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NCAA 2021 Frozen Four Championship


Brewin Flames

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2021 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship selections announced | NCAA.com

 

The link is to the article, i'll put up the bracket asap...

 

Can Not Wait.

 

 

Bracket Below....

 

2021 Division I Men's Ice Hockey Official Bracket | NCAA.com

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INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee has selected the 16 teams that will be participating in the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship.

The championship playoff format involves four predetermined regional sites with four teams assigned to each site. The regional winners advance to the Men’s Frozen Four. The entire championship uses a single-elimination format.

 

BRACKET: View the 2021 DI men's hockey bracket

 

Automatic qualification privileges are granted to the postseason champions of the six conferences. The remainder of the field is selected at large.

North Dakota was the No. 1 overall seed. The other No. 1 seeds, in order, include Boston College, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The dates, sites, times and pairings of this year’s championship are as follows:

 

Fargo Regional, March 26-27

Scheels Arena, Fargo, North Dakota

  • No. 2 Michigan (15-10-1) vs. No. 3 Minnesota Duluth (14-10-2) 
    • Friday, March 26 | 4 p.m. ET | ESPNU/WatchESPN
  • No. 1 North Dakota (21-5-1) vs. No. 4 American Int’l (15-3-0)
    • Friday, March 26 | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN3/WatchESPN
  • Fargo Regional Championship
    • Saturday, March 27 | 6:30 p.m. ET | ESPNU/WatchESPN

Bridgeport Regional, March 26-27

Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut

  • No. 1 Wisconsin (20-9-1) vs. No. 4 Bemidji State (15-9-3)
    • Friday, March 26| 1 p.m. ET | ESPN2/WatchESPN
  • No. 2 Massachusetts (16-5-4) vs. No. 3 Lake Superior State (19-6-3)
    • Friday, March 26 | 6:30 p.m. ET | ESPNU/WatchESPN
  • Bridgeport Regional Championship
    • Saturday, March 27 | 4 p.m. ET | ESPNU/WatchESPN

Loveland Regional, March 27-28

Budweiser Events Center, Loveland, Colorado

  • No. 2 Minnesota State (20-4-1) vs. No. 3 Quinnipiac (17-7-4)
    • Saturday, March 27 | 4 p.m. ET | ESPN3/WatchESPN
  • No. 1 Minnesota (23-6-0) vs. No. 4 Omaha (14-10-1)
    • Saturday, March 27 | 9 p.m. ET | ESPNU/WatchESPN
  • Loveland Regional Championship
    • Sunday, March 28 | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN2/WatchESPN

Albany Regional, March 27-28

Times Union Center, Albany, New York

  • No. 1 Boston College (17-5-1) vs. No. 4 Notre Dame (14-13-2)
    • Saturday, March 27 |1 p.m. ET | ESPNews/WatchESPN
  • No. 2 St. Cloud State (17-10-0) vs. No. 3 Boston U. (10-4-1)
    • Saturday, March 27 | 6:30 p.m. ET | ESPNews/WatchESPN
  • Albany Regional Championship
    • Sunday, March 28 | 5:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2/WatchESPN

Men’s Frozen Four, April 8 and 10

PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Fargo Regional Champion vs. Bridgeport Regional Champion
  • Albany Regional Champion vs. Loveland Regional Champion
    • Thursday, April 8 | 5 and 9 p.m. ET | ESPN2/WatchESPN (order of games TBD)
  • National Championship
    • Saturday, April 10 | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
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UMass men’s hockey team pounds Lake Superior State, moves one win from Frozen Four

John Powers  7 hrs ago
 
 
 
 

 

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — In this most unsettled of college hockey seasons the most feared opponent is the invisible one that sneaks into your dressing room and takes your sticks away.

%7B© Steven G. Smith UMass captain Jake Gaudet, who scored twice, celebrates his goal with fellow senior Oliver Chau in the third period.

COVID already has knocked St. Lawrence, Notre Dame and Michigan out of the national tournament before they even laced up. So UMass counted itself fortunate to be able to take the ice here Friday evening and took captain Jake Gaudet’s message to heart: Don’t let this moment slip.

 

So the second-seeded Minutemen grabbed their opportunity with both hands, blasting third-seeded Lake Superior State by a 5-1 count in their opening NCAA encounter at Webster Bank Arena. UMass earned a Saturday afternoon date with fourth-seeded Bemidji State with a trip to next month’s Frozen Four in Pittsburgh on the line.

“We’re playing for our careers here,” said Gaudet, who scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season after tallying the Hockey East title game winner against UMass Lowell. “We don’t want this season to end. I’m doing everything I can to keep it going.”

When the Minutemen made it to the championship game two years ago they barreled through the regionals, drilling both Harvard and Notre Dame by 4-0 counts in Manchester. This time, though, they expected a grinder from the physical Lakers, who knew they couldn’t give UMass time and space.

But UMass (17-5-4) knows how to dictate with a one-goal lead and Gaudet got it for them midway through the opening period off a rebound in front. Ashton Calder, the Lakers’ top gun, drew his mates even at 17:14. That was all that UMass, which blanked UMass Lowell in its last game, would allow and the Lakers (19-7-3) knew that it wouldn’t be enough.

Not with the Minutemen willing to get their noses dirty in goalmouth traffic. Josh Lopina got their second one that way at 11:03 of the middle period with bodies on all sides of him. Then UMass crafted a lovely breakout less than two minutes later, with defenseman Ty Farmer, left wing Oliver Chau and right wing Carson Gicewicz combining for a textbook score as Chau found his linemate on the far side.

“I was screaming and even if I wasn’t screaming he was going to hit me there,” said Gicewicz of his team-high 14th goal of the season. “One of the easier goals I’ve ever had.”

Yet even with his group up 3-1 and cruising, UMass coach Greg Carvel wasn’t at all satisfied with his squad’s sloppiness, its giving up odd-man rushes and taking a half-dozen penalties, and he let them know about it during intermission. But goalie Filip Lindberg, who backstopped his mates to the Frozen Four in 2019, made up for everything with 30 saves.

“I have not given Fili a lot of credit down the stretch but he deserves it all tonight,” Carvel said. “He was outstanding when we were not great.”

The Minutemen broke it open in the third period with Gaudet cashing a 5-on-3 power play from the doorstep at 10:49 — “sometimes they just come,” the senior said — and Anthony Del Gaizo potting an empty-netter at 15:47 after coming out of the penalty box.

This was the difference between a hockey team that has been here before and knows how to get to the building where the trophy is. Lake State last made the tournament in 1996.

“That experience, that moxie maybe showed on their behalf,” Lakers coach Damon Whitten said of the Minutemen. “That’s a heck of a hockey team and they deserve to move on, certainly.”

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20 hours ago, Jimtown guy said:

Going to be a war tonight with UMD 

Dude...no lie about that.  I started watching at the start of 2nd OT.  I was ready for a little bit of Fargo After Dark but not so much ‘Last Call.’

 

Bummer I know, I saw both of the Caps game 7 4OT losses (on TV) long ago.  But 5OT is rough.  Dude.

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1 hour ago, SaucyJack said:

Dude...no lie about that.  I started watching at the start of 2nd OT.  I was ready for a little bit of Fargo After Dark but not so much ‘Last Call.’

 

Bummer I know, I saw both of the Caps game 7 4OT losses (on TV) long ago.  But 5OT is rough.  Dude.

Talk about a roller coaster of emotions. I guess I can now say I was at the longest college game in history. UND hit the pipe in the fifth ot and I said watch UMD score now. A minute later they did. But for the Sioux to score 2 goals in the last 2 minutes was nuts. I’m drained. Congrats to UMD 

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Flyers prospect and captain Noah Cates on UMD Bulldogs moves on after winning the NCAA longest tournament ever.

 

 

 

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/hockey/6957044-UMD-mens-hockey-Bulldogs-beat-North-Dakota-in-longest-NCAA-tournament-game-ever-to-reach-fourth-straight-Frozen-Four

 

Image

 

 

Keep it rolling.

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51 minutes ago, Jimtown guy said:

But for the Sioux to score 2 goals in the last 2 minutes was nuts.


I missed that excitement except for all the between-period time ESPNU had to show highlights.  It was neat to see all the fans, mostly UND, by the glass standing (seemingly all  the time) during OT play.

 

I had a small reason to root for UND.  An old supervisor of mine started his engineering career in the early/mid-1970s working missile silo systems near the Canadian border in North Dakota, before Cold War negotiations mothballed their project.  He said their weekly social highlight was to travel down to Grand Forks on the weekend to go to a McDonalds.  Ah the sweet life.

 

(I see that Fighting Hawks is facing an uphill battle.)

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UMass was the first team from the field of 16 to punch its ticket to the Frozen Four.

 

The second-seeded Minutemen earned its place in Pittsburgh with a 4-0 victory over No. 4 Bemidji State in the Bridgeport (Conn.) Regional final on Saturday night at Webster Bank Arena.

 

The Minutemen (18-5-4) secured their second straight trip to the Frozen Four, which begins April 8 at PPG Paints Arena and will face the winner of the Fargo (N.D.) Regional final between North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth. UMass went to the title game in 2019 before falling 3-0 to UMD.

“I thought that was a very dominant game and thorough game by our group,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “We came out and set the tone and played a very strong defensive hockey game.”

 

Redshirt senior right-wing Carson Gicewicz paced the attack with his first career hat trick while junior goaltender Filip Lindberg registered 18 saves for his 10th career shutout. Lindberg has allowed just four goals in five postseason games.

 

“To get one (hat trick) on a stage like this and for all of them to be pretty much be where I didn’t have to do much goes to show how solid of a team we have,” said Gicewicz, a first-year transfer from St. Lawrence.

Carvel was livid over the Minutemen’s six penalties in Friday’s 5-1 win over Lake Superior State. The message failed to reach the rank and file when Oliver Chau (hooking at 11:33) and Jake Gaudet (tripping at 12:34) were lugged 1:01 apart giving the Beavers a 5-on-3 power play for 59 seconds in the first period.

UMass not only killed both, but scored a shorthanded goal on a brilliant give-and-go play between Chau and Gicewicz at 14:24. Defenseman Aaron Bohlinger cleared the puck up the left boards and Gicewicz won a race with Bemidji defenseman Tyler Vold. Gicewicz fed Chau who returned the puck to his linemate at the left post for an easy redirect.

 

“That was a punch in the gut,” said Beavers coach Tom Serratore. “You want to score on a 5-on-3, but if you are not going to score don’t give up a shortie and it is tough on you psychologically when you give up a shorthanded goal.”

 

UMass went up 2-0 at 19:09 on Gicewicz’ second of the game. Defenseman Matthew Kessel launched a bomb from the right point that Gicewicz redirected by Zach Driscoll.

 

Driscoll made a miracle save to keep it a two-goal game five minutes into the second period. UMass left wing Bobby Trivigno, the Hockey East tournament MVP, connected with center Josh Lopina in the low slot. Driscoll made a quick adjustment to keep the puck from going five-hole.

Gicewicz recorded the trick at 6:34 of the second period to take a 3-0 lead. Gaudet made a strong play along the left boards, circled deep toward the cage and found Gicewicz in front. Gicewicz took the pass and beat Driscoll with a flick of the wrist for his 17th of the season.

Chau scored an empty-netter with 3:04 to play in the game.

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  • 2 weeks later...

UMASS: COVID-19 protocol absences turn equipment assistant into backup goalie for Frozen Four

April 7, 2021
 
 
 
 
 
2021-M-DI-Ice-Hockey-Practice_1139-scale Zac Steigmeyer, a former high school goalie and a UMass student manager, is getting called on to back up Matt Murray in the Frozen Four with two Minutemen goalies out (Photo by Justin K. Aller/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Whenever a piece of equipment didn’t work out for a UMass goalie over the last few seasons, it was like Christmas for Zac Steigmeyer.

 

Veteran Minutemen equipment manager Josh Penn let Steigmeyer, his student assistant and a former high school goalie, go through the discarded pads, gloves and blockers to use when he faced shots in summer skates with friends in Western Massachusetts.

 

Because of that, he won’t immediately look out of place when he skates onto the ice for warmups before the Frozen Four semifinals on Thursday.

Starting goalie Filip Lindberg and third-stringer Henry Graham were among four players ruled out because of COVID-19 protocols. That left Matt Murray as the only goalie on the roster.

 

When news of positive tests got to the team last Friday night, UMass realized it needed a backup goalie for Thursday’s game against Minnesota Duluth.

Enter Steigmeyer for a bittersweet experience.

 

“The reality of it is it sucks, honestly,” he said of the team playing without Lindberg, Graham, leading goal-scorer Carson Gicewicz and forward Jerry Harding. “Those guys were a huge part of the team and we had to leave them back in Amherst. But I’ve got to step up. I’ve got to ready to go just in case something strange happens. Fingers crossed.”

 

All you get from Steigmeyer’s hastily assembled bio on UMass’ roster is that he’s a senior goaltender from Ludlow, Mass., an economics major and wasn’t part of the team’s photo day because he’s not wearing a tie.

 

Some background: His dad was a goalie too but Steigmeyer started as a defenseman. He moved into the crease and competed with the New England Junior Falcons, where he played with former UMass forward John Leonard.

 

He played for Springfield Cathedral, later renamed Pope Francis Prep, and still carries emotional scars from losing in the Massachusetts Super Eight semifinals.

Steigmeyer started college at Providence but transferred to UMass in the second semester of his sophomore year. He was living with Minutemen players George Mika, Marco Bozzo and Leonard, who suggested that he become part of the equipment staff.

 

Two years ago, he was in the seats in Buffalo, N.Y., watching with friends as the Minutemen lost to Minnesota Duluth in the national championship game.

“I think I was actually more nervous watching from the stands than I am right now,” Steigmeyer said.

 

UMass coach Greg Carvel seemed bemused by the attention being given to Steigmeyer, who missed much of Wednesday’s practice at PPG Paints Arena after his skate blade came off.

 

“His couple days in the spotlight got shortened by a large percentage,” Carvel said. “I hope we don’t have to see him again. He’s a great kid. He’s been with the program for a number of years so he feels like a teammate.”

 

From a delayed beginning to Michigan and Notre Dame being removed from the NCAA Tournament because of COVID-19 protocols before they got to play a game, the season has been a volatile ride. UMass got its first positive test of the season days before leaving for the Frozen Four and had to worry whether it would see its championship hopes crushed without a loss.

 

“This was one of these moments where we weren’t sure what was going to happen,” junior forward and leading scorer Bobby Trivigno said. “I know we’re really grateful that we got the opportunity to come here and we’re not going to squander it.”

 

The same goes for Steigmeyer. Murray will start for the first time since Jan. 18 but Steigmeyer will get to be there, even as a placeholder.

“It’s obviously been a childhood dream of mine,” he said. “Even if it only lasts a week, just to put on a jersey on one of the biggest stages in college hockey is something else.”

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St. Cloud State edges Minnesota State on last-minute goal at Frozen Four

Nolan Walker's goal with 54 seconds left beat Minnesota State Mankato.  
By Randy Johnson Star Tribune
 
APRIL 9, 2021 — 5:08AM
 

PITTSBURGH – All season long, St. Cloud State has been exceeding expectations.

 

Picked to finish fourth in the NCHC, the Huskies men's hockey team took second in both the regular season and conference tournament.

 

Seeded second in the NCAA Northeast Regional, St. Cloud State beat No. 3 seed Boston University and No. 1 Boston College by a combined seven goals.

 

And now the Huskies will play for the NCAA Division I national championship after their dramatic, 5-4 victory over Minnesota State Mankato on Thursday in the Frozen Four semifinals at PPG Paints Arena.

 

Nolan Walker redirected Seamus Donohue's shot from the point past Mavericks goalie Dryden McKay with 54 seconds left in the third period as the Huskies rallied from a goal down to advance to the national championship game for the first time. St. Cloud State (20-10) will play the winner of Thursday's second semifinal between two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth and Massachusetts on Saturday night.

 

"I'm speechless,'' Walker said. "This was such an incredible game. What a journey we've been on this year. … This team's so special. We never give up.''

Said Mavericks coach Mike Hastings: "They made a play. At that time of the game, that's the difference.''

 

Freshman Joe Molenaar tied the score 4-4 for the Huskies at 10:14 of the third period after Minnesota State (22-5-1) had rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead with three consecutive goals. Spencer Meier, Kyler Kupka and Will Hammer also scored for St. Cloud State, and goalie David Hrenak made 25 saves.

 

"Obviously, we're excited right now,'' Huskies coach Brett Larson said. "It was a man's game. It was a battle. And we certainly played against a great team tonight.''

Nathan Smith scored two goals and Walker Duehr and Dallas Gerads one each for the Mavericks, who got 17 saves from McKay.

 

St. Cloud State held a 2-1 lead after one period and stretched it to 3-1 on Hammer's goal 2:40 into the second.

 

Minnesota State flipped the momentum in the final 10 minutes of the second period, getting Duehr's rebound goal at 12:07 and Smith's second power-play tally at 14:23 to tie it 3-3.

 

After Duehr won a puck battle along the boards in the neutral zone, Gerads gave Minnesota State a 4-3 lead at 4:18 when he tapped in a pass from Duehr past Hrenak.

"We've had a pretty good year when we're playing with the lead,'' Hastings said.

 

Molenaar bucked that trend, scoring at 10:14 to tie it 4-4 with his first career goal, taking a pass from Meier in front of the net and beating McKay.

"The puck bounced right on my stick,'' he said.

"Probably one of the easier goals I've scored.''

 

Said Larson: "We finally found a little bit of life. Even a couple of shifts before Molenaar scored, I felt we were getting some jump back in our legs and able to push the pace a little bit more.''

The game looked as if it would be going overtime, but Walker had other ideas in the final minutes, putting the Huskies one win from the national championship.

"We're so happy to be where we are right now,'' Walker said.

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UMass men's hockey tops two-time defending champion Minn. Duluth in semis

The Associated Press  11 mins ago
 
 

 

PITTSBURGH — Garrett Wait scored in overtime and short-handed Massachusetts beat two-time defending champion Minnesota Duluth, 3-2, on Thursday night in the Frozen Four semifinals. 

 

UMass (19-5-4) advances to Saturday's national championship game against St. Cloud State — as both teams seek to make program history with a first title.

 
 

UMass was without four players due to COVID-19 contact-tracing protocols, including leading goal scorer Carson Gicewicz and starting goaltender Filip Lindberg. 

 

And it showed for much of the game as Minnesota Duluth outshot UMass 26-11 through two periods and 36-15 at the end of regulation. But the Minutemen took over in overtime with a 13-2 edge.

 

"We just ate some food in the locker room between periods, got our legs back and just focused on our game," Wait said.

 

UMass forward Anthony Del Gaizo tied it at 2 with 11:35 remaining in the third period on a rebound that fell to the right of the net, and Wait got a stick on Bobby Trivigno's wraparound pass at 14:30 in overtime to win it. 

 

Backup goaltender Matt Murray, who started one less game than Lindberg this season, made 36 saves. 

 

UMass took a 1-0 lead as defenseman Zac Jones scored a power-play goal on a wrist shot that went off the post late in the first period. Minnesota Duluth tied it 2 minutes, 17 seconds later on Tanner Laderoute's third goal of the season.

 

Cole Koepke gave Minnesota Duluth a 2-1 lead in the middle of the second when he put home a rebound.

 

Freshman goaltender Zach Stejskal made 25 saves for Minnesota Duluth (16-11-2), which was looking to become the second three-peat champion in NCAA history.

UMass snapped Minnesota Duluth's nine-game winning streak in overtime games at the NCAA Tournament. 

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