The Wisconsin Badger men’s hockey team was awarded a number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament’s East Regional and will face Bemidji State (15-9-3) in the opening round on Friday at noon at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The Badgers (20-9-1) are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. They’re 7-0 all-time against the Beavers.
It’s also the first ever NCAA tournament appearance for Badger coach Tony Granato, either as a coach or a player.
Massachusetts (16-5-4) and Lake Superior State (19-6-3) meet in the other regional semifinal with the winners to meet for the championship at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The winner there will head to the 2021 Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on April 8 and 10.
The Big Ten landed four teams in the 16-team tournament field. Minnesota (23-6-0) also landed a top seed. Michigan and Notre Dame are the other Big Ten teams in the tournament.
North Dakota is the top overall seed. Boston College also earned a number-one seed.