Big College Hockey Weekend

N-C-A-A Women's Hockey Tourney Begins This Weekend

Undated (Learfield)  --  The University of Minnesota women's hockey team begins defense of its 2015 national championship with a national quarterfinal game Saturday at home against Princeton. 

The Golden Gophers are the national number-three seed and will play tomorrow at Ridder Arena on the U of M campus at 4 P-M.

The Golden Gophers are 32-4-and-1 on the season, while the Tigers are 22-8-and-2.  All four national quarterfinal games are on campus sites tomorrow.  This weekend's winning teams will advance to next week's N-C-A-A Frozen Four in New Hampshire.  Here are the national quarterfinal games this weekend:

Princeton at Minnesota, 4 P-M (Saturday)
Mercyhurst at Wisconsin, 7 P-M (Saturday)
Northeastern at Boston College, noon (Saturday)
Clarkson at Quinnipiac, 1 P-M (Saturday)

Gopher Men Can Win League Crown Tonight

Minneapolis, MN (Learfield)  --  The University of Minnesota men's hockey teams heads into its two-game weekend Big Ten home series against Wisconsin needing just one win to claim its third straight regular season conference championship.

The Golden Gophers have a four-point advantage over second-place Michigan entering play tonight.  Michigan hosts Penn State tonight and must sweep the Nittany Lions to have a shot at catching Minnesota.  The Gophers are 18-and-15 overall, but 13-and-5 in the league.  Wisconsin begins the night with a 7-17-and-8 overall mark and 2-12-and-4 in the Big Ten.  Tonight's game begins at 7 P-M.

Here is Friday's schedule of men's college hockey games in the Big Ten:

Wisconsin at Minnesota, 7 P-M
Ohio State at Michigan State, 6 P-M
Penn State at Michigan, 6:30 P-M

Huskies Begin Postseason

The fifth-ranked St. Cloud State men's hockey team opens the N-C-H-C Playoffs with a best-of-three first-round bout with Western Michigan.  The Huskies will host all games of the series.  S-C-S-U is 27-8-and-1 overall and 17-6-and-1 in the N-C-H-C and the number-two in the playoffs.  The seventh-seeded Broncos are 8-23-and-3 overall and 5-18-and-1 in the league.  Tonight's game begins at 7:30 P-M at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.  Tomorrow's game starts at 7 P-M, and a potential Game Three of the set would be Sunday at 7 P-M, also in St. Cloud.

U-M-D At Home

The Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs embark on the postseason with a best-of-three opening-round N-C-H-C Playoff series against Miami of Ohio.  U-M-D is the four-seed in the event and sits at 15-14-and-5 overall on the season and finished the N-C-H-C regular season with an 11-10-and-3 mark.  The number-five Redhawks are 15-16-and-3 overall and 9-13-and-2 in the conference.  All games are set for 7 P-M at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth.

N-C-H-C Playoffs

The 2016 National Collegiate Hockey Conference Playoffs begin this weekend.  North Dakota is the top seed in the tourney, followed by St. Cloud, Denver, and Minnesota-Duluth.  They will host opening round best-of-three series.  The first-round winners advance to next weekend's N-C-H-C Frozen Faceoff at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.  Here is the schedule of opening round games in the N-C-H-C Playoffs (best-of-three series):

Game One (Friday):  Miami (OH) at Minnesota-Duluth, 7 P-M
Game One (Friday):  Western Michigan at St. Cloud State, 7:30 P-M
Game One (Friday):  Colorado College at North Dakota, 7:30 P-M
Game One (Friday):  Omaha at Denver, 8:30 P-M

Game Two (Saturday):  Miami (OH) at Minnesota-Duluth, 7 P-M
Game Two (Saturday):  Western Michigan at St. Cloud State, 7 P-M
Game Two (Saturday):  Colorado College at North Dakota, 7 P-M
Game Two (Saturday):  Omaha at Denver, 8 P-M

Game Three (Sunday):  Miami (OH) at Minnesota-Duluth, 7 P-M (if necessary)
Game Three (Sunday):  Western Michigan at St. Cloud State, 7 P-M (if necessary)
Game Three (Sunday):  Colorado College at North Dakota, 7 P-M (if necessary)
Game Three (Sunday):  Omaha at Denver, 8 P-M (if necessary)

Mavericks Host Lake Superior State

The number-16 Minnesota State-Mankato men's hockey team opens the W-C-H-A Playoffs with an opening round home series against Lake Superior.  The Mavericks are 18-11-and-7 overall and 16-5-and-7 in the league, earning the second-seed in the tournament.  Lake Superior State is 13-20-and-5 overall and 10-13-and-5 in the league.  The Lakers are the seventh-seed.  All games will be played in Mankato and are set for 7 P-M.

Beavers On Road

Bemidji State enters the W-C-H-A men's hockey playoffs as the six-seed and playing a best-of-three series at third-seeded Bowling Green.  The Beavers are 16-14-and-6 overall and 11-12-and-5 in the conference.  The Falcons enter play tonight as the host team, sporting a 20-12-and-6 overall mark and a W-C-H-A record of 16-7-and-5.  All games are set to faceoff at 6 P-M in Bowling Green, Ohio.

W-C-H-A Playoffs

The 2016 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs begin this weekend.  Michigan Tech is the top seed in the tourney, followed by Minnesota State-Mankato, Bowling Green, and Ferris State.  They will host opening round best-of-three series.  The first-round winners advance to next weekend's W-C-H-A Final Five in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Here is the schedule of opening round games in the W-C-H-A Playoffs (best-of-three series):

Game One (Friday):  Bemidji State at Bowling Green (OH), 6 P-M
Game One (Friday):  Lake Superior State at Minnesota State-Mankato, 7 P-M
Game One (Friday):  Alaska-Fairbanks at Michigan Tech, 6 P-M
Game One (Friday):  Northern Michigan at Ferris State, 6 P-M

Game Two (Saturday):  Bemidji State at Bowling Green (OH), 6 P-M
Game Two (Saturday):  Lake Superior State at Minnesota State-Mankato, 7 P-M
Game Two (Saturday):  Alaska-Fairbanks at Michigan Tech, 6 P-M
Game Two (Saturday):  Northern Michigan at Ferris State, 6 P-M

Game Three (Sunday):  Bemidji State at Bowling Green (OH), 6 P-M (if necessary)
Game Three (Sunday):  Lake Superior State at Minnesota State-Mankato, 7 P-M (if necessary)
Game Three (Sunday):  Alaska-Fairbanks at Michigan Tech, 6 P-M (if necessary)
Game Three (Sunday):  Northern Michigan at Ferris State, 4 P-M (if necessary)