UMD draws Maine in NCAA opener

The University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey team begins its NCAA national title defense Saturday when the Bulldogs open play in the NCAA Northeast Regional. UMD (24-19-6), the region's No. 2 seed, will square off with the third-seeded Black Bears from the University of Maine (23-13-3) at 6:30 p.m. (CDT) at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.

No. 1 seed Boston College (29-10-1) and No. 4 Air Force (21-10-7) will clash in the other semifinal Saturday afternoon with the championship game set for 7 p.m. Sunday. The entire Northeast Regional will be carried on ESPNU HD/ESPN3.com, although the two semifinal games will be tape-delayed on ESPNU HD.

The NCAA tournament berth is the eighth-ever for the Bulldogs and third in the past four years. UMD qualified for the NCAA postseason in 2010-11 (when it captured the school's first NCAA championship), in 2008-09 (quarterfinal round) and in 2003-04 (NCAA Frozen our semifinals) under current head coach Scott Sandelin as well as in 1992-93 (quarterfinal round), 1984-85 (NCAA Frozen Four third place), 1983-84 (NCAA Frozen Four runner-up) and 1982-83 (quarterfinal round). UMD has compiled a 13-8 lifetime record in the NCAA tournament and 7-2 since Sandelin's arrival.

UMD has faced Maine just eight times previously -- with the last coming on Dec. 27, 2005 in the opening round of the Florida College Hockey Classic (a 4-1 UMD win) -- and never in the postseason. The Bulldogs and Black Bears had four common opponents during the 2011-12 season, including Providence College (UMD was 1-0-1; Maine was 2-1), the University of Alabama-Huntsville (both teams were 2-0) and the University of North Dakota (UMD was 1-1; Maine was 0-1-1).

Lifetime against the Northeast Regional field, the Bulldogs are a collective 12-13-1 -- 5-3 vs. Maine, 4-10-1 vs. Boston College and 3-0 vs. Air Force.

The NCAA Frozen Four is set for April 5 and 7 in Tampa, Fla.

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