Detroit, MI… The 47th Annual Great Lakes Invitational is fast approaching, with four high-profile NCAA squads set to descend upon Joe Louis Arena on December 29 and 30 for a single-elimination-style tournament that has become a holiday tradition for sports fans in southeastern Michigan. In addition to four action-packed college hockey games, attendees of this year’s GLI are also in store for a wide variety of unique contests and promotions as Olympia Entertainment’s 2011-12 “College Hockey in the D” schedule kicks off with a bang.

“We’re very excited about the new elements we’ve added to the 2011 edition of the GLI,” says Olympia Entertainment Director of Strategic Hockey Alliances Mike Bayoff. “This tournament has traditionally been a fun-filled, family-friendly event and we feel that the dynamic mix of promotions we’re rolling out this year will enhance those traits and further add to the festive collegiate atmosphere at The Joe.”

Host school Michigan Tech University will be setting up an interactive exhibition entitled “The Science of Hockey” on the main concourse at JLA for fans to visit throughout the duration of the 2011 GLI. This innovative educational exhibition is designed to be enjoyed by hockey enthusiasts of all ages and features a variety of exhibits which incorporate scientific lessons with hockey-related paraphernalia and equipment.

Presented by MTU’s Mind Trekkers Student Outreach Program, “The Science of Hockey” will open at 2:00 p.m. on both December 29 and 30 and will remain open until the end of the first period of both of the tournament’s afternoon (4:00 p.m.) games. Admission to “The Science of Hockey” is free with the purchase of any GLI ticket.

Special GLI VIP Ticket Packages are also available for purchase this year, affording fans the opportunity to enjoy a one-of-a-kind college hockey experience. In addition to receiving a “College Hockey in the D” t-shirt and a premium front row/glass seat, VIP ticket holders will also be invited to participate in a meet-and-greet with former Detroit Red Wings and NCAA players Chris Chelios and Doug Brown as well as a post-game on-ice experience. Priced at $65 apiece, more information on GLI VIP Ticket Packages can be obtained by calling (313) 396-7575.

An autographed college & pro jersey combo from NCAA alumni who have gone on to skate in the NHL will also be given away to four lucky fans at this year’s GLI. Jerseys signed by Justin Abdelkader (Spartans/Red Wings), Doug Brown (Eagles/Red Wings), Chris Conner (Huskies/Griffins) and Jack Johnson (Wolverines/Kings) will all be given away during this year’s GLI. In order to qualify to win one of these unique prizes, fans must fill out a ballot on the JLA concourse. One jersey package will be given away at each of the four matches scheduled to be played during the tournament.

The 2011 Great Lakes Invitational will begin with a match between Michigan State and Michigan Tech at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29 followed by a battle between Boston College and Michigan later that evening (puck drop @ 7:30 p.m.). The two winning teams will then compete for the GLI championship at 7:30 p.m. the following night, with the consolation final set to be staged immediately beforehand (puck drop @ 4:00 p.m.). Tickets to this event are now available for purchase at the JLA Box Office (313-396-7575), all Ticketmaster (800-745-3000) outlets, and online at OlympiaEntertainment.com

The Michigan State-Michigan hockey rivalry is just as intense as the football rivalry between the two largest schools in the state of Michigan.

The Wolverines and Spartans have met in Detroit at least once per season since 1990. During the series at The Joe, Michigan has held a slight series edge with 10 wins compared to Michigan State’s nine. Four games have ended in a tie. University of Michigan AD David Brandon can add this to the list of deals he has struck in his short time in Ann Arbor. ““I’m excited that we have extended our relationship with Olympia Entertainment, ensuring our fans that Michigan vs. Michigan State hockey games will be played at Joe Louis Arena for many years to come,” he said.

Despite a sub-par season in 2010-11 by the Spartans under former coach Rick Comley, they posted a 2-1 victory in front of over 18,000 fans January 29, 2011. The two teams will meet this season Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

In addition to this single game, the College Hockey in the D series at Joe Louis Arena this season consist of staple events like the Great Lakes Invitational and the CCHA Championship. The 2011 edition of the Great Lakes Invitational, set to be staged at Joe Louis Arena on December 29 and 30 of this year. Boston College and Michigan Tech will join Michigan State and Michigan for the right to hoist the MacInnes Trophy later this year.

The Mason Cup will be awarded to the CCHA tournament champion. And the champion will be awarded Saturday, March 12, 2012 after the semifinals the day before. This season, the Wolverines carry a 7-3-2 overall and 3-3-2-1 CCHA records heading into this weekends home series with Ohio State. The Spartans are only three points behind in conference with a 3-3-0-0 record. Their overall record is 6-4 as they travel to Marquette, Mich. to take on Northern Michigan.

““Our rivalry with Michigan is the greatest rivalry in our state, and as the most-played rivalry in all of college hockey, it allows us to add a chapter each year in one of the most exciting buildings in the National Hockey League. This partnership also allows us to showcase our programs, and engage our fans in the Detroit area.””- Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis

” “It allows us to showcase one of the most exciting rivalries in college hockey in one of the grandest hockey venues in the state of Michigan, and also provides terrific exposure for both of these storied hockey programs.””- University of Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon

HWB is participating in “Movember” to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Make a difference, make a donation.

Alabama-Huntsville Drops Program

The southern-most Division I hockey school will cease to exist at the end of this season. One never wants to see a hockey program at any university fall, but if you were to ask any college hockey insider if there were a program to drop amid the cluster of conference realignment, it would be Alabama-Huntsville. They have played the last few seasons as an Independent after College Hockey America dissolved as a conference.  No shocking that they will join Wayne State and Findlay as former CHA members that are no longer hockey-playing schools. Being a team without a conference, it became a daunting task to play a strictly non-conference schedule and having a all-but-slim chance of playing postseason hockey. They attempted to join the CCHA when Nebraska-Omaha left but were denied membership. And they were left at the altar again earlier this year when the constant shuffle of teams changing conferences and conferences were being formed.

Hockey in the Sun Belt is a tough sale (just ask the city of Atlanta), but the Charger hockey program is no new kid on the block. They have played hockey at the NCAA level since the 1986-87 season, prior to that they were a club team when the program started in 1979. They played championship-level hockey at the NCAA-II level until 1998 when the NCAA got rid of the Division II level as a whole. The team won the NCAA-II national championship in 1996 and 1998. The University cited finances as a reason to cut the program. With the savings of demoting the team to club status, the money saved will enhance and benefit the other 15 sports in the athletic department.

Northern Michigan Freshman Charged in Bike Thefts

Moving over to the CCHA, five rookie members of the Northern Michigan hockey team were charged with bike thefts earlier this week. According to the Marquette Mining Journal, the five members are both in legal and University disciplinary trouble stemming from a September incident where they were caught with stolen bicycles that belonged to other university students.  The players are currently scheduled for jury trials next month in Marquette County District Court on misdemeanor charges involving stolen bicycles.

Each paid 10 percent of a $2,500 bond – and the identified are Dylan Stanley Walchuk, 19, Mitchell Kurtis Jones, 19, Jake Scott Baker, 20, and Eric Brian Walker, 18, all of British Columbia, and Daniel Henry Vandercook Jr., 21, of Farmington Hills, Michigan. Wildcats bench boss Walt Kyle declined comment, but a statement released by Northern Michigan University the five are going through the NMU student discipinary process for university code violations as well as an athletic review committee for disciplinary infractions. Each of the cases is being handled separately, though all five defendants are scheduled for jury trial at 8 a.m Dec. 6. At that time, if one case is ready for jury trial, the others would be rescheduled for other days. They might not be the only ones implicated; the police commented that there are warrant requests on others and are determining whether to act on those.

Facing the most severe charges are Vandercook, Jones and Baker. Each are charged with one count of receiving and concealing stolen property valued greater than $200, but less than $1,000. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine, or three times the property value, whichever is greater.

As for their performance on the ice, Walker and Vandercook have not appeared in a game this season while Walchuk, leads all NMU freshmen in scoring with a goal and four assists. The Wildcats are 14th in this weeks USCHO.com poll and are on the road taking on Ohio State this weekend.

HWB is participating in “Movember” to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Make a difference, make a donation.

CCHA: Miami

Take your pick between Michigan, Notre Dame and Miami. All three teams have reached the Frozen Four in the last five seasons but have yet to take the title home. Don’t be surprised if any of the three will be making travel arrangements to Tampa the final week of March. If I were to pick a team, I would pick the Miami Redhawks. This group of seniors reached the national title game in 2009 and the Frozen Four in 2010. After steamrolling the competition en route to the CCHA tournament title in 2011, they fell flat in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Head coach Enrico Blasi will have some big shoes to fill as 45 percent of their goal production is lost due to the graduation of Andy Miele, Carter Camper, Justin Vaive and Pat Cannone. Miele also won the Hobey Baker Award last season.

Just like they have done over the last few years, they will look to reload with experienced veteran players to make up the lost goal production. There seems to be a different player stepping up every year, and it shouldn’t be any different this year. And you can’t forget they are solid in goal with the tandem of Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard.

Hockey East: Boston College

One thing I can count on is a team with Boston in its name playing for a national title. Last year was the first year since 2005 that Boston College or Boston University failed to appear in the national championship game. In that span, Boston College was 2-2 while Boston University was 1-0. The B.C. Eagles are among the top teams in the nation, as they are currently the top team in the nation in the USA Today and USCHO.com polls.

Last season, the Eagles swept the Hockey East regular season and tournament championships, but were upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament when they lost to Colorado College. Legendary bench boss Jerry York still has high expectations for his squad, but they will have to do it with a new No. 1 between the pipes. Junior Parker Milner is the new guy in goal, having the fill the shoes of the graduated (and two-time national champion) John Muse. Miler did win 13 games in his first two seasons as a backup, so he has the experience and confidence necessary for the role. There are two rookies behind him so it’s all-or-nothing should he succeed or struggle. The Eagles won 30 games last season, and it will be quite the feat should they return to the 30-win plateau this season.

2010 first round pick (14th overall) Jaden Schwartz of Colorado College/St. Louis Blues.

WCHA: Colorado College

Just like the CCHA, the WCHA is stacked deep with talented teams. The standings will become a game of musical chairs and the music won’t stop until the final night of the regular season. I have the feeling that North Dakota, Colorado College, and Minnesota could contend for the national championship. As well as Denver looks on paper, I can’t overlook the fact their top goalie Sam Brittain won’t be back until January due to knee surgery.  Despite North Dakota having one of the best goalies in the nation in 30-game winner Aaron Dell , they have to find a way to replace 128 of 177 goals scored last season. For those keeping score at home, that’s 72 percent. Despite finishing sixth in the conference last season, look for the WCHA champion to come from Colorado Springs.

While everyone but Wisconsin is returning their starting goalie, the most complete team on paper is Colorado College. The Tigers should have a healthy Jaden Schartz, who was putting up Sidney Crosby-type numbers (47 points in 30 games) before suffering an ankle injury while playing for Canada in the World Junior Championships. He missed all of January and returned mid-February. Should the sophomore and St. Louis draftee continue on the same tear, he has to be a contender for the Hobey Baker Award. His linemate and brother Rylan, isn’t too bad himself as he had 10 goals and 28 assists in 41 games.

That in itself set off a domino effect with members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and CCHA getting together and forming the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) in July. That conference will also begin play in 2013 and consist of North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, Miami (Ohio), Denver, and Colorado College. Every school with the exception of Miami are members of the WCHA while Miami is a member of the CCHA. The seven teams who have departed the conference finished in the top seven in the 2010-11 WCHA regular season standings.

The WCHA had to do something to add to the five remaining schools and what they did was raid the CCHA cabinet and extend invitations to Ferris State, Alaska, Western Michigan, Northern Michigan, Lake Superior State, and Bowling Green. Northern Michigan accepted the invitation to join the WCHA last month while Ferris State, Alaska, and Lake Superior State accepted and will join the conference in 2013 in the last week. Bowling Green has not made a final decision and will make one before the 30-day acceptance deadline according to an August 25 press release by the WCHA. The only school still in conference limbo is Notre Dame, and it is speculated they could either join Hockey East or NCHC if invited, or become an Independent like Alabama-Huntsville. The “new” WCHA will have 10 teams and can move up to 11 depending on Bowling Green. The NCHC will have six teams, the same number as the Big Ten.

It looks like the CCHA as we know it could cease to exist. Every conference member (sans Bowling Green and Notre Dame) will depart to a new league in 2013. The CCHA could remain and expand to smaller schools out east, including members of Atlantic Hockey and ECAC. That could happen but it is still to be determined. The CCHA is headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. And without any Michigan-based schools in the conference, it will be difficult to attract schools in states such as Pennsylvania, New York, etc. The CCHA and WCHA had a series of meetings last week in Chicago. The leagues will continue to meet and discuss logistical issues such as by-laws, scheduling, tournament scenarios, finances and adding additional members.

From this vantage point, one would be looking at center ice this winter for the Frozen Diamond Faceoff.

For those who aren’t from the midwest, Michigan and Ohio have a fierce rivalry. Ohioans and Michiganders hate each other with a passion. It goes as far back as 1835 when Ohio took Toledo from Michigan during the Toledo War. The war has since progressed into one of the greatest rivalries in college football between the University of Michigan and Ohio State University, that featured two of the legendary coaches in college football in Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes. Currently, one of the hottest division races in Major League Baseball is between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians.

And coming this winter, the rivalry will be played on ice under the bright lights and falling snow as the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes will take part in the Frozen Diamond Faceoff at Progressive Field. The game between Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) members will take place Saturday, January 15, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.

An NHL-sized rink will be setup down the first base line stretching in the infield from home plate to the outfield. The two teams are no-strangers to playing outdoor hockey in recent years. Going back to The Cold War versus Michigan State in 2001, the Wolverines are 1-1-1 in outdoor games while the Buckeyes are 0-1. Both have a common opponent in outdoor games as both played University of Wisconsin in separate games at Lambeau Field (vs Ohio State in 2006) and Camp Randall Field (vs. Michigan in 2010). The Badgers defeated the Badgers in both games.

This is the third consecutive game Michigan has played outdoors. Last season they set a world hockey attendance record when they defeated Michigan State in The Big Chill at The Big House. Specifics about ticket availability have yet to be announced and will be announced in the coming weeks.

View from my seat as the third period began at The Big Chill

When I attended college at Ferris State University, I attended sporting events in a media capacity during my four years. I never had the opportunity like my friends who went to schools such as Michigan, Michigan State, and others and enjoy the complete tailgate experience. This was my first time arriving at the venue several hours prior to kickoff or the puck dropping to hang out, chat, and enjoy a beverage of choice. When I attended games, I would usually show up 30 minutes prior to the game starting, head straight to the press box and kept my nose in front of media guides, a laptop computer, or various pregame statistical information before the game starting. It was something that I really enjoyed doing, I hope to do the tailgate thing before a Michigan State football game next fall.

I tailgated at Pioneer High School, across the street from Michigan Stadium. There was an interactive Fan Fest for the fans as well. They had several activities for both children and adults. They had activities such as a shooting net, concerts, contests, and mini hockey games going on. The presenting sponsor of the game, Arby’s, was also giving out free roast beef sandwiches to fans.

Inside the stadium, there was a B-2 Stealth flyover after the national anthem. I had never seen one in person, and they are truly amazing to see. You won’t know it flew over you unless you looked up and seen it. They were that quiet. One of the first things that I noticed about the ice was that it looked bigger than what I seen in Madison, Wisconsin for the Camp Randall Classic. At most other non-traditional hockey games, they used the regular NHL sized rink. But for The Big Chill, they used the wider Olympic sized rink to make the size of the rink look larger on the football field. Good decision by the planners because it didn’t seem as small and allowed the fans to feel a few feet closer to the action. Another positive for the game was putting fireworks around the perimeter of the rink that was set to go off before the game, after Michigan goals and during the post-game fireworks display.

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of post-game fireworks. It’s similar to things like a parade, the Detroit Auto Show, and Dick Clark’s New Years Eve: Once you’ve seen it once or twice, you’ve seen enough of it. But never before at Michigan Stadium had there been fireworks placed and set off atop of the east and west sides of the stadium where the press box and club seating is located. I loved the use of various colors, patterns and how it was set to accompanying music.

I don’t know if I will attend another outdoor hockey game of this magnitude again. But I do know, organizers of future games will have a difficult time matching the experience I enjoyed Saturday at Michigan Stadium.

Will Boston College or Wisconsin hold the trophy tonight? Tune to ESPN2 and watch the Frozen Four Championship

The point of the year that players have been looking forward to since the beginning of the season is tonight as Boston College and Wisconsin face-off in the national championship game. The puck will drop at 7:00 at Ford Field in Detroit. Thursday was the semifinals and some surprising things happened while I was there.

1. The ice was in better shape than I thought. I’ve attended outdoor games and played outdoor hockey myself. Setting up the ice in a non-traditional hockey venue has a lot of challenges. One differences I did see between the Camp Randall Classic and the Frozen Four is that the ice didn’t have to be worked on as frequent as it did during the Wisconsin-Michigan outdoor game. If you recall, the net where Bryan Hogan had to defend for two periods caused a lot of stoppages to apply dry ice as it appeared to constantly break loose and crack. At the Frozen Four, I believed only one stoppage occurred to repair the ice and that was late in the Miami-Boston College game. Another fact, is the rink used in the NHL Winter Classic is the same one used at the Frozen Four as I seen the refrigeration truck in the loading dock outside Ford Field.

2. The letdown that was both semifinals. I had a hunch that RIT would be a little over matched against Wisconsin. Wisconsin didn’t let RIT in the game at all as they scored quickly and often. Wisconsin did what Denver didn’t do and that was come out scoring from the start. I was hoping Miami-Boston College would be a good game, but a span of 4 minutes between the end of the first and beginning of the second periods is what turned this game around. BC scored late in the first and twice more in the first three minutes of the second period to take a 3-0 lead. Desperate times called for desperate measures and Miami tried to attack and press on offense which backfired as BC scored three more times in a 1:35 span in the third period to take a 6-1 lead with 8 minutes left in the game.

The crowds at Ford Field was very exciting. It was cool to see college hockey jerseys from all over the country, as some of my favorites included Boston University and Maine.

The key for Boston College to win is for them to stay out of the penalty box. Wisconsin is a deadly team on the power play as they scored three power play goals in a nine minute span. Including two five-on-three goals as RIT took too many bad penalities including a game-misconduct for checking from behind.

The key for Wisconsin is to avoid the trap of Boston College’s scoring. The Eagles scored often against Miami but they were in bunches. The Badgers have to not get too down when the Eagles score because they can come right down the ice and score again. Wisconsin has to continue to use their defenseman to create scoring chances. They looked really good with traffic in front of the net and you never know what can happen with deflections of pucks in the slot.

This is a rematch of the 2006 championship, where the Badgers defeated the Eagles 2-1. That Frozen Four was played in their home state, only down the road from its home campus in Milwaukee. In this game, I like both teams. This should be an exciting game that could even go into overtime. I think I like Wisconsin a little more than I do Boston College.

In you cannot watch the game on ESPN2, be sure to follow Hockey World Blog on Twitter for live updates.

We saw Duke having their One Shining Moment on Monday when they won the men’s basketball Frozen Four. Which team will have theirs come Saturday night?

Miami Redhawks

Why they will win it: This team has been on a mission for the last 360+ days. What team wouldn’t after what transpired against Boston University.

Why they won’t win it: Just like how they could win it, they could simply try too hard and press too much if it’s less than 5 minutes and they are trailing by one.

The Redhawks are a team that’s been on my radar all season. I’ve watched them play in the CCHA semifinal and consolation game and they looked like two different teams. The defeat against Michigan only a few miles away from Ford Field was one of their worse performances all season. But it was the Redhawks who won the more important game against the Wolverines at the Midwest Regional in Fort Wayne, Ind. They are a strong team with plenty of solid players on both sides of the puck. And in goal, they have two equally competent goalies who each had what it takes to win the championship. On offense they don’t have one go-to player or line, but a corps of players who each can light the lamp. The only problem is if they end up in a bind, who can you count on to create scoring opportunities?

Boston College Eagles

Why they will win it: They led hockey East in team defense. They can slow it down and have a low scoring game or rev it up and have a high scoring shootout.

Why they won’t win it:The high scoring shootouts isn’t what you want in the national semifinal and national championship. If Miami has a two or more goal lead after two periods Thursday night, I don’t know if a team that allowed six to Miami and seven to Yale in postseason play can come back from that.

The Eagles have not experienced a loss since February 19. During that stretch, they have gone 10-0-1. In addition, they have trailed for a grand total of 55 seconds. Coach Jerry York is one of the legends of the college game, and he has been to the Frozen Four in four of the last five seasons. He will have his troops ready and prepared for Miami come 8:00 Thursday night. Similar to Wisconsin this year, the Eagles should adjust to the massive environment of Ford Field faster than RIT and Miami, as they played at Fenway Park in January.Look for Boston College to play a puck movement style of hockey, as York doesn’t like to see the puck on a players stick for too long. Keeping the puck moving and looking for the open man is what will be key to lighting the lamp.

Wisconsin Badgers

Why they will win it:Experienced team of mostly upperclassmen. They are also a team with a powerful offense from the forwards and defensemen and the team has lots of tournament experience.

Why they won’t win it:They don’t have the solid goaltending you’d like to have this late in the season. RIT had no problem standing up and punching a WCHA opponent, like what they did to Denver in the regional.

The 2006 and 2010 seasons have very similar comparisons for the Wisconsin Badgers. 2006 was the last time they won a national championship and they are two wins away from the same feat this weekend. 2006 was also when the Badgers played in a football stadium and they did so in February. Coach Mike Eaves has to take a K.I.S.S. approach with his team and that is to keep it simple and do what they have done all season up to this point. At this point in the season, coaches have to be careful and not over coach on the bench. The players know the systems and assignments and they have stick to the game plan and make adjustments only when necessary. The Badgers have to focus on things they can control, such as having a strong presence in the slot on both sides of the ice. For Wisconsin to advance and move on, goalie Scott Gudmanson needs to have a solid game and knock away any loose pucks near the net.

Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers

Why they will win it: They have nothing to lose. No one outside their dressing room thought they would be here. They proved they can play with the big boys after upsets of Denver and New Hampshire.

Why they won’t win it: They are a #4 seed and would have to defeat three #1 seeds in four games up capture the championship. That’s a tough task for any team.

RIT is the team that was supposed to be playing golf this weekend instead of strapping the pads at Ford Field. Now that they are here, they have to focus on the task at hand and not get too happy just by being here. You’ll see this with Cinderella teams that advance in the NCAA hockey or basketball tournaments: a team that was still on such a high when winning the regional that by the time the Final/Frozen Four rolls around they aren’t ready to play because they “were just happy to be here”. When doing my research, this same topic was covered when RIT coach Wayne Wilson sought advice from Bemidji State bench boss Tom Serratore about “the small school dealing with big time distractions that come with advancing to the Frozen Four”. Serratore sent Wilson an email that said  “By the time we got to D.C., the game might have been secondary from the experience we had from winning [the regionals] .” Wilson posted that warning in the RIT locker room last week, and that’s enough bulletin board material to drive it home to his players.

The rink setup at Ford Field for the Frozen Four

The Picks

RIT vs. Wisconsin:

The first semifinal could be the more interesting match up. RIT has nothing to lose while Wisconsin is a favorite to win it all. The Tigers could be dangerous for the Badgers simply because they have defeated top teams just two weekends ago. Similar to Butler in the NCAA basketball tournament, the small school knows how to play with the big boys and they aren’t afraid to crash the party. The Tigers have won 12 straight games and have allowed 14 goals in its last 11 games. College hockey media guides normally list the NHL teams that have draft rights to its players. RIT’s media guide list players favorite teams because none are draft picks of NHL franchises. Compare that to 11 picks of the Badgers including Hobey Baker Award finalist Blake Geoffrion could be too much for the Tigers to tame. I like RIT to keep it close till midway through the third period before Wisconsin scores a couple goals to advance to the championship.

My Pick: Wisconsin

Boston College vs. Miami: 8 p.m.

This could be the best game of the weekend. Boston College and Miami are two teams who know how to get to this point in the season and how to play in pressure situations. Like I have said all season, Miami is a team on a mission ever since they walked off the ice at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. last April. Compare that with the tragic death of manager Brendan Burke, Miami has a few things on their mind to play this championship for. Boston College could be the team that can spoil the party but don’t expect that to happen. If the Redhawks don’t come out and get a 2-3 goal lead after 40 minutes then they could be in trouble. I don’t foresee another performance like they had in regulation against Michigan, but rather a team that’s on a mission and nothing will derail that.

My Pick: Miami

Check back before Saturday’s game for recaps and photos of the action at Ford Field, as well as a preview and picks of Saturday’s national championship.

Note: Seeded teams are overall tournament seeded teams.

Northeast Regional- Worcester, Mass.

(4) Boston College vs Alaska: Saturday 1:30 p.m.

Boston College got here because they won the Hockey East. The Eagles have been peaking at the right moment, as they have been unbeaten in over six weeks. The Eagles has had solid goaltending between John Muse and Parker Milner. It was Muse who backstopped the Eagles to the national championship two seasons ago. What could scare the Eagles was his performance last weekend in the conference title game against Maine when he allowed six goals.

Alaska is closer to the North Star than the rest of us in the lower 48, and they should be thanking their lucky stars as they earned the fourth CCHA bid despite getting bounced in the quarterfinal round against Northern Michigan. The Nanooks have played very polarizing hockey this season. They would get hot and play stingy defense, then they would get cold and not put the puck in the net. Another question of note is where will the offense come from? Only three players have over 10 goals this season, which can help because BC won’t know which player to shut down. I like Boston College to win this match up.

North Dakota vs Yale: 5 p.m.

North Dakota got here  because they pulled off the difficult task of running through the gauntlet that is the WCHA Final Five and won three games in three days. Not to mention they played 6 games in 9 days dating back to the first round of the WCHA playoffs. They are on a hot streak in the last two weeks, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be successful in a one-and-done format. Whats made this North Dakota so unique is they are very young and don’t have that one go-to player, but several players playing really good hockey this time of the year.

Yale on the other hand, is a team that’s had a season quite different than most teams in the tournament. Some teams such as Cornell was low scoring but had solid goaltending. The Bulldogs led the nation in scoring as they averaged over four goals per game. But their goaltending is what’s let them down as they were eighth in goal differential. They can succeed in one of two ways: have the defense step up or simply make the game into a track meet and put up 5-6 goals per game on the scoreboard. With those two factors in mind, I think North Dakota has the opportunity to stop Yale’s offense and put up a few goals of their own. Expect the Fighting Sioux to fight another day in the regional final.

Regional Final: 5:30 p.m. Sunday

Advancing to the Frozen Four: Boston College

Midwest Regional- Fort Wayne, Ind.

(1) Miami vs Alabama-Huntsville: Saturday 4:00 p.m.

Miami is the overall top seed in the tournament. The Redhawks have played stellar hockey all season, with the exception being the drubbing they received from Michigan in the CCHA semifinals. This team is really deep, talented, and they are on a mission with the final 75 seconds of regulation in the national championship last season. This season, they have a little bit of everything: powerful offense, a vacuum defense, and solid special teams. What could bite them in the regional final is simply trying too hard to get back to the Frozen Four.

Alabama-Huntsville was one of the bracket-busters as they won the CHA tournament despite having a losing record. The CHA was supposed to be a one-bid league (Bemidji State) but earned themselves two. Whats working in their favor is some players do have NCAA tournament experience with a double overtime loss to Notre Dame in 2007. Whats also working in their favor is three of Miami’s seven losses this season came against CHA teams. UAH will have to play a perfect game and have a few bounces go their way if they want to beat Miami. As we saw yesterday with RIT beating Denver, anything can happen.

We’ve seen this situation before. Holy Cross over Minnesota in 2006. Bemidji State over Notre Dame in 2009. Those are the only 1-16 or 2-15 upsets in the modern 16-team NCAA tournament. Can lightning strike three times in five years? I don’t think so. Expect Miami to win by at least three goals.

Michigan vs Bemidji State: 7:30 p.m.

I knew this would happen. Michigan was sitting at 4-7 on November 20. Things in Ann Arbor wasn’t very good. The streak of 19 straight tournament births would be in doubt. But something happened. The Wolverines were able to turn things around and got hot at the right time as they are 8-1 since February 20. What they have been riding nearly since then is a third year walk-on goalie in Shawn Hunwick as he’s posted a 7-2 record in relief of the injured Bryan Hogan. Not bad for someone that’s seen less ice time than it takes to drive to the grocery store before stepping between the pipes.

Bemidji State is in gut-check mode. After running through the CHA regular season and playing solid hockey, they puked on themselves in the conference tournament with a loss to Niagara and a tie against Robert Morris. They have had two weeks to think about what didn’t go right in the CHA tournament. That combined with them not being able to sneak up against opponents this time around could spell trouble for the Beavers.

The Wolverines caught a favorable match up in the NCAA tournament. They have the potential to reach the Frozen Four and if they do, it can turn Ford Field into Michigan Stadium East. But first things first, expect them to beat Bemidji State before setting up a rematch of the CCHA semi’s with Miami for a chance to reach the Frozen Four.

Midwest Regional Final: Sunday, 8:00 p.m.

Advancing to the Frozen Four: Miami