2013 NCAA Hockey schedule: Top teams in action as tournaments heat up

Jonathan Daniel

The top team in the nation lost a close one as Cornell upset Quinnipiac, 3-2, on Friday.

College hockey across the nation is gearing up for a colder version of March Madness on Saturday, with many of the top teams in the nation playing in tournaments prior to the conclusion of the season.

In the Western College Hockey Association, the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers take on Bemidji State, which finished 11th in the WCHA standings. From there, it won't be an easy road to the top for Minnesota, which will still has to get past a mix of No. 4 North Dakota, No. 8 St. Cloud State, No. 10 Minnesota State and No. 4 Wisconsin. The Golden Gophers and Bemidji State face off at 8:05 p.m. ET.

Highlighting one of the better games in the conference tournament, sixth-seeded Minnesota State takes on seventh-seeded and No. 20 Nebraska-Omaha. Minnesota State hosts the playoff series for the first time since 2008, and they were a tough draw at home, going 11-6-1 and outscoring their opponents 60-39 in the process. Minnesota State and Nebraska-Omaha are scheduled to start at 8:05 p.m. ET.

Elsewhere, the No. 1 team in the country was shocked in the first game of the ECAC tournament playoffs. Cornell surprised Quinnipiac, 3-2, on Friday behind a pair of power play goals from Brian Ferlin. The second game of their series will begin at 7 p.m. ET.

For a full list of all games and times, click here.