Colorado College will serve as host of a first-round WCHA playoff series next weekend, regardless of the outcome of Saturday's regular-season finale at the University of Denver.

In fact, after receiving more help than they needed from teams at or near the bottom of the standings on Friday night, the Tigers already know they can finish no lower than fourth in the league standings.

The top five teams earn home-ice for the best-of-three opening-round playoff series that begin on Friday, March 13.

Friday's biggest shocker came in Houghton, Mich., where cellar-dwelling Michigan Tech recorded just its second conference victory of the season with a 6-5 overtime triumph over the University of Minnesota.

The Gophers were one of four teams with a chance to catch or pass third-place CC on this final weekend of regular-season play. But like Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State, which remain tied for fifth with UM, they no longer can.

Duluth dropped a 5-4 decision at home to Alaska Anchorage, while SCSU fell 5-1 at Minnesota State in the openers of their respective two-game series on Friday.

And, in Madison, North Dakota kept fourth-place Wisconsin one point behind the Tigers with a 2-1 victory that clinched the MacNaughton Cup for the Fighting Sioux. Denver will finish second behind UND, no matter what, while Colorado College can wrap up third place by beating the Pioneers at DU's Magness Arena on Saturday.