Minnesota Teams Sweep Top 3 Spots In Men's NCAA Hockey Tournament

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you've ever doubted Minnesota is the state of hockey, think again.

On Sunday, the bracket for the NCAA men's hockey tournament was released and the top three spots belong to Minnesota teams.

St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State-Mankato all received number one seeds, but many are picking the Huskies to win it all this year.

The team, led by senior forward Patrick Newell, has been ranked No. 1 in the polls for most of the season. Now, St. Cloud State is looking for its first Division I national title, but the University of Minnesota Duluth has plans to spoil that.

On Saturday, the defending national champions beat St. Cloud State in double overtime to claim the NCHC Tournament title.

The Bulldogs may be the greatest threat to the Huskies come April, but let's not forget about Minnesota State-Mankato.

The Mavericks, led by junior forward Marc Michaelis, claimed the WCHA Tournament Title Saturday after defeating Bowling Green 3-2 in overtime.

With a record of 32-7-2, the Mavericks could make a serious run for the Frozen Four.

The national championship game will be held in Buffalo, New York on April 13, but for the remaining sixteen teams, the road to the NCAA Men's Frozen Four begins Friday.

Check out the full tournament bracket here.