| Teams | 6 |
|---|---|
| Finals site | |
| Champions | Boston University Terriers (3rd title) |
| Runner-up | Boston College Eagles (3rd title game) |
| Semifinalists |
|
| Winning coach | Jack Parker (1st title) |
| MOP | Jack O'Callahan (Boston University) |
| Attendance | 32,573 |
The 1978 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament was the culmination of the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, the 31st such tournament in NCAA history. It was held between March 18 and 25, 1978, and concluded with Boston University defeating Boston College 5–3. The first-round games were held at the home team venue while all succeeding games were played at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
The NCAA gave four teams automatic bids into the tournament. The two ECAC teams that reached the ECAC tournament final received bids as did the two WCHA co-champions. The NCAA also had the ability to add up to 4 additional teams as it saw fit and chose to include the CCHA tournament champion as well as Boston University who had lost only two games prior to the tournament (the second being in the ECAC semifinal). This was the only time in the four years this format was used that an additional team was added to the tournament. Because Colorado College entered the tournament with a losing record Bowling Green was given the honor of hosting the western first-round game.
| East | West | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Appearance | Last bid | Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Appearance | Last bid |
| 1 | Boston College | ECAC Hockey | 23–9–0 | Tournament champion | 11th | 1973 | 1 | Wisconsin | WCHA | 28–10–3 | Tournament co-champion | 5th | 1977 |
| 2 | Providence | ECAC Hockey | 17–14–2 | Tournament finalist | 2nd | 1964 | 2 | Colorado College | WCHA | 18–21–1 | Tournament co-champion | 8th | 1957 |
| East At-Large | West At-Large | ||||||||||||
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Appearance | Last bid | Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type | Appearance | Last bid |
| A2 | Boston University | ECAC Hockey | 27–2–0 | At-Large | 13th | 1977 | A1 | Bowling Green | CCHA | 29–7–0 | Tournament champion | 2nd | 1977 |
The four automatic qualifiers were seeded according to pre-tournament finish. The ECAC champion was seeded as the top eastern team while the WCHA co-champion that finished highest in the regular season was given the top western seed. The second eastern seed was slotted to play the top western seed and vice versa. Because an at-large bid was offered to a western school they were placed in a first-round game with the second western seed to determine the final semifinalist. The first-round game was played at the home venue of the second seed while all succeeding games were played at the Providence Civic Center. All matches were Single-game eliminations with the semifinal winners advancing to the national championship game and the losers playing in a consolation game.
| First Round March 18–19 | Semifinals March 23–24 | National Championship March 25 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston College | 6 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Colorado College | 3 | A1 | Bowling Green | 2 | |||||||||
| A1 | Bowling Green | 5 | E1 | Boston College | 3 | |||||||||
| A2 | Boston University | 5 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Wisconsin | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | Providence | 3 | A2 | Boston University | 5 | |||||||||
| A2 | Boston University | 5 | Third Place Game | |||||||||||
| W1 | Wisconsin | 3 | ||||||||||||
| A1 | Bowling Green | 4 | ||||||||||||
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
| March 18 | Bowling Green | 5 – 3 | Colorado College | BGSU Ice Arena | ||||
| March 19 | Providence | 3 – 5 | Boston University | Schneider Arena | ||||
| March 23 | Wisconsin | 2 – 5 | Boston University | Providence Civic Center | ||||
| March 24 | Boston College | 6 – 2 | Bowling Green | Providence Civic Center | ||||
| March 25 | Wisconsin | 3 – 4 | Bowling Green | Providence Civic Center | ||||
| March 25 [3] | Boston College | 3 – 5 | Boston University | Providence Civic Center | ||||
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | BU | Mark Fidler – PP | Lamby and O'Callahan | 0:38 | 1–0 BU |
| BC | Joe Mullen | Augustine | 11:00 | 1–1 | |
| BC | Bobby Hehir | unassisted | 13:26 | 2–1 BC | |
| BU | Dave Silk – PP | O'Callahan | 14:44 | 2–2 | |
| BU | Tony Meagher – SH | Lamby | 17:24 | 3–2 BU | |
| 2nd | BU | Tony Meagher – GW | Boileau and Hetnik | 27:05 | 4–2 BU |
| 3rd | BU | Mark Fidler | Silk and Lamby | 41:01 | 5–2 BU |
| BC | Steve Barger | Switaj and Kennedy | 43:30 | 5–3 BU | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty | Time | PIM |
| 1st | BC | Joe Augustine | Holding | 0:09 | 2:00 |
| BU | Dick Lamby | Hooking | 2:39 | 2:00 | |
| BU | Jack O'Callahan | High Sticking | 5:51 | 2:00 | |
| BU | Bill LeBlond | High Sticking | 9:23 | 2:00 | |
| BC | Mike Ewanouski | Tripping | 14:26 | 2:00 | |
| BU | Bill O'Neil | Slashing | 15:47 | 2:00 | |
| BU | Bill O'Neil | High Sticking | 18:07 | 2:00 | |
| BC | Charlie Antetomaso | Tripping | 18:43 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | BC | George Amidon | Tripping | 24:28 | 2:00 |
| BC | Charlie Antetomaso | Tripping | 28:06 | 2:00 | |
| BU | Dick Lamby | High Sticking | 28:29 | 2:00 | |
| BU | Bill LeBlond | Holding | 32:56 | 2:00 | |
| BC | Joe Augustine | Interference | 33:53 | 2:00 | |
| BU | Mark Fidler | Slashing | 36:47 | 2:00 | |
| BC | Paul Hammer | Cross–Checking | 37:33 | 2:00 | |
| BC | Charlie Antetomaso | Tripping | 38:20 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | BU | John Bethel | High Sticking | 48:53 | 2:00 |
| BU | John Bethel | Roughing | 48:53 | 2:00 | |
| BC | Joe Casey | High Sticking | 48:53 | 2:00 | |
| BC | Joe Casey | Roughing | 48:53 | 2:00 | |
| BU | Dick Lamby | Holding | 50:03 | 2:00 | |
| BC | Paul Barrett | High-Sticking | 55:18 | 2:00 | |
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