ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's hockey team will open up the 2010 NCAA tournament at a familiar place and against a familiar foe, as the Big Red will take on New Hampshire on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. Cornell is making its second straight appearance in the NCAA tournament and 18th overall when it opens up against the Wildcats.

The Big Red advanced to the NCAA tournament after earning the automatic bid of ECAC Hockey after winning the conference tournament title on Saturday night at the Times Union Center. Cornell defeated Union, 3-0, in the league title game, led by 32 saves from tournament MVP Ben Scrivens.

New Hampshire enters the tournament by getting an at-large berth into the field of 16 teams after being eliminated in the semifinals of the Hockey East tournament. The Wildcats won the Hockey East regular season championship but fell to Maine in the semifinals, 5-2. UNH is led by Hobey Baker Award finalist Bobby Butler, who leads the team in goals (27) and points (50) and is second on the team in assists (23). Brian Foster backstops the Wildcats, posting a .910 save percentage and a 2.95 goals-against average.

Cornell and New Hampshire have already met this season, with Cornell claiming a 5-2 victory at New Hampshire's Whittemore Center on Jan. 3. Cornell and New Hampshire also have a storied history in the NCAA tournament, with Cornell and UNH facing off in both 2002 and 2003 in the NCAA tournament. In 2002, the Big Red dropped a 4-3 contest in the East Regional Final in Worcester, Mass., and in 2003, Cornell fell by a 3-2 margin in the national semifinals in Buffalo, N.Y. All-time, the Big Red holds a slim 12-11 lead over the Wildcats.