DU Pioneers hockey starts NCAA Tournament in New England

The University of Denver (DU) Pioneers men's hockey team will compete in the NCAA Tournament in New England for the third consecutive year. They will face Providence in the opening round on Friday at 3:30 p.m. MDT. The game will take place at SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Pioneers, who are the defending national champions, have a record of 29 wins, 11 losses, and 1 overtime loss this season. They will need to overcome tough competition to repeat as champions. Boston College, the tournament's top seed, is also in their regional, along with Bentley and Providence. The Pioneers lost their recent conference championship game to Western Michigan in double overtime. Despite this setback, DU has been selected for the tournament as an at-large team. Last year, they entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and made an impressive run, winning the national title. Head coach David Carle emphasized that their difficult draw does not intimidate the team. Many key players from last year's championship roster, including goaltender Matt Davis and Hobey Baker finalists Jack Devine and Zeev Buium, are back to help the team succeed. The Pioneers aim to become the first team to win back-to-back national titles since 2019 and could also achieve their third championship in four years. They have a strong NCAA Tournament history, with 44 wins and a notable record in recent years. Other regions feature teams like Michigan State and Maine as top seeds.