The eighth and last playoff spot in the WCHA is at stake this weekend, when UAA travels to UAF for a regular season-ending series that also doubles as Games 3 and 4 of the Governor's Cup.
Eighth-place UAA owns 18 points in 26 league games and ninth-place UAF owns 16 points in 26 league games -- only the top eight teams in the 10-team league make the postseason.
Here's how each of these teams claims the final playoff spot (note that UAA finished last on the 10-team circuit last season and did not make the playoffs, while UAF finished fourth but was barred from postseason play because of NCAA sanctions):
UAA -- The Seawolves need two points. Should they only manage one point, they would be tied with the Nanooks, but UAF, which won and tied in December in Anchorage, would maintain ownership of the WCHA's first tie-breaker, head-to-head results.
UAF -- The Nanooks need at least three points (a win and a tie), which would give both them and the Seawolves 19 points, and the Nanooks would own the tie-breaker.
In case you were wondering, only UAA or UAF can finish eighth. Seventh-place Lake Superior State has clinched a berth with 23 points, a total neither UAA nor UAF can reach. Also, 10th-place Alabama-Huntsville has been eliminated from playoff contention.
So, fair to say the UAA-UAF series should be dynamite -- both teams have a ton to play for, particularly in regards to the playoff spot. The Governor's Cup would merely serve as a bonus for either club. Worth noting: UAF has won six straight Gov Cups, although it had to vacate three of those (2010-11-12) because of those NCAA violations.