Sizing up the men’s hockey bracket on way to Frozen Four
The NCAA men’s hockey tournament field is set, with 16 teams vying for a trip to Tampa, Florida, for the Frozen Four and a chance at the national championship.
The top four seeds include three of the sport’s most decorated programs — Minnesota, Michigan and defending champ Denver — plus a recent powerhouse in Quinnipiac, which has the best record in the country.
The 16-team field, which includes the six conference champions and 10 at-large teams, will compete in regional play Thursday and Friday, with the regional finals to be played Saturday and Sunday.
The Frozen Four will be at Amalie Arena in Tampa, with the national semifinals April 6 and the national championship game April 8.
Every game of the tournament will be on either ESPNU, ESPN News or ESPN2 and will be available to stream on the ESPN app.
Below are the pairings and schedules for the tournament and a team-by-team look at the field. The schedule will be updated with results as games are played. For a bracket that will update as games are completed, click here.
Schedule
All times Eastern
Manchester, New Hampshire, regional
Thursday: Western Michigan vs. Boston University, 2 p.m. (ESPN2); Cornell vs. Denver, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN News)
Saturday: Regional final, 4 p.m. (ESPNU)
Fargo, North Dakota, regional
Thursday: Minnesota State vs. St. Cloud State, 5 p.m. (ESPNU); Canisius vs. Minnesota, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday: Regional final, 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Bridgeport, Connecticut, regional
Friday: Ohio State vs. Harvard, 2 p.m. (ESPNU); Merrimack vs. Quinnipiac, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN News)
Sunday: Regional final, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Allentown, Pennsylvania, regional
Friday: Michigan Tech vs. Penn State, 5 p.m. (ESPNU); Colgate vs. Michigan, 8:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Sunday: Regional final, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Frozen Four
at Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
April 6: National semifinals, 5 and 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
April 8: National championship game, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Manchester regional
Denver (30-9-0)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost NCHC semifinal to Colorado College)
NCAA appearances: 32
Frozen Four appearances: 18 (nine national titles, last in 2022)
Last NCAA finish: Won national title over Minnesota State in 2022
Of note: Denver was rolling along, winning 11 of 12, before a stunning 1-0 loss to Colorado College in the NCHC semis likely snapped the team to attention. … Special teams could be a key for Denver’s quest to defend its national title. The Pioneers have the third-best power play in the country (26.6%), but their penalty kill ranks just 45th (78%).
Boston University (27-10-0)
How they got in: Won Hockey East championship
NCAA appearances: 38
Frozen Four appearances: 22 (five national titles, last in 2009)
Last NCAA finish: Lost first round to St. Cloud in 2021
Of note: First-year coach Jay Pandolfo was captain of BU’s national title team in 1995-96. … Freshman Lane Hutson, a Montreal Canadiens draft pick, scored the overtime winner in the Terriers’ Hockey East final win over Merrimack. He is the highest-scoring U19 defenseman (47 points) in the NCAA since Brian Leetch in 1986-87. … For some BU fans, a Frozen Four run is needed to erase the sting of the Terriers’ fourth-place finish in Boston’s beloved Beanpot.
Western Michigan (23-14-1)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Colorado College in NCHC quarterfinals)
NCAA appearances: 8
Frozen Four appearances: 0
Last NCAA finish: Lost to Minnesota in regional final in 2022
Of note: The Broncos are well rested after a surprising two-game sweep by Colorado College (13-22-3) in the NCHC quarterfinals (although it must be noted CC knocked off Denver in the semis as well). … Senior Jason Polin leads the nation with 29 goals and is second with 149 shots.
Cornell (20-10-2)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Harvard in ECAC semifinal)
NCAA appearances: 23
Frozen Four appearances: 8 (two national titles, last in 1970)
Last NCAA finish: Lost regional final to Providence in 2019
Of note: Cornell is tied with Minnesota State for second in the nation in scoring defense (2.0 goals per game), and the Big Red also can score (eighth with 3.4 goals per game), particularly on the man advantage (25.9%, fourth in NCAA).
Fargo regional
Minnesota (26-9-1)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost Big Ten final to Michigan)
NCAA appearances: 40
Frozen Four appearances: 22 (five national titles, last in 2003)
Last NCAA finish: Lost national semifinal to Minnesota Duluth in 2022
Of note: Much of last season’s Frozen Four team is back, but the Gophers have gotten a huge spark from freshmen Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud, who are 1-2 on the team in points and plus-minus (Cooley at 52, plus-34; Snuggerud at 49, plus-31). … Minnesota is 11-6 against teams in the NCAA field.
St. Cloud State (24-12-3)
How they got in: Won NCHC championship
NCAA appearances: 17
Frozen Four appearances: 2
Last NCAA finish: Lost first round to Quinnipiac in 2022
Of note: After a disappointing season last year, St. Cloud State looks to get back to the national title game after losing to UMass in 2021. … The battle-tested Huskies have won three of four against Denver. They went through a 1-5-3 stretch late in the regular season, but turned things around in the NCHC tournament.
Minnesota State (25-12-1)
How they got in: Won CCHA championship
NCAA appearances: 9
Frozen Four appearances: 2
Last NCAA finish: Lost national championship game to Denver in 2022
Of note: The Mavericks have been to the last two Frozen Fours, but their spot in the field this season was not fully secured before their stirring comeback OT win over Northern Michigan in the CCHA title game. They scored twice in the last 2:19 of regulation to tie it, then won on Zach Krajnik’s goal 1:08 into overtime.
Canisius (20-18-3)
How they got in: Won Atlantic Hockey championship
NCAA appearances: 2
Frozen Four appearances: 0
Last NCAA finish: Lost in first round to Quinnipiac in 2013
Of note: The Golden Griffins emerged from an upset-filled tournament to claim the Atlantic’s automatic bid. Although checking in at No. 41 in the PairWise rankings, Canisius has at least one thing going for it — experience (albeit not on this stage). The Griffs are the second-oldest team in the country, with an average age of 23.2.
Bridgeport regional
Quinnipiac (30-4-3)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost ECAC semifinal to Colgate)
NCAA appearances: 9
Frozen Four appearances: 2
Last NCAA finish: Lost regional final to Michigan in 2022
Of note: Again led by Yaniv Perets (1.52 GAA), Quinnipiac put up absurd defensive numbers for the second straight season. This year, the Bobcats also scored 3.92 goals per game and the ECAC was much stronger.
Harvard (24-7-2)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost ECAC final to Colgate)
NCAA appearances: 27
Frozen Four appearances: 13 (one national title, in 1989)
Last NCAA finish: Lost first round to Minnesota State in 2022
Of note: The Crimson, who are in the top seven nationally in both goals scored and goals allowed per game, are led by junior Sean Farrell (1.58 points per game, second in the country). … Ted Donato, who keyed Harvard’s run to its lone national title in 1989, has led his alma mater to eight NCAA appearances in 18 seasons at the helm.
Ohio State (20-15-3)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Michigan in Big Ten semifinal)
NCAA appearances: 10
Frozen Four appearances: 2
Last NCAA finish: Lost in first round to Denver in 2019 Key stat: The Buckeyes take a ton of shots (1,378, second only to Penn State) and hung a 6-spot on Minnesota and a 7-spot on Michigan in early-season wins over the Gophers and Wolverines. They also have the best penalty kill in the country (89.5%).
Merrimack (23-13-1)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost to BU in Hockey East final)
NCAA appearances: 3
Frozen Four appearances: 0
Last NCAA finish: Lost in first round to Notre Dame in 2011
Of note: The Warriors were the surprise team of the early season, getting well into the top 10 of the rankings, before a rough 2-8-1 stretch at the start of the new year. But they rebounded with a weekend sweep of Boston University and closed strong, securing the final at-large bid despite losing to the Terriers in overtime in the Hockey East championship game.
Allentown regional
Michigan (24-11-3)
How they got in: Won Big Ten championship
NCAA appearances: 40
Frozen Four appearances: 26 (nine national titles, last in 1998)
Last NCAA finish: Lost national semifinal to Denver in 2022
Of note: As has been the case of late, the Wolverines don’t lack for star power. Freshman sensation Adam Fantilli, the likely No. 2 pick in the upcoming NHL draft, leads the nation with 1.85 points per game, while sophomore defenseman Luke Hughes may well be wearing a New Jersey Devils uniform in a few weeks.
Penn State (21-15-1)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Ohio State in Big Ten quarterfinals)
NCAA appearances: 3
Frozen Four appearances: 0
Last NCAA finish: Lost in first round to Denver in 2018
Of note: Penn State got off to a 9-0 start that included a 3-0 win over Michigan. The Nittany Lions also beat Minnesota and lost in OT to the Gophers and Wolverines, so they’ve hung with the big boys, but they’ll need to recapture their early mojo to make some noise. … PSU leads the country with 1,462 shots (nearly 40 per game) and is third in faceoff percentage (55%).
Michigan Tech (24-10-4)
How they got in: At-large bid (lost CCHA semifinal to Northern Michigan)
NCAA appearances: 15
Frozen Four appearances: 10 (three national titles, last in 1975)
Last NCAA finish: Lost in first round to Minnesota Duluth in 2022
Of note: Michigan Tech’s best shot at making its first Frozen Four since 1981 is for senior goalie Blake Pietila to stand on his head. Pietila is fifth in the country with a 1.99 GAA, tied for third with a .929 save percentage and No. 1 with 10 shutouts.
Colgate (19-15-5)
How they got in: Won ECAC championship
NCAA appearances: 6
Frozen Four appearances: 1
Last NCAA finish: Lost in first round to Ferris State in 2014
Of note: Colgate, which entered the ECAC tournament at the No. 5 seed, won its first league title in more than 30 years and second ever by beating Harvard 3-2. Goalie Carter Gylander was the key for the Raiders with 34 saves, 14 in the third period.
Note: NCAA tournament and Frozen Four appearances since tournament began in 1948
WASHINGTON — The jeers greeted the announcement of Bryce Harper‘s name during pregame introductions at Nationals Park on Thursday. And when he stepped to the plate in the top of the first inning. Again in the fourth.
And, once more, when it was his turn to bat in the seventh, with his current team, the Philadelphia Phillies, trailing his first club in the majors, the Washington Nationals, 1-0 on Opening Day. As Harper does so well, and so often, he lived up to the moment, hammering a first-pitch fastball to the deepest part of the stadium, getting Philadelphia’s offense going in what became a 7-3 victory over Washington in 10 innings.
“I love coming in here and playing in this stadium,” Harper said when asked about the booing. “I’ve got a lot of great memories in here, as well. Everywhere I go, it’s exactly like this. Some places are louder than others. It’s all the same.”
He also pivoted on the topic, saying about his returns to the ballpark in the nation’s capital: “All the workers, really — I love my relationship with them a lot. Going through the tunnel and talking to everybody, they still tell me they love me. All the workers in [the visitor’s clubhouse], as well. They know who I am. They know exactly what type of person I am and player and all that kind of stuff. Fans — it’s part of it.”
His long ball Thursday was the sixth of his career in his team’s first game of a season, tied for the most among active players. The first five Opening Day homers for him came while playing for Washington, where he was the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year and the 2015 NL MVP before leaving for Philly as a free agent after the 2018 season.
“I love hitting in this ballpark,” Harper said. “Always have.”
The eight-time NL All-Star connected off reliever Lucas Sims after striking out twice against Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore as shadows crept across the field on account of the 4:06 p.m. start on a sunny day.
Gore finished with 13 Ks; Nationals pitchers accumulated a total of 19 strikeouts.
“We couldn’t see,” said Alec Bohm, whose two-run double broke a 3-all tie in the 10th. “[That’s] part of it.”
Harper’s take?
“Obviously we don’t want to punch [out] 19 times. That’s comical, right? It’s not fun to do that,” Harper said. “And we can’t do that as a team. But today, made it happen, made it work.”
He hadn’t homered in a spring training game and said his “timing was just a little off” heading into the regular season.
The first baseman chuckled when he mentioned that hitting coach Kevin Long joked with him that there was, actually, a home run off Harper’s bat down in Florida — but it came during live batting practice on a back field.
The 415-foot solo shot off a 96 mph fastball Thursday was a good sign.
“Definitely felt good on that swing,” Harper said. “Felt like it all came together right there.”
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Jorge Castillo
HOUSTON — Five times Juan Soto stepped into the batter’s box during his debut with the New York Mets against the Houston Astros on Thursday. And five times baseball’s $765 million man received steady boos from the Daikin Park crowd, none louder than in the ninth inning, with the game on the line.
Soto, fittingly, represented the game-winning run when he walked to the plate to face left-hander Josh Hader with runners on the corners and two outs. Hader, one of the best closers in the sport, quickly fell behind 3-0, then recovered with two strikes before unleashing a slider that darted away from Soto and out of the strike zone.
Soto waved and whiffed. He was, shockingly, fooled to end the Astros’ 3-1 win.
“His best pitch is the fastball,” Soto said, “so I was sitting on the fastball.”
Thursday’s Opening Day game, matching two clubs that expect to play in October, had a few pregame storylines. Future Hall of Famer Jose Altuve‘s first game as a left fielder in his age-35 season. Cam Smith, a 22-year-old slugger, making his major league debut less than a year after he was drafted. Clay Holmes, the former New York Yankees All-Star closer, starting his first game since 2018.
But it was, above all, about Soto.
A year ago, Soto also made his debut as the right fielder for a New York club in Houston to launch a pressure-packed season. But that team was the Yankees, the stadium was called Minute Maid Park and the pressure stemmed from the desire to impress with free agency waiting in November.
This time, he’s a member of the Mets, an air conditioning company owns this ballpark’s naming rights and the pressure stems from looking to prove he’s worth the largest contract in professional sports history.
Batting second, Soto cracked a single in his first plate appearance as a Met against veteran left-hander Framber Valdez. He walked in the third inning, flied out in the sixth and walked again — on four pitches — in the eighth. It was a typical Soto showing, skillfully patient but willing and able to pounce on mistakes.
And yet the Mets did not score for eight innings. Valdez began his platform season by holding the Mets’ potent lineup scoreless over seven innings on 90 pitches. New York showed signs of life against right-hander Bryan Abreu but still didn’t manage to score. It wasn’t until the ninth inning, when Hader clearly wasn’t in peak form, that the Mets finally pushed a run across.
Starling Marte singled, Tyrone Taylor singled and Luisangel Acuna worked a 12-pitch walk to load the bases to begin the inning. After Hayden Senger struck out in his first career at-bat, Francisco Lindor delivered a sacrifice fly to pull the Mets within a run, bringing Soto to the plate.
“You feel it. I think everybody’s like, man, let’s get Juan up and see what happens,” said Holmes, who surrendered three runs (two earned) over 4⅔ innings in his Mets debut. “And we’re able to do it. More times than not, we feel really good about it. And they made him work, and we were right there close. At the end of the day, if we got Juan up with a chance to win the game, anybody likes those chances.”
What followed was a one-on-one battle between two players elite in their respective crafts. Soto said he saw Hader, a five-time All-Star, “really well” even though he presented a difficult lefty-lefty matchup with a three-quarters delivery.
“We all want to do something in a big spot,” Soto said. “We all try to get the knock and try to bring the runs in and try to help the day in any way. But, for me, I don’t mind taking a walk right there. I have Pete [Alonso] behind me, and he’s a really good power hitter.”
Soto would have walked if he had laid off the 3-2 slider. But he didn’t, and his first signature Mets moment will have to wait at least another day.
Said Soto: “He just got me in that situation.”
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Jesse Rogers
ST. LOUIS — Nolan Arenado‘s eighth-inning blast didn’t give the St. Louis Cardinals the lead — they were already in front at the time — nor did it complete a big day for him at the plate.
But it had plenty of extra meaning, and the crowd knew it. It’s why they asked for and received a curtain call from the 12-year veteran, who was on the trade block all winter.
“I wasn’t expecting the current call,” Arenado said after the Cardinals’ 5-3 win Thursday over the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day. “I’m actually surprised I got it. I don’t think I got one last year.”
Arenado took Twins right-hander Griffin Jax deep to left to pad the Cardinals’ lead, giving him two hits, but it was before the game that he really began to feel the emotion of the afternoon. Arenado received a huge ovation from the sold-out crowd during player introductions, giving him a reason to take things in more than normal.
“I usually don’t, but today I did, and the way they cheered for me, it meant a lot to me and it got me motivated, and I was just fortunate to give them something to cheer about again,” Arenado said. “Usually, they don’t do curtain calls if you hit one homer, but it was a big homer.”
The emotions from Arenado’s blast and the ensuing curtain call stemmed from the uncertainty that loomed over his future in a Cardinals uniform following an unproductive 2024 campaign in which he hit just 16 home runs. Over the winter, he invoked his no-trade clause, turning down a deal to Houston, though many observers thought he would eventually be moved.
Another trade never materialized, but that doesn’t mean one won’t happen this summer. Arenado understands that.
“I don’t know,” he said. “There’s different things going through your head, so you just think of all the uncertainty. I was like, I don’t know if this is going to be my last time.”
His teammates recognized the meaning of the moment as well.
“Significant to him,” outfielder Lars Nootbaar said. “Significant to us. Cool for the fans to bring him out like that.”
St. Louis is going through a transition phase as longtime executive John Mozeliak has already announced this will be his last year. Unless the Cardinals are in the race, there is an expectation they will move some veterans later this summer.
But that wasn’t the narrative on Thursday when St. Louis played a solid opening game, led by veterans such as Arenado and starter Sonny Gray. It’s possible that Gray will eventually be moved as well, along with closer Ryan Helsley, who locked down the save against the Twins.
But that’s for the future. The present was about a fan favorite getting his due after a rough season.
“That was a pretty nice bow on it,” manager Oliver Marmol said of the home run. “This is a guy that’s worked really hard this offseason to come back and show what he’s capable of doing. That’s a big homer. It’s probably more meaningful than people think.”
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