Alaska Nanooks Earn First NCAA D1 Hockey Tournament Appearance In Program History

Alaska Nanooks Earn First NCAA D1 Hockey Tournament Appearance In Program History

[NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Bracket] [NCAA Northeast Regional Tournament Central]

FAIRBANKS, AK - The No. 18 Alaska Nanooks men's hockey team made history Sunday morning as they earned the No. 4 seed (13th overall) in the NCAA Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass. via an at-larger birth good for their first ever NCAA Division I tournament appearance.  Alaska will face the No. 1 seed Boston College (fourth overall) on Saturday, March 27 at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass at 9:30 a.m. Alaska Time.

It is the Blue and Gold's first time making the NCAA men's hockey tournaments since it became a Division I program during the 1984-85 season. Alaska had previously participated in two of the NCAA Division II tournaments during the early 1980s. Alaska played in the quarterfinals of the 1982-83 Division II national tournament to St. Thomas College (MN) and then made it to the semifinals the next year, before losing to Bemidji State.

The Nanooks enter the tournament having sat idle for a week after being swept by Northern Michigan two weekends ago in Marquette, Mich. during the second round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

Alaska is 18-11-9 overall this season and is seeking its first NCAA tournament win.

The other semifinal matchup in the NCAA Northeast Regional features No. 2 seed North Dakota and No. 4 seed Yale playing at 1 p.m. AKT. Both of Saturday's Northeast Regional games can be watched online at espn360.com and Alaska's game against the Eagles will be tape delayed on ESPNU on Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m. AKT.

The winner of the Alaska-Boston College game will face the winner of the North Dakota- Yale contest at 1:30 p.m. AKT on Sunday, March 28. That Northeast Regional's championship will air live on ESPNU. Any of Alaska's games during the two-day regional tournament will also be radio broadcast live on KSUA 91.5 FM and streamed online at http://ksua.uaf.edu/.

Fans interested in purchasing tickets in the “Alaska” section of the DCU Center to watch the Nanooks game against the Eagles can contact the Alaska Athletics Ticket Office at 907-474-5977. A block of seats in section 125 is being held until 4 p.m. Alaska Time on Wednesday, March 24. The cost of the All-Session Ticket Package is $85 and allows entry to all three of the NE Regional games.

After Wednesday's deadline, fans wishing to purchase all-session tickets from this block of seats can call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or logon to www.ticketmaster.com.

The College of the Holy Cross is hosting the NE Regional and has set up a tournament central website with the complete schedule as well as information on the participating teams, tickets, directions and other related links at the following URL: http://www.goholycross.com/sports/m-hockey/2009-10/files/2010-ncaa.
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