Inside College Hockey | East Regional NCAA Tournament Capsules

Location: New Haven, Conn.
Record: 27-6-1 overall (17-4-1 ECAC Hockey, second)
Qualified: ECAC Hockey tournament champions
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: Fifth (most recent, 2010)
Head Coach: Keith Allain
Key Players: Andrew Miller, F, So. (34 GP, 12-33—45); Brian O'Neill, F, Jr. (34 GP, 18-26—44); Broc Little, F, Sr. (18-22—40); Ryan Rondeau, G, Sr. (26-5-1, 1.83, .932)
What You Need to Know: You'll remember that Yale was ranked atop the national polls for a part of the season. The team didn't play to its potential for some of the second half, but is back on track and peaking now. They won their last three ECACH playoff games by shutout, and outscored opponents 14-0 in those games.
How They'll Advance: Yale can hurt you in a number of ways. The talented forwards are equally adept at scoring and setting up goals, and if they get an early lead watch out. Their puck pursuit in the neutral zone can give teams fits, and once they cause a turnover they create lethal chances.
What Might Trip Them Up: Patience and poise by the opposition are the best way to limit Yale. The game plan is to respect the puck, keep possession and get it to safe areas of the ice so the Bulldogs can't strike quickly.

Location: Schenectady, N.Y.
Record: 26-9-4 overall (17-3-2 ECAC Hockey, first)
Qualified: At-large berth
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: First
Head Coach: Nate Leaman
Key Players: Kelly Zajac, F, Sr. (39 GP, 13-29—42); Jeremy Welsh, F, So. (39 GP, 16-21—37); Mat Bodie, D, Fr. (6-26—32); Keith Kinkaid, G, So. (25-9-3, 1.98, .920)
What You Need to Know: Union's program has come a long way and gets to participate in the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a Division I competitor. This team expects to win and compete on the national scene, and it won't be a nice-to-be-here trip for the Dutchmen. They closed the regular season by going 14-1-1 in the last 16 games to finish first in ECAC Hockey, one point ahead of Yale.
How They'll Advance: Union's style of play is suited to postseason hockey with an emphasis on work ethic and winning battles in key parts of the ice. Most of the team's goals come on the power play, in close quarters around the net ... or both. Keith Kinkaid is a good one in goal. Sticking to those basics could yield positive results.
What Might Trip Them Up: Union's most relevant playoff experience might have come 53 weeks ago when the Dutchmen lost 3-0 to Cornell in the finals of the ECAC Hockey tournament. That experience might help them this time around, but the unknown response to an unfamiliar setting is a concern.

Location: Duluth, Minn.
Record: 22-10-6 overall (15-8-5 WCHA, fourth)
Qualified: At-large berth
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: Seventh (most recent, 2009)
Head Coach: Scott Sandelin
Key Players: Jack Connolly, F, Jr. (38 GP, 16-39—55); Justin Fontaine, F, Sr. (38 GP, 20-32—52); Justin Faulk, D, Fr. (8-19—27); Kenny Reiter, G, Jr. (12-7-5, 2.36, .911)
What You Need to Know: The Bulldogs were 15-4-3 after beating Wisconsin in Duluth on Jan. 14. UMD’s record since that date is 7-6-3 and they’ve won back-to-back games just twice during that span—a sweep of Michigan Tech in Houghton in January and two wins over St. Cloud State in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
How They'll Advance: The Bulldogs score a lot of goals, but still end up in a lot of tight games—they’re 8-5 in one-goal games this season and have played 13 overtime contests. Most teams are better playing with a lead, but with a mark of 16-3-2 when scoring first, UMD is an extreme case. If they can get ahead early and stay out of the penalty box (more on that later), the Bulldogs will be in good shape.
What Might Trip Them Up: A perfect storm of strengths and weaknesses could swamp the Bulldogs in the East Regional. They’re 14th nationally in penalty minutes (14.8 PIMs per game) and a pedestrian 31st in the country on the penalty kill (an 81.7 percent success rate). The rest of the East Regional field, meanwhile, ranks among the top four nationally in power-play success, led by UMD’s opening-round opponent, Union, which is converting at a ridiculous 31.1 percent clip.

Location: Air Force Academy, Colo.
Record: 20-11-6 overall (14-7-6 Atlantic Hockey, second)
Qualified: Atlantic Hockey tournament champions
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: Fourth (most recent, 2009)
Head Coach: Frank Serratore
Key Players: Jacques Lamoureux, F, Sr. (37 GP, 24-20—44); Derrick Burnett, F, Sr. (35 GP, 8-27—35); Scott Mathis, D, Jr. (8-19—27); Jason Torf, G, Fr. (16-8-3, 2.90, .908)
What You Need to Know: Air Force's senior class is in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years and returns to the same regional site where they helped the team knock off Michigan in the first round as sophomores in 2009. Jacques Lamoureux, a Hobey Hat-Trick finalist that year, is red-hot, with goals in seven straight games.
How They'll Advance: The Falcons have some familiarity with their first-round opponent, as they handed Yale its first loss of the year back in November. It's going to take another strong effort from freshman goalie Jason Torf, who made 34 saves that night and excellent special teams play.
What Might Trip Them Up: They won't have the element of surprise and unfamiliarity that they might have enjoyed in 2009 against Michigan since Air Force already played Yale this season. They'll get a focused effort from the tournament's top-overall seed that will be playing close to home in Bridgeport, Conn.

Most Recent Air Force Line Chart
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing	Notes
13-Ryan Timar	15-Sean Bertsch	8-Scott Kozlak	You know about Lamoureux, but watch Burnett, who has 118 points in his career.
9-Kyle DeLaurell	21-Jacques Lamoureux	17-Derrick Burnett
20-Tony Thomas	16-Jason Fabian	27-John Kruse
10-Paul Weisgarber	18-George Michalke	7-Casey Kleisinger
Defense	Defense	Goalies
23-Scott Mathis	25-Tim Kirby	29-Jason Torf	The defense pair of Mathis and Kirby has combined to score 15 goals this season.
6-Adam McKenzie	3-Brad Sellers	35-David Bosner
19-Stephen Carew	24-Mike Walsh	37-Stephen Caple