If I am correct, tournament games do not come into play with a tie breaker, only regular season games. So, to get good competition playing in tournaments can be a way to prepare for the post season. To maintain play-off eligibility, playing teams you can beat gives you a good record. Tie breakers with goals for or goals against, etc. can lead to teams running the score up.
At the college level, teams who have lost mostly conference games and won all nonconference games can be ranked ahead of teams that in conference play are ahead of them because of this. Bottom line is 8-1 is still 8-1...I believe thats why some high school teams are ranked above others because of wins / losses. (Record) Although, I could be wrong.