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.

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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.

The new configuration of 35,000 will still smash the NCAA Frozen Four attendance record, which was when 19,432 fans saw Michigan State defeat Boston College in the 2007 championship game. In addition, Ford Field will become the third venue to host both the Final Four and Frozen Four, and the first to do it in consecutive years.

I already have my tickets, do you? If you want to purchase tickets, ticketmaster.com still has tickets available. Tickets are very affordable as you can see three games (both semi-finals and championship game) for as low as $40. Fans who purchased tickets through Ticketmaster prior to the switch will be relocated to similar seats as purchased.

Yesterday the “small” three conferences were previewed. Today, the “big” three conferences are previewed.

Hockey East: Terriers Hope to eat Competition Again

Boston University won the National Championship in one of the greatest hockey games you will ever see. With an extra-attacker on the ice and trailing Miami 3-1, the Terriers scored twice in the final minute and took the title 11:47 in the first OT period to win the title for the first time since 1995. In one of the toughest conferences in the nation, the Terriers received six of the 10 first-place votes in the coaches poll. In addition to the Terriers, look for UMass-Lowell and  Boston College attempt to dethrone Boston U with Vermont leading the rest of the teams in the conference.

CCHA: Both Coaches and Media Hail to the Victors in Michigan

Michigan forward Louie Caporusso hopes to lead the Wolverines to the Frozen Four at Ford Field in April.

For the first time in four years, both the coaches and media agree on the same team in the preseason poll. The Wolverines are always a favorite in the conference, as they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament 19 years in a row. That is quite an astonishing streak considering the amount of turnover due to graduations and players turning professional. Like Michigan State in basketball, Michigan hockey has the chance to play for a national title in its own backyard as it’s only 44 miles from Yost Ice Arena to Ford Field. Look for Miami and Notre Dame to challenge Michigan at the top of the standings, with Miami taking the tournament championship.

WCHA: Pioneers are Head of the Class

Denver finished last season with a bad taste in its mouth. One of the top teams in the nation, they lost to #5 seed Minnesota- Duluth in the WCHA Championship game. The following weekend they lost in the first round to eventual runners-up Miami. The Pioneers look to bounce back in what was a down year for the league as only three teams qualified for the tournament. A sharp contrast compared to 2005 when five teams qualified and all Frozen Four participants came from the WCHA. There’s several teams that can challenge the Pioneers, including Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Look for the Badgers to take the conference title this season.

ECAC: Bulldogs are Favored in Both Polls

Last season, Yale won both the regular-season and conference championships. They earned a #2 seed in the East Regional before losing in the first round to Vermont. Both the coaches and media are picking the Bulldogs to repeat. They return virtually all of their offense as each of their top-ten scorers return for this season. While Yale is the favorite, don’t sleep on contenders Cornell and Princeton.

Atlantic Hockey: Air Force Looks to Keep Flying High

Air Force has qualified for the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons. Last season, they tied for the regular-season championship with RIT, but it was the Falcons who not only won the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, but upset #4 seed Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons are picked to win the conference again this season, but expect the Tigers and Mercyhurst Lakers to take a shot at knocking down the Falcons.

Bemidji State will have to go through Niagra if they want to achieve the same magic as last season.

College Hockey America: Beavers and Purple Eagles Split Final CHA Preseason Poll

In the final season of College America, Bemidji State and Niagra are head of the class while Robert Morris and Alabama- Huntsville follow behind. With four teams in the conference, it feels like a band going out on tour one last time before disbanding. The Beavers are going to the WCHA next season, while Robert Morris and Niagra are moving to Atlantic Hockey. The Chargers are still looking for a conference after being denied by the CCHA over the summer. The Beavers were the Cinderella team last season, advancing to the Frozen Four in Washington D.C. as a #4 seed. Only one team will come out of this conference, will the Beavers qualify again? Will the Purple Eagles want some of the Cinderella magic the Beavers had this season? Expect Bemidji State to take the conference title again.