Not only does the Vermont upset make for a great story--this year marks the Catamounts' first appearance in Lake Placid since 1996--but it has far-reaching consequences for the other four teams making the trek to Olympic Village.

Knocking off Clarkson from the No. 1 berth moves the remaining four squads--St. Lawrence, Harvard, Cornell, and Dartmouth respectively--up one position and slides the Catamounts into the final slot. The Saints will face off against the victor of the play-in game between Vermont and the Big Green, while Cornell gets to avoid that dreaded Thursday night contest.

Best of all, Harvard will get a chance to avenge last year's early exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Big Red.

Cornell advanced to Lake Placid by pulling off a sweep of the Crimson at Lynah Rink last season.

"In the minds of our 17 returning players, we have flashbacks of two 4-3 losses in a row to Cornell," Stay said. "If there's any team next to Yale that we love beating, it's Cornell."

Initially facing St. Lawrence in the semifinals matchup, the Crimson at least postpones another meeting with the lone remaining North Country squad. Harvard's chances for advancing to the final round improve drastically with the change in opponents.

The Crimson did knock off the Saints 4-1 back in February, but St. Lawrence was without its top sniper Erik Anderson, who had netted a hat trick and three assists against Harvard in a 6-3 victory earlier in the season.

On paper, it appears that the Crimson will have its hands full with the Big Red. The teams skated to a 1-1 tie back in November, and Harvard suffered a 2-1 heart-breaker in early February.