BU tabbed as top seed for NCAA hockey tournament

Mar 22, 2009 - 3:58 PM BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) -- Hockey East champion Boston University on Sunday was chosen as the top seed for the NCAA Division I tournament that begins next weekend.

The Terriers (31-6-4) were sent to the Northeast Regional in Manchester, New Hampshire and will face Ohio State in the first round Friday. Host New Hampshire takes on North Dakota in the other regional matchup.

Other No. 1 seeds in the 16-team tournament were awarded to CCHA champion Notre Dame (31-5-2), WCHA winner Denver (23-11-5) and Michigan (29-11-0), which earned at-large berth after falling to the Fighting Irish, 5-2, in the CCHA finals.

In the East Region, to be played at Bridgeport, Connecticut, Michigan battles Atlantic Hockey winner Air Force and ECAC champion and host Yale meets Vermont.

In the Midwest Region at Grand Rapids, Michigan, host Notre Dame opens against Bemidji State and Cornell gets a contest against Northeastern.

In the West Region at Minneapolis, Denver faces Miami Ohio and host Minnesota-Duluth entertains Princeton.

The "Frozen Four" is set for the Verizon Center in Washington on April 9-11. Defending champion Boston College, which beat Notre Dame, 4-1, in last year's title game, did not qualify for the tournament.