NCAA tournament preview: Gophers, Bulldogs both Frozen Four favorites

Published Mar. 22, 2017 3:34 p.m. ET

Ryan Lund

The NCAA tournament is here, and after some late-season struggles in the State of Hockey, just two Minnesota teams will advance.

Minnesota Duluth heads to Fargo and a regional draw that features NCHC rival North Dakota, star-studded Boston University and surprise at-large squad Ohio State.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Gophers are off to Manchester, where their path to the Frozen Four goes through Notre Dame, UMass-Lowell and Cornell.

Check out a breakdown of both regionals below, as well as our picks for the winners.

WEST REGIONAL -- FARGO

Minnesota Duluth (1) vs. Ohio State (4)

A No. 1 seed, UMD enters the tourney on a five-game winning streak after knocking off North Dakota in a ferocious NCHC championship game. First up for the Bulldogs is a matchup with a Buckeyes squad that will be without its top defenseman, Josh Healey, in the first round. Healey was suspended for contact to the head in the closing moments of Ohio State's 2-1 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten semifinals. The Buckeyes have few big wins on their resume, but proved that they can hang with the nation's top teams after splitting their season series with Minnesota. Healey was a factor in both wins, registering three of his 25 points. The Buckeyes rank second in the nation at 3.97 goals per game thanks to sophomore Mason Jobst, who has 55 points.

Boston University (2) vs. North Dakota (3)

UND appears to be rounding into form after an up-and-down season. They shut out top-seeded Denver over the weekend thanks to a friendly bounce and some big saves by goaltender Cam Johnson. The Fighting Hawks' offense runs through first-round picks Brock Boeser and Tyson Jost, who factored into all four of their goals in the NCHC tournament, but their lack of scoring depth will be put to the test against the Terriers. Top defenseman Tucker Poolman's status is up in the air after the junior left the NCHC title game with an injury, a fact that BU is primed to exploit with a whopping four first-round picks on their roster. Freshman Clayton Keller leads the Terriers with 42 points in 29 games, while goaltender Jake Oettinger has a .927 save percentage.

OUR PICK: Minnesota Duluth

Described as the "regional of death" from the moment it was announced, Duluth heads to hostile Fargo following their fiery showdown with UND in the NCHC title game. Still, the Bulldogs should be able to overcome a suspect Ohio State squad in the first round. BU has been inconsistent despite their obvious talent, while UMD has now beaten North Dakota five times this season. They should be able to do it a sixth time despite the partisan crowd.

NORTHEAST REGIONAL -- MANCHESTER

Minnesota (1) vs. Notre Dame (4)

Minnesota stumbled in the Big Ten tournament, and heads east despite earning a No. 1 seed. Head coach Don Lucia's squad is stocked with scoring talent, including Big Ten Player of the Year Tyler Sheehy, who leads the team with 53 points. But while the Gophers can run and gun with the best of them, the back end remains a serious concern. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren is out for the season after suffering an injury in the Gophers' regular-season finale, while goaltender Eric Schierhorn has a troubling .908 save percentage despite logging five shutouts. The Irish have firepower of their own in the form of Anders Bjork, who has 47 points in 36 games, but goaltender Cal Peterson could be the deciding factor after posting a .928 save percentage to this point.

UMass-Lowell (2) vs. Cornell (3)

The RiverHawks are rolling again after capturing the Hockey East title, and are the only team in the tournament packing two 50-point scorers. Senior Joe Gambardella (51 points) and junior C.J. Smith (50 points) are No. 10 and No. 11 in the nation in scoring, and lead an offense that ranks No. 6 in the nation at 3.69 goals per game. They're likely to give Cornell goaltender Mitch Gillam all he can handle. The senior's .921 save percentage is impressive, but after scoring just 99 total goals this season, Cornell will need him to be.

OUR PICK: The Gophers' overwhelming offense should be enough to get them through a difficult regional, even with Peterson and the Irish standing in the way. Schierhorn allowed three goals but made a whopping 59 saves in Minnesota's loss to Penn State in the Big Ten semifinals, and should be able to hold serve against Notre Dame. Lowell remains an issue on the others side of the bracket, but Sheehy and the Gophers have the firepower to advance regardless.