LAKE PLACID, N.Y. --- There wasn’t too much excitement during the final weekend of ECAC Hockey regular season play. As expected top ranked Quinnipiac (25-2-7, 16-1-5) secured its third regular season crown in the last four years, while eighth ranked Yale (19-6-4, 14-5-3), 12^th ranked Harvard (16-9-4, 12-6-4) and 19^th ranked St. Lawrence (17-13-3, 11-8-3) each earned first round byes in the chase for the conference’s Whitelaw Cup and an automatic bid into the NCAA championship tournament.

The Bulldogs enter the ECAC Hockey Championship Tournament as the second seed, while the Crimson has a first round bye as the conference’s number-three seed. The Saints are seeded fourth as tournament play begins, Friday through Sunday, March 4-7.

First Round (Best-of-three-game series):

#12 Princeton (5-21-3, 3-16-3) at #5 Clarkson (18-13-3, 10-9-3)

The Tigers have not won a hockey game since January 26, 2016, when they skated past American International 1-0, in a non-conference game. The Golden Knights could have secured a first round bye and a top four seed two weeks ago, but lost to both Quinnipiac and Brown. They rebounded last weekend and locked up the number five seed with wins over Harvard, Friday, Feb. 26, 2-1, and Dartmouth, Saturday, 4-3.

Head to head, Clarkson skated to a 1-1 regular season record against Princeton this season, losing 3-0 on Nov. 21 and winning 5-2, Feb. 12.

#11 Brown (5-17-7, 3-13-6) at #6 RPI (16-13-7, 8-7-7)

Since topping Brown 4-3 on Jan. 29, RPI has skated to a 2-6-1 record. Brown has won just once in their last 10 conference games, 5-2 over Clarkson, on Feb. 19.

#7 Dartmouth (14-14-1, 11-11-0) hosts #10 Colgate (10-22-2, 6-14-2)

The Big Green comes into the post season tournament losing their last three games. Before the current skid, Dartmouth had won four of its previous six games.

Colgate comes into the tournament riding its first 20-plus loss season since 2011. Last season the Raiders made it all the way to the tournament’s championship game, before falling to Harvard 4-2.

#9 Union (13-12-9, 6-10-6) at #8 Cornell (13-9-7, 8-8-6)

These two schools squared off just this past Friday, with Union skating to an easy 5-1 road win at 18^th ranked Cornell. Cornell has only two wins in February, 1-0 over Princeton, on Feb. 11, and 1-0 over Dartmouth, Feb. 10.

Union is just 3-3-2 during the month.

The winners in the opening round travel to Quinnipiac, Yale, Harvard and St. Lawrence for best the best-of-three-game quarterfinal series and the opportunity to travel to Lake Placid and participate in the ECAC Hockey Championship Tournament and post season title.

Conference championship play is also underway at the division III level. St. Norbert (23-2-2) and Adrian (23-3-1), both of the NCHA conference, are ranked one and two in this week’s USCHO.Com division III men’s ice hockey poll. The two schools square off Saturday night, March 5, for the conference’s Harris Cup trophy.

Plattsburgh State (20-3-3) hits the post season as the nation’s third ranked school, while Wisconsin-Stevens Point (20-5-2) is ranked fourth. Hobart (20-4-2) rounds out the nation’s top five ranked division III teams.

This month, Lake Placid, N.Y. plays host to both the ECAC Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament, March 18-19, and the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, March 25-26, 2016. The two tournaments will be played in Lake Placid’s famed Herb Brooks Arena 1980 Rink.

2015 ECAC Hockey Championship Photos, https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefacemountain/albums/72157649136680704, Courtesy of ORDA/ Whiteface Lake Placid

-- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.