2014 Frozen Four

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For those of you not familiar with NCAA hockey, the Frozen Four is its version of the final four.  Unlike this year’s NCAA basketball final four with one number 1 seed and 3 other teams not favored to get there, the 2014 Frozen Four is set for 2 match ups of hockey powerhouses.  The top three teams in the nation (Boston College, University of Minnesota, and Union College) will make an appearance as well as a team very familiar with the NCAA tournament, the University of North Dakota.

Boston College is hockey’s version of Alabama football; they are always in contention to win the national championship.  Since 2000, the Boston College Eagles have been to 7 national championship games and won 4 of them.  Not to mention they wear the best looking jerseys in the sport.  This year the Eagles come into the Frozen Four having won their regular season conference championship, Hockey East, and are ranked number 2 in the country.  Led by Hobey Baker award finalists, forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Kevin Hayes make up two thirds of the best line in college hockey combining for 140 points in 39 games (SB Nation).  The Eagles take on Union College (NY) in the national semifinals Thursday April 10^th at 5 PM which may ultimately decide the national champion.

Hailing from Schenectady, NY, the Union College Dutchmen are no newbies to college hockey’s elite tournament.  They lost in the national semifinals in 2012 and lost early in the tournament last year.  This year the team is led by veterans like defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere, a finalist for NCAA hockey’s top honor.  The Dutchmen won the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament and even though they are the only division III school in the tournament, they play like one of the top teams in the nation.  Union’s main weapon is speed and tempo, not only from their forwards, but their defensemen as well.  They look to upset Boston College in route to their first national final appearance.

On the other side of the bracket, the number 1 team in the country, the Minnesota Golden Gophers look to make their first finals appearance since winning back to back national championships in 2002 and 2003.  With the CCHA gone and the emergence of Big Ten hockey conference, the Gophers were dominant in winning the regular season.  I watched a lot of Gopher hockey this year and even though they did not win the Big Ten tournament, they were hands down the best team in the Big Ten.  Minnesota is heavy on skilled freshmen like forward Justin Kloos and linemate Nate Condon.  As one of the top three defenses in the country, the Gophers rely heavily on their goaltender, Hobey Baker finalist Adam Wilcox. Wilcox was also named Big Ten player of the year.

The dark horse in this year’s tournament is actually no dark horse at all.  Despite coming into the tournament as a number 4 seed, The University of North Dakota is making their 20^th Frozen Four appearance.  Only four other teams have more appearances in the tournament’s history.  The team’s best player has come from between the pipes in goaltender Zane Gothberg, who stopped 44 of 45 shots in the regional final game against Ferris State.  Their defense it top notch but they lack scoring depth which has forced them into tight games during the tournament.  North Dakota will try to emulate what Yale did last year in making a late season run at a national title.  They will do their best to upset the number 1 team in the land Thursday night at 8 PM.

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