2019 NCAA Division III men's ice hockey tournament

2019 NCAA Division III men's
ice hockey tournament
Teams12
Finals site
ChampionsWisconsin–Stevens Point Pointers (6th title)
Runner-upNorwich Cadets (6th title game)
Semifinalists
Winning coachTyler Krueger (1st title)
MOPTanner Karty (Wisconsin–Stevens Point)

The 2019 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the culmination of the 2018–19 season, the 36th such tournament in NCAA history. It concluded with Wisconsin–Stevens Point defeating Norwich in the championship game 3-2 in overtime. All First Round and Quarterfinal matchups were held at home team venues, while all succeeding games were played at the K.B. Willett Arena in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin–Stevens Point became the first Division III team to win a National Championship without losing a single game during the season.

Qualifying teams

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Twelve teams qualified for the tournament in the following ways: (Pool A) eight teams received bids as a result of being conference tournament champions from conferences that possessed an automatic bid, (Pool C) four additional teams received at-large bids based upon their records.[1]

East West
Seed School Conference Record Berth Type Appearance Last Bid Seed School Conference Record Berth Type Appearance Last Bid
1 Geneseo State SUNYAC 24–1–2 Tournament Champion 7th 2018 1 Wisconsin–Stevens Point WIAC 26–0–2 At–Large 15th 2018
2 Norwich NEHC 21–4–3 Tournament Champion 18th 2017 2 St. Norbert NCHA 22–4–3 Tournament Champion 19th 2018
3 Oswego State SUNYAC 19–6–2 At–Large 16th 2017 3 Augsburg MIAC 21–3–3 Tournament Champion 6th 2018
4 Hobart NEHC 19–7–2 At–Large 9th 2018
5 Trinity NESCAC 19–3–5 Tournament Champion 7th 2017
6 Massachusetts–Boston NEHC 19–7–1 At–Large 2nd 2016
7 Manhattanville UCHC 17–8–5 Tournament Champion 5th 2008
8 University of New England CCC 20–6–2 Tournament Champion 2nd 2018
9 Plymouth State MASCAC 17–7–3 Tournament Champion 3rd 2015

Format

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The tournament featured four rounds of play. All rounds were Single-game elimination.

Because fewer than four western teams qualified, the tournament was arranged so that all western teams were placed into one quarterfinal bracket. The nine eastern qualifying eastern teams were arranged evenly across the remaining three quarterfinal brackets. The top three eastern seeds and the top western seed received byes into the quarterfinal round and were arranged so that the bracket containing the top overall seed would play the bracket containing the third eastern seed.

The six eastern teams in the quarterfinals were arranged so that the fourth- and ninth-seeded teams would play with the winner advancing to play the third eastern seed, the fifth- and eighth-seeded teams would play with the winner advancing to play the second eastern seed and the sixth- and seventh-seeded teams would play with the winner advancing to play the first eastern seed. The second and third western teams would play in the first round with the winner advancing to face the top western seed.

In the First Round and Quarterfinals the higher-seeded team served as host.

Tournament Bracket

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First Round
March 9
Quarterfinals
March 16
Semifinals
March 22
National Championship
March 23
W1 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 3
W2 St. Norbert 4* W2 St. Norbert 0
W3 Augsburg 3 W1 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 5
E4 Hobart 3
E3 Oswego State 2
E4 Hobart 2 E4 Hobart 3
E9 Plymouth State 1 W1 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 3*
E2 Norwich 2
E1 Geneseo State 8
E6 Massachusetts–Boston 4 E7 Manhattanville 2
E7 Manhattanville 6 E1 Geneseo State 2
E2 Norwich 4
E2 Norwich 2
E5 Trinity 1 E8 University of New England 1
E8 University of New England 2

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

  • G: Connor Ryckman (Wisconsin–Stevens Point)
  • D: Danny Kiraly (Wisconsin–Stevens Point)
  • D: David Robertson (Norwich)
  • F: Tanner Karty* (Wisconsin–Stevens Point)
  • F: Colin Raver (Wisconsin–Stevens Point)
  • F: Coby Downs (Norwich)

* Most Outstanding Player(s)

Record by conference

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Conference # of Bids Record Win % Frozen Four Championship Game Champions
NEHC 3 4–3 .571 2 1 -
SUNYAC 2 1–2 .333 1 - -
WIAC 1 3–0 1.000 1 1 1
NCHA 1 1–1 .500 - - -
CCC 1 1–1 .500 - - -
UCHC 1 1–1 .500 - - -
NESCAC 1 0–1 .000 - - -
MIAC 1 0–1 .000 - - -
MASCAC 1 0–1 .000 - - -

References

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  1. ^ "NCAA Division III men's hockey tournament". USCHO.com. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
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