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As first reported by College Hockey News, Notre Dame has been forced to withdraw from this year’s men’s NCAA Tournament due to Covid protocols.
Here is the official release from the NCAA:
Statement from the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee: https://t.co/rTA2O99xdM#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/YEbDodYstt
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 25, 2021
The deadline for withdrawing teams to be replaced was 7pm EST this past Monday, which means that after Notre Dame’s withdrawal, their opening round game against Boston College has been ruled a ‘no contest’ and Boston College will advance to the Albany regional final to face the winner of St. Cloud State/Boston University.
Notre Dame was only in the tournament this year after receiving the final at-large bid, a spot that opened up after St. Lawrence, the ECAC league champion, was forced to withdraw from the field due to a positive Covid test. And St. Lawrence’s ECAC championship came as the result of nine of the league’s 12 teams not playing in the league playoffs due to Covid restrictions, allowing the 6-8-3 Saints to claim an automatic bid with just a pair of playoff victories.