C3 post-season field set

March 19, 2021

In a highly unusual season, the playoff field still came down to the final week of the season as usual.

This time though, the Spiders made the cut, finishing the season with an 8–2–1–0 record, good enough for second place, and will advance to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. (No, last fall’s Toilet Bowl Tourney’s only entrance qualification was willingness to show up to the arena.)

While the Spiders’ final regular season game was only for bragging rights, the last C3 West matchup – Arctic Wolves beating the Royals 5–2 — actually resutled in a three-way tie for first place, with the actual order then getting sorted out by AHA math (tiebreakers).

And with the loss and tie to the Pines earlier this season, the Spiders are awarded second place in the division! The Pines come out on top (as expected), and the Arctic Wolves, with their two losses to the Spiders, get third. Last season’s C3 overall bracket champ, the Royals, take the fourth and final spot.

This season’s playoffs, unlike past years, will not feature a round robin, but instead is a single eight-seed three-round bracket, with single elimination.

The final C3 seedings:

C3 bracket (with regular season record):

1. Spartans (C3 East #1 – 9–1–1–0, 19pts)
2. Pines (C3 West #1 – 8–2–1–0, 17pts)
3. Bulls (C3 East #2 – 7–1–3–0, 17pts)
4. Spiders (C3 West #2 – 8–2–1–0, 17pts)
5. Fighting Walleye (C3 East #3 – 7–3–1–0, 15pts)
6. Arctic Wolves (C3 West #3 – 8–2–1–0, 17pts)
7. Wildcats (C3 East #4 – 6–3–2–0, 14pts)
8. Royals (C3 West #4 – 5–5–1–0, 11pts)

The post-season schedule matchups for the C3 tier:

The Spiders will face an unknown team in round 1, the Fighting Walleye. This team finished 7–3–1–0 this season, their second at C3, after moving up from D1 after the 2018–19 season where they went all the way following a 16–4–0–0 regular season record. Last year they went 12–3–3–2, and went 1–2 in the Toilet Bowl Tourney.

The Spiders will have their work cut out for them as they make their seventh appearance in the AHA post-season.

Playoff rules/tiebreakers

• If a game is tied after three periods, there will be a five-minute, sudden death, running-time overtime, if time allows in the ice slot. If the game is still tied after overtime the Home team will be declared the winner and advance to the next game. (Excluding Championship games.)
• If at any time the score differential is six or greater in the third period, the clock will convert to running time. If at any time the score differential goes below six goals, the clock will revert back to stop time.
• In championship games, if at the end of the three periods the score is tied, the teams shall play one overtime period of five minutes, running time. If at the end of the overtime period the score is still tied, a shootout will take place. Shootout rules are as follows:
  • Three players from each team participate in the order the team captain selects. The home team will elect whether to shoot first or second.
  • Each team takes three shots in alternating fashion. The team with the most goals after those six (or fewer) shots is the winner.
  • If the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a “sudden death” format. No skater may participate more than once until all other skaters have participated.
• Tiebreakers for pool standings:
  1. Most points
  2. Wins
  3. Head-to-head
  4. Goal differential (six goals maximum per game)
  5. Fewest goals against
  6. Fewest minor penalties
  7. Fewest total penalty minutes
  8. Earliest goal scored
  9. Coin toss

  (Note: If three teams are tied, once a team is determined as the higher seed, the tiebreaker reverts to step 1 of the criteria between two remaining teams, if necessary.)

For more information, see the full AHA Winter Playoff info page and the full AHA Winter Playoff schedule.