Anyone able to clarify what the tie-breaker rules were that allowed Hope to jump Arkansas in group D? Standings pages shows both with 4 points and the Tie-Breaker rules listed on the website list head-to-head as first tie breaker. So if Arkansas beat Hope, why didn’t they advance?
Tie-Breaking Procedures
In the event of ties in records in tournament competition, the higher standings will be determined by the following:
Head to head competition
Number of wins
Fewest goals against in all tournament games
Goal differential in all tournament games.
Fewest penalty minutes.
Most periods won in Pool play, determined by plus minus in goals.
Quickest goal recorded on score sheet in Pool play.
The problem was that Arkansas did not have a tie with Hope as far as “ties in records,” they had a tie with Hope in regards to “points.” Arkansas had two ties going into the game with Hope, and Hope had two wins, so the “records” would not be the same, Hope had nothing to lose in that game. If the records were identical, and Arkansas won, Arkansas would be moving on. Hope that helps, no pun intended!
Looks like Hope and Oakland are on a collision course. I see them moving on tonight. Unless Central Michigan can play a great game. Should be good watching.
The great Farmingdale choked again. Great regular season against Atlantic teams, but when the big time comes, they fade. Maybe next year…
Gotcha, thanks for clarifying. The tie-breaking procedures don’t make sense in that case, because saying Number of Wins is the 2nd tie-breaker is really a mute point because you are already considering that wins are more important than total points. If only same record is being compared, you’d already have same number of wins and it could never be used to break a tie.
The problem was that Arkansas did not have a tie with Hope as far as “ties in records,” they had a tie with Hope in regards to “points.”
I think TheAnswer3 has a valid gripe here, because nowhere in the rule book (at least not that I can see) does it say that the pool winner is determined by their record over their points. Every other pool play competition I’ve ever heard of competes for points (can anyone else think of one that doesn’t?), so if they’re doing something different, they really should be specifying that more clearly. Additionally, they really should probably specify if wins are 2 or 3 points, as that is something different pool play competitions sometimes do differently.
The way I read the rule book, Hope and Arkansas were locked in a tie at the top of Pool D, and since it’s not a “tie in record”, the rule book has no applicable tie breaking procedures defined (i.e., the rule book is broken).
Then again, I’ve pointed to things related to a national tournament before that boldly violate what’s spelled out quite clearly in the rule book, and they just do whatever they want anyway… so, good luck. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Fish, the first six words of the tie breaking procedure clearly spells it out, “In the event of ties in RECORDS.” Not ties in points. No gripe.
The Oakland vs Quinnipiac game was 1. Horribly played by Quinnipiac with taking stupid penalties letting Oakland into and winning the game. You would think for a semifinal championship game the team AND COACHES would have more discipline! And because of this they are heading home, they’ll learn, maybe…
2. Cheap shots on both sides.
3. I’m cheering for Hope, they represent a well-run, well-coached and talented ACHA DIII team!
Good luck today Hope!
As soon as you can point to where in the rule book it says the pool winner is determined by record instead of points (unlike every other pool play contest in the world) OR where it provides tie-breaking procedures for ties in points, I’ll be happy.
As it stands with the rule book we have today, there was a tie for pool winner (because pool play = points), and no applicable tie-breaking procedures to follow because the rule book limits its given procedure to ties in records (for some strange reason, because again, pool play = points).
And if we want to get down to the nitty-gritty of why pools are determined by points, it’s because it can be very subjective to say one record is better than another. That’s precisely why you assign certain point values to wins and ties; so that everyone is on the same page as to what is better than what, and by how much.
“Oh, Hope had more wins!”
“Oh, Arkansas was unbeaten and defeated Hope!”
Fact is, both had the same number of points (4) … both records were equally good, per the point system being used in the pool standings on the ACHA tournament website. There is no “Hope had a better record” argument to be made.
I get what you guys are saying and how the rules are read, but to me, Arkansas should have moved on. Maybe they should think about updating the rules to be more clear. Or maybe they should just not do a point system, and do a shootout at the end or something so that every game has a winner, Idk. I have no dog in the fight on this one.