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.
