Springfield Regional, March 28-30
Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, Mass.
Thursday, March 28, 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, ESPN2
No. 1 Denver (28-9-3) vs. No. 4 Massachusetts (20-13-3)
Thursday, March 28, 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, ESPNews
No. 2 Maine (23-11-2) vs. No. 3 Cornell (21-6-6)
Saturday, March 30, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, ESPN2
Springfield Regional Championship
DENVER
How they got here: Won NCHC tournament, 3rd in final PairWise
Overall season record: 28-9-3
Top players: F Jack Devine (27-28-55), F Massimo Rizzo (10-34–44), F Tristan Broz (14-24–38), D Zeev Buium (11-37–48), G Matt Davis (19-5-3, 2.64 GAA, .905 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: Devine and brothers Zeev and Shai Buium would pose problems for any opponent in this tournament field. The Pioneers have also won seven of their last eight games, and are only two years removed from winning a national championship. It’s easier to picture DU making this year’s Frozen Four than not.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Denver ought to brush aside a Massachusetts team that barely got into the tournament, but Maine would be more of a toss-up. Davis also had an .878 save percentage last week at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff; will that figure climb back up in one-and-done situations?
MAINE
How they got here: At-large bid, 5th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 23-11-2
Top players: F Bradly Nadeau (19-27-46), F Josh Nadeau (18-27-45), F Lynden Breen (9-21-30), D David Breazeale (2-7-9), D Luke Antonacci (0-5-5), G Albin Boija (10-6-1, 2.01, .916 SV%).
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: The two-time national champion Black Bears (1993, 1999) are playing in the program’s first NCAA Tournament in 12 years, and you better believe their fans — known to travel well — will be itching to pack the Springfield arena.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: Again, it’s been a dozen years since the Black Bears’ last tourney appearance. They’re playing in a bracket stacked with teams that have been there recently, including national championship winners Denver (2022) and host UMass (2021). The inexperience on the big stage could lead to a quick end for Maine.
CORNELL
How they got here: Won the ECAC Tournament, 12th in final Pairwise
Overall season record: 21-6-6
Top players: F Gabriel Seger (14-28–42), F Dalton Bancroft (12-19–31), F Kyle Penney (9-17–26) F Jonathan Castagna (11-14–25), G Ian Shane (21-4-6, 1.70 GAA, .922 SV%)
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: Cornell would have been a lock for the tournament ahead of the ECAC tournament if the Big Red had the additional six games afforded to non-Ivy League schools, but winning the Whitelaw Cup as the postseason champion sent the Big Red through to the NCAA Tournament as a certified lock. Improving to that degree required a red hot second half, but goalie Ian Shane not receiving consideration for the Richter Award was a criminal robbery. The defense in front of him is solid, and the offense has top-end attackers who can damage an opponent. In a regional based around UMass, it also means the bracket requires Denver to travel far enough east to cause problems for the Pioneers. Get past Maine, which has had its issues in the second half, and Cornell could be a dark horse nobody’s noticing.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: ECAC wasn’t exactly the strongest conference this year, and winning a regional with both Maine and Denver will require something that the league hasn’t shown this year. UMass is also lurking as the host site, and considering that the Black Bears were a No. 1 seed until a late-season slide puts special emphasis on the difficulty associated with advancing to St. Paul. For a team with seven 20-point scorers, Cornell is also very top heavy on goal scoring with four players with 10-or-more goals, though none have more than 14.
MASSACHUSETTS
How they got here: At-large bid, 13th in final PairWise
Overall season record: 20-13-3
Top players: F Taylor Makar (4-5-9), F Lucas Mercuri (8-16-24), F Ryan Lautenbach (10-14-24), D Ryan Ufko (10-16-26), D Scott Morrow (6-24-30), G Michael Hrabal (16-10-1, 2.61, .912 SV%).
Why they will advance to the Frozen Four: Whether they deserve it or not, the Minutemen will enjoy a nifty home-ice advantage in Springfield, a rink only 19.36 miles away from their own. Also, UMass is 8-2-1 against non-conference opponents this year.
Why they won’t advance to the Frozen Four: UMass really struggled down the stretch this season, losing six of their last 10 games. After an 8-1 drubbing at the hands of No. 1 Boston College in the Hockey East semifinals, the Minutemen qualified for the NCAA tournament by the skin of their teeth, only after a lot of things broke their way.
