By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Pelham-based University of Alabama Frozen Tide hockey team is preparing to travel to Missouri for the national tournament after finishing runner-up in the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament on Feb. 24.

The Frozen Tide rolled past the University of Georgia Ice Dogs 5-1 during the first round of the SECHC tournament on Feb. 22, which was held at Benton H. Wilcoxon Municipal Ice Complex in Huntsville. Alabama then downed the University of South Carolina hockey team 3-2 in the semi-final game to move on to face the University of Arkansas hockey team in the tournament’s championship game on Feb. 24.

Arkansas shutout the Frozen Tide 8-0 in the SECHC championship game, giving Alabama the runner-up trophy in the tournament.

The SEC tournament came about a week after the Frozen Tide downed South Carolina and Arkansas to clinch a spot in the Division 3 American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament, which will be held at Missouri State University from March 12-16.

According to the Collegiate Hockey Association’s tournament bracket, Alabama will take on Iowa State University at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 12, will take the ice against California University of Pennsylvania at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13 and will face off against the University of Michigan-Flint at 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 14.

The national tournament semifinal matches will be held on Friday March 15, and the national championship game will be held on Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m.

For more information about the national tournament, visit Achahockey.org.

“The coaching staff is extremely proud of our team,” said Frozen Tide head coach Mike Quenneville. “We play for a school with a championship tradition, and we believe our team has the potential to carry on that tradition.”

Before heading to the national tournament, the Frozen Tide will hold a recruiting visit from March 1-2. Prospective players will meet on the University of Alabama campus at 9 a.m. on March 1, and will get a chance to tour the campus, the recreation center and Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Prospective players will then get a chance to hit the ice with current Frozen Tide players at the team’s home ice at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena on March 2.

For more information about the Frozen Tide, visit Bamahockey.net.