Michigan hockey draws No. 1 overall seed in NCAA Tournament
Mel Pearson’s Michigan hockey team will enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. The Wolverines, coming off a Big Ten Tournament championship game win at Minnesota, will face American International College Friday at 3 p.m in Allentown, Pa.
RELATED: Michigan hockey beats Minnesota for Big Ten Tournament title
AIC will make its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the American Hockey Association Tournament.
Michigan last played in the NCAA Tourney in 2018, when it lost to Notre Dame in the Frozen Four. The Wolverines, a No. 2 seed a year ago, had to withdraw last year hours before their first scheduled game due to COVID-19 protocols.
This year marks the third time Michigan has been a one seed since the tournament expanded to 16 teams in 2003 and the first time overall since 2009. The Wolverines’ only previous time as the No. 1 overall seed came in 2008. That team also lost to the Fighting Irish in the Frozen Four, dropping a 5-4 decision.
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The Wolverines picked up their 39th NCAA Tournament, tied for the most in NCAA history. They hold a 53-30 record in the tourney, including a record nine national championships. The last two came under head coach Red Berenson back in 1996 and 1998.
No. 2 seed Quinnipiac will face No. 3 seed St. Cloud State in the other matchup in the region.
U-M has amassed 25 Frozen Four appearances, tied with Boston College for most ever. They made 10 consecutive appearances from 1948-57, and the Wolverines’ 22 consecutive appearances from 1991-2012 is the longest streak ever.
Michigan boasts 13 NHL draft picks on the roster, including an NCAA record seven first-rounders, and has been on a tear since the beginning of the year. The Wolverines are 15-3 since Jan. 1, led by Hobey Baker Award top-10 finalists in sophomore forward Matty Beniers and freshman defenseman Luke Hughes.
