2014 Atlantic Hockey men's ice hockey tournament explained

Year:2014
Conference:Atlantic Hockey
Gender:Men's
Dates:March 7–22, 2014
Teams:12
Finalarena:Blue Cross Arena
Finalcity:Rochester, New York
Champions:Robert Morris
Titlecount:1st
Coach:Derek Schooley
Coachcount:1st
Mvp:Cody Wydo
Mvpteam:Robert Morris
Prevseason Year:2013
Prevseason Link:2013 Atlantic Hockey Tournament
Nextseason Year:2015
Nextseason Link:2015 Atlantic Hockey Tournament

The 2014 Atlantic Hockey Tournament is the 10th Atlantic Hockey Tournament. It was played between March 7 and March 22, 2014, at campus locations and at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. The winner of the tournament was the Robert Morris Colonials, who earned Atlantic Hockey's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Format

The tournament features four rounds of play. In the first round the fifth and twelfth, sixth and eleventh, seventh and tenth, and eighth and ninth seeds, as determined by the conference regular-season standings, played a best-of-three series with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals. The top four teams from the conference regular-season standings received a bye to the quarterfinals. There, the first seed and lowest-ranked first-round winner, the second seed and second-lowest-ranked first-round winner, the third seed and second-highest-ranked first-round winner, and the fourth seed and the highest-ranked first-round winner played a best-of-three series, with the winners advancing to the semifinals. In the semifinals, the highest and lowest seeds and second-highest and second-lowest seeds played a single game each, with the winners advancing to the championship game. The tournament champion received an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against

Bracket

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

Results

First round

(8) Holy Cross vs. (9) RIT

Quarterfinals

(4) Connecticut vs. (5) Robert Morris

Semifinals

(5) Robert Morris vs. (6) Niagara

Championship

(5) Robert Morris vs. (7) Canisius

Tournament awards

All-Tournament Team

* Most Valuable Player(s)