AHA releases 2018–19 post-season schedule, Spiders already completed four rounds at golf course

March 1, 2019

The AHA has announced the unofficial — preliminary — playoffs schedule. However, with the Spiders’ Tragic Number lower than the Polar Vortex negative temperatures, the Spiders have been on the proverbial golf course since January.

C3 playoff format:

Top four teams from each division advance to playoffs.
Three pools of four teams, round robin, cross-divisional play (three games each).
Semifinals (pool winners plus next best pool play record) Sunday morning.
Semifinal winners advance to Tier Championship Sunday evening.

Seeds for C3 Tier:

Pool A: East #1, South #2, West #3, East #4
Pool B: South #1, West #2, East #3, South #4
Pool C: West #1, East #2, South #3, West #4

Current C3 standings:

2018–19 C3 East Standings *(Week 17)*
Team	GP	W	L	T	OTL	P	GF	GA	PIM
Moose C3 –x	15	13	2	0	0	26	70	28	82
Maroons C3	15	8	0	4	3	23	60	42	75
Les Etoiles du Nord C3	15	10	3	1	1	22	51	36	56
Wildcats	15	8	6	1	0	17	55	48	90
Royals C3	15	7	6	2	0	16	44	47	70
Arctic Wolves	16	6	6	3	1	16	68	59	78
Knights C3	15	6	7	1	1	14	40	51	68
Ak Bars	17	6	9	2	0	14	51	64	94
Icedogs	16	4	11	1	0	9	38	59	125
Spiders C3	15	1	13	1	0	3	27	70	70
y = clinched division x = clinched playoff berth

2018–19 C3 South Standings *(Week 17)*
Team	GP	W	L	T	OTL	P	GF	GA	PIM
Marauders –x	17	14	2	1	0	29	84	31	42
Gold Rush	17	12	5	0	0	24	85	56	96
Spartans C3	17	11	5	1	0	23	71	39	123
Hooligans C3	17	9	7	1	0	19	59	51	108
Pines	17	9	7	1	0	19	57	52	110
Nordeasters	17	7	7	1	2	17	63	61	98
Blade Runners	17	7	8	2	0	16	55	68	136
Wolfpack	16	4	10	1	1	10	38	82	74
Fighting Loons C3	16	3	11	2	0	8	51	79	48
Nighthawks	17	3	14	0	0	6	47	91	92
y = clinched division x = clinched playoff berth

2018–19 C3 West Standings *(Week 16)*
Team	GP	W	L	T	OTL	P	GF	GA	PIM
Leafs C3	15	11	3	0	1	23	63	32	127
Fighting Piranhas C3	15	10	5	0	0	20	56	41	74
Bulls	15	8	6	0	1	17	55	53	74
Black Ice	15	8	6	0	1	17	55	54	58
Anchors	16	8	7	1	0	17	58	57	130
Troopers C3	16	7	7	2	0	16	56	59	64
Shame On Ice C3	15	5	7	3	0	13	31	40	58
Boomsticks	15	5	10	0	0	10	51	58	76
Stars	16	4	12	0	0	8	30	61	66
y = clinched division x = clinched playoff berth

Regular season tiebreakers:

In the event of a tie in the regular season standings, the following criteria are used to determine post-season seeding:

Total points in the regular season.
Number of wins in the regular season.
Head-to-head record between teams in the regular season (Applicable only if equal amount of games have been played between tied teams).
Fewest total penalty minutes in the regular season.
Fewest goals allowed in the regular season.
Most goals scored in the regular season.
Coin toss.

(Note: If three teams are tied, once a team is determined as the higher seed, the tiebreaker reverts to step 1 of the criteria between two remaining teams, if necessary.)

The preliminary post-season schedule matchups for the C3 tier:

2018–19 C3 Post-Season Schedule
Date	Time	Arena	Pool	Home (Seed)	Away (Seed)
Sunday, April 7	3:30 p.m.	Highland N	A	#2 (C3 South #2)	#3 (C3 West #3)
Sunday, April 7	5:10 p.m.	Highland N	A	#1 (C3 East #1)	#4 (C3 East #4)
Thursday, April 11	8:30 p.m.	BIG 2	A	#3 (C3 West #3)	#4 (C3 East #4)
Thursday, April 11	7:30 p.m.	Highland N	A	#1 (C3 East #1)	#2 (C3 South #2)
Saturday, April 13	3:15 p.m.	BIG 3	A	#1 (C3 East #1)	#3 (C3 West #3)
Saturday, April 13	5:00 p.m.	BIG 3	A	#2 (C3 South #2)	#4 (C3 East #4)
Sunday, April 7	6:50 p.m.	Highland N	B	#1 (C3 South #1)	#4 (C3 South #4)
Sunday, April 7	8:30 p.m.	Highland N	B	#2 (C3 West #2)	#3 (C3 East #3)
Thursday, April 11	9:00 p.m.	Vadnais 1	B	#2 (C3 West #2)	#4 (C3 South #4)
Thursday, April 11	9:00 p.m.	Woog 2	B	#1 (C3 South #1)	#3 (C3 East #3)
Saturday, April 13	11:45 a.m.	BIG 3	B	#1 (C3 South #1)	#3 (C3 East #3)
Saturday, April 13	1:30 p.m.	BIG 3	B	#2 (C3 West #2)	#4 (C3 South #4)
Sunday, April 7	4:15 p.m.	Tria	C	#2 (C3 East #2)	#3 (C3 South #3)
Sunday, April 7	6:00 p.m.	Tria	C	#1 (C3 West #1)	#4 (C3 West #4)
Thursday, April 11	8:00 p.m.	VMCC E	C	#1 (C3 West #1)	#3 (C3 South #3)
Thursday, April 11	9:40 p.m.	VMCC E	C	#2 (C3 East #2)	#4 (C3 West #4)
Saturday, April 13	8:15 a.m.	BIG 3	C	#2 (C3 East #2)	#4 (C3 West #4)
Saturday, April 13	10:00 a.m.	BIG 3	C	#1 (C3 West #1)	#3 (C3 South #3)
Sunday, April 14	9:00 a.m.	BIG 2	SF	#2 vs. #3
Sunday, April 14	10:45 a.m.	BIG 2	SF	#1 vs. #4
Sunday, April 14	6:00 p.m.	BIG 3	Championship

Playoff rules/tiebreakers

There will be no overtime in round-robin pool play. Pool play games will end in ties and will count in the standings.
If at any time the score differential is six or greater in the third period, the clock will convert to running time. If at any time the score differential goes below six goals, the clock will revert back to stop time.
In championship games, if at the end of the three periods the score is tied, the teams shall play one overtime period of five minutes, running time. If at the end of the overtime period the score is still tied, a shootout will take place. Shootout rules are as follows:
- Three players from each team participate in the order the team captain selects. The home team will elect whether to shoot first or second.
- Each team takes three shots in alternating fashion. The team with the most goals after those six (or fewer) shots is the winner.
- If the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a “sudden death” format. No skater may participate more than once until all other skaters have participated.
Tiebreakers for pool standings:
1. Most points
2. Wins
3. Head-to-head
4. Goal differential (six goals maximum per game)
5. Fewest goals against
6. Fewest minor penalties
7. Fewest total penalty minutes
8. Earliest goal scored
9. Coin toss
(Note: If three teams are tied, once a team is determined as the higher seed, the tiebreaker reverts to step 1 of the criteria between two remaining teams, if necessary.)