NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament

[UA_MA_2000]

With our college basketball season (and winter sports generally) coming to an end, we can still catch some great college hockey action. Perhaps one day UAlbany will have hockey teams (M & W) that can compete for a spot in the NCAA Hockey Tournament. Until then, we are lucky to have the East Regional being played here in Albany. Having grown up in Ann Arbor, I'm excited to see #1 ranked Michigan coming to Albany this weekend (I'll be there!). College hockey is exciting if you like hockey, and I encourage other posters here to attend if they are so inclined. Here is a schedule (including TV times) for those who are interested:

 

East Regional

At Times Union Center -- Albany, N.Y.

Friday, March 28

Clarkson (21-12-4) vs. St. Cloud State (19-15-5), 4 p.m., ESPNU

Niagara (22-10-4) vs. Michigan (31-5-4), 7:30 p.m., ESPNU

 

Saturday, March 29

Regional final, 7 p.m., ESPNU

 

 

West Regional

At World Arena -- Colorado Springs, Colo.

Friday, March 28

Notre Dame (24-15-4) vs. New Hampshire (25-9-3), 6:30 p.m., ESPN360.com

(tape delay on ESPNU, 1 a.m. on 3/29)

Michigan State (24-11-5) vs. Colorado College (28-11-1), 10 p.m., ESPNU

 

Saturday, March 29

Regional final, 10 p.m., ESPNU

 

 

Midwest Regional

At Kohl Center -- Madison, Wis.

Saturday, March 29

Princeton (21-13-0) vs. North Dakota (26-10-4), 3 p.m., ESPN360.com

(tape delay on ESPNU, 12:30 p.m. on 3/30)

Wisconsin (15-16-7) vs. Denver (26-13-1), 6:30 p.m., ESPN360.com

(tape delay on ESPNU, 2:30 p.m. on 3/30)

 

Sunday, March 30

Regional final, 7 p.m., ESPNU

 

 

Northeast Regional

At DCU Center -- Worcester, Mass.

Saturday, March 29

Air Force (21-11-6) vs. Miami, Ohio (32-7-1), 4 p.m., ESPNU

Minnesota (19-16-9) vs. Boston College (21-11-8), 7:30 p.m., ESPN360.com

(tape delay on ESPNU, 1 a.m. on 3/30)

 

Sunday, March 30

Regional final, 4:30 p.m., ESPNU

 

 

Frozen FourAt Pepsi Center -- Denver

Thursday, April 10

East champion vs. West champion, 6 p.m. or 9 p.m., ESPN2

Midwest champion vs. Northeast champion, 6 p.m. or 9 p.m., ESPN2

 

 

 

Saturday, April 12

National championship, 7 p.m., ESPN

 

 

 

Regional breakdown

East Regional (Albany, N.Y.)

1. Michigan -- CCHA champion (No. 1 overall seed)

2. St. Cloud State -- at-large selection

3. Clarkson -- at-large selection

4. Niagara -- CHA champion

 

 

 

West Regional (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

1. New Hampshire -- at-large selection (No. 3 overall seed)

2. Colorado College -- at-large selection

3. Michigan State -- at-large selection

4. Notre Dame -- at-large selection

 

 

Midwest Regional (Madison, Wis.)

1. North Dakota -- at-large selection (No. 4 overall seed)

2. Denver -- WCHA champion

3. Wisconsin -- at-large selection

4. Princeton -- ECAC champion

 

 

Northeast Regional (Worcester, Mass.)

1. Miami, Ohio -- at-large selection (No. 2 overall seed)

2. Boston College -- Hockey East champion

3. Minnesota -- at-large selection

4. Air Force -- Atlantic Hockey champion

[danes05]

I went to the ECAC Championships on saturday and it was great. I love college hockey and wish we had a D1 team. Really a great spectator sport to watch live.

[UA_MA_2000]

You're right about hockey being great live! I went to the ECAC Tourney too, though I only went to the ("SUNY") Cornell game; too bad our "sister school" lost to Harvard.

 

About 5,500 fans there on Friday night. Not too bad considering it was during March Madness and the Siena game (7:20 Siena game; 7:30 Harvard vs. Cornell).

[danefan]

That's SUNY Ithaca........

[alum73]

Hockey is good on HD TV also. HD has made it much better than it used to be.

[purplehaze]

We've got the Number one team in the country--The University of Michigan Wolverines---coming to the Times Union Center this weekend. A great opportunity to see quality College Hockey.

[bob87]

I was hoping that #2 Miami of Ohio would be here since I missed their visit this season to RPI when I went to North Carolina for the Albany game + 5 other games and I have never seen then play in person. Hopefully they make it to Denver in a couple of weeks.

Not only is it great hockey, but they really do try to make the arena a better place by taking down all the $iena and maac banners from the rafters. We have been fortunate enough to have the frozen 4 here twice, the regionals here a bunch of times and the ECAC's here the last 5 years. The only time I miss the ECAC tournament here was when I was at Albany NCAA games the last 2 years and both years I made it back for the championship as our season ended on the Friday. I was there last weekend and I will be there this weekend for the ncaas.

 

BTW, there is plenty of time Saturday to catch UA's lacrosse game before heading down to the Knick for hockey.

[purplehaze]

The best part is the Michigan Band playing "Hail to the Victors"

[UA_MA_2000]

The best part is the Michigan Band playing "Hail to the Victors"

 

Haha -- YES! I have several little gadgets around my apartment that play that song.

 

In addition to recalling my trips to the Big House for football games as a child, I remember walking into Yost Arena as a kid with my Father and watching the hockey team practice one day. I've always been a Michigan fan, in part, because they generally run a very quality athletic program. Setting aside the "Fab Five"/Chris Webber issues, you generally find great students and an administration that cares about following NCAA rules. Indeed, when my Father was a professor there, he always informed me that the football players were the students who turned in their assignments and papers earlier than anyone else. Anyways, I hope the place is sold out this weekend. Like the above posts said, a great opportunity to see great hockey action.

 

Also, like the football team with its all-time wins record for Division I football, the Michigan Hockey Team is the New York Yankees, so to speak, of college hockey. Michigan has won the NCAA National Championship 9 times -- more than any other school. (Denver and North Dakota each have 7; Wisconsin has 6; Minn. has 5; Boston University has 4 ... ).

 

M Go Blue!

[UA_MA_2000]

Amazing weekend at the Times Union Center! The games and atmosphere were outstanding (at least if you're a Michigan fan like myself)! By absolute random chance, my tickets were blue line at the glass, front row, and in the Michigan section. Doesn't get any luckier than that! I've never watned a UAlbany hockey team so much! If we ever got a UAlbany team, we could undoubtedly practice at some rink in the area and play our games at the Times Union Center. Would be nice to see some purple and gold in that building on a regular basis! Is a UAlbany NCAA hockey team a possibility? Would the conference for us be possibly the Hockey East if we ever did go Division I (b/c that conference has our America East brethren).

 

Alternatively, perhaps 10+ years down the road we'll build a rink on the campus somewhere? Thoughts? Many college ice hockey rinks are smaller and no where close to the size of the TUC or anything like that. I've been inside Yost Arena (Michigan), the Messa Rink at the Achilles Center, the RPI Fieldhouse, and Lynah Rink (Cornell), and ours wouldn't even have to be the size of any of those (well, maybe something like Lynah).

 

Do any of you ever think something like this is possible? I love how college hockey often has the bands there at the games too!

[UAalum72]

Unless you hit Megamillions Tuesday, not for a LONG time.

 

Not just the money for the team and a rink, but also for a women's team for Title IX compliance. And expansion of the Athletic Department staff.

 

Not that I wouldn't be for it, but considering the rate of progress for Project 2010, it's too far in the future to worry about yet, unless there's some sudden windfall.