Something we have yet to cover here at INSZN Sports is college hockey, which is one of the more interesting and appealing college programs out there. Today, I am going to give you a quick glance at how Division I hockey works and how the upcoming tournament will unfold.
The Top 25 teams:
In college hockey, the top 25 teams which stand out are usually the same teams, yet they are extremely competitive and upsets amongst this group happen every week. Currently sitting at the top is Boston College, followed closely by Boston University and Denver. Boston College has had a great season, taking down Boston University a few weeks ago and continuing to make waves among the rest of their competition. However, it is important to remember the reigning national champions of Quinnipiac, who continue to sit in the top ten consistently, as well as teams like Minnesota or Michigan State, who both moved up at least 2 ranking spots in the past week and have no end in sight of stopping.
On the same note of Boston College, I would like to bring up the struggles they have had so far as well. During the Beanpot (an annual tournament between Harvard, Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern), an unranked Northeastern hockey team took down the Eagles. As the tournament approaches, there is no doubt something could shock the fans and the teams as well.
How the Tournament Works:
Similar to college basketball, the Division I NCAA Hockey tournament works to bring the best 4 teams in the country together in a final four type way, known specifically as the "Frozen Four." Because the competition is weaker and the pool for competitive teams is smaller, the selection process only picks around 16 teams to compete in a single elimination format. With this in mind, it is important to note just how competitive this is, only 8 teams getting a seed number (1-4 each side), and those teams often losing to teams without one. For example, last year, number four ranked Denver lost to an unranked Cornell, who then lost to an unranked Boston University.
In the end, while viewed much less compared took a football game or a basketball game, college hockey is some of the most competitive and entertaining content a sports fan can watch. So tune in to upcoming games and especially the tournament, you won't be disappointed.
Tyler Rath, Senior College Writer
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