Frozen Four Field Finalized

The other half of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four in Pittsburgh has been finalized. St. Cloud State and top-ranked Quinnipiac will both head to their first-ever national semifinal in two weeks, following their respective Midwest and East Regional final victories on Sunday.

St. Cloud ousted Miami (Ohio) by a 4-1 count in Toledo, while Quinnipiac routed conference rival Union (NY) by a 5-1 score in Providence. The two will meet in two weeks time at the Consol Energy Center.

They will join Yale and UMass Lowell, which claimed the West and Northeast Regional finals on Saturday, respectively. It will mark the first time since 1958 that four schools will be all seeking their first Division I hockey national title at the same time.

SCSU got two goals apiece on Sunday from Joey Benik and Cory Thorson to punch its ticket to Pittsburgh. The Huskies, who won a share of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title , also got 20 saves from Ryan Faragher, with only Blake Coleman able to put a puck past him.

It was also a new league preview game of sorts, as Miami will move to the nascent National Collegiate Hockey Conference this fall along with SCSU. It was also the last ever game by a Central Collegiate Hockey Association school, which is disbanding after 42 years of play. Miami won the final CCHA regular-season crown, its fourth in team history, and just made its eighth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

Quinnipiac completed its seasonal hat trick against Eastern College Athletic Conference opponent Union, thanks to a hat trick in just 3:12 by forward Matthew Peca in the first period to break up a scoreless tie. Two backhanders in front in Peca, sandwiched around a wrist shot from the right circle, for the fastest hat trick in NCAA tournament history proved to be all the Bobcats needed to defeat the Dutchmen for the third time this year.

Quinnipiac goaltender and Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist Eric Hartzell finished with 18 saves. Troy Grosenick had 21 stops for the Dutchmen, who fell one game short of their second straight Frozen Four.

SCSU and Quinnipiac will engage each other in the late semifinal on April 11 in Pittsburgh, while UMass Lowell and Yale will face one another in the early semifinal starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised live on ESPN 2. The semifinal victors will then meet on April 13 to decide this year’s national champion.

Upsets Continue on Second Day of NCAA Tournament

One half of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four is set. Whoever completes the other side of the bracket will also be a first-time national semifinalist, which means there will be a first-ever national champion for the second time in three years, following Minnesota-Duluth’s first-ever national title in 2011.

Yale went further than it has in 61 years by scoring four unanswered third-period goals to oust North Dakota, 4-1, and win the West Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich. as a fourth seed. Jesse Root, the hero in Friday’s overtime win over Minnesota, again collected the game-winning goal, this time with just under five minutes left in the final period, after Josh Balch tied it with his third goal of the campaign at 12:25. Anthony Day had two assists for Yale, while Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist Corban Knight scored North Dakota’s only goal.

The Bulldogs won’t be the only Eastern College Athletic Conference team in Pittsburgh in two weeks time, as either Quinnipiac or Union will also represent the conference in the national semifinals following Sunday’s East Regional final in Providence. (Quinnipiac defeated Union in both of their league meetings this season.)

The top-seeded Bobcats rebounded from a 3-1 third-period deficit to edge Atlantic Hockey champion Canisius by a 4-3 count. Kevin Bui’s goal with 5:32 remaining in regulation proved to be the difference as Quinnipiac recorded its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. Connor Jones also had a goal and an assist for Quinnipiac, while Matthew Peca and Jordan Samuels-Thomas had third-period goals, and Hobey Baker finalist Eric Hartzell made 20 stops.

Union came within a win of its second straight Frozen Four by mauling defending NCAA champion Boston College, 5-1, in the other Providence semifinal. The Dutchmen tallied three times on the power play, while Josh Jooris notched two goals in all, including the game-winner early in the second stanza, as Union led 4-0 after 40 minutes. Troy Grosenick finished with 29 saves for the Dutchmen, while Hobey Baker finalist Johnny Gaudreau had the only goal for the Eagles.

UMass Lowell punched its tickets to its first-ever Frozen Four with a 2-0 win over Hockey East rival new Hampshire in the Northeast Regional final in Manchester, N.H. Scott Wilson’s wraparound goal with 30 seconds left in the second period put the River Hawks ahead, and Adam Chapie iced it on backhander off a rush with just over six minutes left in the final session. Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves to earn the shutout, his sixth of the season that tied him for the national lead.

St. Cloud State, the fourth seed in the Midwest Regional in Toledo, advanced to the final by upending Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoff champion and regional top seed Notre Dame, 5-1. Joey Benik scored twice for the Huskies, while Ben Hanowski registered a goal and an assist for the last Western Collegiate Hockey Association team now left standing in the tournament. Mike Voran had the sole goal for the Fighting Irish.

SCSU will face the final CCHA team left in the tournament, Miami (Ohio), in the regional final on Sunday. The Redhawks blanked Minnesota State, 4-0, as Ryan Mckay made 20 saves, Austin Czarnik set up two goals, and Max Cook had a goal and an assist. Miami is also the last CCHA team overall, as the league is set to disband following the completion of the NCAAs.

First Day of NCAA Tournament in the Books

They did it again.

Three years after upsetting North Dakota by a 3-2 score in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass., Yale University did the same to Minnesota, this time in overtime in Friday's NCAA West Regional semifinal in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Kenny Agostino had a goal and an assist for Yale, and set up Jesse Root's one-timer in front for the game-winner just nine seconds into the extra session, setting an NCAA Tournament record. Yale was shut out in both games in last week's ECAC Championship in Atlantic City, and made the NCAAs as the 15th overall and final at-large seed only after Michigan was eliminated in the CCHA final.

The Bulldogs will play now North Dakota on Sunday, after UND escaped with a 2-1 victory over Niagara despite 41 saves by Purple Eagle netminder and Hobey Baker Memorial Award Finalist Carsen Chubak. Fellow Hobey Bakey finalist Danny Kristo tallied the game-winning goal on a third-period wraparound to break a 1-1 tie.

At the Northeast Regional in Manchester, N.H., Hockey East regular-season and playoff champion UMass Lowell came within a game of the Frozen Four for the second straight campaign by crushing WCHA Tournament champion Wisconsin by a 6-1 count. Connor Hellebucyk made 31 saves for the victorious River Hawks, including one on a penalty shot. UML got goals from six different skaters in all, while racing out to a 3-0 lead in the second period before adding three more goals in the third session.

UML will now face Hockey East rival New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon, following the Wildcats' 5-2 victory over Denver in the second Northeast Regional semifinal. After the Pioneers took a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes of play, UNH responded with four unanswered scores, with Daltan Speelman notching the deciding marker with 22 seconds left in the second period. Casey Thrush scored UNH's first and fifth goals, the last one into an empty Denver net with 2:20 remaining in regulation.

The East and Midwest Regionals both get underway on Saturday, with their finals to be contested on Sunday. In Providence, No. 1 overall seed Quinnipiac will face Canisius, while ECAC Tournament champion Union will play defending NCAA champion Boston College. In Toledo, CCHA playoff king Notre Dame will take on St. Cloud State, while CCHA regular-season titilist Miami (Ohio) will square off with Minnesota State.

 

NCAA Players on the Move, NHL-Wise

The NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is about to commence, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are still over a month away—but three college players with National Hockey League ties were recently on the move, at least in the transactions section.

Yale junior forward Kenny Agostino and St. Cloud senior forward Ben Hanowski, a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins draft choices, were both included in the deal that sent longtime Calgary Flames star Jarome Iginla to the Steel City. Also going to Calgary in the deal was Pittsburgh's 2013 first-round draft choice.

Agostino leads Yale with 15 goals, and also has 22 assists for 37 points this season. The Flanders, NJ native has collected 40-56—96 points in 97 career games with the Bulldogs, who play Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA West Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Friday.

Hanowksi, who was tabbed 63rd overall by the Penguins in 2009, has 16-13—29 totals this season for the Huskies, who face Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional in Toledo on Saturday. In 153 career games, the Little Falls, Minn. native has registered 66-50—116 points in 153 appearances.

Elsewhere, Michigan junior defenseman Jon Merrill decided to skip his senior season in Ann Arbor and signed an amateur tryout contract with the New Jersey Devils organization, which drafted him 38th overall in 2010. Merrill, from Brighton, Mich., tallied 11-36--47 points in 82 career outings with the Wolverines, who just fell short of a 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. He will be assigned to Albany (AHL).

2012-13 USCHO Division III Teams

The 2012-13 NCAA Division III All-USCHO Teams were announced earlier this month at USCHO.com. ECAC West players are listed in bold.

First Team
G - David Jacobson, St. Norbert
D- Ollie Koo, Bowdoin
D - Scott Farrell, Neumann
F - Paul Rodrigues, Oswego State
F - Luke Moodie, Oswego State
F - Kyle Stroh, St. Norbert

Second Team
G - Brandon Stephenson, Wisconsin-Eau Claire
D - Shaun Jameson, Wentworth
D - Jack Callahan, Wisconsin-Eau Claire
F - Joe Caveney, Fitchburg State
F - Branden Parkhouse, Becker
F - Zach Graham, Adrian

Third Team
G - Nick Broadwater, Hobart
D- Rob Florentino, Massachusetts-Boston
D - Jesse McConney, Oswego State
F - Keith Buehler, Wesleyan
F - Jordan Singer, Wisconsin-Eau Claire
F - Louie Educate, Utica

All-Rookie Team
G - Saxton Soley, St. John's
D - Donny Olivieri, Utica
D - Marko Brelih, Hamilton
F - Shaquille Merasty, Adrian
F - Peter MacIntyre, Massachusetts-Boston
F - Kevin Emmerling, Plattsburgh State

Quinn Named New BU Men's Coach

David Quinn was announced today as the new men's hockey head coach at Boston University.

Quinn (BU '88), who is currently serving as an assistant coach with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, will take over from his former head coach, Jack Parker, who retired following 40 years, 897 wins, three NCAA championships, and a score-plus of Beanpot trophies from 1973 to 2013. Parker coached his last game on Saturday in a 1-0 loss to UMass Lowell in the Hockey East championship game, one night after beating Boston College, 6-3.

A former Terrier defenseman and first-round NHL draft choice (Minnesota/1984) whose college career was cut short by a blood disorder called Christmas Disease, Quinn, 46, still went on to play professionally in the American and International Hockey Leagues thanks to medication, and also spent five years as an assistant to Parker at BU, where he was part of its 2009 national title team.

A native of Cranston, R.I., Quinn went on to coach professionally, first as head coach with Lake Erie (AHL), and then with the parent Avalanche. He has also been an assistant coach with Northeastern University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Perfect Minnesota Wins Second Straight NCAA Women's Title

The University of Minnesota women's hockey team finished off a perfect 41-0 season by defeating Boston University, 6-3, on Sunday at Ritter Arena in Minneapolis in the NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Championship Game. The Golden Gophers ran their overall winning streak to 49 games, dating back to last season when they also won the national title over WCHA rival Wisconsin.

Minnesota had advanced to this year's title game by beating Boston College, 3-2 in overtime, on Friday, while BU topped Merychurst, 4-1, in the other semifinal. It was the fourth overall NCAA title for the Gophers, while the Terriers (26-8-3) fell for the second time in the national title game, having lost to Wisconsin in 2011.

Amanda Kessel paced the Golden Gophers to the victory with two goals and two assists against the Terriers, and also eclipsed the century mark for points this season, finishing with 101 points in all on 46 goals and 55 assists in 38 outings. Hannah Brandt and Rachel Ramsey scored Minnesota's other goals on Sunday. Noora Räty made 21 saves in the Minnesota net in her collegiate finale, and finished with a 36-0 record and 17 shutouts this season and a 112-15-8 mark in four seasons, including 48 career shutouts.

Sarah Lefort, Marie-Philip Poulin and Jenelle Kohanchuk scored for the Terriers, while Kerrin Sperry made 23 stops for BU. Both teams went 2-for-4 on the power play as Minnesota skated out to 2-0 and 4-2 leads before Kessel ultimately iced matters with an empty-netter with 49 seconds remaining in regulation.

ALSO: Elmira (24-5-1) won the 2013 NCAA Division III Women's National Championship on March 16 with a 1-0 victory over Middlebury on March 16 at Wessman Arena in Superior, Wis. Taylor Steadman scored the game's only goal, and Lauren Sullivan made 30 saves as the Soaring Eagles locked up their third-ever national title.