BRISTOL, Conn.-- The University of North Dakota hockey team earned the overall No. 1 seed in the upcoming 2021 NCAA Tournament, announced this evening live on ESPNU. The Fighting Hawks won the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's regular season for the second straight season and followed with its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff Tournament title last week to earn the NCAA autobid. 

North Dakota (21-5-1) will square off in the Fargo Regional against Atlantic Hockey champion American International (15-3-0) Friday at 8:30 pm Central. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Friday's early game with second-seed Michigan (15-10-1) against third-seed Minnesota Duluth (14-10-2) at 3:00 pm. The Regional final is set for Saturday at 6:30 pm. ESPN sets game times for the tournament. 

UND is hosting the Midwest Regional once again at Fargo's SCHEELS Arena. It will be the fourth regional there since 2015 and the fifth regional that UND has hosted in that stretch. 

North Dakota returns to the national tournament for the first time since 2016-17. UND now has 33 NCAA appearances all-time, has advanced to the Frozen Four 22 times and has eight national titles.