Frozen Four 2012 Title Game: Boston College Defeats Ferris State 4-1; Wins 3rd National Title In 5 Years

Once again, the Eagles soar above the rest in the college hockey landscape.

Boston College claimed their fifth hockey national championship and third in the last 5 years Saturday night with a 4-1 win over Ferris State in Tampa, Florida. Steven Whitney scored twice for the Eagles, who won 19 straight games to end the season, while Parker Milner made 27 saves in a performance worthy of being named the Frozen Four's most outstanding player.

Whitney began the scoring for BC only 3:18 into the game after burying the rebound from a Barry Almeida shot that hit off of a Bulldog defender. Ferris State responded two minutes later when Garrett Thompson scored his 11th of the season to tie the game at one.

It was only the second goal given up by Milner in three-plus NCAA Hockey Tournament games.

Milner, however, bounced back after the goal and along with Ferris State goalie Taylor Nelson, both goaltenders became tough to beat. While the Bulldogs heavily challenged the BC defense at times -- including a Kyle Bonis breakaway -- they could not find another goal. Paul Carey tipped a Brian Dumoulin (Carolina Hurricanes) wrister in and the Bulldogs ended up being down 2-1 at the end of the first despite having the better chances.

Neither team scored in the second period as good chances by Chris Kreider (New York Rangers), Almeida and Thompson were stopped by the two goalies. Boston College slowly took over the game in the third period as Ferris State -- who went 0-4 on the power play -- failed to take advantage of a pair of Eagles penalties.

Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames) put the game out reach with 3:02 left in regulation after undressing Bulldog defensemen Brett Wysopal with nifty stickhandling and roofing a backhand shot over Nelson, who made 33 saves in defeat, for his 21st goal this season. Ferris State coach Bob Daniels pulled Nelson in a last-ditch effort but Whitney added an empty-net goal to put the final exclamation point on Boston College's national championship.

For more coverage of Boston College's win, check out BC Interruption and SB Nation Boston. You can also get college hockey coverage from Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL Hub's storystream of the NCAA Hockey Tournament.

Frozen Four 2012: Boston College vs. Ferris State Line Combinations

This is it.

The 2012 national championship in college hockey is up for grabs between Boston College and Ferris State in Tampa, Florida and neither team is making a change in their lineups from Thursday's Frozen Four semifinal victories over Minnesota and Union, respectively.

Parker Milner is in net for the Eagles while Taylor Nelson gets the nod for the Bulldogs.

Boston College Eagles Line Combinations

Forwards

Barry Almeida (#9) - Bill Arnold (#24) - Steven Whitney (#21)

Chris Kreider (#19) - Kevin Hayes (#12) - Destry Straight (#17)

Johnny Gaudreau (#13) - Pat Mullane (#11) - Paul Carey (#22)

Quinn Smith (#27) - Michael Sit (#18) - Danny Linell (#10)

Defense

Tommy Cross (#4) - Edwin Shea (#8)

Brian Dumoulin (#2) - Patrick Wey (#6)

Isaac MacLeod (#7) - Patch Alber (#3)

Goaltenders (Bold indicates starting)

Parker Milner (#35)

Brian Billett (#1)

Chris Venti (#30)

Ferris State University Line Combinations

Forwards

Kyle Bonis (#28) -22 Derek Graham (#22) -12 TJ Schlueter (#12)

Jordie Johnston (#11) - Matthew Kirzinger (#20) - Garrett Thompson (#16)

Eric Alexander (#17) - Cory Kane (#8) - Aaron Schmit (#5)

Tommy Hill (#32) - Travis Ouellette (#9) - Andy Huff (#18)

Defense

Chad Billins (#4) - Scott Czarnowczan (#2)

Brett Wysopal (#27) - Jason Binkley (#7)

Travis White (#3) - Simon Denis (#26)

Goalies (Bold indicates starting)

Taylor Nelson (#29)

CJ Motte (#30)

Rob Granett (#31)

Tonight's championship game begins at 6 p.m. CT and airs on ESPN2 live from Tampa.

Follow me on Twitter for live game updates @gopherstate and this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow BC Interruption for more Eagles coverage and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

Frozen Four 2012: An Embarrassing End To A Positive Gophers Season

The Minnesota Golden Gophers may have been blown out, 6-1, by Boston College in the Frozen Four semifinals, but the season remains a success. SBN MN looks at what to take away from the BC game, the year as a whole and ESPN's Frozen Four coverage.

Frozen Four 2012, Minnesota Vs. Boston College Final Score: Golden Gophers Melted By Eagles, 6-1

The Boston College Eagles scorched the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 2012 Frozen Four semifinals on Thursday night, 6-1.

Although Minnesota accumulated more shots and, at times, better scoring opportunities, the Eagles completely out-skilled the Golden Gophers in getting six pucks past the Gophers' goaltender Kent Patterson.

Minnesota didn't light the lamp until the third period when Jake Hansen scored less than two minutes in to cut the deficit to 4-1. The goal seemed to revitalize the Gophers a little, but the Eagles once again got an easy scoring chance and capitalized to all but seal it.

Boston College will play Ferris State for the championship on Saturday.

Tonight's game begins at 7 p.m. CT and airs on ESPN2 live from Tampa. Follow me on Twitter for live game updates @gopherstate and this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow The Daily Gopher for more Minnesota coverage, BC Interruption for more Eagles coverage and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

Frozen Four 2012: Minnesota vs. Boston College Score Update: Eagles Lead 4-0 After 2 Periods

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have had their opportunities against their Frozen Four opponent, the Boston College Eagles, but the Eagles are the the team with a four goal lead after two periods on Thursday night.

Minnesota has 21 shots, but have not been able to get any by Eagles' goaltender Parker Milner. The same can't be said for Kent Patterson, who has allowed four goals on 15 shots.

Kevin Hayes scored the first of three second period goals on the power play a little over six minutes into the period. Steve Whitney, who scored the first period goal, assisted the goal along with Tommy Cross. Chris Kreider and Paul Carey scored the other two goals in the final three minutes of the period, virtually putting the game out of reach.

The winner of this game will play Ferris State in the championship game.

Tonight's game begins at 7 p.m. CT and airs on ESPN2 live from Tampa. Follow me on Twitter for live game updates @gopherstate and this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow The Daily Gopher for more Minnesota coverage, BC Interruption for more Eagles coverage and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

Frozen Four 2012: Minnesota vs. Boston College Score Update: Eagles Lead 1-0 After First Period

The Minnesota Golden Gophers outshot the Boston College Eagles 10-5, but it was only the Eagles who were able to light the lamp in the first period of the second NCAA Frozen Four semifinal match up on Thursday.

The period's lone goal was scored by the Eagles' Steven Whitney, assisted on by Barry Almeida and Bill Arnold at the 6:03 mark. Boston College's Parker Milner stopped all 10 shots he faced in the first period.

Minnesota came up empty on the only power play of the game.

The winner will play Ferris State in the finals who won their semifinal game 3-1 earlier today.

Tonight's game begins at 7 p.m. CT and airs on ESPN2 live from Tampa. Follow me on Twitter for live game updates @gopherstate and this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow The Daily Gopher for more Minnesota coverage, BC Interruption for more Eagles coverage and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

Frozen Four 2012: Minnesota vs. Boston College Line Combinations

Gameday is here and the Minnesota Golden Gophers are keeping the same line combinations that netted them two wins in the West Regional. Freshman Travis Boyd continues to center Nate Condon and Taylor Matson in a line that scored three goals in the 5-2 West Region final over North Dakota and the top-six remains unchanged.

Kent Patterson is in the net for Minnesota while Parker Milner is the starting goalie for Boston College.

Boston College Eagles Line Combinations

Forwards

Barry Almeida (#9) - Bill Arnold (#24) - Steven Whitney (#21)

Chris Kreider (#19) - Kevin Hayes (#12) - Destry Straight (#17)

Johnny Gaudreau (#13) - Pat Mullane (#11) - Paul Carey (#22)

Quinn Smith (#27) - Michael Sit (#18) - Danny Linell (#10)

Defense

Tommy Cross (#4) - Edwin Shea (#8)

Brian Dumoulin (#2) - Patrick Wey (#6)

Isaac MacLeod (#7) - Patch Alber (#3)

Goaltenders (Bold indicates starting)

Parker Milner (#35)

Brian Billett (#1)

Chris Venti (#30)

University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Line Combinations

Forwards

Kyle Rau (#7) - Nick Bjugstad (#27) - Zach Budish (#24)

Sam Warning (#11) - Erik Haula (#19) - Jake Hansen (#21)

Nate Condon (#16) - Taylor Matson (#9) - Travis Boyd (#22)

Tom Serratore (#14) - Nico Sacchetti (#13) - Seth Ambroz (#17)

Defense:

Seth Helgeson (#4) - Justin Holl (#12)

Ben Marshall (#10) - Mark Alt (#20)

Jake Parenteau (#6) - Nate Schmidt (#29)

Goalies (bold indicates starting):

Kent Patterson (#35)

Michael Shibrowski (#1)

Jake Kremer (#30)

Tonight's game begins at 7 p.m. CT and airs on ESPN2 live from Tampa. Follow me on Twitter for live game updates @gopherstate and this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow The Daily Gopher for more Minnesota coverage, BC Interruption for more Eagles coverage and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

Frozen Four 2012: Minnesota Golden Gophers Faces Similar Competition In Boston College

The 2012 Frozen Four semifinals will take place on Thursday night. While both games are important in determining the best college hockey team in the country, the second game in the doubleheader is much more important when it comes to those visiting SB Nation Minnesota.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers advanced to the semifinals with a win last weekend, but their road to the championship gets much more difficult on Thursday night with a game against the Boston College Golden Eagles. Our own Nathan Wells wrote an excellent preview at SB Nation headquarters detailing the matchup:

In the end, something has to give. Whether the two high-scoring offenses cancel each other out or this Frozen Four semifinal becomes a shootout, both Boston College and Minnesota are very similar -- talented all over the ice with balanced offensive depth.

The Eagles have consistent play on their side, while the key for the Gophers will be getting on the board first, as they're 22-7-0 when doing so. They can't let Boston College control the game offensively like they did against Minnesota Duluth in the Regional Final. If they can handle the BC attack, this will be a game worthy of a Frozen Four semifinal.

At the very least, my money's on the Maroon and Gold team.

It'll be interesting to see if the winning team wearing maroon and gold team has an 'M' on their chest.

For more on the Frozen Four, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament StoryStream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

2012 Frozen Four, Boston College Vs. Minnesota: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

While a feel good, underdog story plays out on the other side of the bracket, the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Boston College Eagles are squaring off in a heavyweight Frozen Four duel.

Minnesota and BC have won a combined nine NCAA hockey titles, including five of the last 11. The winner will face either Ferris State or Union College, neither of which has ever been to a Frozen Four, let alone won a title.

The Gophers and Eagles have each routed their competition in the first two rounds of the tournament. Minnesota, 26-13-1, has scored an incredible 12 goals through two games, winning 7-3 and 5-2.

That offense will go up against BC's stout defense. The Eagles, who went 29-10-1 this season, have yet to be scored upon, winning 2-0 and 4-0, respectively.

Here are the specs:

Where: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida

Semifinal Game 1: Ferris State vs. Union College - Thursday, April 5th, 4:30 pm ET -ESPNU/ESPN3

Semifinal Game 2: Minnesota vs. Boston College - Thursday, April 5th, 8:00 pm ET -ESPN2/ESPN3

Championship: Game one winner vs. Game two winner - Saturday, April 7th, 7:00 pm ET -ESPN2/ESPN3

Check out SB Nation's YouTube channel for news and updates.

2012 Frozen Four, Minnesota - How The Golden Gophers Got Here

Following a win by the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's hockey team in the women's version of the NCAA Hockey Tournament, the men's team came in looking to give the Gophers a clean hockey sweep. They'll have their chance thanks to a great run leading them to a Frozen Four.

Among the 'big name' teams that made the tournament, Minnesota have looked the strongest by far. They made the tournament on a roll, earning an At Large bid with a 26–13–1 record in the WCHA, only a sliver behind the North Dakota team that won the conference. Only that tournament loss kept the strong Gophers team from being rated a No. 1 seed in one of the brackets.

When the tournament started, they showed they were no slouches. Two three goal periods along with goals from six different guys led the Gophers to a 7-3 slaughter of Boston University in the first round, and they followed that up by showing who the real kings of the WCHA were by beating the Fighting Sioux by a similarly lopsided 5-2 scoreline in the next round.

Minnesota has steamrolled its way to the Frozen Four and on form alone could be the favorites to win it. They will face a Boston College team that shut out both of its opponents so far in the semifinals on Thursday. An offense that has been beating teams to a pulp versus a defense that has not allowed a single point against? It's the match up that analysts dream of.

For more on the Frozen Four, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament StoryStream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

Frozen Four 2012: Travis Boyd Among Gophers Finding Their Role

Travis Boyd found his role on the Gophers between Nate Condon and Taylor Matson last weekend and helped lead the team to Tampa with his first college goal.

Minnesota plays Boston College Thursday at 7 p.m. CT in the Frozen Four semifinals on ESPN2.

Frozen Four 2012 Preview: Talented Gophers Eye College Hockey's Top Prize

The field is set, and this Thursday the four best college hockey teams will face off in the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa Bay. Among the quartet of combatants is a pair of first-timers, Ferris State (MI) and Union College (NY), mixed with two of the most successful programs in recent memory in Boston College and Minnesota.

For the Gophers, who are making their 20th Frozen Four appearance in school history, the dubious task of slowing down a red-hot Boston College squad becomes the next step towards a national championship. The Eagles have won 17 consecutive games after starting the year 6-9-1, and are making their 23rd appearance in college hockey's version of the final four.

Minnesota coach Don Lucia, who has now been to four Frozen Fours with the Gophers, will be looking to bring a title back to Minnesota for the first time since the school won back-to-back championships in '02 and '03. "We want our guys to enjoy this," Lucia told the Tampa Tribune. "It's obviously business, but you better have fun with it, too. We're all going down there to do the same thing, win a national title. We're not trying to take the fun away from our players. But they know that Thursday is the time for business."

The puck drops at 8:00 pm EST for the Gophers and Eagles this Thursday, in what should be a highly-competitive hockey game. The winner will take on either Ferris State or Union College in Saturday's finale, which will be televised on ESPN2.

Where: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida

Semifinal game one: Ferris State vs. Union College - Thursday, April 5th, 4:30 pm ET - ESPNU/ESPN3

Semifinal game two: Minnesota vs. Boston College - Thursday, April 5th, 8:00 pm ET - ESPN2/ESPN3

Championship: Game one winner vs. Game two winner - Saturday, April 7th, 7:00 pm ET - ESPN2/ESPN3

For more on the Frozen Four, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament StoryStream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

Frozen Four 2012: Minnesota-Duluth Comes Up Short Vs. Boston College

It will not be consecutive Frozen Fours for the Minnesota-Duluth men's hockey program. The Bulldogs ran into a difficult Boston College team on Sunday evening and the Eagles dominated throughout, eliminating the Bulldogs 4-0 in the East Regional at Worcester, Massachusetts.

The Bulldogs were tied 0-0 after one period, but gave up two goals in the second and two insurance goals in the third. Parker Milner saved 33 shots for the Eagles, becoming a wall for Boston College. that was more than enough, as Pat Mullane broke the scoreless tie just over four minutes into the second period. Bill Arnold made it 2-0 just about a minute and a half later.

Patrick Wey and Johnny Gaudreau added goals in the third period to clinch it for Boston College.

For more on the road to the Frozen Four, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament StoryStream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012: Minnesota Frozen Four Bound With 5-2 Win Over North Dakota

It doesn't happen often but for the Minnesota Golden Gophers the sequel was far, far better than the original.

Nine days after North Dakota scored six unanswered goals to beat the Gophers en route to their third straight Broadmoor Trophy, Minnesota defeated them 5-2 in the West Regional Final at the Xcel Energy Center Sunday. Five different Gopher players scored goals and Kent Patterson (Colorado Avalanche) was named most outstanding player while making 24 saves.

"I am really proud and happy for our guys. We had such a long season with ups and downs, peaks and valleys," said Minnesota head coach Don Lucia. "You have to stick with it and this team has all year. We knew we had a very difficult region. Tobeat programs like Boston University and North Dakota is very rewarding."

It is the first Frozen Four berth for Minnesota since 2005 and 20th overall. They will face the winner of Minnesota Duluth-Boston College Thursday April 5th at 7 p.m. Central in Tampa. Florida.

Unlike last Friday, North Dakota played hard in the first period and had the better shots on goal during the first ten minutes. Minnesota's aggressive forecheck was a little too aggressive - allowing for Michael Parks (Philadelphia Flyers) to split the two defensemen - but he and the rest of the team were unable to take advantage.

It wasn't until Ben Marshall (Detroit Red Wings) received a pass from redshirt sophomore Zach Budish (Nashville Predators) shot a laser past UND goalie Aaron Dell 12:19 into the game that someone was able to get on the board. That was the only goal of the first period but it changed the course of the game because North Dakota began to play back on their heels more and more.

"(Minnesota) played a good game out there; they had a ton of energy," said North Dakota's Corban Knight (Florida Panthers). "It is just one of those things where maybe they had a little puck luck and were able to find some balances and find the back of the net, and we were not able to do that tonight."

The Gophers added a second goal twenty seconds into the 2nd period. Having 1:03 left over from a Carter Rowney penalty, Erik Haula (Minnesota Wild) was left alone in front of Dell and made UND pay with his 20th goal of the year. It was short-lived, however, as Danny Kristo (Montreal Canadiens) took advantage of a weird bounce off the glass in front of the Minnesota zone and cut the lead in half 2-1. For a minute it looked as if history could repeat itself.

"Yeah you know we wanted to get that last game out of our system against North Dakota," senior captain Taylor Matson (Vancouver Canucks) said. We had a pep talk with our team we went back to work this week in order to get ready for BU and then North Dakota. Words don't describe North Dakota, if you can't get up for that game you can't get up for anything."

Matson was evidently fired up because Minnesota refused to take their foot off the gas. Kristo's shot was the only one UND had goal until the final seconds of the period. By that time it was 4-1 Gophers after the senior scored his eighth goal of the year trailing the play and putting home a rebound and linemate Travis Boyd (Washington Capitals) tipped in his first career goal as a Gopher.

"I think (Minnesota) played a pretty good, consistent game," North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol said. "Had we been able to push that to a 2-2 game or take a one-goal game into the third period, it would've been different."

While Haula and Jake Hansen created a few chances in the second period, the third line of Matson, Boyd and Nate Condon (Colorado) played especially well during that stretch and seemed to find their groove after being a non-factor in the Gophers' recent streak.

"Travis is a very skilled freshman," Matson said about Boyd. "He was dishing the puck to me and Nate Condon the puck and we were getting some great chances. We had great chemistry throughout the game and that's great for our line to get the three goals tonight."

Condon's goal, which came after a stretch of play that saw UND really testing Patterson, put the game on ice with 4:07 left. Mario Lamoureux tipped in a goal 14 seconds later to make it 5-2 but despite Hakstol pulling the goalie with 3 minutes left it was all North Dakota could muster.

"We didn't expect for it to end tonight," said Hakstol after the game. "I thought we had a good push to start the third period. It just wasn't enough tonight."

All in all Sunday was another solid performance from Minnesota a week after folding under the pressure. As much as it starts in net with Patterson, the defense only gave up one goal to the potent Brock Nelson (New York Islanders) - Knight - Kristo line and stopped one of the hotter offenses in college hockey. The Gophers saw their own first line shut down but it didn't matter as they found goals up and down the lineup.

Frankly they played like a team who deserves to go to Tampa. Beating their rival to end their season is just icing on the cake.

"(Winning the West Region) was one of the goals from the start of the season," Haula said. One was to win the MacNaughton Cup, which we did. One was to win the Final Five, which we didn't get, and to get to the Frozen Four is a great accomplishment. But as a team we're not satisfied with that. We want to keep playing good hockey and keep going all the way."

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012: Minnesota vs. North Dakota Line Combinations

When your hockey team is one win away from the Frozen Four, it's hard to embrace change.

Both the University of North Dakota and University of Minnesota are keeping the same line combinations that got them to the West Regional Final in St. Paul, MN. It's a little bit more out of necessity for North Dakota, who has been playing shorthanded all season, but they've been getting great production during their eight-game winning streak.

Kent Patterson will be in net for Minnesota while Aaron Dell looks to continue his hot streak for UND.

University of North Dakota Line Combinations

Forwards

Brock Nelson (#29) - Corban Knight (#10) - Danny Kristo (#7)

Mark MacMillan (#16) - Carter Rowney (#27) - Michael Parks (#15)

Stehane Pattyn (#28) - Mario Lamoureux (#9) - Joe Gleason (#20)

Dan Senkbell (#8) - Connor Gaarder (#13) - (No Right Wing)

Defense

Derek Forbort (#4) - Ben Blood (#24)

Andrew MacWilliam (#2) - Nick Mattson (#5)

Dillon Simpson (#18) - Andrew Panzarella (#22)

Goalies (bold indicates starter)

Aaron Dell (#32)

Brad Eidsness (#31)

Tate Maris (#35)

University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Line Combinations

Forwards

Kyle Rau (#7) - Nick Bjugstad (#27) - Zach Budish (#24)

Sam Warning (#11) - Erik Haula (#19) - Jake Hansen (#21)

Nate Condon (#16) - Taylor Matson (#9) - Travis Boyd (#22)

Tom Serratore (#14) - Nico Sacchetti (#13) - Seth Ambroz (#17)

Defense:

Seth Helgeson (#4) - Justin Holl (#12)

Ben Marshall (#10) - Mark Alt (#20)

Jake Parenteau (#6) -Nate Schmidt (#29)

Goalies (bold indicates starting):

Kent Patterson (#35)

Michael Shibrowski (#1)

Jake Kremer (#30)

Follow me on Twitter for live game updates @gopherstate and this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow The Daily Gopher for more Minnesota coverage and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament, Minnesota-Duluth Vs. Boston College: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Minnesota-Duluth's quest for back-to-back championships will go through the No. 1-seeded Boston College Eagles on Sunday in the Northeast region's deciding game. For the winner, a trip to the Frozen Four in Tampa Bay awaits. For the loser, an offseason of unanswered questions looms on the horizon.

With many key players, including goaltender Kenny Reiter, back from last year's title team, there's no reason to believe that Minnesota-Duluth isn't once again capable of reigning supreme over college hockey. To reach the field of eight, Minnesota-Duluth took care of Maine 5-2 on Saturday.

The top seed in the tournament, Boston College enters tonight's game with heavy expectations of its own. The Eagles posted the only shutout of the first round in a 2-0 win over Air Force in their opening game, and goalie Parker Milner has been playing at an extremely high level and remains one of the best stoppers in the country.

Location: DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts

Game Time: March 25, 8:00 p.m. EST

TV information: ESPNU/ESPN3

For more on the road to the Frozen Four, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament StoryStream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012, Minnesota Vs. North Dakota: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Fresh off a 7-3 victory over Boston University for its first NCAA Tournament win since 2007, the Minnesota Gophers are just one win away from reaching the Frozen Four. Standing in the way of that goal is a dangerous North Dakota squad, who will be looking to bounce the Gophers out of the tournament in Sunday's West regional final.

The fourth overall seed in the tournament, North Dakota ousted Western Michigan 3-1 in a controversial game to reach the second round and set up this season-defining date with the Gophers. The winner here will face the champion of Minnesota-Duluth vs. Boston College in the Frozen Four in Tampa Bay next week.

Location: Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota

Game Time: 5:30 p.m. EST

TV information: ESPNU/ESPN3

For more on the road to the Frozen Four, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament StoryStream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012: Gophers Defeat Boston U 7-3; Face UND Sunday

In the 2004 movie "Miracle," there's a scene where a Boston University and a Minnesota player get into a fight during a Team USA scrimmage. While the two teams were hated rivals in the 1970s - especially due to the Gophers' 1976 national championship win - Saturday's game in 2012 fits right in.

In a penalty-filled game at the Xcel Energy Center that saw the two teams combine for 47 penalty minutes, Minnesota defeated Boston University 7-3 Saturday. Jake Hansen (Columbus Blue Jackets) scored twice for the Gophers and Kent Patterson (Colorado Avalanche) made 31 saves as the team won their first NCAA Tournament game since 2007.

They face North Dakota Sunday at 4:30 in the West Region final for a Frozen Four berth in Tampa. UND beat Western Michigan 3-1 earlier in the day.

Kyle Rau (Florida Panthers), who scored the first goal for Minnesota last game, did so again 5:55 into the game when he found the puck in front of the net after Terriers goalie Kieran Millan (Colorado) could not control the rebound.

"It seems to be an open spot and I just look tor some open ice [in front of the net] because obviously I am a smaller guy," Rau said of his 18th goal of the season. "I will just get knocked down and out-muscled, so I just have to find the open ice around the net and it has been open most of the time. Hopefully I get a couple tomorrow like that."

It was the only goal of the first period but both teams had their chances with the man advantage. Boston University were unable to take advantage of four power plays before Wade Megan (Florida) buried an Adam Clendening (Chicago Blackhawks) shot off the post to tie the game at 1 less than 8 minutes into the second.

Megan's goal set off a six-minute stretch where the goal judges were kept busy. Jake Parenteau scored his second goal of the season on a wrister to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead and then promptly gave the puck away to BU's Ross Gaudet to tie the game back up at 2. It was followed by two power play goals by Seth Helgeson (New Jersey Devils and Hansen on two separate penalties in 29 seconds to end the second period up 4-2.

"Any time it seemed like we had some momentum, it seemed like they got a goal and countered," said Gaudet.

BU came out strong in the third, scoring an early power play goal to get within one, but that was as close as they got. Clendening, who was the Terriers' best player on the ice, scored his 4th goal of the season on a slap shot 7 seconds into yet another Minnesota penalty kill (their tenth of eleven Saturday afternoon).

The Gophers blew a three goal lead last weekend against North Dakota but made sure they didn't do it again. Minnesota, who has been one of the best third period teams in college hockey this season, showed why against Boston University, out-shooting them 19-13. As a team they kept winning puck battles in the corners and guys like Nate Condon were out-muscling Terrier defensemen for pucks behind the net.

Nico Sacchetti (Dallas Stars) scored on a rush 8:08 into the third period to make the score 5-3 and Hansen and Nick Bjugstad added empty-netter goals for the final score.

In the end, Minnesota-Boston University was a "bizarre game," as legendary BU coach Jack Parker put it. At times it resembled old-time hockey with chippy penalties and scraps after the whistle while others showcased speed on both ends and quality open ice play. Honestly, it's too bad these teams don't play each other more often because there would be more scenes like the one in "Miracle."

For more NCAA Hockey tournament coverage, you can also follow SB Nation Boston for the BU side of the game and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

Frozen Four 2012: North Dakota Defeats Western Michigan 3-1 After Tying Goal Waved Off

For the second straight year, Western Michigan is one and done in the NCAA Hockey Tournament.

North Dakota goals by Michael Parks (Philadelphia Flyers) and Corban Knight (Florida Panthers) were too much for the Broncos to overcome and Brock Nelson (New York Islanders) added an empty netter as the Broncos lost to UND 3-1 in the first game of the 2012 West Regional. Aaron Dell made 24 saves while Kyle O'Kane scored Western Michigan's only goal.

North Dakota got off to a fast start which resulted in Parks' goal 6:04 into the game on a wraparound; his third consecutive game with a goal. The Broncos settled down afterwards but were unable to solve UND's aggressive forecheck and defense and ended the period down a goal.

They came out better as the second period began, putting up the first five shots on goal, but Knight muted Western Michigan's offensive attack when he knocked in a rebound for his 16th goal of the season. Kyle O'Kane got Western Michigan on the board with 7:03 left in the second after receiving a breakout pass from Derek Roehl and shooting the puck past Aaron Dell to cut North Dakota's lead to 2-1.

"I saw a little gap off the draw, and took it. Derek hit me and the goalie’s glove was a little down. I didn’t try to make a move or anything," said O'Kane.

The Broncos nearly tied the game at 2 a couple minutes later but a potential goal by Ian Slater was waved off after the net came off its pegs before the puck crossed the line. It was initially ruled a no-goal on the ice and upheld after a review and ended up being the best chance WMU had as the second winded down.

"I actually haven't seen (the no-goal call). The referee wanted to come over and give me an explanation, and I just waved him away, because what are you going to do? We just wanted to keep the game going," Western Michigan coach Andy Murray said. "College referees talk to the coaches way too much."

North Dakota were caught back on their heels towards the end of the second and beginning of the third period but their defense continued to move bodies out of the way and cut down the number of rebound chances for Western Michigan. They also turned a Broncos power play that led the CCHA into an afterthought as WMU went 0-3 with the man advantage and ended up being the aggressor in the final five minutes.

Despite one last chance with the goalie pulled, Nelson was able to score from the far side of the North Dakota bench to put the game on ice.

North Dakota now awaits the winner of Minnesota-Boston University later today to play tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. local time for a berth in the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa.

For more on the West Regional, be sure to check out this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow SB Nation Detroit for the Western Michigan perspective and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

NCAA Hockey Tournament: Minnesota vs. Boston University Lines

The Gophers made a few changes from their normal lineup for their first NCAA Tournament game since 2008. Senior Nick Larson remains out with an injury but normal center Taylor Matson is being moved to wing on the 3rd line. In his place between Matson and Nate Condon is Travis Boyd.

Normal third line winger Seth Ambroz is instead moved to the fourth line. Kent Patterson starts for the Gophers while Boston University stalwart Kieren Millan is in net for the Terriers.

Today's game begins at 4:00 p.m. CT and airs on Fox Sports North Plus in Minnesota, NESN in Boston and ESPN3 online nationally.

University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Line Combinations

Forwards

Kyle Rau (#7) - Nick Bjugstad (#27) - Zach Budish (#24)

Sam Warning (#11) - Erik Haula (#19) - Jake Hansen (#21)

Nate Condon (#16) - Taylor Matson (#9) - Travis Boyd (#22)

Tom Serratore (#14) - Nico Sacchetti (#13) - Seth Ambroz (#17)

Defense:

Seth Helgeson (#4) - Justin Holl (#12)

Ben Marshall (#10) - Mark Alt (#20)

Jake Parenteau (#6) -Nate Schmidt (#29)

Goalies (bold indicates starting):

Kent Patterson (#35)

Michael Shibrowski (#1)

Jake Kremer (#30)

Boston University Terriers Line Combinations

Forwards

Wade Megan (#18) - Chris Connolly (#12) - Alex Chiasson (#9)

Matt Nieto (#17) - Sahir Gill (#28) - Evan Rodrigues (#26)

Justin Courtnall (#19) - Cason Hohmann (#23) - Ryan Santana (#15)

Ross Gaudet (#22) - Ben Rosen (#8) - Yasin Cisse (#27)

Defense

Garrett Noonan (#13) - Patrick MacGregor (#4)

Sean Escobedo (#21) - Adam Clendening (#5)

Alexx Privitera (#6) - Ryan Ruikka (#2)

Goalies

Kieren Millan (#31)

Grant Rollhesier (#35)

Follow me on Twitter for live game updates @gopherstate and this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow SB Nation Boston for the BU side of the game and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

NCAA Hockey Tournament: North Dakota vs. Western Michigan Line Combinations

Hello from the Xcel Energy Center where the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux and the Western Michigan Broncos are about to face off in the first of two West Regional games today. The game starts at 12:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on Fox Sports North in the Twin Cities and ESPN3.com elsewhere.

North Dakota features the same lineup which won them the Broadmoor Trophy while the Broncos enter the game on the heels of winning the CCHA conference championship.

Aaron Dell is in net for the nickname-less UND team and Frank Slubowski will be starting for Western Michigan.

University of North Dakota Line Combinations

Forwards

Brock Nelson (#29) - Corban Knight (#10) - Danny Kristo (#7)

Mark MacMillan (#16) - Carter Rowney (#27) - Michael Parks (#15)

Stehane Pattyn (#28) - Mario Lamoureux (#9) - Joe Gleason (#20)

Dan Senkbell (#8) - Connor Gaarder (#13) - (No Right Wing)

Defense

Derek Forbort (#4) - Ben Blood (#24)

Andrew MacWilliam (#2) - Nick Mattson (#5)

Dillon Simpson (#18) - Andrew Panzarella (#22)

Goalies (bold indicates starter)

Aaron Dell (#32)

Brad Eidsness (#31)

Tate Maris (#35)

University of Western Michigan Broncos Line Combinations

Forwards

Shane Berschbach (#24) - Chase Balisy (#16) = Dane Walters (#23)

Will Kessel (#29) - Mike Leone (#2) - Greg Squires (#26)

Trevor Elias (#21) - J.J. Crew (#10) - Ian Slater (#14)

Derek Roehl (#22) - Justin Kovacks (#17) - Kyle O'Kane (#19)

Defense

Danny DeKeyser (#22) - Luke Witowski (#28)

Garrett Haar (#4) - Matt Tennyson (#7)

Jordan Osterle (#15) - Dennis Brown (#11)

Goalies

Nick Pisellini (#33

Frank Slubowski (#1)

Kris Moore (#35)

Follow me on Twitter for live game updates @gopherstate and this storystream throughout the tournament for updates on the road to Tampa. You can also follow SB Nation Detroit for the Western Michigan perspective and SB Nation's NHL hub for a national college hockey perspective.

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012, Minnesota-Duluth Vs. Maine: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs begin their march to its second straight National Championship Saturday, when they play the Maine Black Bears in the first round of the NCAA Hockey Tournament in Worcester, Ma. (6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports North Plus). The winner of the contest will advance to the tournament's Elite 8 round, where it will play either Boston College Eagles or Air Force Falcons.

Last year, Minnesota-Duluth began its championship run in Bridgeport, Ct. and made it all the way to the Frozen Four, where this year it will be played in Tampa, Fl.

Here's the game's game time, TV schedule and other information:

Location: DCU Center, in Worcester, Ma.

Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. local.

TV information: ESPN 3 or Fox Sports North Plus

Winner faces: Boston College/Air Force winner (4 p.m. ET on ESPNU).

For more on the road to the Frozen Four in Tampa, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament storystream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012, Minnesota Vs. Boston University: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The No. 2 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the No. 3 seed Boston University Terriers in the first round of the NCAA Hockey tournament's West Regional on Saturday afternoon.

The two proud NCAA hockey powers revew their rivalry while looking to advance toward a shot at the Frozen Four. The Terriers have dealt with off-ice issues which has hampered their depth but a strong starting back line has kept them tournament tough. Sophomore defenseman Garrett Noonan is playing at plus-21 for the season with 16 goals. Senior goaltender Kieran Millan boasts a .925 save percentage along with plenty of tournament experience including a national championship as a freshman.

The Gophers also have experience in goal with senior Kent Patterson, one of the WCHA's top goaltenders in both goals against and save percentage. Patterson will likely be raring to go after a poor performance in his last outing, giving up six goals to North Dakota last week. Sophomore forward Nick Bjugstad leads the Gophers on offense, scoring 23 regular-season goals.

The winner will play the winner of the North Dakota vs. Western Michigan game in the regional final on Sunday for a spot in the Frozen Four.

Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul. MN

Game Time: March 24, 4:00 p.m. CT

TV: Fox Sports North Plus/NESN/ESPN3

You can find a full bracket for the NCAA hockey tournament on the official NCAA site.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. For more on the 2012 NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation's NHL hub storystream.

Frozen Four 2012: Minnesota's Kent Patterson Shares Similarities With BU's Millan

One of the big reasons for the Minnesota Golden Gophers' success this season is getting solid goaltending from senior Kent Patterson. They will need something similar to Patterson's fellow Colorado Avalanche prospect (and current BU senior) Kieren Millan in 2009 if Minnesota wants to punch their ticket to Tampa for the Frozen Four.

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012, Western Michigan Vs. North Dakota: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The West Region of the NCAA Hockey tournament begins on Saturday afternoon, with the No. 1 seed North Dakota Fighting Sioux playing the No. 4 seed Western Michigan Broncos.

UND is on a roll entering the tournament after winning the WCHA Tournament with a 4-0 shutout win over Denver. Sophomore forward Brock Nelson, a New York Islanders draft pick, leads the Fighting Sioux with 44 points far this season as UND averages 3.25 goals per game. Junior goaltender Aaron Dell has a 2.64 goals against average while saving better than 90% of opponent's shots.

Sophomore Chase Balisy leads the offense for the Broncos as the Nashville Predators' draft pick has 13 goals and 24 assists on the season. Western Michigan averages 2.85 goals per game but has benefited from a strong penalty killing effort throughout tournament play. Freshman goaltender Frank Slubowski has a 2.03 goals against average and was named CCHA Tournament MVP.

The winner will play either Minnesota of Boston University in the regional final on Sunday for a spot in the Frozen Four.

Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul. MN

Game Time: March 24, 12:30 p.m. CT

TV: Fox Sports North/ESPN3

You can find a full bracket for the NCAA hockey tournament on the official NCAA site.

For more on the 2012 NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation's NHL hub storystream.

PHOTO: North Dakota's NCAA Hockey Tournament Jersey

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012: Minnesota Duluth Continues To Defend Their Title

While many teams would prefer to play close to home, the defending national champions Minnesota Duluth hope the travel involved in this weekend's Northeast Region invokes something similar to last year.

The Bulldogs head to the East Coast for the second consecutive year - last year's championship run began in Bridgeport, Connecticut - and face Maine Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Worcester, Massachusetts. If they win they will face the winner of Boston College-Air Force Sunday for a 2012 Frozen Four berth in Tampa.

Saturday's game will be televised in Minnesota on Fox Sports North Plus.

After beginning this season 1-3 and swept at home by Minnesota, UMD hit their stride and did not lose again until January. They ended the year struggling to find the same consistency but a three-goal comeback against Denver in the WCHA Final Five semifinals before ultimately losing in double overtime showed what the Bulldogs are capable of doing.

This year's Minnesota Duluth team shares similarities to the one that won the school's first national title last year with one of the best offenses in the country. Despite losing Mike Connolly (now with the Colorado Avalanche), Justin Faulk (on the Carolina Hurricanes) and Justin Fontaine (in the Minnesota Wild system), the Bulldogs are tied for the most goals in college hockey and average a nation-leading 3.64 goals per game.

A big reason for their offensive domination has to do with three players crucial to the 2011 championship, Jack Connolly, Travis Oleksuk and J.T. Brown, returning. Each has scored more than 45 points this season, led by Connolly's WCHA leading 58, and he looks to be one of the three Hobey Baker finalists this season.

The Bulldogs also boast goalie Kenny Reiter from last season's team. While Reiter has had his shares of ups and downs this season, he's been an integral player for UMD lately. The last two games Duluth has played have seen the senior make 47 and 45 saves, respectively. He'll be facing another high powered offense or two in Maine and possibly Boston College this weekend so the more Reiter uses the experience learned from being the defending national champion, the better.

Same goes for the rest of Minnesota Duluth team.

For more on the road to the Frozen Four in Tampa, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament storystream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012: Minnesota's Frozen Four Chances Start Close To Home

For a team as steeped in history as the Golden Gopher hockey team, there is not a player on the roster who has played for them in the NCAA Tournament.

It's an odd realization as Minnesota returns to the postseason for the first time since 2008 this weekend as a two seed in West Region. They face Boston University 4 p.m. Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center with the winner playing against the winner of North Dakota-Western Michigan.

The Gophers have lived up to the high expectations of its fanbase this season with a WCHA regular season title, their first since 2007. They began the year 9-1 and the best team in college hockey before coming back down to earth and hitting a rough patch in December and January. Minnesota rallied to finish 26-13-1 but saw their chances to enter the NCAA Tournament on a high note evaporate when they lost to North Dakota 6-3.

One reason for the Gophers' success this season has been their depth. Instead of relying on one line to provide a spark, they have three which can provide offense at any time and six different players have scored more than 30 points and 10 goals. Along with senior goalie Kent Patterson (Colorado Avalanche), who has played nearly every minute this season and leads the nation with seven shutouts, and a revitalized defense coming into his own this season, the team can be a threat at both ends of the ice.

Minnesota also has the advantage of playing this weekend only nine miles away from campus in St. Paul. As the hosts of the West Region, they were guaranteed a spot at the Xcel Energy Center and look to give a pro-Gopher crowd something to cheer about.

After all, it's been a while since they've had the chance to root for Minnesota to go to Frozen Four.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more on the NCAA hockey tournament along with our.2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament storystream.

NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012: North Dakota Looking To Ride Late Season Momentum To Tampa

It seems to be the same story every year but like clockwork, Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol has North Dakota playing their best hockey entering the NCAA Tournament. Despite not having enough healthy forwards to fill out a lineup, they will be the number seed in the West Region this weekend after winning their third consecutive Broadmoor Trophy (awarded to the WCHA conference tournament winner) and look to make the Frozen Four for the sixth time since 2005.

Back in November, that didn't seem possible.

After losing to Bemidji State 1-0 November 20, the Sioux fell to 11^th in the WCHA with a 2-6 record. That was their low point and UND clawed back to finish the regular season in fourth place. Entering the conference tournament not guaranteed a NCAA Tournament berth, North Dakota has now won seven straight games and face Western Michigan in the first round Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in St. Paul.

If they win, UND faces the winner of Minnesota-Boston University, which could mean a potential rematch with the Gophers. The Sioux beat them at the Xcel Energy Center last Friday 6-3 after scoring six consecutive goals.

A big reason for their success has been the high-powered first line of Brock Nelson (New York Islanders), Corban Knight (Florida Panthers) and Danny Kristo (Montreal Canadiens). Nelson has particularly shined as the season has gone on, scoring four goals in three games last weekend with another waived off, and 27 on the season.

In addition, Aaron Dell has been hot lately in goal. During the WCHA Final Five he out-dueled St. Cloud State's Mike Lee (Phoenix Coyotes), kept UND in the game against Minnesota when the offense was non-existent and shut out a powerful Denver team to earn most outstanding player for his efforts.

With the offense clicking as the season goes on and North Dakota once again getting solid goaltending, the Sioux are firing on all cylinders. They've come a long way since November in spite of all obstacles and if the last seven games are any indication, UND is not yet done.

For more on the road to the Frozen Four in Tampa, stick with our 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament storystream. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more NCAA Hockey news.

Frozen Four 2012: Minnesota Game Vs. Boston U To Be Televised After All

There was some concern from Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey fans that they wouldn't be able to see the Gophers play in the Frozen Four against Boston University unless they happened to be at the Xcel Energy Center this weekend. Originally, FSN North was unable to televise the game because the Minnesota Wild game against the Buffalo Sabres had precedent.

Those concerns were laid to rest by Fox Sports North earlier this week, though, when it was announced that FSN North Plus -- an alternate channel to the regular FSN -- would be televising the Minnesota game along with the Minnesota-Duluth and the North Dakota games so that there would be some television coverage of all of the teams in the area.

Before FSN stepped up to the plate, the only places that the game could have been watched were on ESPN3 and on a tape delay on ESPNU.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more on the NCAA hockey tournament.

Frozen Four 2012: Fox Sports North To Broadcast Minnesota, North Dakota Games

One of the frustrating things about the first round of the NCAA Hockey Tournament is that many of the games are aired on ESPN3.com before shown on tape delay. For Minnesota and North Dakota fans who have the majority of their regular season games broadcast on television, it's tough to go from the big screen to a computer screen.

Fortunately, fans in the State of Hockey this weekend can rejoice.

Fox Sports North announced Tuesday morning that they will be broadcasting 3 first-round games Saturday that were destined to be only shown live online. This includes both West Region games from St. Paul - North Dakota - Western Michigan and Minnesota Golden Gophers - Boston University - along with defending national champions Minnesota Duluth facing Maine from Worcester, Massachusetts.

The times and channels are below. North Dakota - Western Michigan will be on Fox Sports North while the Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth games will be on Fox Sports North Plus.

North Dakota vs. Western Michigan -- Saturday March 24, 12:30 p.m. on Fox Sports North

Minnesota vs. Boston University -- Saturday March 24, 4:00 p.m. on Fox Sports North Plus (preceded by a 30 minute pregame show)

Minnesota Duluth vs. Maine -- Saturday March 24, 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports North Plus

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more on the NCAA hockey tournament.

Frozen Four 2012: Brackets Unveiled, Minnesota Faces Boston University In First Round

The road to Tampa for the 2012 Frozen Four has been unveiled and for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, they must go through the Boston University Terriers.

For the first time since 2008, Minnesota is in the NCAA Hockey Tournament. As the West Regional hosts, the #2 seed Gophers will play close to home at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul against #3 seed Boston University Saturday March 24th at 4 p.m. Central. The winner of that game faces the winner of #1 North Dakota and #4 Western Michigan Sunday March 25th at 4:30 p.m. Central for a Frozen Four berth.

Defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth also made the tournament and will play against Maine Saturday March 24th at 6:30 p.m. Central.

Despite the Gophers having home-ice advantage, the West regional is the toughest of the four regions. It features the CCHA tournament winner (Western Michigan), WCHA regular season (Minnesota) and tournament champions (North Dakota) and a Boston University team which spent much of the season in the top-five. Even if they beat the Terriers in the first round, there's a good chance Minnesota will play the last team that beat them, North Dakota.

The other three regionals are in Worcester, Massachusetts (Northeast), Green Bay, Wisconsin (Midwest) and Bridgeport, Connecticut (East). As of right now the West Regional games are aired on tape-delay or online at ESPN3 but there's a chance Fox Sports North picks up the syndication rights.

The full bracket is included below (via College Hockey News).

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also follow Western College Hockey and SB Nation's NHL hub for more on the NCAA hockey tournament.

Frozen Four 2012: Bracket Selection Show For NCAA Hockey Tournament To Be Televised Sunday

The Minnesota Golden Gophers look to join rivals Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota in the 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament Sunday morning when the 16 teams fighting to go to the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla. are announced on ESPNU.