UND to play Michigan in first round of NCAA tournament
Mar. 24—GRAND FORKS — The last time UND won an NCAA national championship, it had to go through Michigan in the regional.
If UND wants to hang a ninth national title banner this year, it will have to do it again.
The Fighting Hawks, a No. 2 seed, will take on Michigan, a No. 3 seed, in the first round of the NCAA tournament at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Maryland Heights, Mo. The game will be carried by ESPNU.
The other teams in the regional, top-seeded Michigan State and fourth-seeded Western Michigan, will play at 4 p.m. Friday.
The regional final is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
The arena, the Centene Community Ice Center, is the St. Louis Blues practice facility. It seats 2,500.
The Wolverines (21-14-3) finished fourth in the Big Ten regular-season standings and lost to Michigan State 5-4 in overtime in the Big Ten playoff championship game Saturday night.
Michigan is led by Big Ten Player of the Year Gavin Brindley, who has 51 points in 37 games. Rutger McGroarty, a first-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets, has 52 points in 33 games this season.
Michigan's other prolific players include defenseman Seamus Casey (45 points), forward Dylan Duke (44), forward T.J. Hughes (44) and first-round Chicago Blackhawks pick Frank Nazar III (39).
The Wolverines' goaltender is Canisius transfer Jacob Barczewski (.907 save percentage).
Michigan has the No. 2-ranked offense, averaging 4.22 goals per game, and the NCAA's No. 1-ranked power play, converting at 35.3 percent.
The matchup also will feature UND defenseman Keaton Pehrson going against his old team. Pehrson was on Michigan's 2022 and 2023 NCAA Frozen Four squads.
The last four meetings between UND and Michigan have come in the NCAA tournament.
In 2016, the Fighting Hawks beat Michigan 5-2 in the Cincinnati Regional final. UND went on to win the program's eighth NCAA title a couple of weeks later in Tampa.
That game was tied 2-2 in the third period. Rhett Gardner and Coltyn Sanderson scored back-to-back goals to give UND the lead for good.
"That 2016 team was special with that (Nick) Schmaltz, (Brock) Boeser and (Drake) Caggiula line," UND coach Brad Berry said on ESPN's selection show Sunday night. "They drove our team. I feel this year we have an equally as good team, but I feel we have a lot more depth when you look at all four lines, our defense group, our goaltenders. I think the strength of our team this year is our depth."
In 2011, Michigan beat UND 2-0 in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals in St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center. The Wolverines lost to Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA national championship game.
In 2007, UND beat Michigan 8-5 in a back-and-forth regional opener in Denver's Pepsi Center. The next day, UND beat Minnesota in overtime to clinch a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis.
The Fighting Hawks lost to Boston College in the national semifinal that season, which marked the last time UND played a game in Missouri.
In 2006, UND beat the Wolverines 5-1 in the regional opener in Ralph Engelstad Arena. UND went on to reach the NCAA Frozen Four that season, defeating Holy Cross in the regional final.
Michigan State vs. Western Michigan, 4 p.m. Friday, ESPNU
North Dakota vs. Michigan, 7:30 p.m. Friday, ESPNU
Regional final: 5:30 p.m. Sunday, ESPNU
Boston College vs. Michigan Tech, 1 p.m. Friday, ESPNU
Wisconsin vs. Quinnipiac, 4:30 p.m. Friday, ESPNEWS
Regional final: 3 p.m. Sunday, ESPNU
BU vs. RIT, 4 p.m. Thursday, ESPNU
Minnesota vs. Omaha, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPNU
Regional final: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU
Denver vs. UMass, 1 p.m. Thursday, ESPN2
Maine vs. Cornell, 4:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPNEWS
Regional final: 3 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU
