NCAA Hockey: Tournament Update and Frozen Four Preview

The first two rounds of the men’s NCAA Hockey tournament are in the books. Here is everything you need to know before this week’s Frozen Four.

The Stanley Cup playoffs may be receiving a lot of the press, but it is not the only best-on-best hockey tournament taking place this week. Fresh off of last week’s regionals, the Frozen Four of the men’s NCAA Hockey tournament is back this week.

If you have not been able to keep up-to-date on the tournament, you have missed some pretty great storylines. From heart-stopping overtime to classic goaltending performances, to some insane upsets – this tournament has already had it all.

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There are only two days left in the tournament: the semifinals, which happen on Thursday, and the finals, on Saturday. All games will be played in Buffalo’s KeyBank Center.

Here is a quick rundown of who won each regional, followed by a preview of the final two rounds of the NCAA Hockey tournament.

West Regionals

My Prediction: St. Cloud State Huskies

March 29:

(4) American International over (1) St. Cloud State, 2-1

(2) Denver over (3) Ohio State, 2-0

March 30:

(2) Denver over (4) American International, 3-0

Winner: Denver University Pioneers

Wow. For the second year in a row, the number one overall seed St. Cloud State was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Hockey tournament by the Atlantic Hockey conference champions. This year, it was the Yellow Jackets of American International College.

Going in, I thought the Huskies (like Virginia in men’s basketball) would redeem themselves after last year’s embarrassment. Watching the game, it was painfully obvious that this team was in its own head. If they come in next year with fewer expectations, it may just be the cure they need.

The Huskies being eliminated open the door for the next-best team in the quadrant, Denver, to waltz into the Frozen Four. Their defense and goaltending has been very good, as predicted, as they have yet to allow a goal in this tournament.

Northeast Regionals

My Prediction: University of Massachusetts Minutemen

March 29:

(1) Massachusetts over (4) Harvard, 4-0

(2) Notre Dame over (3) Clarkson, 3-2 (OT)

March 30:

(1) Massachusetts over (2) Notre Dame, 4-0

Winner: University of Massachusetts Minutemen

This region went exactly according to plan. Massachusetts was far-and-away the best team in this quadrant, and they dominated, outscoring their opposition 8-0 over the first two rounds. Led by Cale Makar, they continue to prove their mettle in the NCAA Hockey tournament.

As for the other teams, I had said that Notre Dame-Clarkson was a toss-up, and it was. Harvard may have been the second-best team in the quadrant, but they were up against a buzzsaw early on. This was a one-team region all the way through.

East Regionals

My Prediction: Minnesota State University Mavericks

March 30:

(4) Providence over (1) Minnesota State, 6-3

(3) Cornell over (2) Northeastern, 5-1

March 31:

(4) Providence over (3) Cornell, 4-0

Winner: Providence University Friars

Technically, I got this prediction wrong, but realistically, I do not think I did. Let me direct you to a little tidbit from my tournament preview:

If I were to choose potential upsets, at the top of my list would be Providence from the East…

This team was always going to be one that caught fans by surprise. Statistically, they are massively underrated, and they also had a hometown advantage with the regionals being held in Providence. Add five straight periods of shutout goaltending, and they are hot at the right time.

That being said, Minnesota State should hold their heads high. They were up 3-0 over Providence at one point, and were far-and-away the second-best team in the quadrant. Cornell was ravaged by injuries, and Northeastern had far too many flaws that were exposed here.

Midwest Regionals

My Prediction: University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

March 30:

(1) Minnesota-Duluth over (4) Bowling Green, 2-1 (OT)

(2) Quinnipiac over (3) Arizona State, 2-1

March 31:

(1) Minnesota-Duluth over (2) Quinnipiac, 3-1

Winner: University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

Another predictable outcome, but the road to this result was not as smooth as Massachusetts’s. As I had predicted, Bowling Green gave a real fight in their return to the NCAA Hockey tournament, but in the end it was not enough.

This was a really tough quadrant, which explains these low-scoring games. In the end, all of these teams played very impressive hockey, and Minnesota-Duluth should feel great at how they were able to power through the regionals.