Standings Finally Shaking Out in Midwest

With only one event weekend remaining the MCRHL regular season, the picture is finally becoming clear for many of its teams. Here?s what has been decided and what is still up for grabs the last weekend of play in both the Active and B divisions. Active Division ? Clinched #6 seed: Illinois State (9-11-3, 9-8-2) Although many teams around them can shift positions, the Redbirds are finishing as the sixth seed for the MCRHL Tournament. The seed would have been up for grabs if not for ISU?s 4-0 whitewash of Ball State in Canton last weekend. Illinois State will face either Michigan, Ohio State, or Eastern Michigan in the first round of the tournament. ISU will finish their season against the Spartans of Michigan State in Cincinnati. 9th place: Miami of Ohio (8-12-1, 5-12-1) The Redhawks were the last team eliminated from the MCRHL Tournament last weekend as Illinois and Ball State clinched spots in the event. Miami will finish out the season against the Illini and Michigan State February 21 and 22. Seeds still undetermined #1/#2 seeds: Michigan State (26-1-0, 16-0-0) or Western Michigan (20-3-0, 17-3-0) The Spartans just need one win over any of their opponents (ISU, M(O), OSU, PU) in Evendale to clinch the top spot, which seems to be their destiny at this point. Although they suffered a 4-1 loss to Eastern Michigan last weekend in Canton, the game was not a regular season game, and doesn?t affect their unblemished record in the regular season standings. That game did mark the first time that Michigan State has lost to a team other than Lindenwood University in two years. Nobody can catch either team for second place in the MCRHL. These two teams will pair off in some way with Ball State or Illinois in the first round of the tournament. #3-#5 seeds: Michigan (15-10-2, 12-6-1), Ohio State (13-8-0, 12-7-0), or Eastern Michigan (17-7-1, 11-6-1) The biggest game to decide these spots will be between the Eagles and Wolverines this Sunday in the tenth and final home event this season for the MCRHL. If Eastern wins, they will definitely finish ahead of Michigan. If they lose, all sorts of tie-breakers come into play. They also play Ball State in the final weekend in the season, and the Buckeyes will take on Michigan State in their last game with a shot at third place as well. The team that finishes in third will play Illinois State in the first round, and the other two teams will face each other in the tournament. #7/#8 seeds: Illinois (11-11-2, 7-10-2) or Ball State (10-10-4, 6-9-4) The teams are tied now with 16 points, although Ball State owns the tie-breaker after sweeping the season series. Each team has only one game remaining, Ball State with Eastern Michigan, who might be playing the best right now in the MCRHL, and Illinois will play Miami, who has been eliminated from tournament play. Both teams have had good wins and bad losses this season, and either could surprise someone in the tournament, though not likely in the first round against either the Spartans or Broncos. B Division ? Clinched #3 seed: Michigan B (14-4-0, 6-2-0) The Wolverines lost a huge game to Western Michigan B 8-5 last weekend in Canton, which guaranteed the Broncos and Eagles a first-round bye in the tournament, while guaranteeing that the Wolverines will have to play in the single-elimination first round. The Wolverines will take on either Ohio State B or Michigan State B in the first round of the tourney, depending on tie-breakers mentioned below. Seeds still undetermined #1/#2 seeds: Western Michigan B (13-5-1, 7-1-0) or Eastern Michigan B (15-5-0, 6-1-0) This one is simple. Both teams have already clinched a bye in the first round of the tournament. The Eagles will take the #1 seed by defeating Ball State in Cincinnati, and Western Michigan will take the spot with an Eastern Michigan tie or loss in that game. The season series is 2-1 Eastern, and the only game that matters for the tie-breaker was a win by EMU earlier in the year. #4-#8 seeds: Illinois B (11-11-0, 4-4-0), Ohio State B (8-8-0, 4-4-0), Michigan State B (6-10-0, 3-4-0), Illinois State B (4-13-0, 2-6-0), or Ball State B (2-11-0, 1-5-0) Things are complicated, but some things are certain. Illinois and Ohio State both have clinched spots in the tournament. Illinois State will definitely not make the tournament. But Ball State could replace Michigan State in sixth with wins over both MSU and Eastern Michigan, certainly a monumental task for the Cardinals. If Michigan State beats BSU, they clinch the final playoff spot and start a series of tie-breakers to determine the #4-#6 seeds. Among the three teams involved (U of I, OSU, MSU) their head-to-head records are 1-1-0, sending the tie-breaker to goal differential. Illinois is guaranteed to finish ahead of Ohio State, by virtue of a ?1 goal differential. Ohio State has a differential of ?5, and currently MSU stands at ?10. All this means that if MSU beats Ball State by either 5 or 9 goals, a coin toss will be involved. Winning by less than 5 would give them 6th, between 6 and 8 would give them 5th place, and winning by at least 10 would put them in 4th. The bottom line will be that whoever finishes 6th in this group will face the tough Wolverines in a single-elimination first round game, and the other two will face each other. All of this means that there are still things to play for the last weekend of the season in Evendale, Ohio. In addition to all of the great games mentioned above, the MCRHL is hoping to host and high school all-star exhibition game featuring players from the Southwest Ohio Inline Hockey Association. Stay tuned to MCRHL.com for more information on this and the upcoming inaugural MCRHL Championships to be held in March.