Here’s an update on what we know about the NCAA men’s hockey tournament field after Friday’s games.
• Minnesota State joined 11 others who have clinched spots in the tournament. The Mavericks beat St. Thomas 4-1 for the CCHA tournament championship and the league’s automatic bid.
• The teams that were already in before Friday’s games are Michigan, North Dakota, Michigan State, Western Michigan, Denver, Minnesota Duluth, Dartmouth, Providence, Cornell, Penn State and Quinnipiac.
Check the scenarios on USCHO’s NPI Predictor
• UMass and Boston College are out of the running after losing in the Hockey East semifinals.
• Ohio State (Big Ten), Princeton (ECAC Hockey), Merrimack (Hockey East), Bentley (Atlantic Hockey) and Sacred Heart (Atlantic Hockey) can only make the tournament by winning in Saturday’s conference championships.
• UConn can get in either by winning the Hockey East championship or with the combination of Michigan beating Ohio State in the Big Ten final and Dartmouth beating Princeton for the ECAC title.
• Wisconsin gets in with at least one of these results: Michigan beats Ohio State or Dartmouth beats Princeton.
• Augustana gets in only with a three-result combination: Michigan over Ohio State, Dartmouth over Princeton and UConn over Merrimack.
• The winner of the NCHC championship game between Denver and Minnesota Duluth finishes fifth in the NPI. The Pioneers fall to sixth with a loss; the Bulldogs can be seventh or eighth if they lose.
• Dartmouth and Providence also have spots in the No. 2 seed band locked up.
• Cornell, Penn State and Quinnipiac will be in the No. 3 seed band. Wisconsin will be a No. 3 seed if it makes the field. Minnesota State and UConn can be in either the third or fourth bands.