The field is set for the 2025 NCAA men’s Division 1 hockey tournament.
A prominent storyline of this tournament will surely be the number of New England teams vying for a national title, as eight made it.
Boston College and Maine both got No. 1 seeds, which isn't surprising. The Eagles were the top team for most of the season and, despite losing early in the Hockey East playoffs, did more than enough to justify the top spot. The Black Bears were also one of the best teams in the country all season but boosted their stock even more when they won the Hockey East playoffs.
The remaining six New England representatives are UConn, Boston University, Quinnipiac, Providence, Massachusetts and Bentley.
They're vying for spots in the Frozen Four, which will be held in St. Louis on April 10 and 12. A national champion will be crowned on April 12 at 7:30 p.m.
The Eagles (26-7-2), who earned the top overall seed for the second straight season, won't have to travel far. Last year's national runners-up will headline the Manchester, N.H., regional, along with other local teams. BC will face Bentley in the opening round. The Eagles will be in search of a bounce-back after losing to Northeastern in the Hockey East quarterfinals. They last won it all in 2012. Meanwhile, Bentley is making its first appearance in the national tournament. The Falcons (23-14-2) earned an auto bid after winning the Atlantic Hockey America conference title over Holy Cross. Puck drop is Friday at 2 p.m. at SNHU Arena.
On the other side of the card in the Manchester regional, Providence will battle defending national champion Denver on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Friars (21-10-5) are making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019. They're coming off a loss to UConn in the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Pioneers (29-11-1), meanwhile, fell to No. 4 Western Michigan in double overtime of the NCHC championship. They're gunning for a fourth national title since 2017 and their third in the last four seasons.
The Toledo, O.H., regional will feature No. 2 Michigan State, Boston University, Ohio State and Cornell. BU (21-13-2) and OSU (24-13-2) will face off on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Huntington Center in Toldeo. The Terriers, who lost to UConn in the Hockey East semifinals, are making their third straight tournament appearance. They reached the last two Frozen Fours and are searching for their first title since 2009. Meanwhile, MSU (26-6-4) and Cornell (18-10-6) will battle at 5:30 on Thursday.
Maine leads a trio of New England squads in the Allentown, Pa., regional. The No. 3 Black Bears (24-7-6) are making their second straight national tournament appearance. Their last Frozen Four appearance was in 2007 and they last won it all in 1999. Maine will take on Penn State (20-13-4) at 8:30 p.m. at PPL Arena.
Meanwhile, cross-state rivals UConn and Quinnipiac will battle at 5 p.m. The Huskies (22-11-4) reached the Hockey East championship, where they lost to Maine. It is their first trip to the national tournament. The Bobcats (24-11-2) are a season removed from a national championship, winning in 2023. They're coming off a loss to Cornell in the ECAC semis. It is QU's fourth straight national tournament appearance and 10th in the last 12 years.
Massachusetts rounds out the New England programs in the field as the Minutemen will head to the Fargo, N.D. regional. UMass (20-13-5) will take on Minnesota (25-10-4) at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at SCHEELS Arena. The two sides met in the Worcester, Mass., regional in 2022 with the Golden Gophers winning, 4-3, in overtime. The Minutemen, who won it all in 2021, are making their fifth trip to the tournament since 2019. They're coming off a loss to BU in the Hockey East quarters.
No. 4 Western Michigan leads the Fargo regional. The Broncos (30-7-1) battle Minnesota State (27-8-3) at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
