Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team is set to face Aurora University in the first round of the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, in Geneva, Illinois, with a start time of 1 p.m.

This marks UW-Eau Claire's return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their national title win in 2013. Although they qualified in 2020, that tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. The Blugolds secured their spot by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Commissioner's Cup last weekend.

Their opponents, Aurora University, hold a record of 23-4-1 and received an at-large bid to the tournament. Despite falling to Adrian College in the semifinals of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association's Harris Cup, both teams have been successful recently, each winning five out of their last six games.

This upcoming match will be only the third meeting between UW-Eau Claire and Aurora and their first encounter within an NCAA Tournament setting. Historically, UW-Eau Claire leads with a 2-0-0 record against Aurora. Additionally, this will be UW-Eau Claire's first true road game in an NCAA Tournament since reaching the quarterfinals in 2013.

The victor from this matchup will advance to face either SUNY Geneseo or Stevenson on March 22.

Tickets for Saturday's game can be purchased at the door for $10 for adults and $5 for students, children, and seniors.

Fans can follow UW-Eau Claire throughout the season via Blugolds.com or through their app Blugold Sports as well as on social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.