KALAMAZOO, Mich. – For a program-record fifth consecutive season, Western Michigan will compete in the NCAA Tournament. The Brown and Gold earned a No. 1 seed for the third time in the last five years and will play Minnesota State in the Loveland regional.

The Broncos and Mavericks will square off in the opening round for the second consecutive season. WMU won a double overtime thriller in Fargo last season. The two teams will hit the ice on Friday, March 27 at Blue FCU Arena. Puck drop is set for 3:30 PM ET on ESPNU. 

Denver and Cornell are the other two teams in the region. The winners of each regional semifinal will square off on Sunday, March 29 for a trip to the Frozen Four. 

Western Michigan is the defending national champion, entering this year's tournament with a 26-10-1 overall record. This will be the program's 11th NCAA Tournament appearance, and WMU has never missed the NCAA Tournament under head coach Pat Ferschweiler. 

Ticket requests will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 23. Visit WMUBroncos.com/Tickets for more information or call the ticket office at 1-888-496-8849.