. 22 in the Pairwise Rankings. They have a crucial game against St. Cloud State this weekend, followed by a road game against Colorado College next weekend, and concluding with a home series against Omaha. While winning all six games may seem like an insurmountable task, it is necessary for the team to achieve their goals.
UNIQUE CHALLENGES UND FACES
Unfortunately, UND faces some unique challenges as they head into these critical games. Top-pair defenseman Tyler Kleven is serving a one-game suspension, and the team will have to play against the Huskies without him. In addition, earlier this season, UND allowed six and seven goals to St. Cloud State when their other top-pair defenseman, Ethan Frisch, was sidelined with an injury.
Winning the NCHC Tournament
Winning the NCHC tournament is another path to the NCAA tournament for UND. However, this would require winning four games: a best-of-three quarterfinal series, a semifinal game, and the championship. Denver achieved this during the first year of the NCHC in 2013-14. The Pioneers were No. 23 in the Pairwise, got an automatic bid by going on a run, and beating Miami, No. 31 in the Pairwise, in the NCHC title game.
Chances of Making it to the NCAA Tournament
Despite the challenges UND faces, there is still hope for the team. If they win all their remaining games, they will likely be in good position to make the NCAA tournament as an at-large. If they do not, they will be in poor position. According to several scenarios run by the Herald, UND needs to climb to at least No. 15 in the Pairwise Rankings to get an at-large bid. Currently, UND needs to make up 12 points on one of three teams — Western Michigan, Omaha, or St. Cloud State — with 18 points available.
Conclusion
UND has a difficult road ahead if they want to make it to the NCAA tournament. However, the team has shown they can rise to the occasion, and the upcoming games will test their resilience and determination. If they can win all their remaining games, they will have a good chance of making the NCAA tournament as an at-large. Alternatively, they can win the NCHC tournament and earn an automatic bid. Either way, the Fighting Hawks have their work cut out for them, but the potential rewards are well worth the effort.
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