Western Massachusetts has placed itself squarely in the middle of that universe this weekend.The University of Massachusetts and American International College are both in the NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Tournament field.

Both teams will begin their runs toward that long-elusive NCAA championship on Friday night. UMass will do it in nearby Bridgeport, Conn., while AIC has made a trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota. Of the two Western Mass. teams, AIC has the much tougher road. The 15th-ranked Yellow Jackets will play the team ranked No. 1 in the latest USCHO.com poll. Full story of this mutually respectful relationship can be found at Berkshire Eagle.