While all eyes are focused on the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball tournaments, college hockey season is entering the back stretch. The women's title was decided on Sunday, with Wisconsin successfully defending its crown in a rematch against Ohio State. The men's title will be decided in two weeks, and we learned which 16 teams have earned the chance to claim immortality.
On Sunday, the NCAA unveiled its tournament bracket, and it features a trio of Hurricanes' prospects who will have a shot to play their way to the Frozen Four. Those three are Jayden Perron (Michigan), Charlie Cerrato (Penn State), and Michael Emerson (Merrimack). In single-elimination games, there is no more important game than the one right in front of them.
Merrimack hopes to turn a miraculous Hockey East title into more
Among the Hurricanes' prospect pool, Michael Emerson is not a household name. The 2023 sixth-round pick and third-year forward began his college career at North Dakota, where he was teammates with Jackson Blake and Jayden Perron. After one year, Emerson transferred to Merrimack, where he has spent the last two years. This season, he recorded nine points in 36 games.
Before the conference tournaments, Merrimack wasn't expected to make the tournament field, needing to win the Hockey East title to have a chance. As the 8th seed, that would be easier said than done. However, the Warriors took down the #1 Providence, #2 UMass, and #3 UConn in the finals to steal a bid, their first since 2023.
As the 4th seed in the Toledo Region, Emerson and Merrimack will open the tournament against his former mates at North Dakota, the #2 team in the country. Should they continue their magical run, they'll either set up a Hockey East tournament semifinal rematch with Providence or a date with recent national champions Quinnipiac.
Two of the Big Ten's best could collide in the Albany regional
Many eyes will be on the Albany Region, headlined by the #1 team in the country, the Michigan Wolverines. On a team full of NHL talent, Jayden Perron put together his best season of college hockey. During his first season in Ann Arbor, Perron nearly doubled his production from last season at North Dakota, ranking third on the team in goals (16) and tied for third in points (34).
The other game in Albany features Charlie Cerrato and Big Ten rival Penn State. The Hurricanes' #5 prospect recently returned from an injury that sidelined him for two months. He recorded 27 points in 20 games, but Cerrato hopes to improve on a good tournament performance a year ago. In three games, Cerrato had five assists as Penn State was eliminated in the Frozen Four.
Michigan will face AHA champion Bentley in the regional semifinal, while Penn State battles Minnesota-Duluth. Should the two win and advance, it'll be a rematch of their semifinal encounter during the Big Ten tournament, a 5-2 win for the Wolverines. The NCAA tournament kicks off on Thursday, with the regionals lasting through the weekend before the Frozen Four starts on April 9.