By Jacob Messing

The 2018 NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Tournament kicks off this weekend, and if you’re a fan of the Big Ten, we’ve got good news for you: the conference makes up a quarter of the field.

The 16-team tournament features Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, while Minnesota fell just short.

With the nation’s top 16 teams in the tournament, there are no easy roads to victory, but the Big Ten is certainly going to be making noise en route to the Frozen Four and national championship game.

Bracket with game times and broadcast channels.
All games will also be available through WatchESPN. pic.twitter.com/KIFpFLm1GX

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 18, 2018

Notre Dame vs Michigan Tech

Friday, March 23 at 3 PM EST

As the top seed in the East, the Fighting Irish take on the Michigan Tech Huskies. The Huskies earned a bid as the WCHA champion but should be taken more seriously than that, even as No. 23 team in the PairWise Rankings.

The Fighting Irish, 25-9-2, dominated in their first year as a member of the Big Ten, winning the regular season title and conference tournament, the only team in the nation to accomplish both feats this year. Notre Dame is entering their third straight NCAA tournament after spending 14 weeks in the top five of the national USCHO poll this season. The Irish are currently ranked No. 2.

Led by College Hockey News’ Coach of the Year Jeff Jackson and backstopped by Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year Cale Morris, the Irish will be a difficult out. Morris went 24-7-1 with a .946 save percentage, 1.92 goals against average, and four shutouts.

? seed in the East Regional!

The Irish are headed to Bridgeport for the NCAA Tournament where they'll face off with Michigan Tech, Friday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.#GoIrishhttps://t.co/QkhxDYzIhx

— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) March 20, 2018

But the Huskies, who hold a 35-23-1 all-time record over Notre Dame, won’t back down. Tech, 22-16-5, won six of its final seven games—including the conference tournament—and is rolling into the tournament.

Tech came in at No. 18 in this week’s USCHO poll, its first national rank since November 4. Jake Lucchini leads the Huskies into the tournament as he paces the squad with 16 goals and 37 points through 43 games.

Ohio State vs Princeton

Saturday, March 24 at 3:30 PM EST

The Buckeyes earned their second straight appearance into the NCAA tournament as the top seed in the Midwest. Their first challenge is a Princeton Tigers team that ranks No. 21 in the PairWise and No. 16 nationally.

Ohio State went 24-9-5 this year and won five straight games before falling to Notre Dame in overtime in the Big Ten title game last weekend. They’re similar to the Irish, as goaltender Sean Romeo helps carry the team with a 20-9-5 record, 9.25 SV%, 2.10 GAA, and two shutouts.

Leading scorers Tanner Laczynski (15 G, 28 A, 43 pts.) and Mason Jobst (19 G, 22 A, 41 pts.) led a deep offense that averaged 3.18 per game.

“We’re gonna go and we’re gonna do the best we can,” coach Steve Rohlik said Wednesday. “We’re gonna empty the tanks.”

The Tigers, 19-12-4, have hit a high note with a 7-2-1 mark in their final 10 games. They followed it up by winning six straight games on their way to the ECAC conference title. Juniors Max Veronneau and Ryan Kuffner were a couple of the most productive scorers in finished the NCAA this season, finishing second and fourth, respectively.

Veronneau scored 17 goals and 38 assists for 55 points in 35 games while Kuffner’s 39 goals were second among all DI skaters. Kuffner added 23 assists for 53 points.

Michigan vs Northeastern

Saturday, March 24 at 7 PM EST

A surprising year for the Michigan Wolverines has turned into collective belief and the two seed in the Northeast. Michigan comes up against the Northeastern Huskies, who sit at No. 8 nationally and have been ranked all season long.

The tournament is Michigan’s first appearance since 2016, not far off, but considering their drastic decline last season, the Wolverines have climbed quickly. The Maize and Blue boast a deep offense, which carried them to a 20-14-3 record this year.

Read up on the game notes heading into this weekend's NCAA first round action against Northeastern!

? » https://t.co/RysmDE6mHU pic.twitter.com/RClVcon3RX

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) March 21, 2018

Cooper Marody led the team with 46 points (14 G, 32 A), while Tony Calderone carried the team’s goal-scoring with 23 tallies and 40 points.

Northeastern, 23-9-5, is ranked No. 8 nationally, and while it’s not a typical name that comes to mind for scary college hockey teams, their record should frighten any opponent. They’re not an overly deep team, as just three players scored double-digit goals, but those three players have proven to be relatively unstoppable.

Adam Gaudette led the nation with 30 goals and 60 points while linemate Dylan Sikura added 21 goals and 53 points, good for third in the league. The Huskies will likely give the steady Michigan back line their biggest test of the year.

Penn State vs Denver

Saturday, March 24 at 7 PM EST

The Penn State Nittany Lions are the three seed in the Midwest, where they’ll have to go through conference foe Ohio State should they best two-seed Denver. As the reigning champ, Denver has the invaluable experience of winning when it matters most.

The Nittany Lions finished the season 18-14-5 and are ranked No. 12 nationally, entering the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. They’ve gone just 6-6-3 since the New Year, excluding the Big Ten tournament, closing the season on a low.

The Nittany Lions do hold a weapon in defenseman Trevor Hamilton, however, who was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. But the potent offense of Denver will likely prove too much.

ICYMI: We are returning to the Big Dance for the 2nd-consecutive season and will meet reigning National Champion Denver at 7 PM on Saturday in the NCAA Midwest Regional at the @PPLCenter in Allentown, PA!! #WeAre #PegulaEast #PackPPL

?? https://t.co/eU1SnUSleE pic.twitter.com/qK0oOClMcs

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) March 19, 2018

No. 3 Denver, 20-9-8, is without defenseman Will Butcher this time around, who won the Hobey Baker last season as the nation’s best player. But they still have Tanner Jaillet in the paint, who has gone 21-8-7 and whose 1.85 GAA ranks fifth in the nation while his .929 SV% ranks seventh.

Denver also boasts forwards Henrik Borgström and Troy Terry, two of the top players in college hockey over the past two years. Borgström finished fifth in the nation with 50 points (22 G, 28 A).

Don’t miss the action this weekend as the Frozen Four will be set Sunday night following 12 games starting Friday.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.