NEWMAC Field Hockey Playoff Scenarios

Current standings:
Babson (7-0)
MIT (6-1)
Smith (5-2)
Wellesley (5-3)
Mount Holyoke (4-3)
Springfield (2-5)
Wheaton (2-5)
WPI (1-6)
Clark (0-7)

Tournament format:
Top 6 make the tournament.
In the first round, the Top 2 get a bye while 3 hosts 6 and 4 hosts 5.
The semifinals and final are hosted by the #1 seed.

Clinching a top four seeding doesn't necessarily guarantee a home game (the #2 seed doesn't host a game), but it does guarantee that if the team has to play in the first round, at least that game will be at home.

BABSON
has already clinched:
a playoff spot, a top four seeding, and a first round bye
can still clinch:
host site for semifinals and final

Babson can clinch being the host site with:
a win

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MIT
has already clinched:
a playoff spot and a top four seeding
can still clinch:
a first round bye and being the host site

MIT can clinch a first round bye with:
Smith loss

MIT can clinch a first round bye AND being the host site with:
a win

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SMITH
has already clinched:
a playoff spot and a top four seeding*
can still clinch:
a first round bye

Smith can clinch a first round bye with:
Smith win + MIT loss

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WELLESLEY
has already clinched:
a playoff spot and a top four seeding*
and can clinch nothing more.

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MOUNT HOLYOKE
has already clinched:
a playoff spot
and can clinch nothing more*

---
SPRINGFIELD
has clinched nothing
but can still clinch:
a playoff spot

Springfield can clinch a playoff spot with:
1) a win OR
2) winning the random draw in the three-way tie**

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WHEATON
has clinched nothing
but can still clinch:
a playoff spot

Wheaton can clinch a playoff spot with:
1) Wheaton win + Springfield loss OR
2) winning the random draw in the three-way tie**

---
WPI
has clinched nothing
but can still clinch:
a playoff spot

WPI can clinch a playoff spot by winning the game and then winning the random draw**

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CLARK has been eliminated.
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*Note on the potential three-way tiebreak among Smith, Wellesley, and Mount Holyoke:
The first tiebreaking step is head-to-head, but they're 1-1 against each other: Smith beat Wellesley, Wellesley beat Mount Holyoke, and Mount Holyoke beat Smith.
The next tiebreaking step is to compare the teams' head-to-head results against other teams in the conference, starting at the top and going down. The top 2 will be Babson and MIT in some order, but that order doesn't matter because all 3 lost to Babson. Against MIT, Smith won while the other two teams lost. Therefore, Smith wins the tiebreak. To settle the remaining two teams in the tiebreak for 4th and 5th, it goes back to regular head-to-head, and Wellesley beat Mount Holyoke, so Wellesley gets 4th seed and Mount Holyoke 5th.

**Note on the potential three-way tiebreak among Springfield, Wheaton, and WPI:
If WPI beats Springfield and Wheaton loses, there will be a three-way tiebreak at 2-6.
The first tiebreaking step is head-to-head, but they're 1-1 against each other: WPI beat Springfield, Springfield beat Wheaton, and Wheaton beat WPI.
The next tiebreaking step is to compare the teams' head-to-head results against other teams in the conference, starting at the top and going down. All 3 teams lost to every team above them (Babson, MIT, Smith, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke), and all 3 teams beat Clark. This doesn't break the tie.
The next tiebreaking step is common opponents outside the conference. The only team that is common among Springfield, Wheaton, and WPI is Johnson and Wales. However, all 3 beat Johnson and Wales, so this doesn't break the tie.
The next tiebreaking step is a random draw.