March 25, 2008

The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team earned the top overall seed in the NCAA Championship and will face the Niagara Purple Eagles -- the automatic qualifier from the CHA -- in the opening round of the East Regional, the NCAA Ice Hockey Selection Committee announced Sunday (March 23).

The Wolverines (31-5-4) will take on fourth-seeded Niagara (22-10-4) on Friday (March 28) at the Union Center in Albany, N.Y. The contest is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The winner of the Michigan-Niagara match-up will advance to play the winner of the No. 2 seed St. Cloud State and the No. 3 seed Clarkson game. The East Regional championship contest will take place Saturday (March 29) at 7 p.m. EDT.

The Maize and Blue will be competing in its NCAA-best 18th consecutive NCAA Tournament. Michigan is appearing in its 31st NCAA Tournament overall, which is second-most in the nation. U-M is 44-23 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, leading the nation with nine national titles (1948, '51, '52, '53, '55, '56, '64, '96 and '98).

The contest marks the first time the Wolverines will face off against Niagara in the NCAA Tournament. The teams have met on four occasions overall, with U-M holding a 3-1 advantage over the Purple Eagles. Each recorded a win in a two-game set (Oct. 16-17, 1998) -- Michigan winning the first game 6-5 in overtime and Niagara pulling out the 2-1 win in the second game of the series. Michigan also won 3-0 (Oct. 11, 2002) and 6-2 (Nov. 1, 2003).

Ticket Information
The Michigan Athletics Ticket Office will have tickets for the East Regional available tomorrow only (March 24) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. All-session tickets are $82, and there is a four-ticket limit per person. Purchases can be made in person at the U-M ticket office or by phone by calling (734) 764-0247 or toll-free (866) 296-MTIX (6849). Tickets are also available through the Union Center (800-30-EVENT) or through TicketMaster (www.ticketmaster.com). Tickets can be picked up at the Union Center in Albany.

Television Coverage
ESPNU (DirecTV channel 609) will be airing the Michigan vs. Niagara game live at 7:30 p.m. on Friday (March 28). ESPNU and ESPN Syndication will combine to produce the 12 regional games. ESPN Syndication does not mean that the games will air on ESPN or ESPN2. ESPN Regional Television (Charlotte, N.C.) will handle the production of all 12 regional games. ESPN Syndication (Bristol, Conn.) will clear local cable affiliates and selected regional sports networks throughout the country for the four regional games that are not airing LIVE on ESPNU.

• Bracket (PDF) | Television Schedule