The College of Saint Benedict basketball and hockey teams and the Saint John’s University basketball and hockey teams have each qualified for MIAC postseason action.
The conference playoffs in both sports are scheduled to get underway this week. The top six teams in the final regular-season standings qualified for the postseason in men’s and women’s basketball, while in men’s and women’s hockey, the top five finishers advanced.
St. Olaf also qualified in both men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s hockey. The winners of each of the tournaments earn the conference’s automatic bids to the NCAA Division III tournaments.
Here is a look at where each of the CSB and SJU teams will be playing, reflecting the changes the conference announced Monday due to winter weather and travel concerns this week:
- With an 81-52 win at Bethel in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon (Feb. 18), the Johnnies basketball team (13-7, 16-9) wrapped up the No. 2 seed and earned a first-round bye. That means SJU will host a semifinal matchup against the highest seed left remaining at 7 p.m. Friday at Sexton Arena.
The complete men’s basketball bracket is as follows:
First round Tuesday, Feb. 21
No. 6 Hamline (10-10, 14-11) at No. 3 St. Mary’s (12-8, 16-9), 5 p.m.
No. 5 St. Olaf (10-10, 14-11) at No. 4 Macalester (11-9, 15-10), 5 p.m.
Semifinals Friday, Feb. 24
Low seed remaining at No. 1 Carleton (17-3, 22-3), 7 p.m.
High seed remaining at No. 2 Saint John’s (13-7, 16-9), 7 p.m.
Championship Sunday, Feb. 26
Semifinal winners, 2 p.m., at high seed
- The College of Saint Benedict basketball team (14-8, 17-8) also won 66-58 at Bethel Saturday. Which means the Bennies earned the No. 4 seed and will play host to the fifth-seeded Royals in a rematch in the first round at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Claire Lynch Hall. Bethel beat CSB 66-58 in the first meeting between the two teams this season on Jan. 14 in St. Joseph.
The complete women’s basketball bracket is as follows:
First round Tuesday, Feb. 21
No. 6 St. Olaf (11-11, 14-11) at No. 3 Hamline (14-8, 17-8), 5 p.m.
No. 5 Bethel (12-10, 12-13) at No. 4 Saint Benedict (14-8, 17-8), 7 p.m.
Semifinals Friday, Feb. 24
Low seed remaining at No. 1 Gustavus (20-2, 23-2), 7 p.m.
High seed remaining at No. 2 Concordia (18-4, 21-4)
Championship Sunday, Feb. 26
Semifinal winners, 2 p.m., at high seed
- The SJU hockey team (9-5-2, 13-9-3) has earned the No. 3 seed and will play at No. 2 seed Augsburg (10-5-1, 14-10-2) in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Saturday in Minneapolis. The Johnnies beat the Auggies 5-4 in overtime outdoors as part of Hockey Day in Minnesota weekend festivities on Jan. 27 in White Bear Lake, but fell 6-5 the following day at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
The complete men’s hockey bracket is as follows:
First round Thursday, Feb. 23
No. 5 St. Olaf (7-8-1, 13-10-2) at No. 4 Concordia (9-6-1, 12-11-2), 7 p.m.
Semifinal Saturday, Feb. 25
No. 3 Saint John’s (9-5-2, 13-9-3) at No. 2 Augsburg (10-5-1, 14-10-2), 7 p.m.
Semifinal Sunday, Feb. 26
St. Olaf/Concordia winner at No. 1 St. Scholastica (13-1-2, 16-6-3), 7 p.m.
Championship March 4
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m., at high seed
- The CSB hockey team (11-7-0, 14-11-0) is also the No. 3 seed and will play at No. 2 seed Augsburg in the semifinals at 2 p.m. Saturday in Minneapolis. The Bennies fell 2-1 to the Auggies on Jan. 26 in St. Cloud, and again 3-2 on Jan. 28 in Minneapolis.
The complete women’s hockey bracket is as follows:
First round Thursday, Feb. 23
No. 5 Hamline (8-9-1, 9-15-1) at No. 4 St. Olaf (10-7-1, 14-9-2), 7 p.m.
Semifinal Saturday, Feb. 25
No. 3 Saint Benedict (11-7-0, 14-11-0) at No. 2 Augsburg (14-3-1, 17-6-2), 2 p.m.
Semifinal Sunday, Feb. 26
Hamline/St. Olaf winner at No. 1 Gustavus (17-1-0, 22-3-0), 2 or 4 p.m. (game time dependent on women’s basketball playoff championship hosting duties).
Championship March 4
Semifinal winners, TBA, at high seed