DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — Miami University's hockey team is playing a different kind of guessing game this week, one that's a lot more relaxing.

Last season, the RedHawks were swept by Lake Superior State in the quarterfinals of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association tournament, then had to sweat it out as they waited to see if they would get an at-large NCAA tournament bid.

They did and notched the first NCAA victory in school history over top-seeded New Hampshire, before falling to Boston College in the Northeast Regional final.

This season, there isn't much tension in regard to earning a spot in the big dance. MU appears to be a lock for that tournament as it competes in the CCHA Final Four this weekend in Detroit, with a No. 1 or 2 seed likely in the NCAA.

"There's so many variables that will happen in the next two games in our league, let alone everybody else's league," Miami coach Enrico Blasi said. "I would suspect that we'll be a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed, depending on what happens. You can drive yourself nuts with about 300 different scenarios, and that's not something for us to do right now.

"Last year, I can tell you, that's what we did," he continued. "We didn't have anything else to do. We spent a whole week trying to figure out what scenarios would work in our favor. There were only a few, and thankfully we ended up with one of them."

The RedHawks (31-6-1) are currently second behind Michigan (29-5-4) in the USCHO.com PairWise rankings, which attempt to mimic the method used by the NCAA selection committee to determine the 16-team field.

Blasi believes a 1-1 record this weekend would be enough to clinch an NCAA No. 1 seed for Miami, which faces Notre Dame on Friday, March 21, at 4:30 p.m.

The NCAA selection show is at 11:30 a.m. Sunday on ESPN2. The four regional sites are Colorado Springs, Colo.; Madison, Wis.; Worcester, Mass.; and Albany, N.Y.

Luck of the Irish?

Notre Dame is coming to Joe Louis Arena without a key part of its arsenal.

The Fighting Irish (24-13-4) lost leading scorer Erik Condra to a season-ending knee injury in last Sunday's series-clinching win over Ferris State. Condra is a junior right wing with 15 goals and 23 assists this season.

"Erik is probably our best player from an offensive and defensive perspective," Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said. "It's an opportunity for other guys to elevate their game and get more ice time. As Miami well knows, playing without Nathan Davis for a good part of the season, you still have success because it is a team game."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2194 or rcassano@coxohio.com.