Michigan Receives NCAA No. 1 Overall Seed, Headed to Allentown to Face AIC
3/20/2022 6:48:00 PM | Ice Hockey
• NCAA Bracket: Interactive | Printable
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament as announced Sunday (March 20) on the NCAA Selection Show. Michigan (29-9-1) will take on No. 4 seed American International (22-12-3) in the Allentown (Pa.) Regional at 3 p.m. Friday (March 25) at PPL Center and on ESPNU.
No. 2 seed Quinnipiac (31-6-3) and No. 3 seed St. Cloud State (18-14-3) will meet in the other regional semifinal. The Allentown Regional's two semifinal winners will play on Sunday (March 27) for a spot in the Frozen Four, scheduled for April 7 and 9 in Boston.
This is the fourth time Michigan has been a one seed since the tournament was expanded to 16 teams in 2003 and the first time as a No. 1 since 2012. The Wolverines' only previous time as the No. 1 overall seed came in 2008.
An automatic NCAA entry by virtue of winning the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan earns the program's 39th bid to the NCAA Tournament, tied for the most in NCAA history. The Wolverines boast a 53-30 record in the NCAA Tournament, including a record nine national championships.
Michigan has been ranked in the top 10 all season, reaching No. 1 on two occasions. The Wolverines finished second in the Big Ten Conference standings and earned the No. 2 seed in the league tournament. En route to its second Big Ten Tournament title, Michigan topped Michigan State 4-1 and 8-0 in the quarterfinal series, defeated Notre Dame 2-1 in the semifinal round, and won 4-3 at Minnesota in the championship game Saturday (March 19).
Michigan NCAA Tournament Notes
• This is Michigan's 39th NCAA Tournament appearance, tied for the most with Minnesota.
• Michigan has a 53-30 (.639) all-time record in the NCAA Tournament.
• Michigan was the No. 1 overall seed in 2008 and was the fourth No. 1 seed in 2009 and 2012. Michigan has been a No. 2 seed in 2004, '05, '07, '11, '16, '18 and '21.
• The Wolverines have not played in an NCAA Tournament game since an April 5, 2018 meeting vs. Notre Dame in the Frozen Four
• Mel Pearson is one of 18 coaches that have taken two programs to the Frozen Four.
• U-M has 25 Frozen Four appearances, tied for the most with Boston College. That includes a stretch of 10 consecutive appearances from 1948-57.
• Michigan owns nine national championships, most in Division I ice hockey (1948, '51, '52, '53, '55, '56, '64, '96, '98). The last national title came in 1998 when U-M defeated Boston College 3-2 in overtime.
• The Wolverines have made 12 championship game appearances (1948, '51, '52, '53, '55, '56, '57, '64, '77, '96, '98, 2011).
• Michigan's 22 consecutive tournaments made from 1991-2012 is the longest streak ever.
• Former Michigan coach Vic Heyliger's six championships are the most of any coach, and his 10 consecutive Frozen Four appearances are double the next-longest streak of consecutive Frozen Fours by a coach.
• Former coach Red Berenson made 23 tournament appearances, second all-time among coaches.
