Breaking down the NCAA men's hockey championships
Jack Eichel may dominate the chatter when it comes to NCAA prospects and the upcoming NHL draft, but the Boston University star will be in tough to add a collegiate men's hockey title to his already impressive resume.
Eichel's Terriers enter the 16-team competition as the No. 3 seed, and will almost certainly need victories over both No. 2 North Dakota and No. 1 Minnesota State-Mankato to capture their sixth NCAA title.
Here's a brief look at the top teams that will square off for the NCAA Division I crown beginning Friday afternoon:
Minnesota State-Mankato (1)
Overall Record: 29-7-3
Top Player: G Stephon Williams (25-5-3, 1.64 GAA, .926 SV%)
The Mavericks have never won a game in the NCAA Division I Championship tournament, but they're a good bet to end that drought on the strength of a balanced offense and an airtight defense. MSU ranked third in the nation in goals per game (3.69) and goals against (1.92), and Williams is one of the top puck-stoppers in the nation.
North Dakota (2)
Overall Record: 27-9-3
Top Player: G Zane McIntyre (27-9-3, 2.05 GAA, .929 SV%)
North Dakota appeared to be headed for the No. 1 seed, but dropped a 3-1 decision to St. Cloud State in the semifinal of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference championship late last week. North Dakota boasted a top-10 offense (3.26 goals per game) and defense (2.23 goals against), but didn't have a single player rank in the top 60 in scoring nationwide.
Boston University (3)
Overall Record: 25-7-5
Top Player: F Jack Eichel (36 GP, 24 G, 42 A, 66 PTS)
The Terriers' fate begins and ends with Eichel, the consensus No. 2 pick in this year's draft who led the NCAA in scoring and should be sufficiently motivated. Evan Rodrigues (57 points in 37 games) and Danny O'Regan (45 points in 37 games) provide a significant two-three scoring punch, but starting netminder Matt O'Connor ranked 23rd in goals-against average and could be a weak spot.
Miami (Ohio) (4)
Overall Record: 25-13-1
Top Player: F Austin Czarnik (39 GP, 9 G, 34 A, 43 PTS)
The RedHawks snagged the last top seed with their 3-2 win over St. Cloud State in the NCHC title game, led by Blake Coleman's timely hat trick. Coleman paced Miami with 20 goals, while Czarnik was one of the nation's top playmakers. The goaltending was solid, with Jay Williams ranking fifth in goals-against average (1.89) and racking up five shutouts.
Here's the schedule for the NCAA Division I men's hockey tournament (all times ET):
| DATE | MATCHUP | CITY | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 27/15 | Boston University vs. Yale | Manchester | 2 p.m. |
| March 27/15 | Michigan Tech vs. St. Cloud State | Fargo | 4:30 p.m. |
| March 27/15 | Minnesota-Duluth vs. Minnesota | Manchester | 5:30 p.m. |
| March 27/15 | North Dakota vs. Quinnipiac | Fargo | 8 p.m. |
| March 28/15 | Denver vs. Boston College | Providence | 3 p.m. |
| March 28/15 | Minnesota State vs. RIT | South Bend | 4 p.m. |
| March 28/15 | BU or Yale vs. MD or Minnesota | Manchester | 5:30 p.m. |
| March 28/15 | Miami (Ohio) vs. Providence | Providence | 6:30 p.m. |
| March 28/15 | Omaha vs. Harvard | South Bend | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 28/15 | ND or Quinnipiac vs MT or SCS | Fargo | 9 p.m. |
| March 29/15 | Miami or Providence vs. Denver or BC | Providence | 5 p.m. |
| March 29/15 | MSU or RIT vs. Omaha or Harvard | South Bend | 7:30 p.m. |
| April 9/15 | Frozen Four Semifinal 1 | Boston | TBD |
| April 9/15 | Frozen Four Semifinal 2 | Boston | TBD |
| April 11/15 | Championship | Boston | 7:30 p.m. |