by Alana Klein
- Oceanside-Beaumont (Sat., 4 PM EDT, HTN)
- Oceanside is in do-or-die mode as they look to avoid elimination from the post season. While the same isn’t necessarily true for Beaumont, they need to start stacking W’s if they wanna get in.
- Oceanside is in do-or-die mode as they look to avoid elimination from the post season. While the same isn’t necessarily true for Beaumont, they need to start stacking W’s if they wanna get in.
- Albany-Nashville (Sat., 5 PM EDT, VICE or HTN)
- Michigan’s stunner last weekend suddenly made things very interesting, as the Firebirds finish with 2 of their final 3 games against the Kats. A 1-1 split might not be good enough for Albany if they want to end up with home field throughout. The schedule rearrangement worked out in Albany’s favor, as they now hold the tiebreaker over Kentucky — as well as Minnesota and Washington. Nashville cannot say the same, as they lost the tiebreaker to Kentucky. If there was a “must win” for either team so far, this definitely fits the bill.
- Michigan’s stunner last weekend suddenly made things very interesting, as the Firebirds finish with 2 of their final 3 games against the Kats. A 1-1 split might not be good enough for Albany if they want to end up with home field throughout. The schedule rearrangement worked out in Albany’s favor, as they now hold the tiebreaker over Kentucky — as well as Minnesota and Washington. Nashville cannot say the same, as they lost the tiebreaker to Kentucky. If there was a “must win” for either team so far, this definitely fits the bill.
- Kentucky-Washington (Sat., 9 PM EDT, HTN)
- While this game technically decides the head-to-head tiebreaker, a win is vital for Kentucky (who can still get the 1-seed) and Washington (who can still get the 2).
- While this game technically decides the head-to-head tiebreaker, a win is vital for Kentucky (who can still get the 1-seed) and Washington (who can still get the 2).
- Michigan-Minnesota (Mon., 7 PM EDT, HTN)
- This could easily become a heated local rivalry. The Monsters are currently looking at hosting a playoff game while Michigan is currently in command of the last playoff spot. If they play like they did up in Albany and they can manage to run the table, they could potentially host s first-round game.
Tiebreaker-clinching scenarios
- The winner of Oceanside-Beaumont will clinch that head-to-head outright.
- The winner of Kentucky-Washington will clinch that head-to-head outright.
- Minnesota has already clinched the head-to-head outright over Michigan.
PLAYOFFS?! Don’t talk about playoffs! PLAYOFFS?!
- Albany: has clinched at least a 4-seed
- Clinches a 3-seed with a win over Nashville OR a Minnesota loss to Michigan.
- Clinches a 3-seed with a win over Nashville OR a Minnesota loss to Michigan.
- Nashville: has clinched a playoff berth
- Clinches a 4-seed with a win over Albany AND a Beaumont loss to Oceanside.
- Clinches a 5-seed with a win over Albany OR a Beaumont loss to Oceanside.
- Kentucky: has clinched a playoff berth
- Clinches a 4-seed with a win over Washington AND a Beaumont loss to Oceanside.
- Clinches a 5-seed with a win over Washington OR a Beaumont loss to Oceanside.
- Minnesota
- Clinches a playoff berth with a win over Michigan.
- Clinches a playoff berth with a win over Michigan.
- Oceanside
- Is officially eliminated with a loss OR a Michigan win over Minnesota.
