The University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will return to the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time in program history this week when it travels to Albany, N.Y. to face Penn State University Friday night at the MVP Arena in the 8:00 CT second NCAA Regional Semifinal game.

 

"It's a good bracket," said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin, who currently sits on the NCAA Selection Committee. "Obviously, no matter where you play this time of the year, it's good, so I think our guys will be looking forward to playing Penn State. It's a tough bracket but a good bracket." 

 

UMD (23-14-1), which is the regions No. 2 seed and the No. 3 Nittany Lions (21-13-2) will meet in the second semifinal after the opening game with the top-seeded University of Michigan (29-7-1) and Bentley (23-11-5) colliding in the first game at 4:30 pm CT. UMD's semifinal round match-up with PSU will air on ESPN2.

 

This will be the first meeting in program history between the Bulldogs and Nittany Lions. Of note, since the NCAA went to a regional format in 1987-88, UMD has been a perfect 12-0 in first-round games. This also marks the first time UMD has played a regional in Albany.

 

The NCAA Tournament berth is the 16th ever for UMD. The Bulldogs last qualified for NCAA postseason in the 2021-22 season, advancing to the Regional Final after defeating Michigan Tech University before losing to the University of Denver 2-1 in Loveland, Colo. In 2020-21, UMD clinched a spot in its sixth NCAA Frozen Four, falling to the University of Massachusetts 3-2 in overtime. In 2018-19, UMD claimed the school's third national title (second-straight and a third-straight NCAA West Regional crown), in 2017-18, the Bulldogs were able to snatch the school's second national title, in 2016-17 (advancing to the NCAA Frozen Four championship game), in 2015-16 (quarterfinal round in Worcester, Mass.), 2014-15 (quarterfinal round in Manchester, N.H.), 2012-13 (quarterfinal round in Worcester), 2010-11(won their first NCAA championship), 2008-09 (quarterfinal round in Minneapolis, Minn.) and 2003-04 (Frozen Four semifinal) under current head coach Scott Sandelin as well as in 1992-93 (quarterfinal round in Detroit), 1984-85 (Frozen Four third place in Detroit), 1983-84 (Frozen Four runner-up in Lake Placid) and 1982-83 (quarterfinal round in Providence, R.I.). UMD has compiled a 30-14-0 lifetime record in the NCAA Tournament and a 24-8-0 mark since Sandelin's arrival in 2000-01.

The 2026 NCAA Frozen Four will be played in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 9 & 11, 2026 in T-Mobile Arena.