Loaded field for hockey regional
BC vs. Notre Dame, BU vs. St. Cloud State on Saturday in Albany
The field is set for the 2021 NCAA Ice Hockey Regional on Saturday and Sunday at Times Union Center.
Boston College of Hockey East, St. Cloud State of the National College Hockey Conference, Boston University of Hockey East, and Notre Dame of the Big Ten were assigned to Albany via a selection show televised Sunday night by ESPNU.
Top-seeded Boston College (17-5-1) will face No. 4 Notre Dame (14-13-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday. The second semifinal has second-seeded St. Cloud State (17-10-0) against No. 3 Boston University (10-4-1) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Both games will be televised live on ESPNEWS.
The championship game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2.
“I love the brand-name schools,” Boston College’s Jerry York, the winningest active coach in NCAA hockey, said on a Hockey East Zoom call. “Your focus is even more when you play Notre Dame.”
Before the selections were announced, ECAC champion St. Lawrence withdrew from NCAA consideration because of a positive COVID -19 test result. Quinnipiac, the regular-season champion that lost the title game in overtime, was granted the ECAC automatic berth.
St. Lawrence’s withdrawal allowed Notre Dame to get into the field.
“We were probably the last team in,” coach Jeff Jackson said. “Maybe Omaha was, but from what I heard on the television broadcast, we were. I feel for (St. Lawrence coach) Brett Brekke. I’ve known him from the time he was at Miami, and I was glad to see him get a job up at St. Lawrence. I was excited for him, but not happy that St. Lawrence won, to be honest with you. We needed all the favorite to win, and that didn’t happen.”
It is the first time since 2016 that Albany has been a regional site. The downtown arena was scheduled to have a 2020 regional, but that was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up to 1,392 fans — 10 percent of the arena’s hockey capacity — will be permitted to attend in what will be Times Union Center’s first spectator event since a Casting Crowns concert on March 8, 2020.
This weekend’s winner will advance to the Frozen Four on
April 8-10 in Pittsburgh. The other NCAA regionals are in Bridgeport, Conn.; Fargo, N.D., and Loveland, Colo.
As it readies for its meeting with St. Cloud State, Boston U. comes in as the NCAA team having played the fewest games (15). Because of COVID pauses —for them and some opponents — the Terriers didn’t start playing until Jan. 8. They haven’t played since March 14 after a first-round loss to Umass-lowell in the Hockey East playoffs.
“It was difficult,” coach Albie O’connell said. “Our school did a good job of putting us in the best situation to play and staying healthy. From our president to our administration, they didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.”
This will be the 14th time Albany has been a host site for NCAA hockey, including twice for the Frozen Four. NCAA regionals also have been awarded to Albany for 2022 and 2026.
Jackson and York both have fond memories of Times Union Center. Jackson was head coach of Lake Superior State in 1992 when the Lakers won the NCAA title at the arena. York coached BC to the championship in 2001, the only other time the Frozen Four was held in Albany.
“It will bring back memories to go back to Albany,” Jackson said.
Albany originally was not in line for a 2021 regional, but Manchester, N.H., dropped out in February, and Times Union Center general manager Bob Belber put up a successful bid.
All-session tickets, priced at $50 apiece, for the Albany regional are on sale through Ticketmaster. They will be sold in two-person pods, and all pods will be a minimum of 9 feet apart to abide by New York State guidelines established because of the COVID -19 pandemic.