WCHA First Round Playoff Pairings Set

March 13-15 Best-of-Three Series to Feature No. 1 UND vs. No. 10 MTU; No. 2 DU vs. No. 9 UAA; No. 3 UW vs. No. 8 MSU; No. 4 CC VS. No. 7 UMD, NO. 5 UM VS. No. 6 SCSU.

Chay Genoway and the WCHA champion Fighting Sioux will host Michigan Tech in WCHA playoff action.

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Field of Five Nationally-Ranked Teams, Top Playoff Seeds Set to Head to Saint Paul for This Week's 2010 Red Baron WCHA Final Five at Xcel Energy Center

Denver, Wisconsin Punch Tickets to Saint Paul; Six Teams Vie for Last Three Berths in 2010 Red Baron WCHA Final Five in First Round Game Threes Sunday Night

Denver, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State Take 1-0 WCHA Playoff Series Advantage

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March 7, 2009

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MADISON, Wis. - The first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs, five best-of-three series scheduled for next Friday, March 13, Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 (if necessary), are now set. WCHA regular season and MacNaughton Cup champion North Dakota (22-12-4), the No. 1 seed, will play host to No. 10 seed Michigan Tech (6-23-7) at Ralph Engelstad Arena. No. 2 seed Denver will host No. 9 seed Alaska Anchorage (14-15-5) at Magness Arena. No. 3 seed Wisconsin (17-15-4) will entertain No. 8 seed Minnesota State (15-15-6) at the Kohl Center. No. 4 seed Colorado College (16-10-10) will host No. 7 seed Minnesota Duluth (16-12-8) at Colorado Springs World Arena. And No. 5 seed Minnesota (15-12-7) will entertain No. 6 seed St. Cloud State (18-15-3) at Mariucci Arena.

On Saturday, the final night of the 2008-09 regular season, host Wisconsin defeated North Dakota 4-1, Minnesota salvaged a split at Michigan Tech with a 2-0 win that gave the Golden Gophers the final home playoff berth, Alaska Anchorage completed a two-game road sweep at Minnesota Duluth with a 4-3 victory, host Minnesota State and St. Cloud State played to a 4-4 (ot) tie, and Colorado College tied 1-1 (ot) at Denver.

Following the first round of WCHA playoffs, the five winning teams will be re-seeded No. 1 thru No. 5 according to their regular season finish and advance to the 2009 Red Baron^TM WCHA Final Five, Thursday, March 19 through Saturday, March 21 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. On Thursday, No. 5 will play No. 4 at 7:07 pm CT. On Friday, there will be two semi-final matchups at 4:07 pm and 7:07 pm CT. And on Saturday, the third place game will be at 4:07 pm and the Broadmoor Trophy championship game at 7:07 pm CT.

THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA

Results of Friday, March 6: Alaska Anchorage 5 at Minnesota Duluth 4 (WCHA); Minnesota 5 at Michigan Tech 6 ot (WCHA); Minnesota State 5 at St. Cloud State 1 (WCHA); North Dakota 2 at Wisconsin 1 (WCHA).

Results of Saturday, March 7: Alaska Anchorage 4 at Minnesota Duluth 2 (WCHA); Colorado College at Denver (WCHA); Minnesota 2 at Michigan Tech 0 (WCHA); St. Cloud State 4 at Minnesota State 4 ot (WCHA); North Dakota 1 at Wisconsin 4 (WCHA). END OF REGULAR SEASON.

WCHA First Round Playoffs - Best-of-Three Series

Games for Friday, March 13: (10) Michigan Tech @ (1) North Dakota, 7:37 pm CT; (9) Alaska Anchorage @ (2) Denver, 7:37 pm MT; (8) Minnesota State @ (3) Wisconsin, 7:07 pm CT; (7) Minnesota Duluth @ (4) Colorado College, 7:37 pm MT; (6) St. Cloud State @ (5) Minnesota, 7:07 pm CT.

Games for Saturday, March 14: (10) Michigan Tech @ (1) North Dakota, 7:07 pm CT; (9) Alaska Anchorage @ (2) Denver, 7:07 pm MT; (8) Minnesota State @ (3) Wisconsin, 7:07 pm CT; (7) Minnesota Duluth @ (4) Colorado College, 7:07 pm MT; (6) St. Cloud State @ (5) Minnesota, 7:07 pm CT.

Games for Sunday, March 15 (if necessary): (10) Michigan Tech @ (1) North Dakota, 7:07 pm CT; (9) Alaska Anchorage @ (2) Denver, 7:07 pm MT; (8) Minnesota State @ (3) Wisconsin, 7:07 pm CT; (7) Minnesota Duluth @ (4) Colorado College, 7:07 pm MT; (6) St. Cloud State @ (5) Minnesota, 7:07 pm CT.