This has been one of the most competitive seasons ever in NCAA hockey. The first round alone should prove that, based on Thursday and Friday's matchups.
The NCAA national tournament is upon us with regionals this week.
Thanks to the influx of CHLers, this has been one of the most competitive college seasons ever, and the field of 16 is a minefield for even the top seeds.
Here's a breakdown of each first-round match-up as teams vie for a chance to dance at the Frozen Four in Las Vegas in April (statistics from Collegehockeynews.com).
Michigan Wolverines vs. Bentley Falcons
March 27, 5:30 p.m. ET
The Wolverines have the No. 1 offense in the country with 4.6 goals per game, a half-goal better than second-place Quinnipiac. They also have the best power play in the nation and finished second in shorthanded goals.
Bentley enters the regionals as a first-time winner of Atlantic Hockey, earning the conference's automatic bid. The Falcons are one of the oldest and smallest teams in the land and had the best offense in the conference. Not much non-conference success, but it will be interesting to see if they try to go goal-for-goal with Michigan.
Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
March 27, 9:00 p.m. ET
When it comes to UMD, the formula is pretty straightforward: stop the Plante brothers, stop the Bulldogs.
Duluth's power play is second in the nation to Michigan, while the penalty kill is third overall. The Bulldogs were shut out four times this season and scored just one goal in four other losses, so when the offense dries up, it really evaporates.
Speaking of scoring, Penn State can light the lamp in bunches thanks to Gavin McKenna (2026 draft, heard of him?), Aiden Fink (NSH), Charlie Cerrato (CAR) and friends. Five players are averaging a point per game on one of the best offenses in the country. It's ironic the Nittany Lions program was funded by Terry Pegula because they kinda play like the Buffalo Sabres right now – it's a little river hockey-ish. Goaltending has been spotty, no matter who is in the crease.
Western Michigan Broncos vs. Minnesota State Mavericks
March 27, 2:30 p.m. ET
Western Michigan is returning champs and still has three of its top five scorers from last year's squad, plus starting goalie Hampton Slukynsky (LA), who is a real difference-maker in the crease.
This is a team that knows how to win, and they've beaten some big teams along the way, including Michigan, Boston College, North Dakota and Denver – though the Pioneers got the last laugh in the NCHC final.
Minnesota State always seems to find a way to win the CCHA and this year did it in dramatic fashion in a crowded field. The Mavs are tied for second in goals-against average in the nation and have the second-oldest roster in the field, behind Bentley.
Undersized Alex Tracy has been excellent in net – is he the new Dryden McKay? Tristan Lemyre has won the past two titles, having played for Denver and Western Michigan before landing in Mankato.
Denver Pioneers vs. Cornell Big Red
March 27, 6:00 p.m. ET
Goalie Johnny Hicks has been on an absolute tear in net for the Pioneers. Denver is top-10 in goals and goals against, which is a pretty good recipe for success.
A number of players have already won a national title with the program, including Rieger Lorenz (MIN), Sam Harris (MTL) and Boston Buckberger. Denver had a brutal January, followed by an excellent run where the team went unbeaten in February and March.
Cornell is the biggest, heaviest team in the nation, with the average player coming in at nearly 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds – an inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than Denver.
Cornell also had the best goals against in the country at 1.9 goals allowed per game and was top-three in faceoffs. Netminder Alexis Cournoyer (MTL) is one reason for the former, while Jonathan Castagna (CGY) can take credit for the latter, as he led the nation with a 65.5 percent win percentage at the dot.
Providence College Friars vs. Quinnipiac Bobcats
March 26, 5:00 p.m. ET
Providence is top-10 in goals against with netminder Jack Parsons, a pleasant surprise after Philip Svedeback (BOS) was hurt. The Friars had a rough start before finding their game in January. They lost to upstart Merrimack in the Hockey East tournament and now face a tough Bobcats outfit. John Mustard (CHI) and Roger McQueen (ANA) headline a balanced offensive attack.
With Quinnipiac, the headline is going to be Ethan Wyttenbach (CGY), the freshman Hobey Baker candidate who is having a monster season. The undersized terror is the top scorer in the nation with 58 points through 38 games.
Needless to say, Quinnipiac has the second-best offense in the country, but the Bobcats are also top-10 in defense. They're one of the smallest teams in the nation, though Wyttenbach is part of that, so I'm sure they don't mind. Getting swept by Clarkson in the ECAC tournament was disturbing, and their past three losses prior were all to tourney teams (Cornell, Dartmouth, UConn).
North Dakota Fighting Hawks vs. Merrimack Warriors
March 26, 8:30 p.m. ET
North Dakota boasts a top-three offense nationally, plus a great power play. They have skilled forwards, including Cole Reschny (CGY), Will Zellers (BOS) and free agent Ellis Rickwood. They also have big, long defensemen who can skate.
"Sometimes a team will make it hard for you to get over the blueline," said one opponent. "They make it hard to get over the center-ice line." One of those blueliners is Keaton Verhoeff, a top prospect for the 2026 draft.
Merrimack is the Cinderella story of the field, the eighth seed that went on to win the Hockey East conference tournament. Max Lundgren has been massive in net, and if the Warriors are going to pull off another upset, he's going to be front and center. The offense features three point-per-gamers, including Trevor Hoskin (CGY).
Dartmouth Big Green vs. Wisconsin Badgers
March 26, 5:00 p.m. ET
Dartmouth has a top-10 offense, plus the best defense and penalty kill in the tournament (second in the nation for both). Oddly bad power play. The Big Green won its first 11 games, then went 12-7-4 the rest of the way. Emmett Croteau (MTL) has been great in net, but can this squad beat elite opponents?
Wisconsin is an absolute rollercoaster. The Badgers played Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State even this year, but had multiple losses to Ohio State and got swept the last time they played Minnesota, one of the worst teams in the conference this season. A top-10 offense, paired with a bottom-30 defense. So I guess what I'm saying is anything could happen here.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Connecticut Huskies
March 26, 1:30 p.m. ET
Michigan State is a big, heavy team up front led by Porter Martone (PHI) and Charlie Stramel (MIN), two of the most dangerous weapons in the nation.
The Spartans are top-10 in offense, defense and power-play acumen, plus they have a proven veteran in net with Trey Augustine (DET). They battled archrival Michigan for the No. 1 ranking in the nation all year long.
For UConn, Tyler Muszelik (FLA) has one of the top goals saved above expected in the nation, though Augustine is literally right behind him. Nonetheless, this could be a goalie battle.
UConn has a statement win over Quinnipiac, and ended a hot Boston College's season in the Hockey East tournament. Joey Muldowney (SJ) hasn't put up as many points this year as he did last season, but he's a game-breaker.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.