INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee announced today the field of nine teams for the 2005 Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship.

Six conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The remaining three teams were selected at-large by the committee.

The championship playoff format involves a single first-round game and four second-round games that are played on the campuses of the participating institutions. All games in the championship are single elimination. The four second-round winners advance to a site to be determined on the campus of one of the competing institutions for the semifinals and championship game, which will be conducted March 18-19.

Conferences receiving automatic qualification are:

ECAC East Ice Hockey League-New England College (17-11-0)
ECAC Northeast Ice Hockey League-Curry (19-5-3)
State University of New York Athletic Conference-Geneseo State (18-6-4)
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference- St. Thomas (Minnesota) (17-5-5)
New England Small College Athletic Conference- Middlebury (20-4-3)
Northern Collegiate Hockey Association- St. Norbert (24-2-3)

St. John’s (Minnesota), Manhattanville and Trinity (Connecticut), enter the field as the three at-large selections.

Middlebury College defeated St. Norbert College in the 2004 NCAA Division III championship game. The tournament’s final was conducted March 20 at Norwich University’s Kreitzburg Arena.

Highlights of the Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship will be shown on CBS at 1 p.m. Eastern time, Saturday, April 23. Championships of the NCAA features highlights of 15 different NCAA championships that took place during the winter.