Travel Day Media Interviews: Quinn | Somerby | Hickey | Carpenter | Greenway

In the NCAA tournament for the 35th time in program history, No. 6 Boston University kicks off this year's bracket on Friday (March 24) when it takes on No. 10 North Dakota in the NCAA West Regional in Fargo, N.D. The match-up between national powers will be televised live on ESPN2 from Scheels Arena at 3 p.m. ET.

GO WEST, AGAIN
• In the NCAA West Regional for the second consecutive year, Boston University takes on defending national champion North Dakota in the opening game of the NCAA tournament.
• For the first time in 10 years (2005-07), the Terriers are making a third straight NCAA tournament appearance. 
• BU went an even 5-5-1 in its 11 games this year against teams that qualified for the NCAA tournament.
• The Terriers' most recent NCAA tournament victory was a 5-3 triumph over North Dakota in the 2015 Frozen Four semifinals, which they reached by defeating Minnesota Duluth in the Northeast Regional final.
• This marks the second time in three years that BU is in the first game of the NCAA tournament. The Terriers kicked off the 2015 bracket against Yale. 
• Both BU and UND earned at-large berths to this year's NCAA tournament. Minnesota Duluth - the top seed in this regional - earned an automatic bid after winning the NCHC tournament while the No. 4 seed, Ohio State, collected the final at-large bid.

SERIES HISTORY
• The Terriers have faced North Dakota 24 times and hold a 10-12-2 record in the all-time series, but are 3-0-1 in the past four meetings.
• Six meetings have taken place in the NCAAs and each team has won three. 
• Most recently, the teams squared off at the 2015 Frozen Four semifinals at TD Garden with the Terriers earning a 5-3 victory.
• This is the third time the teams have faced off in the first round. In 2005, UND earned a 4-0 win in Worcester, and in 1990, the teams met in a best-of-three first-round series at Walter Brown Arena. BU dropped the first game, 8-5, before rebounding with 5-3 and 5-0 victories to take the series.
• The other postseason meeting took place in the 1997 national championship game in Milwaukee where UND posted a 6-4 win.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING HAWKS
• A bubble team as it entered March, North Dakota opened the month with five straight wins to reach the NCHC title game before falling to Minnesota Duluth on a late 5-on-3 power-play goal on Saturday.
• Fargo is 80 miles south of UND's campus in Grand Forks.   
• The Fighting Hawks' strength is shot suppression as they allow only 24.7 shots per game, which ranks second in the nation. 
• Sophomore Shane Gersich leads the team in both points (37) and goals (21) while freshman Tyson Jost is right behind with 35 points on 16 goals and 19 assists. Sophomore Brock Boeser (16g, 17a) and junior defenseman Tucker Poolman (7g, 23a) have added 33 and 30 points, respectively. 
• Junior goaltender Cam Johnson has started 36 games and sports a 20-12-3 record to go along with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.

HOCKEY EAST VS. NCHC
• Since the NCHC began play in October 2013, Hockey East has a 47-32-17 record against the eight member schools.
• Boston University is 4-3-0 in seven games against the NCHC but has dropped its past three, all against Denver. 
• This season, Hockey East is 11-10-5 versus the NCHC.

SEE YOU SATURDAY?
• The Terriers' most recent meetings against each of Saturday's potential opponents were in the NCAA tournament and both took place in Manchester, N.H.
• BU defeated the Bulldogs in the 2015 Northeast Regional final to reach the Frozen Four semifinal against North Dakota. 
• The Terriers opened their run to the 2009 NCAA title with an 8-3 win over Ohio State in the Northeast Regional. 

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• BU is making its 35th NCAA tournament appearance (20 in last 28 years), which ranks tied for third all-time (Minnesota - 37, Michigan - 36, Boston College - 35). 

TOURNAMENT RECORD
• The Terriers enter the 2016 NCAA tournament with an all-time record of 41-36-0 (.532) in NCAA tournament play. The 41 wins represent the fifth-highest total in tournament history. 
• The only programs with more victories are Minnesota (55), North Dakota (52), Michigan (51) and Boston College (49). 
• The Terriers won the title in 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995 and 2009. They finished second six times (1950, 1967, 1991, 1994, 1997 and 2015), third five times (1951, 1960, 1974, 1975 and 1977) and fourth three times (1953, 1966 and 1976). 
• There was no consolation game in 1990 and 1993 to determine if BU finished third or fourth.

QUICK BITES
• In all, the Terriers have faced 29 different teams in NCAA play and have the most meetings and wins against Michigan (5-4-0).
• BU is 15-17-0 (.469) vs. the WCHA, 10-7-0 (.558) vs. the CCHA, 10-4-0 (.714) vs. the ECAC, 1-1-0 (.500) vs. the Tri-State League, 1-1-0 (.500) vs. the NCHC and 4-5-0 (.444) vs. Hockey East.
• The Terriers are 5-6 (.455) in the championship game, 5-3-0 (.625) in the consolation game, 11-11-0 (.500) in the semifinals, 13-9-0 (.591) in the quarterfinals and 7-6-0 (.538) in the first round.
• BU is 11-10-0 (.524) in one-goal games and 3-3-0 (.500) in overtime games.

SEEDING STORY
• Since 1992, when the NCAA moved to a regional format, BU has now been a number two seed six times (1993, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2017).
• The Terriers were a one seed seven times (1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2006, 2009, 2015), a three seed four times (2000, 2005, 2012, 2016) and a four seed once (1992).

REGIONAL PLAY
• The Terriers have a 12-10-0 (.545) in their 22 previous regional contests. 
• BU has appeared in regionals in six cities previously -— Worcester, Mass., Albany, N.Y., Providence, R.I., Grand Rapids, Mich., Manchester, N.H. and St. Paul, Minn.
• The Terriers are 0-3 in games at West or Midwest Regionals, getting outscored by a combined score of 19-6 in those three contests.

CURRENT TERRIERS IN THE TOURNAMENT
• Fourteen current skaters have played at least one contest in the NCAA tournament and have combined for eight points (2g, 6a). 
• Junior Brien Diffley has two assists while fellow d-men Brandon Hickey and Doyle Somerby each have a goal.