Hockey East Weekend Preview
photo
Four Hockey East schools will take part in NCAA regional action this weekend.

Boston University vs. North Dakota - Fri. 3/24 in Fargo, North Dakota

- Boston University qualifies for its third straight NCAA Tournament and earns a No. 2 seed in the West Regional as they travel to Fargo, North Dakota to take on three-seed North Dakota. It will be the program's 35th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

- The Terriers and Fighting Hawks have not met since the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four in Boston, a 5-3 BU win. Overall in NCAA Tournament play, the Terriers carry a 3-3 record against North Dakota, although the Fighting Hawks boast a 12-10-2 overall mark.

- North Dakota is the defending national champion and they are joined in the West Regional by NCHC Champion Minnesota Duluth and Ohio State.

- Last season, the Terriers were tripped up in the regional semifinals by Denver, falling 7-2 in the first game of the NCAA Tournament.


Providence vs. #3 Harvard - Friday 3/24 in Providence, Rhode Island

- Providence earned its fourth consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament, claiming the fourth seed in the East Regional held in Providence, Rhode Island. The Friars draw the top-seed in the region, Harvard, for their semifinal tilt.

- Providence and Harvard have not played each other since 1984 when the Friars were members of ECAC Hockey and Friday marks the first meeting of the two programs in the NCAA Tournament.

- The Friars appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in school history after its fourth straight 20-win season. Providence is 14-17-0 in the NCAA Tournament all-time, including capturing the 2017 NCAA National Championship in Boston over Hockey East rival Boston University.

- Harvard is the ECAC Hockey Tournament champion and unbeaten in 16 consecutive games, including winning the last 14. They are joined in the East Regional by Atlantic Hockey Tournament Champion Air Force and Western Michigan.

- Providence lost to Minnesota Duluth in a double-overtime contest in last year's regional semifinal, 2-1, after falling out of the Hockey East semifinals in a triple-overtime loss to UMass Lowell.


UMass Lowell vs. Cornell - Saturday 3/25 in Manchester, N.H.

- UMass Lowell, the 2017 Hockey East Tournament Champion, draws Cornell in the Northeast Regional, as it becomes one of just five schools to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six seasons.

- The River Hawks appear in an NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in school history, searching for its first Division I National Championship. They are joined in the region by Minnesota and fellow Hockey East program Notre Dame. UMass Lowell defeated the Fighting Irish in the Hockey East semifinals Friday in Boston, 5-1.

- UMass Lowell has advanced to the Frozen Four once, in 2013, but has won each of its last six regional semifinal contests.

- In the 2016 NCAA Tournament, UMass Lowell advanced to the regional final but was tripped up by eventual national runner-up Quinnipiac, 4-1, in the final.


Notre Dame vs. #4 Minnesota - Saturday 3/25 in Manchester, N.H.

- The Notre Dame Fighting Irish return to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season and ninth time overall in program history, drawing a berth in the Northeast Regional and a clash with #4 Minnesota.

- Notre Dame has twice moved on to the Frozen Four, in 2008 and 2011, and appeared in the NCAA National Championship game in 2008, eventually falling to Boston College in Denver, Colorado.

- The Irish and Gophers played a two-game set in the 2015-16 season in South Bend, splitting the series with one win apiece.

- Last year, Notre Dame fell to Michigan in the regional semifinal, 3-2, in overtime.