2011 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
2011 NCAA Men's Division I
Ice Hockey Tournament

2011 Frozen Four logo
Teams	16
Finals site	Xcel Energy Center St. Paul, Minnesota
Champions	Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs (1st title)
Runner-up	Michigan Wolverines (16th title game)
Semifinalists	Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2nd Frozen Four) North Dakota Fighting Sioux (19th Frozen Four)
Winning coach	Scott Sandelin (1st title)
MOP	J. T. Brown (Minnesota–Duluth)
Attendance	19,222 (Championship) 57,500 (Frozen Four) 129,513 (Tournament)
← 2010  NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournaments 2012 →

The 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament was a big ice hockey competition. Sixteen college teams played in a knockout style to find the best team in the country. This exciting tournament started on March 25, 2011. It ended on April 9, when the Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs won the championship. They beat the Michigan Wolverines with a score of 3–2 in a thrilling final game.

How the Tournament Worked

The tournament had different stages. First, there were four regional competitions. Each regional was named after its location. The winners from these regionals then moved on to the "Frozen Four."

Regional Game Locations

The regional games took place on March 25 and 26, and March 26 and 27.

• East Regional: This was held at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Yale University and Fairfield University were the hosts.
• West Regional: This took place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association helped host it.
• Northeast Regional: Games were played at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The University of New Hampshire was the host.
• Midwest Regional: This regional was at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Michigan Technological University hosted these games.

The Frozen Four Championship

The four regional winners met for the "Frozen Four" championship. These final games were held on April 7 and 9. They took place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The University of Minnesota was the host for this exciting finale.

Teams That Played

The 16 teams chosen for the tournament were announced on March 20. Some teams got a spot by winning their conference tournaments. These conferences included the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), Hockey East, ECAC Hockey, and Atlantic Hockey. Other teams, called "at-large bids," were picked by the NCAA selection committee.

The number in parentheses shows the team's overall rank in the tournament.

Regional Games

These were the first rounds of the tournament. Teams played to see who would make it to the Frozen Four.

East Regional – Bridgeport, Connecticut

In the East Regional, Minnesota–Duluth won both their games. They beat Union 2-0 and then defeated Yale 5-3 to advance to the Frozen Four.

Midwest Regional – Green Bay, Wisconsin

The Midwest Regional saw North Dakota dominate. They won against Rensselaer 6-0 and then beat Denver 6-1. This secured their spot in the Frozen Four.

West Regional – St. Louis, Missouri

In the West Regional, Michigan had a close call, winning 3-2 in overtime against Nebraska–Omaha. They then defeated Colorado College 2-1 to earn their place in the Frozen Four.

Northeast Regional – Manchester, New Hampshire

The Northeast Regional saw Notre Dame win two tight games. They beat Merrimack 4-3 in overtime and then New Hampshire 2-1. This sent them to the Frozen Four.

Frozen Four – St. Paul, Minnesota

National Semifinals

The four regional champions met in St. Paul for the semifinals.

• Minnesota–Duluth vs. Notre Dame:

Minnesota–Duluth won a high-scoring game against Notre Dame with a final score of 4–3. It was a very close match!

• Michigan vs. North Dakota:

Michigan played a strong defensive game. They shut out North Dakota with a 2–0 victory. This win sent Michigan to the championship game.

National Championship

The championship game was held on April 9, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center. It was a thrilling match between the Michigan Wolverines and the Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs.

Error: Goals/Progression mismatch: N1 = 4 N2 = 6 PN = 5

The game went into overtime! Kyle Schmidt scored the winning goal for Minnesota–Duluth at 3:22 into the first overtime period. This gave the Bulldogs their first-ever national championship title!

Tournament Stats by Conference

This table shows how well teams from different college hockey conferences did in the tournament.

Tournament Media Coverage

Television

ESPN had the rights to show all the games in the United States. For the seventh year in a row, ESPN showed every game, from the regional rounds to the championship. You could watch them on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN3.

Radio

Westwood One had the exclusive radio rights. They broadcasted both the semifinals and the championship games, also known as the "Frozen Four."

All-Tournament Team

After the tournament, the best players were chosen for the All-Tournament Team.

Frozen Four All-Stars

• G: Shawn Hunwick (Michigan)
• D: Justin Faulk (Minnesota-Duluth)
• D: Jon Merrill (Michigan)
• F: Kyle Schmidt (Minnesota-Duluth)
• F: J. T. Brown* (Minnesota-Duluth)
• F: Ben Winnett (Michigan)
• J. T. Brown was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.