UNION LAKE, Mich. – With the release of the 18th rankings of the season, the American Collegiate Hockey Association announced the 20-team field that will be competing in the ACHA Division I national tournament which will begin Thursday, March 3.
Adrian College (23-6 overall) was given an at large bid to the tournament on the strength of five straight weeks ranked sixth nationally. Also joining the Bulldogs in the tournament from the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League are regular season conference champions #5 Davenport University as well as #13 Michigan-Dearborn and #17 Western Michigan.
The Bulldogs will face off with #11 Oklahoma in their first game of the tournament at 11:00 a.m. Central Time on Saturday, March 5. The tournament is hosted by Robert Morris-Illinois and will be played at The Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, Ill.
Coach Robert Hodnicki is ready for the challenge that the tournament presents, stating "The national championship is a goal of ours every year. The chance to compete for a national championship is a reward for us having a great regular season and for all the hard work our team has done throughout the year.
"We've worked hard to correct some of the struggles we've faced in previous national championships and as long as we work hard and do the little things, I think we have a great chance. Oklahoma is a great team and we will prepare for them, but we also need to be ready to play our best four straight games. It'll be a fun challenge and I think this group is ready," he said.
Before the Bulldogs – who finished 16-5 in conference play – travel to the national tournament, they will compete in the GLCHL Tournament hosted by University of Michigan-Dearborn.
While the games will not have an effect on the national tournament Hodnicki still sees plenty of meaning in the conference tournament.
"With the national championship field already announced, playoffs give us an idea of where we are as a team. We will have to win three high intensity games in three days to defend the title. It'll give our coaching staff and idea of what we need to work on or small changes we can make before the national tournament. Hopefully we are able to defend our championship and carry some momentum and confidence into the national tournament."
The Bulldogs will take on Oakland University at 2:00 p.m. later this afternoon in the first round of the GLCHL Tournament.
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--Nick Duffy, Adrian College Graduate Assistant SID
