NCAA regional returning to Bridgeport

The NCAA Division I men’s hockey regional will be returning to Bridgeport, as the NCAA announced that Webster Bank Arena will be one of the sites for the 2023 tournament.

The NCAA also announced UConn will host the 2022 Division I field hockey Final Four. Also, Trinity College will host the 2024 Division III men’s hockey semifinals and championship game as well as 2023 Division III women’s basketball quarterfinal and semifinal games and the 2025 Division III field hockey Final Four.

It was previously announced that Yale is set to host a Division I men’s golf regional in 2022, and Rentschler Field in Easter Hartford will host Division I, II and III men’s lacrosse championships in 2021 and 2022.

Webster Bank Arena is also hosting the NCAA women’s basketball regional in 2022. And the 2021 NCAA men’s hockey East Regional is set to be played at the Bridgeport arena from Mar. 26-27.

Bridgeport has a history as an NCAA hockey site. From 2009-2018, Webster Bank hosted five NCAA men’s hockey tournaments: In the 2009 East Regional, Vermont advanced to the Frozen Four with overtime win over Air Force; in 2011 Minnesota-Duluth topped Yale in the regional final; Union topped UMass Lowell in Bridgeport to reach the 2012 Frozen Four; two years later, Union defeated Providence en route to winning the national title; and most recently, Notre Dame defeated Providence in the 2018 East Regional final.

Connecticut has also hosted NCAA women’s hockey. Quinnipiac’s People United Center was the site for the 2019 Women’s Frozen

Four, with Wisconsin topping Minnesota 2-0 in the national championship game. Quinnipiac also hosted the 2014 event, as Clarkson beat Minnesota 5-4 to win the national title

The 2021 men’s Frozen Four will be held in Pittsburgh, where Yale topped Quinnipiac in the national title game. Boston’s TD Garden will be the site of the 2022 event.

The 2021 Women’s Frozen Four is in Erie, PA with the 2022 event at Penn State.