# 1988 CCHA men's ice hockey tournament

The 1988 CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 17th CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. It was played between March 4 and March 12, 1988. First round games were played at campus sites, while 'final four' games were played at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. By winning the tournament, Bowling Green received the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 1988 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

## Format

The tournament featured three rounds of play. The team that finished below eighth place in the standings was not eligible for postseason play. In the quarterfinals, the first and eighth seeds, the second and seventh seeds, the third seed and sixth seeds and the fourth seed and fifth seeds played a best-of-three series, with the winners advancing to the semifinals. In the semifinals, the remaining highest and lowest seeds and second highest and second lowest seeds play a single-game, with the winners advancing to the finals. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the 1988 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

## Conference standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against
1987–88 Central Collegiate Hockey Association standingsvte :
| | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall |
| | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| Lake Superior State† | 32 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 50 | 163 | 97 | 46 | 33 | 7 | 6 | 233 | 139 |
| Bowling Green* | 32 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 40 | 190 | 144 | 45 | 30 | 13 | 2 | 258 | 188 |
| Michigan State | 32 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 39 | 151 | 123 | 46 | 27 | 16 | 3 | 222 | 173 |
| Western Michigan | 32 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 37 | 152 | 136 | 42 | 22 | 17 | 3 | 208 | 184 |
| Michigan | 32 | 17 | 15 | 0 | 34 | 140 | 131 | 41 | 22 | 19 | 0 | 176 | 171 |
| Illinois-Chicago | 32 | 14 | 17 | 1 | 29 | 137 | 138 | 39 | 18 | 20 | 1 | 170 | 169 |
| Ferris State | 32 | 11 | 17 | 4 | 26 | 118 | 165 | 40 | 15 | 20 | 5 | 155 | 198 |
| Ohio State | 32 | 7 | 21 | 4 | 18 | 116 | 178 | 40 | 10 | 24 | 6 | 138 | 209 |
| Miami | 32 | 7 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 113 | 168 | 38 | 12 | 25 | 1 | 145 | 187 |
| Championship: Bowling Green † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion |||||||||||||||

## Bracket

| Quarterfinals March 4–6 | Quarterfinals March 4–6 | Quarterfinals March 4–6 | Quarterfinals March 4–6 | Quarterfinals March 4–6 | | | Semifinals March 10 | Semifinals March 10 | Semifinals March 10 | Championship March 12 | Championship March 12 | Championship March 12 |
| 1 | Lake Superior State | 6 | 4 | – | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Ohio State | 2 | 1 | – | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Ohio State | 2 | 1 | – | | | 1 | Lake Superior State | 5* | | | |
| | | | | | | | 4 | Western Michigan | 4 | | | |
| 2 | Bowling Green | 5**** | 6 | – | | | 4 | Western Michigan | 4 | | | |
| 7 | Ferris State | 4 | 3 | – | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Ferris State | 4 | 3 | – | | | | | | 1 | Lake Superior State | 3 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 1 | Lake Superior State | 3 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 2 | Bowling Green | 5 |
| 3 | Michigan State | 9 | 6 | – | | | | | | | | | 2 | Bowling Green | 5 |
| 6 | Illinois–Chicago | 4 | 3 | – | | | | | |
| 6 | Illinois–Chicago | 4 | 3 | – | | | 2 | Bowling Green | 6 | Consolation Game | Consolation Game | Consolation Game |
| | | | | | | | 3 | Michigan State | 4 |
| 4 | Western Michigan | 4 | 4 | 10 | | | 3 | Michigan State | 4 | 3 | Michigan State | 9 |
| 5 | Michigan | 5 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | 4 | Western Michigan | 6 |
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

### First round
#### (1) Lake Superior State vs. (8) Ohio State

* Lake Superior State won series 2–0

#### (2) Bowling Green vs. (7) Ferris State

* Bowling Green won series 2–0

#### (3) Michigan State vs. (6) Illinois–Chicago

* Michigan State won series 2–0

#### (4) Western Michigan vs. (5) Michigan

* Western Michigan won series 2–1

### Championship
#### (1) Lake Superior State vs. (2) Bowling Green
## Tournament awards
### All-Tournament Team

* F Don Barber (Bowling Green)
* F Brett Barnett (Lake Superior State)
* F Bobby Reynolds (Michigan State)
* D Scott Paluch (Bowling Green)
* D Karl Johnston (Lake Superior State)
* G Paul Connell* (Bowling Green)
* Most Valuable Player(s)