WCHA Earns Record Six Berths in NCAA Tournament

North Dakota is No. 1 Seed in Midwest Regional, Sioux are Joined by No. 2 Seed Denver and Host and No. 3 Seed Wisconsin; Colorado College is Host and No. 2 Seed for West Regional; St. Cloud State is No. 2 Seed in East Regional; Minnesota is No. 3 Seed in Northeast

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Complete Bracket

March 23, 2008

MADISON, Wisc. - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association has earned a conference-record six berths in the 2008 NCAA Div. 1 Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, set to get underway this coming weekend at four regional sites and as announced today, March 23.

The University of North Dakota (26-10-4) is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional in Madison, which will be contested Saturday (March 29) and Sunday (March 30) at the Kohl Center. The Fighting Sioux are joined by No. 2 seed University of Denver (26-13-1), champions of the 2008 Red Baron^TM WCHA Final Five, No. 3 seed and host University of Wisconsin (15-16-7) and No. 4 seed Princeton (21-13-0).

2007-08 WCHA regular season and MacNaughton Cup champion Colorado College (28-11-1) is the No. 2 seed and host of the West Regional, which will be played Friday (March 28) and Saturday at the Colorado Springs World Arena. The Tigers are joined there by No. 1 seed New Hampshire (25-9-3), No. 3 seed and defending national champion Michigan State (24-11-5), and No. 4 seed Notre Dame (24-15-4).

St. Cloud State (19-15-5) has been accorded the No. 2 seed at the East Regional in Albany, N.Y., where the Huskies will be part of a field that includes No. 1 seed Michigan (31-5-4), No. 3 seed Clarkson (21-12-4) and No. 4 seed Niagara (22-10-4). That regional will be contested on Friday and Saturday.

And Minnesota (19-16-9) is the No. 3 seed at the Northeast Regional in Worchester, Mass. , to be contested Saturday and Sunday. There, the Golden Gophers will be joined by No. 1 seed Miami (32-7-1), No. 2 seed Boston College (21-11-8) and No. 4 seed Air Force Academy (21-11-6).

The WCHA is home to a record 36 national championship teams since the league's founding in 1951, including five of the past six. The 2008 NCAA Men's Frozen Four, hosted by the University of Denver, will be held April 10-12 at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.

This Week in the WCHA • WCHA Teams at NCAA Regionals
Games for Friday, March 28: *Clarkson vs St. Cloud State, 4:00 pm ET; #Michigan State at Colorado College, 8:00 pm MT. (*East Regional Semifinal @ Albany, NY; #West Regional Semifinal @ Colorado Springs, CO).

Games for Saturday, March 29: *Princeton vs North Dakota, 2:00 pm CTA; *Wisconsin vs Denver, 5:30 pm CT; #Niagara vs St. Cloud State, 7:00 pm ET; #St. Cloud State vs Michigan, 7:00 pm ET; &Minnesota vs Boston College, 7:30 pm ET; %Notre Dame at Colorado College, 8:00 pm MT; %Colorado College vs New Hampshire, 8:00 pm MT. (*Midwest Regional Semifinal @ Madison, WI; #East Regional Final @ Albany, NY; &Northeast Regional Semifinal @ Worcester, MA; %West Regional Final @ Colorado Springs, CO.)

Games for Sunday, March 30: *Air Force vs Minnesota, 4:30 pm ET; *Minnesota vs Miami, 4:30 pm ET; #Princeton at Wisconsin, 6:00 pm CT; #Princeton vs Denver, 6:00 pm CT; #Wisconsin vs North Dakota, 6:00 pm CT; #Denver vs North Dakota, 6:00 pm CT. (*Northeast Regional Final @ Worcester, MA; #NCAA Midwest Regional Final @ Madison, WI).