This story is part of The Sun’s 2024 NCAA Hockey supplement. To view the rest of the supplement, click here.
East Regional: Providence, Rhode Island
Headlining the east regional is the tournament favorite and top overall seed Boston College. The Eagles enter the tournament after a 6-2 drubbing of No. 2 overall –– and formidable rival –– Boston University in the Hockey East Championship and have looked nothing short of perfect throughout the season.
Boston College is headlined by its dominant freshman line of Will Smith (fourth overall 2023 draft pick by San Jose), Gabe Perreault (23rd overall 2023 draft pick by New York) and Ryan Leonard (eighth overall 2023 draft pick by Washington), who have combined for 68 goals and 178 points.
The Eagles’ opponent, Michigan Tech, enters the playing field after its CCHA title with the lowest Pairwise ranking (32nd in the nation) and fewest goals scored per game (2.77, 42nd in the nation) of any qualifying team.
The only other ECAC team to qualify is Cornell’s heated conference rival, Quinnipiac, which slots into the east regional despite its loss to St. Lawrence in the ECAC semifinals. The Bobcats will face Big 10 powerhouse Wisconsin, which is led by senior and Big 10 Goaltender of the Year Kyle McClellen, who leads the nation in save percentage and is second in goals against average. McClellen and the Badgers will be tasked with stopping the fourth-best offense in the nation.
Both Quinnipiac and Wisconsin were upset in their conference tournaments and head into the tournament with mediocre recent play. Since Jan. 13, Quinnipiac has losses to Colgate, Cornell, St. Lawrence (twice) and Clarkson, while Wisconsin is 7-7-2 over that stretch.
Eli’s Predictions:
Boston College over Michigan Tech
Wisconsin Over Quinnipiac
Boston College over Wisconsin
Jane’s Predictions:
Boston College over Michigan Tech
Quinnipiac over Wisconsin
Boston College over Quinnipiac
West Regional: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Boston University, the No. 2 team in the country, is seeking revenge after its Hockey East championship game loss to Boston College. The Terriers boast the third-highest power play percentage in the nation but just the 35th-best penalty kill percentage.
Its opponent, Rochester Institute of Technology, has an opposite split, with the 13th-best power play and fourth best penalty kill. RIT earned a tournament auto-bid by winning the Atlantic Hockey championship and heads to Sioux Falls on a seven-game win streak. Cornell’s regional opponent, Maine, is the only NCAA tournament-bound team that the Tigers have faced.
Minnesota, though defeated in the Big 10 tournament semifinal, slots in as the No. 2 seed in the west regional. Featuring one of the most electric players in the tournament, forward and natural goal scorer Jimmy Snuggerud, the Gophers will face Omaha.
The Mavericks emerged late in the season in the Pairwise, climbing all the way to 11th to secure the at-large bid. After a sour 3-6-1 stretch in the middle of its season, Omaha has gone 12-3-2 since and enters the tournament scorching hot.
Eli’s Predictions:
Boston University over RIT
Omaha over Minnesota
Boston University over Omaha
Jane’s Predictions:
Boston University over RIT
Omaha over Minnesota
Omaha over Boston University
Northeast Regional: Springfield, Massachusetts
Denver may be the one seed, but Massachusetts gets the location advantage. The Minutemen took the last at-large bid to the tournament, squeaking past Colorado College by just .0004 in the RPI — the mathematical tie-breaking factor for NCAA tournament qualification that calculates head-to-head results.
Massachusetts, which Cornell defeated in a shootout on Dec. 29, will look to upend the 2022 national champions that average a nation-leading 4.85 goals per game. Denver’s only weakness may be their defense, which has allowed the fifth most goals nationally. Denver may also be looking ahead to the regional final for revenge, as the Red upset the Pioneers in last year’s tournament.
Check out The Sun’s Cornell vs. Maine preview here.
Eli’s Predictions
Denver over Massachusetts
Cornell over Maine
“I refuse to make this pick.”
Jane’s Predictions
Denver over Massachusetts
Cornell over Maine
“I am an impartial reporter.”
Michigan Midwest Regional: Maryland Heights, Missouri
The question for this region will be: Can North Dakota or Western Michigan stop a rematch of the Big 10 championship game? Michigan State, the fourth overall team in the NCAA tournament, beat its archrival Michigan 5-4 in overtime to take home the conference title. The Spartans utilize a strong forechecking style but struggle deep in its defensive zone.
Michigan State is a top regional seed because of its seventh-best offense. If there is a Michigan vs. Michigan State regional final, keep an eye on Spartan goaltender Trey Augustine. Augustine was originally a University of Michigan commit, but decided to follow his Under-18 National Development Team head coach Adam Nightingale to Michigan State. That move shifted the balance of power in the conference from Ann Arbor towards East Lansing.
On the other end of the ice, Western Michigan is a solid, well-rounded team but has been streaky throughout the year. The Broncos were upended in the tournament quarterfinals of the NCHC, a conference that accounts for four teams in this year’s national tournament. Mike McMahon, senior writer at College Hockey News, tapped the Broncos as the most likely four seed to upset a one seed in this year’s field.
North Dakota –– the only non-Michigan team at this regional –– has been solid all season but has shown weaknesses in overtime games. Additionally, the dedicated North Dakota fanbase will likely be hindered by the limited capacity of 2,500, nearly a fifth of the size of its home rink. The Fighting Hawks boast the nation’s eighth-best offense but will face a tough test in a talented, star-studded Michigan team.
The Wolverines counteracted early-season struggles with a strong second-half campaign. Michigan’s roster is loaded with NHL talent, evidenced by the team’s 11 draft picks. Despite its professional power, the Wolverines have displayed a worrying tendency to blow leads late in hockey games, but Michigan will likely be aided by its passionate fanbase, the Children of Yost, which –– like the Lynah Faithful –– always packs the arena.
Eli’s Predictions
Michigan State over Western Michigan
Michigan over North Dakota
Michigan over Michigan State
Jane’s Predictions
Michigan State over Western Michigan
North Dakota over Michigan
North Dakota over Michigan State