COVID ousts Notre Dame
Boston College moves on to regional final at Times Union Center
The last team to get into the NCAA Ice Hockey Championship was the first to be eliminated.
Notre Dame was forced to withdraw Thursday from the East Regional at Times Union Center because of positive COVID -19 test results within the team’s Tier I personnel.
The Fighting Irish, who arrived in Albany on Wednesday, were scheduled to meet Boston College at 1 p.m. Saturday. Ironically, Notre Dame (14-13-1) got into the field Sunday when St. Lawrence had to withdraw because coach Brent Brekke tested positive a day after winning the ECAC championship.
“It’s an unfortunate situation, and I feel for our guys, especially our seniors,” Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said in a statement. “The team was excited about returning to the NCAA tournament and ready to continue competing after earning the opportunity. But with the multiple positives and subsequent contact tracing, it became clear that for the safety of our team and the others in the tournament we could not proceed.”
As a result, Boston College (17-5-1), the top seed in the regional and No. 2 overall seed, automatically advances to the championship game Sunday against the winner of Saturday’s game between St. Cloud State and Boston University. That game, originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m., has been moved into the 1 p.m. Saturday slot and will air on ESPNEWS.
According to Notre Dame, after losing March 14 in the opening round of its conference tournament the team remained in Big Ten testing protocols through Saturday. The Irish then began additional PCR testing on campus. All told, according to the school, the team went through seven rounds of testing in the seven days leading up to its Wednesday departure for Albany.
“The NCAA and the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee
regret that, because of COVID -19 protocols, Notre Dame’s student-athletes and coaching staff will not be able to play in a tournament in which they earned the right to participate,” the NCAA statement read. “The Notre Dame-boston College game scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, will now be considered a no-contest, and therefore, Boston College will advance to the next round of the tournament. This decision was made in consultation with the Albany County Public Health Department and the NCAA Medical Advisory Group. Because of privacy issues, we cannot provide further details.”
A Times Union Center spokeswoman said the arena is waiting for word on the NCAA on ticket refunds. The regional was sold solely as a three-game package, and attendance is limited to 1,392 fans per game because of the state’s COVID -19 protocols.
Albany County Executive Dan Mccoy also released a statement: “It is disappointing that hockey fans won’t be able to see
Notre Dame play Boston College in what would have been an exciting match. However, this is an example that COVID -19 has not gone away, and testing needs to continue. I sympathize with Notre Dame players, alumni and fans who have seen their quest for a championship end this way. They have successfully made 12 NCAA tournament appearances, and we look forward to seeing them play at the Times Union Center in the years to come.”