All first round and quarterfinal matchups were held at home team venues, while all succeeding games were played at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.
For the first time since its inception in 1984, no team from ECAC West made the tournament.
Four at-large bids were available for the highest-ranked non-automatic qualifiers (overall seed in parentheses).
With the remaining quarterfinal brackets made up entirely of eastern teams, they were matched according to their seedings.
The winner between the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams advanced to play the top eastern seed while the winner of the other two first round games met in the remaining quarterfinal match.