Half of the top 8 teams in the NPI are NCHC teams. 1 NoDak, 4 WMU, 5 Denver, 8 UMD. Not ideal for avoiding Denver at "home".

NCHC goes chalk on the first day. NoDak 5, UNO 3; DU 3, MU 0; WMU 5, CC 2; UMD 4, SCSU 3(ot).

Final Colorado College 2 Western Michigan 5 Western takes game 1 in the NCHC tourney!

CC has an empty net again.

Grant with an empty net! 5-2 Broncos!

CC empty net.

Hammer stops a 2 on 1. 5ish left.

Quite uneventful over the last bit. 6ish left 4-2 Western.

Timeout Broncos.

Spicer!!!! 4-2 Broncos! PPG!

Never want to see it. Mbereko hurt and coming out of the game.

CC takes an extra penalty for jawing at the refs.

3rd period underway.

End 2 CC 2 WMU 3

Whitelaw!!! 3-2 Broncos!

Ice is tilted against the Broncos.

Tied game.

CC scores. 2-1 Broncos.

2nd go!

End 1 Colorado College 0 Western Michigan 2 SOG WMU 21-5

Szydlowski!! 2-0 Broncos!

GRANT! 1-0 Broncos PPG!

Second ugly hit on Wisdom. This time it is called.

Sog 16-3 for the Broncos. Still scoreless with about 5min left in the first.

Broncos with all the early pressure. 13 min left on the first.

Game on!

Lines for game 1.

Broncos vs Tigers in Game 1 starting soon!

Plenty of tickets available for this weekend's QF against CC. Spring Break for the Lunatics means this weekend is your best chance to see Lawson before next season's farewell.

Plenty of tickets available for this weekend's QF against CC. Spring Break for the Lunatics means this weekend is your best chance to see Lawson before next season's farewell.

NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year finalists Tyson Gross, St. Cloud State Dylan James, North Dakota Owen Michaels, Western Michigan

NCHC Sportsmanship Award finalists Blake Mesenburg, Miami Grant Slukynsky, Western Michigan Trevor Wong, Omaha

NCHC Media Excellence Award finalists Jim Erickson, St. Cloud State TV/radio Robin Hook, Western Michigan radio Matt Wellens, Duluth News Tribune

NCHC Goaltender of the Year finalists Matteo Drobac, Miami Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan Jan Špunar, North Dakota

Born on this date Andy Murray, Western Michigan (167-156-43, 2011-21) Jax Wismer (Vermont) Bob Kudelski, Yale (78-80--158, 1983-87) For a lot more 'On This Date,' check out https://www.collegehockeynews.com/almanac/on-this-date.php

The #FrozenFaceoff field is set‼️ Best-of-3 Quarterfinals begin Friday at campus sites across #theNational 😤 🏆ℹ️&🎟️: NCHChockey.com/FrozenFaceoff

Western Michigan will face Colorado College in the first round of the NCHC playoffs. And here I thought we were done with Mbereko.

VALENTE!!!!! From Michaels! BRONCOS WIN 4-3!

Haven't won an ot faceoff. Not ideal.

Hammer again!

Hampton! What a stop in ot!

End of regulation tied at 3.

ND timeout off an icing.

2:30 left.

ND scores as the PP ends.

WMU penalty.

Last media timeout.

7:30 left in 3rd, 3-2 Broncos.

Penalties killed.

ND getting a 4x3 PP.