2017 NCAA Tournament Field Announced

The NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee has selected the six automatic bids and 10 at-large teams that will compete for the 2017 national championship. Play will begin Friday in Fargo, North Dakota when Boston University takes on North Dakota. Penn State, in their fifth season as a Division I hockey program received its first NCAA tournament bid when they won the Big Ten tournament in Detroit following double overtime victories over Minnesota and Wisconsin. Denver (29-7-4) received the No. 1 overall seed and will travel to Cincinnati to take on Michigan Tech, a former member of the WCHA before the Pioneers left for the WCHA in 2013.

The following conferences and teams received automatic qualification:

Atlantic Hockey Association – Air Force
Big Ten Conference – Penn State
ECAC Hockey – Harvard
Hockey East Association – UMass Lowell
National Collegiate Hockey Conference – Minnesota Duluth
Western Collegiate Hockey Association – Michigan Tech

The following conferences and teams received at-large entries:

Atlantic Hockey Association – None
Big Ten Conference – Minnesota, Ohio State
ECAC Hockey – Cornell, Union
Hockey East Association – Boston University, Notre Dame, Providence
National Collegiate Hockey Conference – Denver, North Dakota, Western Michigan
Western Collegiate Hockey Association – None

Midwest Regional, March 25-26

U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio

Saturday, March 25, 1 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNews/WatchESPN

No. 1 Denver (29-7-4) vs. No. 4 Michigan Tech (23-14-7)

Saturday, March 25, 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPN3/WatchESPN

No. 2 Union (NY) (25-9-3) vs. No. 3 Penn State (24-11-2)

Championship: Sunday, March 26, 6 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU/WatchESPN

Northeast Regional, March 25-26

SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire

Saturday, March 25, 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU/WatchESPN

No. 1 Minnesota (23-11-3) vs. No. 4 Notre Dame (21-11-5)

Saturday, March 25, Noon Eastern time, ESPN3/WatchESPN

No. 2 Massachusetts Lowell (26-10-3) vs. No. 3 Cornell (21-8-5)

Championship: Sunday, March 26, 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU/WatchESPN

 

East Regional, March 24-25

Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island

Friday, March 24, 4 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU/WatchESPN

No. 1 Harvard (26-5-2) vs. No. 4 Providence (22-11-5)

Friday, March 24, 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPN3/WatchESPN

No. 2 Western Michigan (22-12-5) vs. No. 3 Air Force (26-9-5)

Championship: Saturday, March 25, 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU/WatchESPN

 

West Regional, March 24-25

Scheels Arena, Fargo, North Dakota

Friday, March 24, 6:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU/WatchESPN

No. 1 Minnesota Duluth (25-6-7) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (21-11-6)

Friday, March 24, 3 p.m. Eastern time, ESPN2/WatchESPN

No. 2 Boston University (23-11-3) vs. No. 3 North Dakota (21-15-3)

Championship: Saturday, March 25, 6 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNU/WatchESPN

The four regional champions will advance to the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four in Chicago April 6-8. The Midwest Regional Champion will take on the Northeast Regional Champion while the East Regional Champion will play the West Regional Champion. The start times from United Center will be at 6 and 9:30 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN2. The order of which game will be played is still to be determined. The title game will take place two days later at 8 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN.

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