March Push: Conference Races Heat Up Across College Hockey
With the regular season entering its final stretch, the NCAA tournament picture is becoming clearer. Conference races are tightening, bubble teams are fighting for position, and every weekend is starting to feel like postseason hockey.
Top conferences like the NCHC and Big Ten are poised to send multiple teams to the NCAA tournament, while other conferences are battling for limited at-large opportunities. Meanwhile, the competitive field in the CCHA, Hockey East, and ECAC means that no squad can afford to slow down now.
In the AHA conference, the path to March likely runs directly through the conference tournament. With only a few weeks remaining, the push toward the postseason is intensifying, and the results during this stretch could significantly shape the NCAA tournament bracket.
Big Ten
The Big Ten has four teams ranked in the top 15, including three in the top five. Michigan currently leads the conference standings with 43 points, followed by Michigan State with 42 and Penn State with 33. The Wolverines have played 20 conference games, while Michigan State has played 19 and Penn State has played 18.
No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 Michigan, and No. 5 Penn State are virtually locks to make the tournament. Meanwhile, No. 15 Wisconsin is on the bubble, needing a strong end to the season and probably a deep conference playoff run. Ohio State, Minnesota, and Notre Dame will need to win the Big Ten and earn an automatic bid.
AHA
The AHA doesn’t have a team ranked in the top 25; the highest-ranked member is Bentley at No. 28 in the NCAA Percentage Index. Likely only the conference winner will advance to the NCAA tournament. Bentley leads the conference standings with 50 points, followed by RIT with 42 points and Holy Cross with 39.
NCHC
The NCHC owns four teams in the top 10, with two in the top five. North Dakota has been the frontrunner all season and currently sits at the top of the standings with 47 points. Denver follows closely with 46 points, and Western Michigan trails by just 41. Denver has played two more games than UND and Western Michigan.
The conference will most likely get all four of its top teams into the tournament. No. 3 North Dakota, No. 4 Western Michigan, No. 8 Denver, and No. 9 Minnesota Duluth all have the resume to make the tournament, as long as they don’t have a total collapse over the final few weeks of the regular season. The rest of the conference will need to hoist the National Cup if they wish to make the tournament.
CCHA
The CCHA is an incredibly competitive conference with five real contenders and no clear frontrunner. Michigan Tech currently has first place in the standings with 48 points, followed by St. Thomas with 47 points, Augustana with 45, Bowling Green with 43, and Minnesota State with 41.
All five teams are on the bubble and certainly need to win the Mason Cup to be guaranteed a bid. St. Thomas could earn an at-large bid with a solid finish to the regular season and a deep run in the conference playoffs.
SEE ALSO: This Week's Bracketology
Hockey East
Providence holds first place in the Hockey East standings with 42 points, followed by Connecticut with 36 and Boston College with 34 points. Providence has played 19 games, while UConn and Boston College have played 18 games.
No. 7 Providence is almost certainly going to make the NCAA tournament, but both No. 12 UConn and No. 14 Boston College are going to need a deep conference playoff run to get in. No. 20 Massachusetts and No. 24 Merrimack are on the outside looking in and will need to hoist the Lamoriello Trophy to make the tournament.
ECAC Hockey
Quinnipiac leads the ECAC with 44 points, followed by Cornell and Dartmouth, who have 38 points each. No. 6 Quinnipiac is tied with Michigan for the most wins in the country, with 24, and will likely earn an at-large bid. No. 10 Cornell and No. 11 Dartmouth won’t be able to coast to a tournament appearance. Though if they play as they have recently, it will likely be enough to earn them a spot alongside Quinnipiac. The rest of the members of the ECAC will need to win the conference tournament in order to procure a bid.
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Zach Richardson is a graduate of Augustana University, where he double-majored in journalism and media studies. He's a five-year member of the football team and an active contributor to the university’s student newspapers. He's covered a wide range of sports, including hockey, basketball, softball, and baseball. "I know how to break down the game, ask the right questions, and tell compelling stories on and off the field. ... I’ve spent just as much time in locker rooms as I have in newsrooms, and I understand both the athlete and the fan."
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