The excruciating wait for the University of Denver is over and the fun has just begun for Air Force.

Unable to get enough help after winning only one of its final nine games, the DU hockey team was left out of the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season when the 16-team field was announced Sunday.

A season that began with the promise of a berth at the West Regional at the Pepsi Center ended in disappointment, but state college hockey fans still will have a team to rally behind when the regional begins Saturday.

Air Force, which claimed the automatic bid out of the Atlantic Hockey Association after it won the conference championship game against Army on Saturday, received the No. 4 seed in the region and will play top-seeded Minnesota in the first game Saturday afternoon. It is the first NCAA tournament bid in the 39-year history of the program.

No. 2 seed Michigan and No. 3 seed North Dakota also will head to the Pepsi Center.

"Of course, the one year Denver and (Colorado College) slip together, we have a chance to slip into the regional," Air Force coach Frank Serratore said.

"To have us slip in and have an opportunity to play Minnesota in Denver, somewhere this was scripted. Who would have thought the two big boys would slip and we would get in? Ironic."

After getting swept by Wisconsin in the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament, DU needed a lengthy series of results to occur to climb onto the good side of the tournament bubble.

Improbably, everything fell DU's way Friday during action around the nation, but the Pioneers' good fortune did not continue Saturday. The Pioneers now are forced to stew on their late-season collapse.

DU should boast a top-10 team entering next season, although junior goaltender Peter Mannino, junior forward Ryan Dingle and sophomore defenseman Chris Butler are candidates to bolt early for pro contracts.

"When you don't have any power over your fate, you have to use that to educate and learn for the future," DU coach George Gwoz- decky said. "We controlled our own destiny at one point but we didn't do a good enough job down the stretch. If we have everyone return who is eligible to return, we should be in good shape. But that is yet to be determined."

While some might be disappointed by the Pioneers' absence, the West Regional nonetheless will be intriguing and already is being regarded as the toughest of the NCAA tournament's four regionals.

In addition to the Cinderella candidate in the Falcons, Minnesota, Michigan, and North Dakota all boast rich histories and fan bases that travel well. Those three programs, all of which are legitimate national title contenders, have combined for 57 appearances in the Frozen Four and have captured 21 of college hockey's 59 national championships.

The West Regional will include the nation's top four scorers - Michigan forward and Avalanche draft pick T.J. Hensick, Air Force junior Eric Ehn, Michigan junior Kevin Porter and North Dakota sophomore Ryan Duncan.

Hensick, Ehn and Duncan are finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the nation's top player.

"You've got one regional team and three other programs with storied histories, that are great power programs," Gwozdecky said. "It's a very challenging bracket and it will be very entertaining."

No. 1 Minnesota

• Nickname: Golden Gophers.

• Location: Minneapolis.

• Coach: Don Lucia.

• Record: 30-9-3.

• NCAA record: 49-31, five titles.

• Entry: Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament champion.

• Best regular-season win: 8-2 against Michigan on Nov. 25.

• Key players: F Jay Barriball (18 goals, 23 assists); F Kyle Okposo (19 goals, 20 assists).

• Did you know? Minnesota earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament for the sixth straight year.

• Outlook: Minnesota, stung by a first-round loss last season, will be satisfied by nothing less than reaching the Frozen Four for the 20th time.

No. 2 Michigan

• Nickname: Wolverines.

• Location: Ann Arbor.

• Coach: Red Berenson.

• Record: 26-13-1.

• NCAA record: 44-22, nine titles.

• Entry: At-large.

• Best regular-season win: 2-1 against Michigan State on Nov. 21.

• Key players: F T.J. Hensick (21 goals, 45 assists); F Kevin Porter (23 goals, 33 assists).

• Did you know? Michigan is making its record 17th consecutive appearance in the tournament.

• Outlook: Hensick, a fifth-round selection of the Avalanche in 2005 and the nation's leading scorer, aims to notch the first of what he hopes will be many big wins at the Pepsi Center.

No. 3 North Dakota

• Nickname: Fighting Sioux.

• Location: Grand Forks.

• Coach: Dave Hakstol.

• Record: 22-13-5.

• NCAA record: 36-16, seven titles.

• Entry: At-large.

• Best regular-season win: 7-3 at Minnesota on Jan. 27.

• Key players: F Ryan Duncan (30 goals, 23 assists); F T.J. Oshie (13 goals, 31 assists).

• Did you know? The Fighting Sioux beat Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year.

• Outlook: The Duncan-Oshie-Jonathan Toews (16 goals, 27 assists) line might be the best offensive line in the nation.

No. 4 Air Force

• Nickname: Falcons.

• Location: Air Force Academy.

• Coach: Frank Serratore.

• Record: 19-15-5.

• NCAA record: First appearance.

• Entry: Atlantic Hockey Association tournament champion.

• Best regular-season win: 7-5 against Ala.-Huntsville on Oct. 27.

• Key players: F Eric Ehn (24 goals, 40 assists); F Andrew Ramsey (22 goals, 25 assists).

• Did you know? Defenseman Greg Flynn likely will face his brother, Minnesota forward Ryan Flynn.

• Outlook: Air Force enters with a six-game winning streak and is aware Minnesota lost to the AHA representative last year.

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