Last night didn’t settle much in Atlantic Hockey. With one game to play in the regular season, there are still five teams in the running for the remaining two first-round byes (Air Force and Niagara have clinched the first two), and three teams eligible for the regular season title.
Here’s the breakdown:
Air Force (14-6-6; 34 points)
Best: First
Worst: Fourth
Final Opponent: at Robert Morris
Outlook: The Falcons need a win to clinch the regular season title.
Niagara (14-6-6; 34 points)
Best: First
Worst: Fourth
Final opponent: at RIT
Outlook: The Purple Eagles need to beat RIT and have Air Force gets less than two points to win the regular season.
Rochester Institute of Technology (14-7-5; 33 points)
Best: First
Worst: Sixth
Final opponent: Home against Niagara
Outlook: The Tigers could win the regular season title with a win and an Air Force loss. They need a point to get a first-round bye.
Bentley (13-6-7; 33 points)
Best: Second
Worst: Sixth
Final opponent: at Holy Cross
Outlook: Bentley needs a win to clinch a first-round bye.
Mercyhurst (14-8-4; 32 points)
Best: Second
Worst: Seventh
Final opponent: Home against Canisius
Outlook: The Lakers’ loss to Canisius last night means they do not control their own destiny for a bye, although a win puts them in excellent shape.
Holy Cross (14-8-4; 32 points)
Best: Second
Worst: Seventh
Final opponent: Home against Bentley
Outlook: The Crusaders lose tiebreakers to all teams ahead of them except Air Force. They must win and then get some help to finsh in the top four.
Robert Morris (13-8-5; 31 points)
Best: Fourth
Worst: Seventh
Final opponent: Home against Air Force
Outlook: The Colonials overtime win against Air Force last night keeps their hopes of a top-four finish alive, but they need to win again and then scoreboard watch.
Connecticut (11-12-3; 25 points)
Best: Eighth
Worst: Eighth
Final opponent: Home against American International
Outlook: The Huskies will finish eighth and host Canisius in a first-round playoff game.
Canisius (10-13-3; 23 points)
Best: Ninth
Worst: Ninth
Final opponent: At Mercyhurst
Outlook: See Connecticut.
American International (6-17-3; 15 points)
Best: Tenth
Worst: Tenth
Final opponent: At Connecticut
Outlook: AIC will finish tenth and travel to the seventh seed for the first round of the playoffs.
Army (3-18-5; 11 points)
Best: 11th
Worst: 12th
Final opponent: Home against Sacred Heart
Outlook: A point against the Pioneers will assure Army doesn’t finish in the basement.
Sacred Heart (3-20-3; 9 points)
Best: 11th
Worst: 12th
Final opponent: At Army
Outlook: The Pioneers can finish out of the basement with a win against Army.
