Minnesota won three WCHA playoff titles in the '90s, the last in 1996. The Gophers are the host school for the tournament. Colorado College is making its sixth Final Five appearance in the past eight years. Center Mark Cullen has scored a point in the last 23 games and leads the conference with a 1.85 points per game average. The Tigers' lone playoff championship came in 1978.
CC is ranked seventh in the nation.
The Tigers split the four games they played against their first-round opponent, Wisconsin. Goaltender Graham Melanson needs one victory to establish himself as the school's all-time victories leader. Dany Heatley needs one goal to reach 50 for his career. Wisconsin has won five straight games, its longest streak since opening the season with seven straight wins. The Badgers last won the playoff title in 1998.