MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State men's hockey will travel to Loveland, Colorado to play in the 2026 NCAA Division I Regional at Blue Arena. The regional semifinal is scheduled for Friday, March 27 at 1:30 p.m. CT vs. No. 4 Western Michigan (26-10-1) on ESPNU.
 
The game is a rematch of last season's regional semifinal, in which Western Michigan defeated Minnesota State 2-1 in double overtime in Fargo, North Dakota. The Broncos went on to win the NCAA Division I National Championship. This season, Western Michigan defeated Miami (Ohio) in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) quarterfinals, then fell to Denver in the NCHC semifinals 2-1 in overtime.
 
Also in the regional semifinals in Loveland this season are No. 5 seed Denver vs. NPI No. 11 Cornell. Winners will meet in the region finals on Sunday, March 29.
 
The Mavericks (22-10-7, NPI No. 13), winners of MacNaughton Cup and Mason Cup titles this season are making their 11^th NCAA Division I Tournament appearance and hold a 5-10 record in NCAA postseason games all-time.
 
Previous NCAA appearances in the Division I era include Providence, Rhode Island (2003, 2019), Toledo, Ohio (2013), Worchester, Massachusetts (2014), South Bend, Indiana (2015), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (2018), Loveland, Colorado (2021), Albany, New York (2022) and Fargo, North Dakota (2025).
 
The Mavericks advanced to the Frozen Four in 2021 and 2022. The best finish in Division I program history came in 2022. The Mavericks defeated the University of Minnesota 5-1 in the national semifinals, then fell to Denver by the same score in the National Championship game at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
 
This year's Frozen Four is set for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada April 9-11.
 
2026 Predetermined NCAA Regional Sites
Albany, N.Y. (MVP Arena) | Mar. 27-29 | Union College and MVP Arena – Albany Host
Loveland, Colo. (Blue Arena) | Mar. 27-29 | University of Denver and Budweiser Events Host
Sioux Falls, S.D. (Denny Sanford PREMIER Center) | Mar. 26-28 | University of Nebraska Omaha and Sioux Falls Sports Authority Host
Worchester, Mass. (DCU Center) | Mar. 26-28 | College of the Holy Cross Host