The 2011 NCAA Hockey Tournament comes to a conclusion on Saturday night when the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines face off against the No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. This will be a nationally televised game on ESPN at 5:00 p.m. MT. If you can't get to a TV but have access to ESPN3.com that is the alternative.
How Michigan Got Here
The Michigan Wolverines entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the West region and faced the No. 3 Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in the first round. The Wolverines overcame a two-goal deficit in the first period to win in overtime, 3-2. In the second round, they faced No. 4 Colorado College, who had just knocked off defending champs and No. 1 seed Boston College, 8-4. The CC Tigers played a tough game, but Michigan prevailed with the 2-1 victory. In the Frozen Four, Michigan sent home No. 1 North Dakota with a 2-0 victory. Michigan will play for its 10th NCAA Hockey championship.
How Minnesota-Duluth Got Here
The Bulldogs opened the tournament with a 2-0 victory over the No. 2 Union Dutchmen and gained the right to play the tournament's No. 1 overall seed in the Yale Bulldogs (who needed overtime to beat the Air Force Falcons). Duluth pulled out a 5-3 victory over Yale to advance to the Frozen Four. They defeated No. 3 Notre Dame, 4-3, to advance to the championship game. This will be the Bulldogs' second appearance in the championship game, having lost to Bowling Green in 1984, 5-4 4OT.
Remaining Schedule
April 9
No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs vs. No. 2 Michigan Wolverines, 5:00 p.m. MT, ESPN/ESPN3.com