This Week in Atlantic Hockey: First round of conference playoffs kick off in earnest this weekend with trio of games

When the mud settled on the 2023-24 Atlantic Hockey common season, only one tiebreaker was mandatory in figuring out the ultimate standings/seedings.

The consequence:

1. Rochester Institute of Technology2. Holy Cross3. Sacred Heart4. Air Force5. American International6. Bentley7. Niagara8. Canisius9. Mercyhurst10. Military West Point11. Robert Morris

A tiebreaker was essential to seed Bentley and Niagara, as they every completed with 41 factors. Bentley is the upper seed due to a sweep of Niagara on Nov. 10-11.

Meaning the 2024 Atlantic Hockey match seems like this:

First RoundSingle eliminationMarch 2#11 Robert Morris at #6 Bentley#10 Military West Level at #7 Niagara#9 Mercyhurst at #8 Canisius

Quarterfinal RoundBest-of-three seriesMarch 8-10Lowest surviving seed at No. 1 RITSecond misplaced surviving seed at No. 2 Holy CrossThird lowest surviving seed at No. 3 Sacred HeartNo. 5 AIC at No. 4 Air Drive

Semifinal RoundBest-of-three seriesMarch 15-17Lowest surviving seed at highest surviving seedSecond-lowest surviving seed at second-highest surviving seed

ChampionshipSingle eliminationMarch 23Lowest surviving seed at highest surviving seed

Predictions vs. actuality

It’s been a yearly custom right here to try how the coaches and yours actually picked the ultimate standings firstly of the season. The coaches vote in a preseason ballot, and I vote in a ballot of 1 to find out USCHO’s picks.

Observations:Final season, Air Drive was the consensus third-place choose; the Falcons ended up tenth. This season, Air Drive was picked to complete eighth and ended up fourth.

The most important discrepancy this time was Bentley. Picked by the coaches and myself to complete eleventh, the Falcons ended up sixth and a degree out of a first-round bye.

Previewing the First Spherical

Something can occur in a single-elimination recreation, and a number of upsets on this spherical wouldn’t be stunning.

No. 11 Robert Morris at No. 6 BentleyOn paper, Bentley holds the benefit, coming into the postseason with the bottom objectives allowed per recreation (2.29) within the convention. The Colonials’ offense is final within the league, averaging 2.47 objectives per recreation.

It might come all the way down to which goalie performs higher. RMU has veteran Chad Veltri, who not too long ago handed the three,500 profession save mark, transferring into third all-time within the AHA behind Ben Meisner with 3,684 and Holy Cross’ Matt Ginn (3,587). Francis Boisvert has additionally seen motion down the stretch for the Colonials.

Bentley counters with the tandem of Conner Hasley and Nicholas Grabko, who’re second and fourth, respectively within the league in objectives allowed.

The groups cut up of their solely two conferences this season.

No. 10 Military West Level at No. 7 NiagaraThe Black Knights have allowed the second-most objectives in males’s Division I hockey this season however have additionally turned in some high quality defensive efforts.

The magic quantity for Military is three objectives allowed. The Black Knights are 10-2-2 when permitting three objectives or much less, and 0-19 when permitting greater than three.

This mirrors Niagara, which is 12-0-2 when scoring 4 objectives or extra.

The Purple Eagles can level to a three-game season sweep of archival Canisius as a hit story from this season however wish to add a protracted playoff run as nicely.

That is the first-ever postseason assembly between the colleges. The groups cut up their two-game collection within the common season.

No. 9 Mercyhurst at No. 8 CanisiusThis is the 109th assembly between the colleges. The Lakers come into the postseason with the data that they will beat the highest groups within the convention, chalking up wins towards RIT, Sacred Coronary heart, and Air Drive. Mercyhurst has seen higher outcomes as of late after a depressing 0-9 stretch from January to early February.

Canisius, the defending champion, has high quality wins as nicely, posting victories towards Holy Cross, AIC, and Air Drive (2x) however has struggled to maintain the puck out of the web at instances. The Golden Griffins are scoring at about the identical price as final season (2.76 objectives per recreation) however have allowed 0.7 objectives extra per recreation this season. Canisius’ fundamental defensive weapon from final season’s championship run, goaltender Jacob Barczewski , transferred to Michigan on the finish of final season.

Like the opposite two first-round video games, the combatants cut up their single collection this season.