2012 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament Bracket
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – On the heels of the program's first ECAC Hockey Championship, the Union College men's hockey team (24-7-7, 14-4-4 ECAC Hockey) earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will take on No. 4 seed Michigan State (19-15-4, 14-11-3 CCHA). Union will travel to the East Regional in Bridgeport, CT for the second straight season and will play on Friday, March 23 at 3:00 p.m.
The Dutchmen earned their first NCAA Tournament berth in 2010-11 as a No. 2 seed in Bridgeport, falling 2-0 to No. 3 seed Minnesota-Duluth. The Bulldogs went on to win the national championship.
Friday's meeting will mark the first time in Union's 21-year Division I history that Union and Michigan State will meet.
The Spartans earned an at-large berth after finishing fifth in the CCHA. Michigan State fell in the CCHA Quarterfinals to Miami (OH) 2-0 in a best-of-three series, dropping a 4-1 decision on March 10 in its most recent contest. The Spartans are making their first appearance in the NCAA
Tournament since 2008, and their 27
th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance. Michigan State has won three NCAA titles (1966, 1996, and 2007).
Notes
• 2012 will mark the program's sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in school history and second in the Division I era. The Dutchmen earned a bid to the Division III NCAA Tournament four times, the last coming in 1989, when Union fell to Babson in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
• Union is 1-0-2 against CCHA opponents this season, including two ties (2-2, 3-3) against Western Michigan on Oct. 14-15 at Messa Rink, and a 6-3 win at Michigan on Nov. 27.
East Regional
- March 23-24, 2012 Bridgeport, Conn.
- Webster Bank Arena, Host: Yale University and Fairfield University
- Host site: www.yalebulldogs.com/ncaahockeyregional/index
- Game Times: 3:00 & 6:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m. (all times Eastern)
Hotel Information
http://www.websterbankarena.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26700&ATCLID=205157094
Visitor Guide, click
here.
Ticket Information
All-session tickets are available for $60 by calling the Union Athletics box office at 518-388-6020. The box office will be open on Monday and Tuesday from 9-5, and on Wednesday from 9-11 a.m..
