MU icers top seed for NCAA tourney

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By John Boyle, Staff Writer Updated 4:23 PM Sunday, March 21, 2010

OXFORD — Reaching the NCAA Tournament is becoming routine for the Miami University hockey team.

The RedHawks are part of the 16-team field for the fifth straight season and for the sixth time in the last seven years. This time, though, there’s a twist.

The RedHawks, who reached the Frozen Four championship game last season, were tabbed as the top overall seed for the first time when the field was announced Sunday, March 21.

Miami (27-7-7) will face the University of Alabama-Huntsville (12-17-1) at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 27, in the Midwest Regional at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

“We’re obviously very excited to the No. 1 overall seed. It’s a credit to the team and what they did all season,” said Miami coach Enrico Blasi, who gathered with his team and Miami fans at Brick Street Bar and Grill for the NCAA Tournament selection show.

“But now it’s anybody’s game. It’s 16 teams for a national championship.”

Alabama-Huntsville is the most unlikely entrant in the 16-team field. UAH won the College Hockey America conference tournament and earned an automatic bid. The four-team CHA is folding after this season. Bemidji State, Robert Morris and Niagara found new conferences, while UAH will play as an independent next season.

The Chargers are the only Division I program south of the Mason-Dixon Line and the only team in the NCAA Tournament with a losing record.

UAH is led by goaltender Cameron Talbot, who was the MVP of the CHA Tournament. He made 43 saves in the Chargers’ 3-2 win over Niagara in the CHA championship game. “Their goaltender is very strong and they’re very strong up the middle,” Blasi said.

Bemidji State (23-13-5) and Michigan (25-17-1) will meet in the other Midwest Regional contest in Ft. Wayne. The regional title game is at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 28.

The RedHawks beat Bemidji State last season in the Frozen Four semifinals and lost to the Beavers earlier this season. Miami swept Michigan in a two-game road series earlier this season and lost to the Wolverines last week in the CCHA Tournament semifinals.

“Everyone is playing their best hockey when the postseason comes around,” said Miami co-captain Tommy Wingels, a junior. “What you did in the regular season really doesn’t matter and what you did in the CCHA Tournament doesn’t really matter. It’s all about the NCAA Tournament.”

The three other No. 1 seeds went to Denver (East Regional), Wisconsin (West Regional) and Boston College (Northeast Regional).

Two other CCHA teams — Alaska and Northern Michigan — also are in the field.