College Hockey Notebook

When trying to determine its tournament field, The NCAA selects the teams and seeds then (by and large) using a completely objective method known as Pairwise Comparisons. There are many quibbles with this method, but most people like the transparency of it and the avoidance of back-room impropriety. However, that doesn't mean there aren't controversies.

There were two main ones this year. Wisconsin , with a sub-.500 record, snuck in the tournament over Minnesota State , a team which won the head-to-head matchup this season and finished higher in the WCHA standings. The other was how the NCAA decided to "protect" the top two overall seeds in the tournament -- Miami and Michigan -- and keep them away from home arenas.

In hockey, like many of the non-major college sports, teams that host a regional also get to play in that regional. So, for teams that earn the highest seeds, it would be unfair for them to have to play tougher teams on the road. The controversy this year arose because the committee chose to "protect" the top TWO overall seeds, and protect them through possible second-round matchups instead of just the first. And the result was that New Hampshire (the No. 4 overall seed) was pushed to the West Regional, and away from Worcester , Mass., where it would've brought in loads of fans.

More on that, and a lot else, as we preview the regionals.

1. Michigan 2. St. Cloud State 3. Clarkson 4. Niagara

It can be argued that this is the easiest regional, and that's probably as it should be for the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.

Michigan was the only team lined up to be a No. 1 seed entering last weekend, that followed through and won its conference tournament, doing so against Miami , the No. 2 overall seed.

As a result, the Wolverines plays Niagara in the first round. Michigan is a powerhouse from top to bottom, with Hobey Baker Award favorite Kevin Porter up front, complimented by 20-goal scorer Chad Kolarik and a bevy of talented freshmen. The defense, led by Mark Mitera, has been stronger than expected, and goaltender Billy Sauer improved considerably from his first two years. The blend of experience and youth has served the Wolverines well.

Clarkson finished first in the ECAC, but lost in the conference quarterfinals and didn't get a chance to defend its tournament crown. Last year, the Golden Knights were a No. 1 seed, only to lose to No. 4 Massachusetts , 1-0, in double overtime. Clarkson has had many strong teams over the years, but hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1996. PREDICTED REGIONAL WINNER: Michigan

1. Miami ( Ohio ) 2. Boston College 3. Minnesota 4. Air Force