EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's hockey team will visit Aurora University in the first round of the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship on Saturday, March 15. The Blugolds learned their first-round matchup when the NCAA released the bracket on Monday morning.

The Blugolds (14-15-1) will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 when they take the ice on Saturday in Geneva, Illinois, for a 1 p.m. start. UW-Eau Claire qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2020 before it was canceled due to COVID-19, meaning this will be the team's first NCAA appearance since it won the national title in 2013. UW-Eau Claire punched its ticket by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Commissioner's Cup last weekend.

UW-Eau Claire will take on an Aurora team that sports a 23-4-1 record. The Spartans earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They fell to Adrian College in the semifinals of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association's Harris Cup. Both UW-Eau Claire and Aurora have won five of their last six games.

This will be the third meeting all-time between the Blugolds and Spartans, and the first in the NCAA Tournament. UW-Eau Claire has a 2-0-0 record against Aurora in the all-time series. Saturday will be the Blugolds' first true road game in the NCAA Tournament since the 2013 quarterfinals.

The winner of the Blugolds-Spartans game will take on either SUNY Geneseo or Stevenson in the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 22.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the door on Saturday in Geneva. They cost $10 for adults and $5 for students/children/seniors.

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