With only seven teams in the Red Division this year, all seven teams qualify for the Baron Cup and the first-place finisher earns a bye into the semifinals.

If Rocky River defeats Mentor Friday evening at the Mentor Civic Center, they would tie for first place in the Red Division and force a goals-differential tie breaker (Mentor comes into the final game with a +3 edge). 

Hudson plays both Kenston and Cleveland Heights, the two teams jostling for 6th/7th and trying to avoid River (or possibly Mentor) in the first round.  Hudson could tie Strongsville for third, but the Mustangs have the tie breaker and are already locked in as the #3 seed, making the Explorers the #4.

So, while there are still some placements TBD at the top and bottom of the bracket, the middle is pretty much solidified.

Kenston and Cleveland Heights could both tie Benedictine for fifth place with a win over Rocky River but, even if they pulled that off, the Bengals have the tie breakers secured.  They beat the Bombers twice head-to-head and would go to a fourth tie breaker with Cleveland Heights (goals allowed in division play).  They are ahead by 18 there, so let’s go ahead and slot Benedictine #5.

If Kenston and Heights both lose to River, the Bombers have the tie breaker over the Tigers.

That gives us one first-round match-up (more or less) set in stone:  Hudson vs. Benedictine at 7:30 on Thursday, February 13.

We will have to see how the rest plays out this weekend, but it is looking like Strongsville-Kenston will be another quarterfinal, barring upsets, and Rocky River-Cleveland Heights will be the other.

Amherst Steele enters the post-season as the top qualifier in the White Division/Baron Cup II.

Third-place Olmsted Falls can catch second-place Avon Lake, but the Shoremen took three of four points from the Bulldogs in league play, making Avon the #2 seed and Olmsted Falls #4.

Avon and North Olmsted each have six points, but the Eagles still have a game to play.  If they can pick up at least one point against Olmsted Falls on Saturday, they will be the fourth-place finisher in the White North and the #5 seed for the Baron Cup II.  If they lose to O.F., Avon will take that spot having beaten N.O. twice.  The fifth place North Division team will be the #6 seed.

Kent Roosevelt is the lone White North team that failed to make the cut, although they made a great push in their final game, a 5-4 loss to #2 seed Avon Lake on Thursday.

Parma has the White South sewn up, making them the #3 seed.

Solon has a two-point lead on Aurora for second place in the South.  They go head-to-head Saturday night at The Pond, but the Greenmen also have a game in hand against Parma on Sunday.  Solon defeated Aurora, 4-3, in the season opener for both teams on November 24.

Canfield, CVCA and Western Reserve are out of the race.  A WRA win over CVCA Saturday afternoon would tie them with Aurora for third place, but they would still finish in fourth based on head-to-head results even if Aurora lost both of their games.

So, for each of the four Baron Cup II quarterfinal match-ups, we have one team in place but are waiting to see who they will go up against:

1. Amherst vs. Solon/Aurora
2. Avon Lake vs. Solon/Aurora
3. Parma vs. North Olmsted/Avon
4. Olmsted Falls vs. North Olmsted/Avon

The Orange Lions have clinched first place in the Blue North Division and, in the process, secured the top seed for Baron Cup III.  Lakewood is currently in second place in the Blue North, but Normandy could pass them and claim the #2 seed by tying or defeating Orange at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

Whichever team finishes third in the North drops to the #4 seed in the BCIII bracket and will take on Chagrin Falls in the quarterfinals.  The Tigers are cemented in fourth place in the Blue North Division and the #5 seed.

The fifth and final qualifier from the North Division comes down to Brooklyn and Westlake.  The Hurricanes head into the weekend with a two-point edge, but the Demons have a game in hand.  The issue will likely be sort out when the two teams go head-to-head Saturday night at North Olmsted Rec.

The three qualifiers from the Blue South are set:  Nordonia, Mayfield and NDCL in that order.  They will be seeded #3, #7 and #8.

That means NDCL draws Orange in the only quarterfinal match-up that has been determined so far.  It is also, incidentally, the opening game of a week of Baron Cup play (Monday, February 10 at 4:30 p.m.).

--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest