2011 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship Bracket

Portions courtesy Yale Sports Publicity

INDIANAPOLIS -- Among the top men's ice hockey teams all season, Yale was rewarded for its superb season, receiving the No.1 seed in the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship.

Fresh off their second ECAC Hockey Tournament title in three seasons, the Bulldogs (27-6-1) face Air Force (20-11-6) on Friday, March 25 in a East Regional matchup at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn. The puck drops at 6:30 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPNU and ESPN3.com.

Yale, winners of four straight games, is looking to avenge its first loss of the 2010-11 season back in November at Colorado Springs, Colo. Air Force used a third-period comeback to capture a 4-3 contest before the Bulldogs went on a 10-game win streak that landed it No. 1 in both Division I polls and in the PairWise.

Fellow ECAC Hockey foe Union (26-9-4) takes on Minnesota-Duluth (22-10-6) at 3 p.m. Friday in the other East Regional first-round game from Bridgeport. The first-round winners meet Saturday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. in game to be televised on ESPNU and ESPN3.com.

The East Regional champion will join the Northeast, Midwest and West regional winners in Saint Paul, Minn., April 7-9 for the 2011 Men's Frozen Four.

Yale is making its third-straight and fifth overall NCAA Championship appearance (1952, 1998, 2009, 2010 and 2011). Yale has its sights on advancing to its first national semifinal since making the four-team field in the 1952 championship when it fell to Colorado College in the semifinals then rebounded to beat St. Lawrence in the third-place game.