NCAA Div. 1 Men’s Ice Hockey: UMass to face Minnesota in first round of NCAA tournament on Thursday

UMass defenseman Owen Murray (26) attempts to block a shot during a game against Boston College at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in Amherst.

UMass defenseman Owen Murray (26) attempts to block a shot during a game against Boston College at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in Amherst. STAFF FILE PHOTO/DANIEL JACOBI II

Staff Report

Published: 03-23-2025 9:27 PM

The 2025 NCAA Division I men’s hockey tournament bracket was unveiled on Sunday afternoon and the UMass hockey team was one of six Hockey East schools to qualify for the big dance.

The Minutemen (20-13-5) received the No. 11 overall seed and will head to the Fargo Regional in Fargo, North Dakota. UMass will take on No. 5 Minnesota (25-10-4) on Thursday, March 27 at Scheels Arena. It’ll be a rematch of the first-round matchup during the 2022 NCAA tournament in which the Golden Gophers won, 4-3, in overtime at the DCU Center in Worcester.

UMass have now qualified for the NCAA tournament six times in head coach Greg Carvel’s nine-year tenure in Amherst.

Western Michigan (30-7-1) earned the top-seed in the Fargo Regional after winning the NCHC tournament on Saturday night in overtime against Denver. The Broncos (No. 4 overall) will play No. 14 Minnesota State (27-8-3) in the other semifinal contest in Fargo. The Mavericks won the CCHA championship by beating St. Thomas, 4-2, on Friday.

Elsewhere, Boston College (26-7-2) grabbed the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament and will take on Atlantic Hockey champion Bentley (23-14-2) in the Manchester Regional in Manchester, New Hampshire on Friday, March 28. Bentley will be making its first ever appearnance in the Div. 1 national tournament. 

Eighth-seeded Providence (21-10-5) and ninth-seeded Denver (29-11-1) — the defending national champions — will be the other semifinal showdown at SNHU Arena.

Maine (24-7-6), the newly minted Hockey East champions, will stay relatively close to home as the top seed in the Allentown Regional in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Black Bears (No. 3 overall) will meet host No. 13 Penn State (20-13-4) in one semifinal, while Hockey East runner-up No. 6 UConn (22-11-4) will battle in-state rival No. 12 Quinnipiac (24-11-2) in the second Allentown semifinal. This marks the first NCAA tournament appearance in Huskies program history. The Allentown Regional will begin on Friday, March 28.

Lastly, Boston University (21-13-2) will make up the lone Hockey East school in the Toledo Regional in Toledo, Ohio. The No. 7 Terriers will face No. 10 Ohio State (24-13-2) in one half of the bracket, while No. 2 Michigan State (26-6-4) will get the underdog ECAC champions in No. 15 Cornell (18-10-6). The Toledo Regional will open on Thursday, March 27.

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The Big Red had to win the ECAC to qualify for the NCAA tournament and by doing so, knocked out Michigan from an at-large bid.

Puck drop for UMass’ game against Minnesota is scheduled for 8:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on Thursday.