Location: Ithaca, N.Y.
Record: 21-8-4 overall (14-5-3 ECAC Hockey, second)
Qualified: ECAC Hockey tournament champions
NCAA Championships: Two (1967, 1970)
NCAA Appearance: 18th (most recent, 2009)
Head Coach: Mike Schafer
Key Players: Ben Scrivens, Sr., G (21-8-4, 1.78, .937); Blake Gallagher, Sr., F (33 GP, 18-19—37); Colin Greening, Sr., F (33 GP, 15-20—35); Riley Nash, Jr., F (29 GP, 12-22—34)
What You Need to Know: The Big Red are playing their best hockey of the season in front of standout goaltender Ben Scrivens and have posted three straight shutouts in a series-clinching win over Harvard, a semifinal victory over Brown and the title game win against Union.
How They'll Advance: The Big Red have good size up front and can use the cycle game down low to generate chances, and also rank in the top-10 nationally on the power play. They've already beaten New Hampshire once this season on UNH's big ice sheet and now the Wildcats come to Albany, a venue that Cornell is very familiar with.
What Might Trip Them Up: New Hampshire doesn't take many penalties and can win the five-on-five game. Denver and RIT have two of the best goalies in the nation not named Ben Scrivens.

Location: Durham, N.H.
Record: 17-13-7 overall (15-6-6 Hockey East, first)
Qualified: At-large berth
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: 20th (most recent, 2009)
Head Coach: Dick Umile
Key Players: Bobby Butler, Sr., F (37 GP, 27-23—50); Brian Foster, Sr., G (16-13-7, 2.95, .910); Blake Kessel, So., D (36 GP, 9-26—35); Paul Thompson, Jr., F (37 GP, 17-19—36)
What You Need To Know: Led by Hockey East's Player of the Year, Bobby Butler, and senior goaltender Brian Foster the Wildcats overcame a preseason fourth-place prediction to win the conference. While they excelled in the conference, their record outside was an abysmal 2-7-1. They finished 3-7-4 against teams that made the NCAA field.
How They’ll Advance: New Hampshire has elite top-end talent in first-team All-Hockey East selections Butler, Foster and defenseman Blake Kessel, and solid depth up front in the likes of Paul Thompson, Mike Sislo and Phil DeSimone. They excel in transition, as Dick Umile's teams typically do.
What Might Trip Them Up: As that 3-7-4 record against the NCAA field suggests, New Hampshire has struggled against top competition. In fact, all three of those wins came against Vermont, which may be the weakest at-large bid in the tournament. The Wildcats also struggled away from the Olympic ice sheet at the Whittemore Center, posting a 7-9-2 record in road games.

NO. 4 SEED ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TIGERS

Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Record: 26-11-1 overall (22-5-1 Atlantic Hockey, first)
Qualified: Atlantic Hockey tournament champions
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: First
Head Coach: Wayne Wilson
Key Players: Cameron Burt, So., F (37 GP, 15-30—45); Jared DeMichiel, Sr., G (25-9-1, 2.00, .922); Dan Ringwald, Sr., D (38 GP, 11-23—34); Andrew Favot, Jr., F (37 GP, 13-28—41)
What You Need to Know: Perennial Division III powers, the RIT Tigers make their first Division I tournament appearance after an impressive showing in Atlantic Hockey. They enter the tournament with a 10-game winning streak, the longest in the nation.
How They'll Advance: Against their schedule they have shown no significant flaws: the Tigers can score, play defense, excel on special teams and have an experienced leader in goal. Their youngest player is 20, so although they may not be accustomed to this stage, it's still an experienced group. RIT has at least one power-play goal in 14 straight games. Burt and Favot each have 8 PPGs, two of nine players with two or more.
What Might Trip Them Up: RIT didn't beat a single team outside of Atlantic Hockey this season. While Air Force last season showed not to underestimate the conference, the Falcons had at least beaten Colorado College and Bemidji State along the way – they had more experience and more success against better teams than these Tigers.