The lockout, which was the league’s second such labor dispute in eight years, caused all sorts of changes in the way the league is run, mostly at the expense of those actually playing hockey. Team owners were able to wrangle a further seven percent of league revenue away from the players, put new caps on contract lengths and institute one-time “amnesty buyouts” on expensive deals.

In return, the players got some improvements to their pension fund. Fans got less. And in eight years, the owners have the option to opt out of the CBA again, which means we’re staring down another season of lost games in 2022.

But in the meantime, the players will lace up and play a shortened 48-game season, one missing the Winter Classic, the NHL Premiere series in Europe and more than 500 other nights worth of national anthems, one-timers and final buzzers.

But while the entirety of this drawn-out lockout has been an absolute travesty, the shortened season may be a blessing in disguise for both players and fans.

For the players, who often are ground into pieces by the September-to-June marathon of a schedule, a shortened season should cut down on wear-and-tear injuries and extend careers. The short schedule has also forced the league to cut inter-conference play entirely, which means no more exhausting cross-country road trips (I don’t think the Vancouver Canucks will miss their midseason trips to Florida).

Fans will benefit as well from fewer games, as each takes on further significance in the sprint to the playoffs. Winning or losing streaks will double in importance, as a team that comes out of the gates slowly or loses five straight might fall out of the running entirely. And matchups against divisional rivals, which make up 18 of the 48 games, will be more crucial and more heated than ever.

Shortening up the season is a concept that can help other sports too, as we saw in the wildly exciting 66-game NBA season eventually won — as The Observer’s associate sports editor Matt DeFranks has probably already told you — by the star-studded Miami Heat.

It will never happen because another night of games is another night to fill stadiums and make money, but play would benefit from trimming back overlong seasons.

Baseball was never meant to be played in November, and back when Lord Stanley handed out his first Cup, you can bet it wasn’t in June. Cut the MLB schedule to 120 games and the NHL and NBA to 60 apiece. You can add in more midseason off days, and still cut down on some of the most brutal road trips, as well as the whole last month of the season.

And if you think fewer games are less fun, just look up to the king of American sports, the NFL. It runs circles around the other leagues, thanks to 16 do-or-die matchups that define our weekends.

So enjoy this frantic NHL season, and hopefully it can spur our sports to embrace the saying, as old as Lord Stanley himself, “Less is more.”

I just hope it doesn’t take more mindless lockouts to do it.

It’s more ridiculous than the replacement refs.

There’s no professional hockey being played right now because multi-millionaire owners and multi-millionaire hockey players are disagreeing over decimal points and percentages.

I hate math, and I’m sure its not the strong suit of many NHL players, but when I heard that the league was trying to reduce the players’ share of revenue from 57 percent to 43 percent, it didn’t take a calculator to figure out why the players were upset.

Well, I won’t argue the numbers, but isn’t the principle just outrageous?

Who among the owners said, “I know — we’ll tell them they can’t play. We’ll take hockey off TV and that will really show them!”

As I said, not a math guy, but isn’t that ultimately going to hurt your bottom line, Mr. Hockey Owner? Are the little bits of money your quibbling over worth sacrificing your public presence? Hockey, in the eyes of many fans, is already the fourth sport. Why risk that position, when you’re doing well with many major northeastern cities (read: major sources of revenue) winning the Cup?

Now NHL players are flocking overseas and bringing excitement to different leagues. The players still end up with a paycheck, albeit not as much as they’d make in the NHL. Many players just want to stay active and keep playing the game. The owners just want to make sure they’ve got control of the money.

And while you owners worry about the hundreds of thousands of dollars you might lose in a “bad deal,” regular people whose work is based upon the NHL have to suffer. Bartenders at Hurricane O’Reillys aren’t going to see as much cash this year now that the Bruins aren’t playing. How about the beer vendors? The ticket agencies? The guys playing drums after the game? They all take a hit, too, you know. And they need that money more than you do.

So, what’s the hockey fan to do now that you won’t let the players light the lamp?

Lucky for us here in Boston, we have an unreal college hockey scene to look forward to.

College hockey players have something to play for — a shot to play in the NHL.

They go out and play their hearts out so that a scout might pick up on them — so that they might one day get a chance to play on a pro team.

It makes college hockey that much more intense, that much more interesting, and, right now, that much more appealing than the NHL.

The Beanpot tournament has much more intensity (and boozing) packed into two Monday nights than an entire NHL playoff series (about two weeks).

I’d rather watch Toronto take a stomping from the Terriers any day.

The team looked sharp Sunday, and I think there is a bright season ahead down at Agganis Arena.

The NHL isn’t going to have this stranglehold on Hockey East fans. NESN, NBC Sports Network and CBS Sports Network released their schedule of Hockey East games, which includes more than 80 telecasts.

So, NHL the puck is in your zone.

Be smart. Your product is going to suffer in the long run while you have a stick-measuring contest over money.

Common sense, for the good of the game, should be used to reach a reasonable agreement where the men who put their bodies on the line and the owners who sit in their luxury box sipping cocktails get at least an equal share from the spending I did on my jersey, the beers I’m drinking and the TV commercials I have to sit through.

It’s only fair.

C’mon guys. A full season without hockey because you’re greedy?

Puck that.

But instead of congratulating or booing the team that prevented the hometown Canucks from winning their first Cup in franchise history, the people of Vancouver booed one man. They booed commissioner Gary Bettman, not because he handed the cup to the

Bruins, but because of how much he has hurt the game in his time running the show. Those boos were loud, and they were warranted.

Now, because of the NHL owners and the leash they have Bettman on, the league will see its second lockout in less than a decade. There was no hockey in the 2004-05 season, and it appears players will miss more time this year after a new collective bargaining agreement couldn’t be reached by midnight Saturday. Since he became the commissioner in 1993 — the 1994-95 season was also shortened to 48 games — not a single CBA has rolled over without a lockout. That, to me, is a failure on the commissioner, and I would hope the owners finally cut him loose when this is all settled.

The NHL Players Association and the league’s owners cannot reach an agreement because of multiple issues, including revenue sharing and salary cap and contract restrictions. The players want the 57 percent agreed upon in the previous CBA, and the owners want to give them just 49 percent, and eventually 47, as the six-year deal progresses.

Is it all on Bettman? Absolutely not. The owners have to have their best interests in mind, because they assume the risk when buying these franchises. Being a commissioner is a thankless job, and I’d feel a little bit sorry for Bettman if he were making less than the $8 million he earns annually.

The bottom line is that the NHL and the game of hockey itself grew under the previous collective bargaining agreement — revenue was up from $2.1 billion in 2004 to $3.3 billion last season.  The annual jump had been about seven percent per season since the work stoppage.

The last lockout also hurt youth involvement.  According to statistics from USA Hockey, participation grew each year from1990-2004.

The two years following the lost season saw the organization lose a total of 18,488 players — or five percent of its total.

Youth programs eventually feed the NHL, and more involvement helps on all levels, from coaches and officials to fans and players.

Instead of worrying about gaining an 8 percent revenue swing right now, Bettman and his cronies should settle, get players on the ice and continue to expand the sport and its brand throughout the United States and the world.

These negotiations hinder mostly on filling the owners’ pockets, instead of growth of the sport, which would eventually fill their pockets anyway. In time, the game would have continued to grow.

The more exposure the league gets through the excitement the sport brings, the better. But for at least the next few weeks, and possibly beyond, the league will get no exposure, because there won’t be anything to watch.

As Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News pointed out in a column this weekend, Bettman’s legacy is at stake here. Back in 2004-05, he won the lockout. The owners loved him for bringing significant change to the league and ousting the NHLPA’s top guns.

But no serious fan of the NHL actually likes what Gary Bettman has done in his 20-year tenure; myself included. He was hired in 1993 to stop the uneasiness in labor, but instead, the opposite has happened. He avoids the tough questions. He has over-expanded the league into markets like Phoenix and Columbus, which struggle to support a team. The players despise him, and there’s no changing that. All he has left is the owners.

The NHL is operating much more efficiently than it was in 2004. Players took a 24 percent cutback then, and the owners are still taking a larger percent of the pie than they were seven years ago. Rightfully so, the players don’t feel like it’s fair.

So the owners are making more money, and the fan support is increasing. I really fail to see the problem here and wonder why an agreement hasn’t been reached.

As supporters of the NHL, we’re backed against a wall. We would love to punish the commissioner for taking away what we love.

But we can’t, because I know when the NHL finally resumes, whether it’s in a month, a year or a decade, I’ll still be watching, and many others would be too.

And Gary Bettman is probably grinning, because as he did in 2004, he’ll win again in 2012, and the owners will get their pockets filled, and he’ll collect his $8 million a year, not really caring what the fans thought about him.

Oh sorry, I forgot what city I was in.

Great hockey moments like this will have to be put on hold for a while, as the NHL owners and NHL players appear to be heading towards another lockout, which would be the second in the last eight years.

If the players and owners can’t reach an agreement by Sept. 15, the season will not start on time.

Just like the NFL and NBA lockouts a year ago, the NHL billionaires (the owners) want to cut the salaries of the NHL millionaires (the players) from 57 percent of league revenue to 46 percent.

That revenue for the 2011-2012 season was a record 3.3 billion dollars. Forbes reported that the average value of an NHL team has increased five percent since the 2010-2011 season, and 20 percent since 2007.

Those figures do not make it sound like the owners are short of money.

Overall attendance of NHL games has increased 1.8 percent from the year before, and 2.8 percent from the 2009-2010 season.

The owners clearly don’t mind spending money. The Minnesota Wild signed free agent forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter to identical 13-year deals worth $98 million. That is nearly $200 million invested in just two players.

It seems odd that the owners would ask the players to take less money while signing them to ridiculous contracts.

Of course, the biggest losers of the lockout are those not directly involved with it. Television channels lose viewers, local businesses lose money and fans lose the opportunity to watch teams they care so much about.

Unlike in 2004, another NHL lockout would be devastating for the league and would set it way back.

Last season was the year of the underdog in the NHL, as the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings entered the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

In the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers clinched their first playoff berth in 12 years after winning the Southeast Division. The Panthers also averaged about 1,000 more fans per game than they did a season ago.

So why are the owners threatening a lockout? Like all other sports, hockey is a business with the goal of making money, and even though the league as a whole makes money, several teams are struggling to make a profit.

Should the NHL have a lockout some players, most notably reigning league MVP Evgeni Malkin, have agreed in principle to play with other teams outside of the NHL.

The draw of hockey is arguably at its highest point, and the amount of coverage is consistently increasing. More and more people are becoming hockey fans.

A lockout would kill any momentum the league made in terms of attracting new fans and keeping current fans. It would not only jeopardize the sport in the present, but also could end up costing the NHL financially for years to come.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says that he wants to get a deal done before the deadline, but the first game of 2012 may start later than desired.

Here we are in 2012, just eight years removed from the last NHL work stoppage that eliminated the 2004-2005 season, and another lockout seems imminent.

On Sept. 15, the NHL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will expire. Negotiations for a new deal don’t seem to be close, at least if you are to believe the owners and the player’s union.

The lockout made sense when it happened eight years ago. The league was struggling financially. There was no salary cap in place, and the owners stressed the NHL needed a cap.

The lockout hurt the league badly in the short-term. Besides the obvious cost of a full season of play being canceled, a portion of the casual fan base did not return when the NHL did resume, and a television deal with ESPN was gone.

But over time, the NHL benefited. The league had a major increase in revenues. The canceled season also allowed the NHL to examine its gameplay. New rules such as the shootout (which I despise, but many fans love), less grabbing of players in the offensive zone and delayed offsides increased scoring, pace of play, excitement and, most importantly, ticket sales.

Television ratings for playoff games — if not the Stanley Cup Final this past year — are rising, and according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com, the NHL generated $3.3 billion in revenues last year. It took some time, but the NHL is in much better shape than it was eight years ago, and a large reason for that was because of the changes made during the lockout.

And the success since the lockout also explains why another long lockout could be catastrophic. Most fans could be fine with one missed season, especially if it quite possibly saved the future of the league. They will not be as willing this time. Not based on the recent revenue numbers. Shame on you if you fool me once, shame on me if you fool me twice.

Of course, though the league as a whole is stable, many individual franchises are not. This leads to where most of the disagreement is coming from: how to keep those teams in the red afloat.

In extremely basic terms, the owners want to do this by both reducing the players’ share of hockey related revenue (HRR) and redefining what exactly HRR is in their favor, while the players want an increase in revenue sharing between teams. For example, a very profitable franchise like Toronto (or a better way to look at it, Toronto’s owners) would give some of its profits to help out Phoenix. This has been extremely useful in the NFL and MLB to help those leagues flourish.

I just want hockey, like most fans.

If a deal’s not done, it will hurt both owners and players down the road. Seeing a group of millionaires arguing with billionaires over who gets a bigger piece of the pie for the second time in less than a decade will alienate even the biggest fans. They won’t care the reasoning and they won’t care which side is “right” and which is “wrong”.

And this time, many of them will stay gone. If that happens, needless to say, business will suffer, and all that bargaining will have been for naught, when revenue for owners — and thus salaries for players — suffers.

I would like to think NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the player’s association leader Donald Fehr realize this, and will each give a little. But then again, both were part of two of the most notorious work stoppages in American sports history – Bettman the aforementioned NHL lockout and Fehr the MLB strike in 1994.

Ultimately, I expect a lockout, but not a long one, and only a few games canceled, similar to the NBA’s this past year. Though the NHL and NHLPA appear far off, they are still much closer than when negotiations started on a new CBA in 2004. This is good news.

Plus, both the players and owners understand the damage an entirely canceled season could cause … right?

Speaking as part of the Penn State Coaches Caravan event at the Omni William Penn Hotel on Monday, both coaches raved about the prospects of hosting an outdoor hockey game at the home of the Nittany Lions’ football team.

“Personally, I think it’d be really exciting,” Gadowsky said. “We’d have to borrow [O'Brien's] building. That’s probably more up to him.”

Gadowsky looked at O’Brien, who passed the buck himself.

“You’d have to check with [supervisor of outdoor athletic facilities] Herb Combs,” O’Brien said with a chuckle. He then reflected on his visit to Boston’s Fenway Park for the NHL’s 2010 Winter Classic game between the hometown Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers before throwing his weight behind the proposal.

“That’s a great deal. I’ve seen it first hand, that’s pretty neat, so yeah, I’d be all for it.”

Gadowsky said alumni have frequently asked him about the possibility of playing a game outside and he believes there would be a lot of support for such an event on campus.

In January, Gadowsky’s Icers club team lost a 6-3 decision against NCAA Division III Neumann at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies and 2012 Winter Classic, played between the Flyers and New York Rangers on Jan. 2.

The Edmonton, Alberta native said at the time that he loved the event and that it took him back to playing outdoors in his childhood.

Fellow Big Ten foes Michigan and Ohio State have played in front of some big crowds during outdoor events in recent years. The two teams clashed in the elements at Cleveland’s Progressive Field, home of the Indians, on Jan. 15 and drew a crowd of 25,864. And in 2010, the Wolverines hosted Michigan State at Michigan Stadium for a game dubbed “The Big Chill,” which was attended by over 100,000 fans.

To draw those types of numbers, Gadowsky and Co. will have to grow the program, which will play its first season at the NCAA Division-I level beginning this fall. Flanked by successful National Hockey League franchises on both ends of the state, though, the coach likes his chances of building interest to the point that an outdoor game could become a big event at Penn State.

“You’ve got the Flyers. You’ve got the [Pittsburgh] Penguins and we’re right in the middle,” Gadowsky said. “If you go out at night when they’re playing, there’s jerseys, it’s rocking, so I think there’s going to be a lot of passion with that, a lot of support for hockey.”

Fans, not only loyal to Boston, but other NHL teams as well, took to Twitter expressing their disappointment in the most racist of ways. Seemingly angry at the prospect that Ward, who is black, scored the game winner, people took to the social networking site and called him the n-word on countless occasions, almost as if to say Boston’s loss was compounded by the color of Ward’s skin.

Multiple tweets concerning the issue claimed hockey is a “white man’s game.” One even went so far as to exclaim, “white power!”

Here few examples of some of the egregious comments from fans:

One fan tweeted “#bruins just got beat by a n* I thought hockey was a white man’s game #wtf fuck ward.”

Another wrote minutes later, “Fucking stupid arrogant, smelly, useless, waste of life, sad excuse for a NHL hockey playing N*.”

Soon after, another tweeted “Can’t believe Boston just let a sand n* beat them #gobacktothejungle.”

Finally one fan just couldn’t string together a competent thought and just repeatedly tweeted the n-word along with a string of other profanities that would surely earn their mouth some quality time with a bar of soap.

Fans certainly take sports over the top seomtimes. But to go so far as to react in such a childish and uncivilized way is simply unacceptable. Just because it’s sports doesn’t make racist slurs OK, or any other sort of slur for that matter.

Those fans who took to the Internet and expressed their anger at a man not because he scored the game-winner, but because of the color of his skin in addition to scoring the game-winning goal, effectively crossed a line.

These racist comments — while unwarranted, unnecessary and completely idiotic — arise out of the fact that there are few black players in the National Hockey League.

Ward is one of only 28 active players in the NHL who are at least partially black. During the regular season, teams have a maximum of 23 players on their active roster, making for 690 active players in the league. But they can have 50 players under contract, meaning there at 1,500 players under an NHL contract at any given moment during the season. Essentially, 28 players out of 690 active players is miniscule (about 4 percent), much less 28 out of the 1,500 under contract.

Hockey is certainly a sport that needs to diversify. Not that the NHL is a racist organization or anything of that matter. Rather, it’s the circumstances surrounding the game that continue to hold back diversity.

If you didn’t already know, hockey is an expensive sport to play. The sheer cost of equipment from peewees to high school to whichever level one continues to play, is astronomical. As a result, in order to play the sport, you have to be able to afford it. For many, the costs are too much and therefore they can’t play.

In an attempt to not over generalize here, those with lower socioeconomic status can’t afford to play the game. According to a 2007 study by the National center for Education Statistics, African American children are three times more likely to live in poverty than Caucasian children.

In order to introduce more diversity, the sport itself needs to find ways to offer kids the chance to play even if they can’t afford it. The NHL, USA Hockey or various other hockey organizations throughout the country need to host hockey days, particularly in inner cities, giving kids a chance to learn to skate and try the game for free. The costs can be covered through donations and funds that these organizations already have or can start fundraisers for. Either way, if the sport wants more diversity, it needs to help create it.

Much like the Mighty Ducks, kids just need someone to show them how to play and find a means of playing. None of them had great equipment — at least until Gordon Bombay helped change that — but they loved the sport so they found ways to play. More kids need that chance which the NHL and other hockey organizations can help provide.

Nothing can excuse how the Boston fans reacted to Ward’s goal and simply how degrading their comments were, but one way the NHL can help prevent situations like that in the future is to help create some diversity now and continue to foster it in the future.

For the third time in five years, and the fifth time in program history, the Boston College Eagles are National Champions. A 4-1 win over Ferris State on Saturday night gave BC the trophy it had been playing for all year.

“I couldn’t be happier right now, obviously,” said senior captain Tommy Cross. “I can’t believe I get to win the national championship in my senior year, the second of my career. I feel honored and privileged to be able to be a part of the BC program and the University and specifically the hockey program with Coach, the opportunity he gave me to come here. And I keep thinking of my teammates, best teammates I’ve ever had. The closest team I’ve ever been on.

“We just had something in our mind that the season was only going to end one way. And that was our main focus.”

The Eagles battled all game long, carrying a 2-1 lead into the third period. In those final 20 minutes, Ferris State had chances, but the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player, Parker Milner, turned away shot after shot.

The championship was all but won with 3:02 remaining, when freshman phenom Johnny Gaudreau turned in a highlight-reel goal to make it 3-1. Gaudreau dangled his way by two Bulldog defenders before backhanding the puck into the net.

“I was coming through the middle of the ice on this great breakout pass by Destry Straight,” Gaudreau said. “And I was thinking in my head, maybe I should probably get this deep. Four minutes left in the game, and I didn’t go with what I was thinking. I just went with it. And luckily, it happened to work for me. I saw the goalie put his shoulder down and I tried to backhand it off the top shelf, so luckily it went in.”

Two minutes later, Steven Whitney added an empty-netter, and just over a minute after that, sticks, gloves, and helmets went flying into the air.

“It’s incredible,” said senior forward Paul Carey. “I couldn’t ask for anything better right now, any better teammates. It’s just a great feeling.”

“I don’t even know right now,” senior forward Barry Almeida added. “It’s unbelievable to have a chance to share this with all my teammates. We worked so hard together all year.”

Head coach Jerry York knows how hard his team had to play against the Bulldogs, despite many thinking the game would be a cakewalk for the Eagles.

“I don’t think most people understood outside of the real hockey community how tough a game this was going to be,” York said. “I thought our team stayed patient through the first two periods and got an incredible goal from Johnny Gaudreau to break open the game there. But during the course of the game, Parker Milner once again was extremely strong in the net.”

Milner finished the game with 27 saves, giving him 57 during the Frozen Four.

“You can’t describe how excited we are,” Milner said. “First of all, hats off to Ferris State. They’re a heck of a team, and they gave us all we could handle. As far as our team goes, our coaching staff, the way they lead, I’ve never been around a coaching staff with such positive energy. And my teammates, I can’t say enough about them.”

The Eagles got on the board first, 3:18 into the game. Ferris State tried to clear a puck right in front of the net but failed, and Almeida was right there to pick it up. He calmly slid the puck over to Whitney, who backhanded it into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Just over two minutes later, though, Ferris State came right back and showed they weren’t going to roll over. Andy Huff took a shot on Milner that he originally saved with his left pad. But the rebound hung around in the crease long enough for Garrett Thompson to skate in and slap home the puck under Milner’s leg.

BC managed to light the lamp once more in the first on a power play, with 9:27 remaining. Brian Dumoulin received a pass at the point from Pat Mullane, and fired off a slap shot on the net. While the puck was in the air, Paul Carey got a piece and redirected it into the net, ultimately proving to be the game-winner for the Eagles .

The second period didn’t feature any goals, but that was in part due to the strong penalty kill of BC. Ferris State had three power plays in the period, but could not convert on any of them, thanks to Milner and the PK unit. York credited the success of their play to his coaching staff.

“Our assistant coaches are one of the reasons we’re so successful,” York said. “We’re going to keep them a long time. They’re not rushing off to any other spot. Mike Cavanaugh works the PK. They pressure very well. No. 4 [Chad Billins] for Ferris is awfully difficult to handle. He’s very shifty in the point. But I think we did a reasonable job on him tonight. And then Greg Brown works the power play. Both those units were instrumental in the win tonight.”

Dumoulin was a key part of the defense all game, especially on the penalty kill. He too credited Cavanaugh.

“We’ve had a great penalty kill,” he said. “Coach Cavanaugh works with us every week on penalty killing. That’s one of the things that wins games and loses games and makes or breaks a big game like this. Fortunately enough we killed all of them. Everyone worked at it so hard. Everyone made the right decisions and we were fortunate enough to kill off all of our penalties.”

When the final horn sounded, the Eagles could finally bask in the enjoyment of a victory. All year, wins were important, but the team’s sights were always set on trophies. Saturday night, BC got a hold of the coveted one.

“There aren’t any words,” said junior forward Chris Kreider of winning it all. “It’s the pinnacle, it’s the best feeling in the world. It’s absolute bliss.”

For the first time all season, the Eagles are not looking down the telescope at the big trophy that comes at the end of the season. That’s in their hands now. And they’re not letting go any time soon.

Five different players scored and goaltender Kent Patterson made 24 saves to pace the Gophers to the NCAA West Regional title.

Ben Marshall gave Minnesota an early lead with a seeing-eye slap shot that found its way past goaltender Aaron Dell.

Zach Budish created the play with a good effort up the left side and found Marshall alone just in front of the blue line.

It was Marshall’s fifth goal of the season and the third goal by a Minnesota defenseman in the NCAA West Regional.

Minnesota was clearly the aggressor after Marshall scored, but UND withstood the initial rush and regained its composure.

Considering the magnitude of the rivalry and with a spot to the Frozen Four on the line, it was a relatively clean first period.

However, Carter Rowney took a costly penalty at the end of the period that carried over into the next frame and Erik Haula made him pay. Haula settled just to the right of the crease on the power play and Nick Bjugstad found him with a pin-point pass just 20 seconds into the period. Haula patiently waited for Dell to move and then promptly slid the puck into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

Minnesota gave it back just 83 seconds later when Danny Kristo handled a funny hop off the back board and blistered a wrist shot past Kent Patterson.

UND established a little more rhythm subsequent to the goal, but struggled to get the puck to the net.

The Gophers heavily outshot UND, 12-2, in the second period, but still the game felt rather close midway through the frame.

That was until senior captain Taylor Matson created some separation with his first goal in 17 games. It also proved to be the game-winning goal.

The Gophers controlled the pace the rest of the period and added to its lead at five minutes later.

Travis Boyd scored the first goal of his career on a deflection in front of the net to make it 4-1.

Boyd’s goal gave Minnesota an ominous three-goal lead — the same lead it blew just eight days ago to UND.

That was not the case on Sunday. Patterson wouldn’t let it happen.

The Gophers took a penalty 14 seconds into the third period, but killed the UND’s power play opportunity with relative ease.

UND made a push throughout the frame, but Patterson rose to the occasion as he has many times this season. He made 24 saves Sunday, including 14 in the third period.

Nate Condon added a goal late in the third period that sealed the Gophers berth to the Frozen Four. Mario Lamoureux tallied a goal immediately after Condon scored, but it was too little, too late and the game ended at 5-2.

Minnesota’s bench emptied toward Patterson in the crease and padding littered the ice once the final horn sounded.

The Gophers will face the either Boston College or Minnesota-Duluth in two weeks in Tampa, Fla.

But comments from Columbus’ general manager Scott Howson still leave room for speculation about how long Nash will remain at Nationwide Arena.

The National Hockey League trade deadline came and went at 3 p.m. Monday, and Nash was not moved despite Howson entertaining offers for Nash from multiple teams, according to reports.

The lack of movement for Nash could become an awkward situation for the Blue Jackets after Nash’s agent, Joe Resnick, issued a statement to The Sporting News that pushed for a deal to be done by Monday’s deadline.

“We’re hopeful a deal can get done prior to the trade deadline that is fair and equitable for the Blue Jackets,” Resnick said in his statement. “However, if a deal is not reached, then the list of acceptable teams will not change at a later date.”

Resnick referenced reports that Nash’s list of teams that he would approve for a trade would change if the Blue Jackets moved him over the summer.

A no-trade clause in Nash’s contract puts him in the driver’s seat for which team he would end up with if a trade were to be made in the future.

And, in a twist contrary to initial reports, Howson said in a press conference following Monday’s deadline that it was Nash who approached him about a trade and not vice versa.

Nash had been adamant with the media about never asking the Blue Jackets to be traded.

The rift between Nash and the general manager likely won’t improve as they are now in a public disagreement about the origin of the trade rumors.

After Monday’s trade deadline past, Howson said Nash first approached the organization about a trade.

Though Nash was the focus of the trade deadline league-wide, the Blue Jackets did make a trio of moves in the week leading up to the deadline.

The only move the Blue Jackets made Monday involved sending center Sammy Pahlsson to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for two-2012 fourth-round picks.

Former center Antoine Vermette was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday in exchange for goalie Curtis McElhinney, a 2012 second-round pick and a 2013 fifth-round pick.

Since the 2009 season, McElhinney has been a member of four NHL squads and is rehabilitating an injury in the American Hockey League.

Former Blue Jackets center Jeff Carter was shipped to Los Angeles on Thursday for defenseman Jack Johnson and a conditional first round pick. The condition is that the Blue Jackets will be able to choose if they want the pick to be in this year’s entry draft or next year’s.

There was an audible roar from the crowd when the trade was announced prior to the start of Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Johnson, a former University of Michigan player, received an ovation from those in attendance when he arrived midway through the game.

Howson made it clear that his most recent rebuilding of the Blue Jackets will be focused on drafting well as he stock-piled draft picks and only received two players in exchange for the three he dealt.

The Blue Jackets will continue their season Tuesday when they host the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

Detroit, which later assumed the Red Wings moniker, was waiting on the construction of its next home, Olympia Stadium — coined “The Old Red Barn.” The St. Patricks also adopted a different name, becoming the Maple Leafs.

While the Cougars and St. Patricks tangled on the other side of the Detroit River, Michigan Stadium was being built just 40 miles to the west, set to host its first game less than nine months later.

Eighty-six years later, again on the first Tuesday in January, Toronto and Detroit will face off again.

But this time, it’ll be different. It won’t be at a barn, it’ll be at the Big House. On Thursday, the National Hockey League announced that the 2013 Winter Classic will be held at Michigan Stadium, featuring two of the Original Six teams.

The Maple Leafs hold the edge in the all-time record by the slimmest of margins — 276-275. At one point in 1986, the teams also met at Yost Ice Arena for a preseason game, which ended in a 4-4 tie.

To break the deadlock nature of the rivalry, the competition is going outside. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called the Winter Classic the “ultimate rubber match.”

But how the Winter Classic came to Ann Arbor is a longer story.

It began with The Big Chill at the Big House, a Dec. 11, 2010 matchup between Michigan and Michigan State. The event drew a world-record shattering crowd of 104,173 — the average attendance for the Winter Classic is 53,045.

The wheels were turning for Bettman and Co., who wanted a chance to reclaim the biggest stage in hockey for themselves.

Then, on the day after Thanksgiving, Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon fielded a call from the NHL.

“The question was: ‘Would you consider it?’ ” Brandon recalled. “My response was: ‘We’ll consider anything.’ ”

His mind was elsewhere, though. The next day was what Brandon referred to as “a small football game” — Michigan-Ohio State football.

In Toronto, it was Brian Burke, Maple Leafs president and general manager, who took a phone call from the commissioner’s office.

“Can you sell 40,000 tickets?” league officials asked.

“Give me 48 hours,” Burke said.

If Toronto could produce those kind of numbers, the crowd would be evenly split. They went back to Burke.

“Can you sell 50,000?” they asked.

Again, Burke responded with confidence.

“Give me 72 hours,” he said firmly.

Toronto was in. The roadblock was coercing Red Wings and Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch into allowing the league to host the Winter Classic at a site other than Comerica Park, the home of the Tigers.

Comerica Park was a perfectly suitable venue. But the NHL wasn’t looking for suitable. It wanted a spectacle.

After discussions with the NHL, the Ilitch family and Red Wings agreed to host the inaugural Hockeytown Winter Festival in Detroit, in lieu of the game. The festival will feature the Great Lakes Invitational and a host of other games and events at a rink stretched across the infield at Comerica Park.

“We want to make this big in terms of attendance at the Big House, but big in terms of trying to involve as many different people as possible,” said Red Wings general manager Ken Holland.

“(The Ilitches) are passionate about the city of Detroit. But they’re also passionate about the NHL. Taking our team, our brand, our league on the biggest stage to try and promote our game is a win-win.”

Brandon brought John Collins, the NHL’s chief operating officer, and a handful of Michigan and Red Wings staffers to the Big House in early December to discuss logistics.

The rain pounded on the day they visited — not a pleasant open house for the Big House.

“We walked down to the end of the tunnel and the sheets of water were pouring down on the tunnel, so we never even came out on the field,” Brandon said. “But they peeked, and thankfully we were up in the club area. And they really got a sense for what we had here.

“We talked a lot about the Big Chill and how we did what we did. And then it was a function of, could we come up with an arrangement where the economics were right and the logistics could be managed and we could kind of jump through all the hoops? (And) we did.”

Among those discussions, Brandon highlighted the debate over allowing alcohol in the Big House. Though not permitted at home football games, the NHL’s Michigan Stadium lease will allow alcohol sales in the stadium.

Brandon also cited the difficulty of maintaining a professional-level ice rink on the Big House turf, even after the success of the Big Chill, saying it takes a lot of “infrastructure and power and maintenance and preparation.”

“This stadium is normally mothballs and closed up toward the end of November until the following spring,” Brandon said. “It became a part of activating a stadium on a holiday, when school is closed and a lot of people are gone.

“There were more moving parts than I thought there were going to be when we first started talking.”

Bettman emphasized that Brandon’s patience and attention to detail were invaluable in the entire process, from November to Thursday’s press conferences.

“When you’re dealing with an event of this magnitude, there are always going to be issues,” Bettman said. “But we couldn’t have done this without Dave Brandon.”

With the contract signed and professional hockey officially coming to the Big House in the 2013 Winter Classic, it’s time for reactions. Brandon said he received hundreds of comments — and only one of them negative.

One guy sent me an e-mail and said, ‘Shame on you,’ Brandon said. “It was a three-word e-mail.”

With a crowd of 115,000 expected when the Maple Leafs and Red Wings skate at the Big House, one detractor isn’t too hard to ignore.

Besides the giant ice luge in the background and the below-freezing temperatures, the fifth-year senior goaltender looked right at home between the posts.

Hunwick had 31 saves in the Frozen Diamond Faceoff, as the Michigan hockey team completed its weekend sweep of Ohio State, 4-1. The Buckeyes’ lone goal was off a deflection, and was one of several open looks on the night — Hunwick was at his best.

His performance on Sunday came after a gem of a game on Friday, where he saved a career-high 46 shots in a 4-0 victory over Ohio State. So over the span of two games, Hunwick allowed only one goal on 77 shots.

“He gives our team a lot of confidence, and he is playing rock solid right now,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “To come out of the weekend with only one (goal) against — you have to be playing well to do that against a team like Ohio.”

Even though he entered the game from the Cleveland Indians dugout and not from the locker room of the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Hunwick didn’t miss a beat from Friday’s game.

“I thought (Hunwick) played very well on Friday night, and I thought he carried that again tonight,” said Ohio State coach Mark Osiecki. “When he did have a couple opportunities, he was there and he was rock solid. You know that in him. He’s a proven goaltender.”

It also helped that Hunwick played most of the game while he was ahead, after junior forward Chris Brown took a rebound off a shot from sophomore defenseman Kevin Clare, spun 180 degrees to his left, and slid the puck past Buckeye netminder Cal Heeter.

Brown had a hand in the Wolverines’ next goal, too, assisting on freshman forward Alex Guptill’s team-leading 12th goal of the year. Michigan stayed in control for most of the first period, with the puck spending most of its time in Ohio State’s zone.

The Wolverines’ only costly penalty of the night came at the end of the first period, but even then, they were two seconds away from killing it unscathed. Hunwick was caught out of position after a rebound — really the only time he was in the wrong spot — and Buckeye forward Chris Crane whittled the advantage down to one just 50 seconds into the second period.

But after sophomore forward Derek DeBlois and senior captain David Wohlberg scored back-to-back in a 28-second stretch later on in the period, the momentum, and the game, gave way to Michigan.

In that second period, it showed that Michigan had some outdoor experience. This was the third outdoor game for Michigan’s juniors and seniors, including the Camp Randall Classic in Wisconsin in 2010 and The Big Chill at the Big House last December.

Ohio State got flustered, but the Wolverines kept their cool and put the game away.

It wasn’t just Hunwick that gave the Ohio State offense fits, though. Michigan’s defense suffocated the Buckeyes as soon as they crossed the red line, basically eliminating shots near the crease. Hunwick’s goaltending was superb, but the defense also did its job.

“The biggest thing is that everyone is taking pride in their job in the defensive zone,” said senior defenseman Greg Pateryn. “Everyone is rolling right now and doing what they are supposed to, and you cant ask for much more — one goal against over a weekend is pretty good.”

Osiecki added: “Lets give credit where credit is due — Michigan is really good. Their defensemen do a tremendous job, and having (sophomore defenseman) Jon Merrill back in the lineup is … in my opinion, he is the best defenseman in the country.”

Last time Hunwick played in an outdoor game — the Big Chill — he didn’t know he was going to play until after warm-ups, when then-starting goalie Bryan Hogan went down with a groin injury.

This time around, Hunwick knew he was going to be playing since day one, and it showed the whole weekend. The spectacle of the Frozen Diamond Faceoff didn’t seem to faze him at all, even as fireworks flew through the 27-degree night sky.

One goal on 77 shots — just another day at the office for Michigan’s backbone, leading his team to its ninth-straight game without a loss.

Thanks to a healthy 4-0 Boston U. men’s hockey team lead and Millan’s perfect 24 saves through two periods, the senior goaltender looked like he was on his way to winning his 63rd game as a Terrier, a new school record.

But 11 minutes and three Denver goals – of the wraparound (6:01), bouncer (13:09) and rebound (17:39) variety – later, the record-breaking win was suddenly in jeopardy.

“At that point [the Pioneers] were bringing it pretty hard,” Millan said. “I know I let in kind of a soft second goal, so the onus was on me to help us pull through.”

Lucky for the Terriers (2-1, 1-1 Hockey East), the defense buckled down for the last 2:21 to top the Pioneers (1-1), 4-3, and get Millan the win to pass former BU goalie Sean Fields, who collected 62 wins from 2000-2004.

“It’s definitely an honor,” Millan said of breaking the record. “I know a lot of great goalies have come through here.”

BU’s ability to hold on might have been inadvertently assisted by a Denver timeout at 19:37.8, giving BU a chance to regroup. Immediately after the following faceoff in BU’s defensive zone, Denver forward Beau Bennett was charged with a holding penalty, bringing the next faceoff to the other side of the ice and effectively ending the game.

Both coaches reacted exactly how one would expect given how it affected their respective teams. While BU coach Jack Parker said it was “absolutely the right call,” Denver coach George Gwozdecky had to check himself before speaking in generalities.

“Can I get fined for making comments on referees outside-of-conference?” Gwozdecky asked. “When you look over the 60 minutes, there were many things, many mistakes that everybody involved in the game made. You focus on [the holding call] for about a minute, you whine and complain a little bit, but the bottom line was we could have made some plays earlier.

“It was an interesting finish, that’s for sure.”

But the third-period dramatics would have been all for naught had BU not controlled the game for most of the first two periods.

The Terriers got off to a quick 1-0 lead thanks to a goal by junior assistant captain Alex Chiasson. Freshman forward Cason Hohmann fed the puck to his fellow forward, who promptly scooted around Denver captain Dustin Jackson and rocketed the puck over Pioneer goaltender Adam Murray’s left shoulder at 10:54 in the first.

“Our defenseman completely misread it, thought the backside was covered, it wasn’t, they made a great play to spring [Chiasson] loose on the back side and he made a great shot to beat Adam,” Gwozdecky said.

The score stayed that way until shortly into the second, despite Denver gaining some momentum in the second half of the first stanza. Denver won the period-opening faceoff, but Millan cleared the puck all the way across the ice, leading to Murray misplaying it behind his own net. Senior forward Corey Trivino capitalized, grabbing the puck for the wrap-around, short-handed goal at 0:19 before Murray got back in the net.

It was the third goal in as many games for the player that Parker called the best “up and down the lineup.”

Just 42 seconds later, a pair of sophomore forwards got in on the action. Charlie Coyle sent the puck to Matt Nieto for a backhanded goal, again with BU playing four-on-five, to make it 3-0.

But the super sophomores weren’t done there. Forward Sahir Gill and defenseman Adam Clendening chipped in on senior forward Wade Megan’s backhander at 2:58 to make it 4-0, ending the three-minute flurry of BU offense.

BU seemed to slow down in the second half of both periods, giving Denver multiple opportunities to get on the board. Millan was in top form though, and stopped all 24 Denver shots, including seven grade-A chances, in the first two periods.

Then, the Terriers took their lead for granted.

“We got stupid,” Parker said. “We got real stupid and selfish to try to get an empty net goal instead of making sure they didn’t score.”

That set up the late-game excitement and eventual history-making win for Millan.

“I know 63 is a great number,” Millan said, “but I think this year we can make it a lot higher. I’m not going to predict anything but hopefully quite a few more.”

Beginning in the 2013-14 season, Notre Dame will play in the Hockey East conference, leaving the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).

“The addition of Notre Dame signals a significant change in the reach of our conference,” Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna said. “When Notre Dame ended the seasons of [Hockey East members] New Hampshire and Merrimack, it was been decided that when we couldn’t beat them, we should join them.”

Preseason No. 1 Notre Dame will join perennial powers Boston College and Boston University in a league that has produced three of the last four national champions and seven overall. UMass-Lowell, Massachusetts, Vermont, Northeastern, Maine and Providence comprise the rest of Hockey East.

“We have been looking to expand Hockey East for quite some time, but with the right partner,” Boston University Director of Athletics Mike Lynch said. “We believe firmly that we have found that partner. We are thrilled to welcome Notre Dame to Hockey East and look forward to many great years together in our conference.”

Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick said Notre Dame considered two other options — hockey independence and the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) — before ultimately landing in Hockey East.

“We had to make sure to consider all of the options available to us and make the right choice for our student-athletes and our coaches and the University,” Swarbrick said.

Swarbrick cited many reasons for joining the conference, including the student-athlete experience in which missed class time and travel factored into the decision.

“[We want] to use sports to promote the University and we believe our affiliation with Hockey East sets the platform for us to do that with hockey the way we have been able to do it with football in the past,” Swarbrick said.

Notre Dame will once again partner with NBC, but this time, to broadcast hockey games.

“Our relationship with Notre Dame is one of our most important partnerships,” President of Programming for NBC Sports and Versus Jon Miller said. “The opportunity to broadcast Notre Dame hockey games as well as Hockey East games was very exciting for us as we rebrand the NBC Sports Network. We’re excited about what the future holds.”

Details of the deal have not been finalized although televising all of Notre Dame’s home games is a possibility.

Irish coach Jeff Jackson believes that the move to Hockey East — along with the scheduling flexibility and the new television deal ­— will help Notre Dame recruit on a more national basis.

“We’ll probably be going east five times and probably west five times,” Jackson said. “I think it will create a more national schedule for us and potentially open up new recruiting opportunities.”

The Hockey East conference schedule is smaller and allows the Irish to play more non-conference games against traditional rivals Michigan, Michigan State and, potentially, Minnesota.

The Irish leave behind a lasting legacy in the CCHA, winning two regular-season and postseason tournament titles (2007 and 2009) during their 13 years in the conference. Jackson has spent his entire collegiate coaching career in the CCHA and said it is sad to see it disband.

“It will be very disappointing for me, as a lifetime member of the CCHA, to see it no longer existing,” Jackson said. “It’s a disappointment but we still have work to do in the CCHA.”

Hockey East, with the addition of Jackson and Notre Dame, now houses five of the top-10 winningest coaches in collegiate hockey. Boston College’s Jerry York, Boston University’s Jack Parker, New Hampshire’s Dick Umile and UMass’ Don Cahoon all rank ahead of Jackson in the wins list.

“We look forward to a very bright future with a conference we have great admiration for that has its core in a part of the country where we have great strength and passion,” Swarbrick said. “We hope we bring to Hockey East as much as we know it will bring to us.”

The Irish open their season on the road against Minnesota-Duluth, the defending national champions, on Friday at 8:07 p.m. The two will also play Saturday at 8:07 p.m.

But now it’s official.

The Cleveland Indians held a press conference Thursday to announce the finalized plans to host their first outdoor hockey game, dubbed The Frozen Diamond Faceoff, at Progressive Field on Jan. 15, 2012.

It will be the Buckeyes’ second appearance in an outdoor game, but the Wolverines’ fourth — and their third outdoor match in the past three seasons. Ohio State is 0-1 in outdoor tilts, while Michigan is 1-1-1.

Michigan was a part of the first-ever NCAA outdoor game, the Cold War against Michigan State, in Oct. 2001.
But most fans will recall The Big Chill at the Big House between the Spartans and Wolverines last December at Michigan Stadium. The event drew a world-record crowd of 113,411.

By measurement, The Frozen Diamond Faceoffa aims to be the Big Chill’s infant brother. Progressive Fiedd has a seating capacity of roughly 45,200 during the baseball season. Although additional seating may well be installed for a hockey game, it won’t be setting any records.

The game will be a part of Cleveland’s Snow Days, which will also feature a week-long youth tournament.

In 2010, the first Snow Days was highlighted by ice skating, sledding hills and snow tubing chutes. According to Crain’s, the event drew 50,000 visitors downtown from Nov. 26 to Jan. 2 last year.

The location of Cleveland is relatively ideal, since it lies equidistant — about 150 miles — from both Columbus and Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines hold an all-time 65-30-11 edge in head-to-head matches against the Buckeyes. Michigan completed the 2010-11 season first in the CCHA, while Ohio State crawled to a ninth-place finish.

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), a league in which the ‘Wolves have played in since 1993, is now back to six teams after the formal introduction of former WCHA member Northern Michigan. The Wildcats, who currently play in the Central Collegiate Hockey Conference, will rejoin the league they left back in 1997 come the 2013-14 season.

The addition of NMU gives hope to the league after it was dealt a huge curveball just a few weeks ago.

An announcement that five WCHA teams would leave the conference and shake the very foundations of what many consider to be the most successful league, both financially and in terms of championships, in all of college hockey.

Joining a new “super-conference” would be North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, and Colorado College. These teams, along with Miami-Ohio from the CCHA, will all be a part of the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). The early implications are that perhaps even more teams from either the WCHA or CCHA may be offered a spot in this new league, as it further expands.

The formation of the NCHC was perhaps a response to an earlier announcement of the new Big-10 Hockey conference, something that was foreseen and is nothing new to the Seawolves or college hockey world.

“I don’t think (the NCHC) happens if the Big-10 doesn’t come about,” said Dr. Steve Cobb, UAA’s Athletic Director. “They’re related, but the Big-10 is not the root of the problem. I think a couple of schools were hurt that the Big-10 didn’t offer them affiliate membership because over the years they insinuated they might to a few other programs (in the WCHA).”

This new Big-10 league will begin play in 2013-14 season would take WCHA members Wisconsin and Minnesota, CCHA members Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State from their respective conferences and put them with a newly formed Penn State hockey program to form a six-team conference.

This left the WCHA with only UAA, Minnesota State, Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, and Michigan Tech to carry on the conference banner.

So with seven teams overall leaving the WCHA, UAA and its remaining conference foes quickly had to set on-ice differences and hatred towards one another, in order to keep the league afloat.

A meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota beginning on July 15, brought up just about everything the remaining WCHA members would have to address immediately, including officials, non-conference scheduling and league reorganization.

“(The meetings) were a little frustrating, a little productive, a little maddening, and a lot of emotion,” Dr. Cobb said. “Overall, it was a good meeting and we’re moving in a proper direction.”

However, the biggest issue going forward would being getting the league back to six teams to protect its ability to operate and gain an automatic bid to the NCAA Postseason for its conference winner.

“I think the WCHA will remain strong and search for members that will maintain that strength,” said UAA Head Coach Dave Shyiak.

The answer came in the form of UNM, which just happened to be Shyiak’s alma mater and where he began his collegiate coaching career.

Now that the five remaining teams had answered the seven-team contraction with a bit of expansion of their own in UNM, the league may have a few more tricks up its sleeve in the coming weeks.

Several schools have been thrown around in terms of who the WCHA will look to offer membership, to get the league to eight teams, however, there are two that are awfully intriguing to UAA in particular.

“No question, UAF would be our first choice as it makes sense for us,” Dr. Cobb said. “Also, I would like the Air Force Academy to join. We’ve had such a great relationship with them over the years and it’s a first class operation.”

Other names that have come up include other CCHA members, such as Western Michigan, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State.

The WCHA is very set on getting their numbers to eight and representatives from each school have agreed to have a conference call every week until they reach that goal.

Another thing that remains to be answered is how the league will operate behind closed doors for the next two seasons. Seeing as how the new conferences don’t go into effect until 2013, the elephant in the room will be ever present when representatives from all the current 12 teams are together in the same room.

“Obviously, there’s going to be tension,” Dr. Cobb said. “There are some people who’ve had awfully long relationships damaged. You try not to take things personally but we’re all human. Hopefully what’s done is done and we can set aside emotions and do business.”

“I do think that games are going to get a bit more edgy though.”

At the other end of the spectrum, it is unclear exactly how each of the departing schools will go about their business in their remaining time. Ken Ralph, the Director of Athletics at Colorado College, thinks that when the puck is dropped, fans will continue to see the top-notch hockey they’re accustomed to.

“I think you will see the play on the ice and don’t think anyone will notice much of a difference,” said Ralph. “The WCHA will still be the best conference in college hockey for the next two years.”

Interestingly enough, Ralph may be one of the only people who can see both si

des of this realignment. Though he is the Director of Athletics for CC, he also is a UAA alumnus and even is a member of the Seawolf Athletic Hall of Fame, after winning five NCAA Division II All-American awards in swimming as a Seawolf.

“I have a very strong passion for my alma mater, I am a Seawolf,” Ralph said. “The thought of not being with UAA (in the WCHA) tugged at me personally.

Ralph also believes that despite the departure of the traditional powers in the WCHA, life will go on for those remaining behind.

“The WCHA is proven to be a remarkably resilient conference and organization,” Ralph said. “I think the WCHA is going to find a way to reinvent itself and the teams in the league are actually going to get better.”

One thing that can be guaranteed by both sides: games are going to be injected with a bit more nastiness to them.

“I think there will be new incentives and locker room talks will get even more interesting,” Ralph said.

With just over six minutes left in the first period, freshman Jon Merrill slapped a laser from the blue line. Winnett picked the puck up his own rebound to the right of North Dakota goalie Aaron Dell and buried it for his fourth goal of the season and Michigan’s first goal of the game.

North Dakota came out flying in the second period, but Hunwick remained up to the task for Michigan after a stellar first period. The Fighting Sioux outshot the Wolverines in the first period, 14-10 and continued to hold and increase their shot-advantage throughout the second period.

Just over five minutes into the third period, the Fighting Sioux held a 29-15 shot advantage on the Wolverines, but because of strong defensive play down low by the Wolverines and some crucial saves by Hunwick, the Wolverines held onto their one-goal lead.

For a defense that was missing a presence in junior Brandon Burlon, who was a scratch for tonight’s Frozen Four contest, the rest of the Wolverine defenders made smart plays with and without the puck and were able to keep the potent North Dakota offense at bay, even as the Fighting Sioux continued to pressure Michigan in its own zone.

The Wolverines best scoring chance of the third period came at the 10-minute mark when Vaughan had a breakaway shot that rebounded to wide open junior defensemen Greg Pateryn, but Dell got a stick on Pateryn’s shot to keep it a one-goal game.

Merrill took a holding call with 8:50 left in the third period to give North Dakota its fourth power play opportunity of the game, but the Wolverine penalty killers again came up strong, with nice clears by Winnett and junior forward Luke Glendening.

North Dakota boasted the No. 2 team offense in the nation heading into Thursday’s Frozen Four game, but Vaughan scored an empty-net goal to put the Wolverines 2-0 with just under 35 seconds in the game and the Wolverine bench erupted.

Michigan takes on Minnesota-Duluth in the National Championship Game on Saturday at the Xcel Center in St. Paul.

Pacioretty collapsed, motionless on the ice; a few hours later he was diagnosed with a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra.

The Montreal police investigated the incident, but Chara received no suspension from the NHL, a decision that was supported by many around the league.

In recent years, rule changes and advances in helmet technology have aimed to reduce concussion rates in hockey. Yet catastrophic hits continue, and experts disagree about how — or even if — concussions can be prevented.

“It’s probably the injury that’s our biggest concern,” Gopher Sports medical director Bradley Nelson said. “As we start to look at data in youth hockey injuries, concussions are probably much more common than we previously thought.”

At issue, however, is the proper way to reduce the prevalence of head injuries. Medical professionals and referees diverge as to whether rule or equipment changes are the proper catalyst.

Forty-four percent of NHL concussions in the 2010-11 season have been the result of legal hits, 26 percent from accidental contact, and only 17 percent from contact the league would consider illegal, according to a recent report by the NHL’s hockey operations department. Nelson said that further rule modifications and overall better enforcement can reduce the rate of concussions.

Greg Shepherd, supervisor of officials for the WCHA, disagrees.

“We have enough current rules to keep players safe,” Shepherd said. “Illegal contact to the head is a five minute major and checking from behind is that plus an immediate game misconduct with possibility of suspension.”

The real problem, Shepherd said, is improperly worn equipment.

“Chin guards and helmets missing straps or being left unfastened is far too common,” he said. Shepherd offered a seemingly counterintuitive idea to diminish “cheap” hits and unnecessary contact to the head, specific to college hockey.

“Get rid of the full cage mask,” Shepherd said. The cage is a metal piece which covers the player’s entire face with bars spaced enough apart for clear visibility. This piece of equipment is mandatory at all youth hockey levels, including high school and college.

The cage mask is optional in the NHL and is rarely used. Instead, many players wear what’s known as a half-shield or visor produced from polycarbonate, a strong plastic. The rest of league doesn’t wear any type of helmet mask.

How could removing the cage reduce concussions?

“Bring respect back to the game,” Shepherd said. “With a half-shield players would keep their sticks and elbows down away from the head, knowing whatever they do could just as easily happen to them. With the cage, players become to reckless thinking they are fully protected.”

Nelson, however, cites research that equipment modification would not be effective in suppressing head injuries.

“Concussions are a rotational injury,” Nelson said. “Technology doesn’t exist at this time to prevent this, and might not for some time. Current helmets are made to prevent catastrophic injuries, which they do.”

As the most influential hockey organization in the U.S., Nelson feels it is exceedingly important for the NHL to set a good example for its youth followers, particularly in enforcing rules related to hits to the head.

New enforcement in this realm is something the NHL has addressed recently, with the advent of Rule 48 preventing blind-side hits to the head in March 2010.

A more recent example is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke, who was suspended for 10 regular-season games as well as the first round of playoffs, for his elbow to the head of the New York Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh. The league made an example of Cooke, considering suspensions lasting into the postseason are nearly unheard of.

At the very least, Cooke’s extended suspension encapsulates a shift in attitude throughout a sports world beginning to understand the lasting and devastating effects of head injuries.

“I received a concussion but was back on the ice a week later,” Art Miller, a member of North Dakota’s 1959 national championship team, said. “Should I have been? Maybe not, but those were different times.”

It’s something the No. 4 Boston College men’s hockey team has lacked early this season. Between the 59 penalties in seven games and the flurries of sloppy turnovers on defensive breakouts, the Eagles have missed that x-factor that has been fundamental to their past success.

But on Friday night, BC finally figured it out. The offense was crisp, the defense was rarely out of position, and self-imposed infractions were, for once, completely absent from the post-game score sheet. The Eagles (5-3-0, 3-2-0 Hockey East) left Kelley Rink with little to show for their efforts, though, as they fell in a highly contested match-up, 2-1, to the No. 10 New Hampshire Wildcats (3-1-2, 2-0-1 Hockey East).

As well as BC played, UNH was equally as impressive, and the result was a hockey game full of smooth, fantastic play that could have gone either way.

“I thought it was an outstanding college hockey game,” said BC head coach Jerry York. “I’ve coached about 1,500 games at the college level, and [Friday's game] was a special 60 minutes of hockey. Both teams played exceptionally strong hockey, and I thought the discipline of both teams was outstanding.”

In the first period, BC came out strong, as the Jimmy Hayes-Kevin Hayes-Chris Kreider line pummeled the UNH crease with an offensive onslaught. Three separate times, Wildcats goaltender Matt DiGirolamo denied the chances, and one puck even ricocheted off the pipe, ending the Eagles’ hope for an early advantage.

But when asked about the spoiled opportunities, defenseman Patch Alber stressed that BC executed its game plan to near perfection.

“Our cycle has really been coming around the past couple of games,” Alber said. “I think that’s one of the ways we are going to score a lot of goals this year. Kreider and the two Hayes’ were incredible at that tonight, so we were just trying to work [UNH] down low and tire them out, try to get a couple chances that way.

“A couple bounces here and there, and it could have been a different ball game.”

Later in the period, it was UNH who received that quick bout of luck. Skating down the right side of the ice, Wildcats forward Dalton Speelman received the puck from Connor Hardowa and fired a spectacular pass through the miniscule opening that BC left open in front of their net between defenseman Patrick Wey and goaltender John Muse. The puck found John Henrion’s stick, and he easily tapped it in for the 1-0 lead.

Despite the ease of the goal, Wey was in perfect position, attempting to cut off the passing lane by gliding parallel to the oncoming UNH forwards. BC’s defense was ready, but the Wildcats were able to just sneak the puck through.

Early in the next frame, BC answered with some of its own offensive prowess. Forward Brian Gibbons rushed into the offensive zone on the left, but contrasted his speed with a delicate drop pass to Cam Atkinson behind him. Atkinson sent the puck across the ice to a streaking Alber, who then equalized the game with a nice strike past DiGirolamo’s glove.

“It was just a good clean breakout out of our zone, and then Cam just found me on the back door,” Alber said of the goal. “It was easy. Just a nice little tap-in.”

“There were some great plays out there on the ice,” York said. “A lot of stick-handling and a lot of passing. It bodes well for both of our teams as we go through the season that we can play at that level.”

As if both teams were not performing well enough already, with the Wildcats holding onto a 2-1 lead in the third period, neither team had yet to commit a penalty. The lack of power-play opportunities forced BC and UNH to remain disciplined throughout, neither squad wanting to be the first to relinquish a man advantage.

“It was unbelievable,” said UNH head coach Dick Umile of the absence of penalties. “It’s good hockey. But that’s how it is played [in the Hockey East]. It’s physical, but it’s clean. It’s a good pace, and it’s good hockey.”

Finally, at 11:54 in the final frame, Wildcats forward Kevin McCarey was called for hitting from behind. It was the game’s only penalty, and BC’s one chance at taking advantage of a miscue. BC’s forwards ripped shot after shot from the point, but DiGirolamo stood tall between the pipes and prevented any last chance at an Eagles comeback.

“The one power play in the game created a couple of chances for us when we were down 2-1 and trying to tie the game,” York said. “There were good chances. Both goaltenders were outstanding. Certainly, I thought [DiGirolamo] made some good saves also.”

The loss, though ending in a disappointing result, was one of the best games of the year fundamentally for the Eagles. On all ends, BC stayed true to its game plan and produced quality chances, but the Wildcats replicated that very strategy and came out on top.

“From my perspective, we still have to get better in some different areas we’ll work on, but our kids gave a good effort,” York said. “Two inches here, two inches there and maybe we come out with a win. But as I said, it was New Hampshire’s game tonight.”

A fittingly disciplined comment to describe such a flawless hockey game.

“There are ebbs and flows to the game, but certainly, when we went out there last time, it was one of our low points of the season,” York said. “St. Lawrence beat us and Denver beat us, and we need to make sure that doesn’t happen again this year.”

What happened last year comprised the worst stretch for the Eagles, who lost three straight to St. Lawrence, Denver, and Boston University in early January. It was the only time BC lost three in a row last season.

Denver pulled the same comeback stint against fellow Hockey East member Vermont over the weekend. After falling into an early 2-0 hole, the No. 6 Pioneers fired off four unanswered goals to build a 4-2 lead halfway through the third period, and held on for a 5-3 win. They held on for a 1-1 tie the following night, putting their strong defense on display.

This year, the Eagles must not only create a lead but also hold on to it, which won’t come easy on back-to-back nights at a hostile Magness Arena. It also won’t be easy to do against a squad from the rarely-seen WCHA, a conference known for its physicality. York, however, said that Denver is one of the teams that is leading the trend of adding more speed without sacrificing the patented toughness.

“When we play these teams, we see a lot of similarities between Denver’s team and our club,” York said. “Last year we played them, and I thought they were quick and physical, and they had excellent special teams – and that was last year.”

The difference in 2010? The first-round upset at the hands of RIT still looms in the Pioneers’ minds. After entering the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 team and the chic pick to win the Frozen Four, Denver was stunned by the upstart Tigers. That is only serving as added motivation to be the best.

“They got upset in the first round of nationals, which stung them a little bit, and from what I read, they are trying to make this a special year,” York said. “We watched them on tape against Vermont, and they have a good club. This will be a very good early season test for us.”

All of that, of course, was last year, which means little come Friday and Saturday night. What will play a role are the weaknesses BC showed in its 2-0 win at Northeastern last Friday. Breakaways that normally end in lamp-lighting wristers flew over the net, and defensive clears that usually thwart the opponent’s scoring chances were botched, handing the Huskies a number of great opportunities.

While the Eagles escaped unscathed in their season-opener, mostly due to goaltender John Muse’s clutch performance and 35 saves, York recognized that those mistakes won’t go unnoticed against a more talented team like Denver.

“What concerned us about the game was we gave up just as many good chances,” York said. “You can point to the fact that we could have had five on [Northeastern goaltender Chris] Rawlings, but they had a lot of good chances, too, and they missed opportunities. Even though it looked like a good defensive battle, we looked too loose defensively. If we do that against Denver, they’re going to capitalize, so we need to be tighter on defense.”

Improving the back line will be a major focus in practice this week, York said, and will be crucial for BC’s success in Denver this weekend. Even though York and his team aren’t forgetting what happened against the Pioneers last season, they are focused on returning with a better sense of how they stack up against the upper echelon of the national scene.

“We will find out where our strengths are and where our weaknesses are,” York said. “Sunday morning, we will come back on the plane and look at our club and say, ‘Here’s where we need improvement, here’s where we feel comfortable on defense and on our line combinations.’

“When you schedule strong opponents, you will be pushed and tested. It will all be good for us.”

Penn State President Graham Spanier, Associate Athletic Director for Ice Arena Operations Joe Battista, and Terry and Kim Pegula — whose $88 million dollar donation made the future ice arena construction possible — were all in attendance to show their support.

While the Icers’ season has gotten off to a strong 3-0 start after an 11-0 rout of Drexel, those guests have been working to select the architect of the state-of-the-art arena set to open in Spring 2014.

Battista said the Request For Proposals (RFP) have been sent out to multiple architects and all have responded with their qualifications. He said the possible choices have worked with Penn State in the past, and all have experience with ice arena design.

“We’ve cast the nets very broadly to begin with,” Spanier said.

Spanier said the Board of Trustees Architectural Selection Committee will narrow the choices to 12 before selecting three-to-five finalists to visit State College and make a formal presentation. The committee is made up of Board of Trustees members, an architecture professor, a student and representation from the Office of the Physical Plant (OPP).

Battisa said the finalists will be notified by Oct. 18. They will make their presentations in mid-November and then the board will decide.

“They’ve given us their qualifications. Based on their past work, on their thoughts, and their philosophies, we’ll decide which one is the best fit for what we’re trying to do,” Battista said. “It’s exciting, I can tell you.”

A few weeks after the decision on the architect, the board will follow the same process again to decide on a construction team. Battista said they hope to break ground in the next 9-12 months, in either late-summer or early-fall 2011.

Once the architect is decided, Battista said they will receive a sheet of programs of features the university wants in the building. Battista, Spanier and the Pegulas have traveled to different hockey rinks around the United States to help decide what they want in the arena.

“We’ll go through this list with the architects to make sure they know exactly where we want to be,” Battista said. “How many club seats we want, how many suites we want, how many different locker rooms we want and so on.”

One feature Battista said he wants in the arena is the implementation of the USA Cross Ice youth hockey program, in which dividers come across the ice, dividing it into thirds. It would allow for an expanded youth hockey league, with six teams playing at one time.

While nothing has been officially decided, Battista said the most important thing to him is making sure it’s a multi-use facility.

“To me, we have to make this thing pay for itself,” Battista said. “So we have to have enough locker rooms to be able to host a lot of tournaments. We want to be able to have lockers for public use and areas for youth and high school area programs to store their equipment. We want the intramural players to have a place. That’s how you make money in a facility like this.”

The plan for the arena has been set in motion because of the Pegula’s Sept. 17 donation, the largest single donation in Penn State history. Spanier said the effect of the announcement has been felt with the near-capacity crowd at the Icers’ first game.

“I am always so impressed with the turnout that we have here for hockey at Penn State,” Spanier said. “The enthusiasm is unbelievable, and it’s really been elevated a lot with this new gift.”

In the near future, the conference could also alter the landscape of an entire sport — ice hockey.

Penn State officially announced on Sept. 17 the addition of Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey teams, raising the possibility of the formation of a Big Ten league for the sport.

“This leads to the presumption that there will be a Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Championship at some point in the future,” Scott Chipman, Big Ten assistant commissioner of communications said.

“A decision of that nature, however, cannot be made without a significant amount of discussion both internally, with conference chancellors, presidents, administrators and coaches, and externally, with the hockey community as a whole.”

The addition of Penn State makes a total of 59 Division I ice hockey programs in six conferences based on relative geographic location.

The addition of a Penn State varsity hockey team could possibly lead to the defection of Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin from their respective leagues to a new Big Ten conference.

Such a conference could be on the ice by the 2014-2015 season. With these six teams, the Big Ten would fulfill the minimum requirements to secure an automatic playoff bid.

DIVISION ONE HOCKEY HOOSIERS?
The creation of a Big Ten conference would add a household name to college hockey that has been missing for years.

“The Big Ten teams, as far as college hockey goes, are huge in this country,” IU club hockey coach Jan Jas said Thursday. “The level of play would be unbelievable.”

The members of the IU club hope to be a part of that unbelievable play within the next three years, Jas said. However, a lot of construction work needs to be done first.

While the possibility exists for Indiana to sponsor hockey on the varsity level, Jas said numerous hurdles must be overcome.

“There are a lot of supporters, and a lot of people working to make this happen in the near future,” Jas said. “There needs to be more cooperation on the part of both the school and the league. A lot of construction needs to be done down the road.”

While the possibility of varsity hockey at IU is still alive, former IU hockey coach Rich Holdeman said the likelihood is not good. Penn State was only able to weigh the option of hockey with an $88 million donation from Pennsylvania businessman Terry Pegula.

The donation figures to fund the construction of a 6,000- to 8,000-seat arena, an upgrade from their current facility which accommodates approximately 1,350.

“Something similar would have to happen for IU to contemplate this,” Holdeman said. “In other words, it is highly unlikely.”

The obstacles the IU Athletics Department would have to hurdle include, for one, the lack of a facility.

“IU is not likely to spend the money for a rink without a large donation for that purpose,” Holdeman said. “Even if someone gave money for a rink, it is doubtful that the University would like to get into the rink management business.”

Furthermore, the athletics department would have to consider adding both men’s and women’s ice hockey teams to stay in compliance with Title IX. Although ice hockey can be a revenue-generating sport at some schools, it is questionable whether it would be one at IU.

While the future of hockey as a varsity sport at IU remains up in the air, Holdeman said he liked the idea of Big Ten hockey.

“Overall, it would be a very exciting development for college hockey,” Holdeman said. “Getting the Big Ten playing as a conference should increase fan interest in the sport, and if it happened, it would create a real power conference.”

I want to like this game, but it feels unpolished and plays more like a demo being packaged up and sold at full price.

The stadiums are very nicely detailed and are a treat to look at. Even the crowd looks like it has been given more detail than the typical hockey game. If only the players were given the same amount of attention.

Most of the players do not look close to their real life counterparts, and it is sad. Especially when you consider how much better EA’s other sports franchises’ players look – “Madden 11” and “NBA Elite 11” (formerly “NBA Live”).

Like all sports games, the announcers are bothersome and should just be turned off because they don’t add anything useful to the game. Thankfully, the rest of the sounds in the game are very pleasant.

All of the on-ice collisions and checkings sound good and the crowd’s cheers are fun to listen to. I’m worried the crowd will become repetitive over time though because they don’t have much variety.

Last, and definitely not least, the soundtrack to the game is an interesting and fun playlist that helps bring the player into the atmosphere of the hockey game.

The weakest part of “NHL 11” is definitely the control scheme, which is the reason the game is a large step in the wrong direction.

The face-offs are confusing to learn. Plus, the passing and shooting system is cumbersome, and too many times I found myself entering the offensive zone on a three-on-two rush that ended in me passing the puck to an opposing defensemen.

The learning curve for the controls is definitely steep, and I don’t think it will become second nature for many people.

“NHL 11” has pretty average gameplay and it doesn’t do much to create a new and exciting hockey experience. The game felt like every other NHL game, made by EA or otherwise.

The detailed control scheme, which I assume was supposed to give players more control over each skater, is too complicated to be useful for the average gamer.

Any time I had sustained pressure in my defensive zone, I had skaters sitting around doing nothing for several seconds just watching. It was absurd and makes the game far harder than it should be.

As far as hockey games go, I would consider looking for alternatives. Possibly even older hockey titles because this game just doesn’t feel right.

Though not as widely publicized as the college football shakeup you may be thinking of, the move to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association by UNO hockey can be considered dramatic and exciting as well.

Breaking away from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (the only conference they’ve ever known), the Mavs will be dropping the puck against WCHA foes this fall and winter. Big name opponents such as Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame are being replaced with the likes of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. With the move UNO hockey joins the most prestigious hockey league in the nation.

WCHA teams have won a record 36 men’s national championships and had a runner-up in the championship game 28 times. The most recent national champion to emerge from the WCHA was the University of Wisconsin in 2006. Such consistent national success attracts a crop of players unlike any other in college hockey.

Last year alone, 96 former WCHA players appeared in at least one NHL game.

The most recent data available from the CCHA indicated that 76 former players had seen ice time in the 2008-2009 NHL season.

“The league provides more high-end athletes,” said UNO Director of Hockey Operations and Assistant Coach Nick Fohr. “You see that in the draft picks out of the WCHA every year. There are a lot of definite high-end kids.”

Mavericks head coach Dean Blais brings a special appreciation for the WCHA, having served as the head coach for North Dakota for 11 seasons, during which he earned honors as Conference and National Coach of the year, as well as two National Championships. Fohr feels this relationship could lend itself to an immediate conference rivalry.

“You can never be sure how these things develop, but on paper, North Dakota looks like a rivalry right off the bat,” he said.

Some of the potential for rivalry exists because many of the players on the UNO roster have 10, 20 or more friends or former teammates on WCHA squads.

Junior defenseman Nick Von Bokern counted more than 40 that immediately came to mind.

The move is a source of gratification for the team and Von Bokern.

“Most of us grew up watching the WCHA,” he said. “The biggest thing is we’ve played with a lot of these guys. We understand more of the opponents we’re playing.”

“It’s not that it will make us play harder, but it adds a little bit of pride. I lived 10 minutes from Mariucci Arena. For someone like me from Minnesota that’s a place you want to be able to say you played in and hopefully won in.”

From a regional standpoint the move makes a lot of sense. Most CCHA members are located in the Eastern time zone and close to or more than 750 miles from Omaha. By comparison, the WCHA only has two schools more than 600 miles from Omaha – Michigan Tech and Alaska-Anchorage.

“Our shortest bus trip in the CCHA was 10 hours,” said Fohr. “Our shortest bus trip now is four and a half hours. The easiest and true benefit of the WCHA is travel. We’re going from having to fly everywhere to only having to fly a couple times a year.”

Travel is not the only benefit the Mavericks hope to have on their side. Half of the teams in the WCHA play on Olympic-size hockey rinks that are 13 feet wider than the NHL-sized rinks most other college teams play on.

The extra space makes for fast teams that push the play and play an open, free-flowing style of hockey.

“One word with coach Blais is speed,” said Fohr. “Playing in those buildings will help us in that way.”

Von Bokern said he felt it’s more about the team’s execution than it is the size of the rink.

“Big rinks can help or hurt,” he said. “I don’t think either hurts or helps us. We’ll have an advantage on either because of our conditioning. It’s more about how we play approach. If we do what we do and we do it well we shouldn’t have to change anything.”

The transition of college hockey conferences probably began almost two years ago when it appeared College Hockey America, a four-team conference, was approaching extinction. Bemidji State University, a member of the now defunct CHA, seemed a natural fit for the WCHA due to its vicinity to other WCHA schools.

Yet there were initial concerns about an 11-team conference. An uneven number of teams means someone has to sit out every weekend of conference play or find a non-conference opponent to fill in.

Finding a non-conference opponent during conference play is difficult when all the other conferences have an even number of teams. In addition, 11 teams make setting up a post-season conference tournament somewhat of a challenge because of the odd number.

This concern seemed to have a ready-made solution in acquiring UNO along with Bemidji State.

However, UNO had concerns for jumping out of the CCHA as well. According to a New York Times article last summer, WCHA policy includes rules that do not allow new teams to share in playoff revenue immediately upon entry into the conference. There is also a fairly substantial expansion fee for any school joining the WCHA.

Through the work of Maverick Athletic Director Trev Alberts, UNO was able to negotiate with Bruce McLeod the WCHA Conference Commissioner, and the rest of the conference, to allow the Mavs some share of playoff revenue the first two years as a conference member.

UNO’s acceptance into the Western College Hockey Association became official July 1.

When asked what UNO fans could expect to see different from the team, Fohr indicated there wouldn’t be a lot of noticeable differences.

“There won’t be anything new from us,” he said. “The WCHA has a lot of really good programs. They’ve won the majority of the national championships over the last decade. The caliber of opponents is very high. But we’re going to continue to play our game.”

The move for Von Bokern is bittersweet.

“Some of our fans have built up camaraderie with other CCHA fans and built up memories with these places,” Von Bokern said. “So it’s somewhat sad in that sense, but we’re looking forward to building new rivalries and memories. We’re excited for the opportunity to make a lot of firsts. We’ll be the first guys who’ll ever do any of these things in the WCHA for UNO.”

Conference changes, though, are rarely made seamlessly and without any negative effects. Recruiting is an initial concern that many Maverick hockey fans might have about a new conference.

Success in a conference that on paper, also seems more difficult, provides some anxiety as well.

“Coach Blais brought the recruiting aspect all on his own,” Fohr said. “We now have access to a lot of really good kids who grew up watching the WCHA.”

Will it be harder to win in the WCHA?

“Time will tell,” Fohr said. “We’ll have 11 freshmen this year and we’re pretty young, so it’s very difficult to say at this point.”

Von Bokern sees the new conference as a challenge to learn the ways other teams play the ice.

“There are a lot of big boys that play physical,” he said. “It’s a little more offensive. You knew with a team like Michigan who had skilled players that they were going to spread out the ice. WCHA teams have their own styles. Most, like Minnesota, are a lot more free flowing.”

One thing fans won’t see in WCHA league games like they did in the previous conference is a shootout. CCHA rules allowed for a shootout if teams were still tied after an overtime period. No such resolution exists in the WCHA. If teams are tied after overtime it goes down on the record as a tie.

When asked if he or his teammates had done anything different or special to play in the new league, Von Bokern indicated that it’s been a very physical summer.

“We emphasized getting big, strong and fast,” he said. “We’ve been trying to put on a lot of size and speed. It’s been four days a week for four months.”

Break-ups are rarely easy and without incident. UNO’s move to the Western College Hockey Association however, seems like a match made in heaven for a growing hockey program with its eyes on establishing itself as an annual championship contender.

UNO Hockey beings the 2010 campaign Oct.8 at home against Clarkson College and will have its first WCHA match-up just a week later when they travel to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers on Oct. 15.

In anticipation, the team has been working hard on maintaining its strength and physical condition during the summer.

According to coach Chris Bergeron, captain’s practice will begin around the end of August and run through September, allowing players to “get back in hockey shape” before official practices begin Oct. 2.

“We’ll start to get some questions answered as far as who at home worked hard this summer and who didn’t,” Bergeron said. “I’m very excited to get that going.”

Having gone through two coaching changes, senior forward David Solway is looking forward to working with Bergeron.

“He couldn’t be a better fit at Bowling Green,” Solway said. “We’re going to be a young team, and coach will be able to help us out and handle us on the path next year and years to come.”

Bergeron and the staff believe the summer is best spent focusing on strength and conditioning. Solway said he finds the summer to be the best opportunity to get stronger due to the school year’s demands on players’ time.

Solway said that it was expected of the players spending the summer at home to regularly e-mail their progress to strength coach Kenny Goodrich.

“When everyone’s working hard and trying to get better, it helps out the team as a whole,” Solway said.

Solway added that his home routine was a mixture of lifts, runs and two-hour bi-weekly skating sessions. He said his Tuesday session is more individualized, while he spends Thursday practicing with Division III college players.

“We get a good kind of scrimmage skate going,” Solway said. “It’s high intensity and keeps [our] skills up.”

Solway said that some players participate in summer leagues, particularly in the Michigan area, playing hockey games at least once a week. Solway does the same thing at home in Green Bay, Wis., but without as large a pool of high school, college and professional players.

Another good training experience is remaining in BG to train at the Sebo Center. Solway was able to train at home as well as on campus, spending the first summer semester in town.

Solway admitted that working alongside teammates in BG spurred him to work harder, with workouts from Monday through Thursday at 6:30 a.m.

While a handful of players remained in BG during the summer, many of them went home. Solway attributes this to the Ice Arena construction, leaving the rink out of commission this summer.

“It would have been nice to have the ice,” Solway said. “At the same time it will be nice to see some changes in the rink, and those changes help our program in the long run, [particularly] recruiting.”

Bergeron said the summer is a great time for recruiting, especially for assistant coaches Ty Eigner and Barry Schutte, who are establishing themselves in the college hockey recruiting world.

“I feel very positive about where recruiting is right now and where it can be with some success,” Bergeron said.

The team’s 10 incoming freshmen will be evenly matched with 10 sophomores. Nine of the freshmen were recruited before Bergeron’s arrival, but he said this does not make the staff less excited for them to join the team.

“That’s just the reality, that the team was pretty much in place,” Bergeron said. “We’re just excited to get things going and start to establish the relationships with the players that we need to have.”

Ultimately, Solway and Bergeron expect a good season in terms of team camaraderie.

“Your team is only as good as its weakest link,” Solway said. “Coming in after summer, you don’t want to be that guy. You don’t want to let down your team.”

Bergeron said that fans can expect “100 percent effort,” as well as a large degree of community involvement, on campus and off.

“I think you can expect a bunch of kids that are going to expect a lot from themselves, and a lot from each other,” Bergeron said. “If that’s not what we have, then they won’t be part of this program.”

For most college students, waiting to find out what state—or country—your professional career will take you to is a nerve-racking experience.

Not for 19-year-old Harvard hockey standout Danny Biega.

On June 25th, Biega waited for his name to be called as he sat calmly amongst friends in the bleachers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California for the 2010 NHL draft.

“It was a pretty cool experience,” said Biega, a defender who played in all but one game in his rookie season for the Crimson. “It was pretty fun. Everyone’s sitting in the spectating seats. A lot of the first round picks were around me and I knew a lot of the guys.”

As his friends sitting around him were called to the podium, two rounds, 60 selections, and several hours passed, and Biega was still waiting to be selected.

But the rising sophomore remained unfazed.

“I came in with the attitude that you don’t know what’s going to happen in the draft,” Biega said. “I came in not so concerned with where I got drafted, just hoping I got drafted.”

Biega did not have to wait much longer for his hopes to be realized. Just seven selections into the third round held on June 26, the Carolina Hurricanes, a team in need of young stoppers, announced they were taking the Crimson defender.

And while the Hurricanes may play some 722 miles from Biega’s home in Montreal, Quebec, the Canadian who grew up skating on a lake outside his house does not seem opposed to the idea of eventually moving down south.

“I didn’t really have a preference [of where I wanted to play] to be honest with you,” Biega said. “It’s not bad weather down there.”

Biega comes from a long line of Harvard skaters, as he shared time on the ice this past season with his two brothers, Alex and Michael.

Alex—who captained the Crimson last year—recently signed with the Buffalo Sabres, while Michael, a rising senior, has one more season left at Harvard.

But for Danny, this coming season could also be his last with the Crimson.

While his rights are now controlled by the Hurricanes—meaning they are currently the only NHL team that can sign him to a professional contract—Biega maintains his collegiate eligibility. After a freshman campaign in which he notched five goals and four assists, the youngest Biega will be back in a Crimson uniform for at least one season, but after that, things are less certain.

“Definitely all options are being considered right now,” Biega told the media following his selection. “Whether that be leave [Harvard] after next year or finish up. It’s also possible to graduate in three years or two and a half years. You can always come back in summers too to finish up so why not get the best of both worlds?”

Despite being the 67th pick, Biega was only the second returning college player to be drafted—after Tyler Pitlick of Minnesota State University, Mankato. Most draftees come from the Canadian Major Junior leagues, where they can compete year round.

While Biega and other collegiate hockey players have a shorter season, they are given more time to work on conditioning—something that helped raise Biega’s stock in the 2010 draft.

Of his class, Biega had the strongest grip and bench press. Biega’s strength helped him win praise from Central Scouting’s Gary Eggleston and other scouts.

“Danny is a strong skater with very quick feet,” Eggleston told the NHL’s official website. “He wins the battles in the corners and can deliver a solid hit in close quarters or in open ice.”

The Florida Panthers took future U. Minnesota Gophers men’s hockey player and 2009 Mr. Hockey Minnesota Nick Bjugstad with the 19th overall pick in the NHL entry draft Friday night. Four other incoming Gophers — Mark Alt, Justin Hall, Max Gardiner and Benjamin Marshall — were drafted in the final six rounds Saturday.

Bjugstad became the 14th Gophers player drafted in the first round under Don Lucia’s 11-year tenure, and the fifth first-rounder of the state’s past six Mr. Hockey winners.

The 6-foot-4, 188-pound center, who graduated high school a year early, turns 18 in July and will begin playing for the Gophers in the fall. As a junior from Blaine High School he had 29 goals and 31 assists in 25 games last season, leading his team to its third consecutive state tournament.

“Obviously, it [would be] an honor to get drafted high,” Bjugstad said at the airport Wednesday evening before leaving for the draft in Los Angeles. “I really think it’s just a starting point…you need to work hard from there.”

Three additional Minnesota recruits and fellow Mr. Hockey finalists were taken in Saturday’s second and third rounds. Defensemen Mark Alt and Justin Hall were taken consecutively by the Carolina Hurricanes at 53rd overall and the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks 54th, respectively. Forward Max Gardiner was drafted in the third round at 74th overall by St. Louis Blues, and defenseman Benjamin Marshall went to the Red Wings in the seventh round.

Alt had 20 points in 24 games for Cretin-Derham Hall last season. He is also a talented quarterback, and passed up the opportunity to play football at Iowa in order to pursue hockey.

Holl helped lead Minnetonka High School to the a Section 6AA championship this season, and joined the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League when the season finished, tallying four points in 11 games.

A teammate of Holl at Minnetonka, Gardiner registered 43 points in the regular season last year. His older brother, Jake, was drafted 17th overall in 2008 by the Anaheim Ducks and currently plays for Wisconsin.

Marshall scored 20 goals and 39 assists as a junior at Mahtomedi last season, and will forgo his senior season to play a year of juniors with the Lancers, and will join the Gophers for the 2011-2012 season.

For rising Harvard sophomore Josephine Pucci, getting selected to play for the 2010 US Women’s Under-22 Select hockey team was more than an honor. It was an affirmation—an affirmation that she was doing things the right way.

As if playing in 31 of the Crimson’s 33 games as a rookie was not enough proof that she was doing something right, Pucci’s selection to represent her country should certainly shore up all doubts.

“[Getting invited to join the team] reaffirms that you are on the right path and doing the right things,” said Pucci, who finished her first collegiate season with four goals and nine assists.

But it was Pucci’s defensive contributions for Harvard—she ranked third on team with a +16 rating—that helped her land a spot as one of eight defenders selected to represent the US at the 2010 Women’s National Festival and in a three-game series against Canada.

“We’re looking for her to bring some youthful enthusiasm,” said Brown coach Digit Murphy, who will serve as head coach for the U-22 US team. “I think that she’s got a lot of potential as a player in the national system. We’re hoping that she can be one of the up and comers.”

The festival—which will take place from August 13-21 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.—will give the team a chance to train and practice before it departs to Toronto on August 18th to take part in a three-game series against Canada.

The US has had trouble in recent years against its neighbors from the north, dropping seven of nine contests since 2006.

But this year’s US squad boasts an experienced roster that features three members from the US national team that took home the silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

For Pucci, who turned 19 in December, it remains to be seen how she will fit into this battled-tested lineup in her first experience playing hockey at the international level.

“I don’t really know exactly what my role is going to be,” Pucci said. “I am just going to work my hardest.”

The New York native will be Harvard’s lone representative at the festival, but she will be joined by three other Ivy Leaguers—Princeton’s Sasha Sherry, Yale’s Bray Ketchum, and Dartmouth’s Amanda Trunzo.

“[The Harvard women’s hockey team] couldn’t be happier, because she’s going to represent us really well and her country really well,” classmate Jillian Dempsey said. “She really deserves it.”

Dempsey, a veteran of the national program having won gold at the IIHF World Championship in 2009, remembers the excitement leading up to her first international competition as a member of the US National U-18 Team.

“It’s every kids’ dream to play for their country some day,” Dempsey said. “Putting on that jersey the first time, you just get a thrill. There’s so much excitement.”

But Pucci won’t have to wait until she dawns her red, white, and blue uniform to start feeling the excitement.

With the upcoming competition as extra motivation, Pucci plans to return to Cambridge next week to begin training with her Harvard teammates.

“[Getting to play for the US] is definitely an awesome feeling,” Pucci said. “Growing up being an ice hockey player, it’s always been a dream.”

It was the Michigan hockey team’s first year in the NCAA Tournament since 1977, and it had just won a decisive third game over Cornell to advance to the second round, just one series away from the Frozen Four. After years of mediocrity, Michigan coach Red Berenson had finally brought the program to the national stage.

Some Wolverine fans, and perhaps even some of the red-clad Cornell followers peppered in the masses exiting the building, realized this was a turning point outside the glass as well. They knew that this weekend was the beginning of the revival of the Michigan hockey program on and off the ice.

But they didn’t know that it would evolve into this.

Games at Yost have turned into a non-stop tirade against refs, the opposing team, its fans and, most importantly, its goalie. It starts before the first puck is dropped as fans tell referees to “check the net!” and after the official has done so, to “check it again!.” The opposing player introductions are met with newspaper reading by the student section. And only after that does the crowd get rowdy.

The student section, dotted with celebrities like “the penguin guy” and “the guys dressed as Blues Brothers,” extends the length of the arena, filling up the sections next to and behind both benches. It also spearheads the cheering effort of the 6,000-plus fans in the building, uniting the arena as one in order to tell the refs they suck, the opposing goalie he’s a sieve, and the opposing parents they are ugly — repeatedly.

“The kind of people who go to Yost are the kind of people that want to act like fools,” LSA junior Jamie Fogel said last month. “It’s, ‘I’m going to come and act like an idiot. I’m going to dress like a penguin, I’m going to dress like Thomas the Tank Engine,’ and it’s totally normal to do that.”

And when the game stops, the crowd keeps going. During intermission, the crowd tries to get a lucky seven-year old riding the zamboni to do poses that eventually results in taking his or her shoe off and throwing it on the ice. When the shoe goes flying, it is always met with a thunderous cheer. But that is just a warmup for the second intermission, which is highlighted by a rendition of the Blues Brothers song “Can’t Turn You Loose” and has turned into a group dance for the entire student section.

With the volume, the intermission antics and the raucous multitude of mean-spirited chants comes the fact that these fans are some of the most knowledgeable college hockey fans in the country. The building will get just as loud for a good penalty kill as a goal, and they know a hand pass is legal in the defensive zone.

Most importantly, the fans have shown up game after game ever since that final game of Michigan’s three-game series with Cornell. Their dedication level has led to one of the most significant home-ice advantages in the country — the Wolverines have won 79 percent of their games at Yost since 1991.

“The dedication level, you can just kind of see it,” Engineering sophomore Rob Eckert said in May. “When you’re surrounded by passionate people, it’s hard not to catch on and always want to be there.”

So how did this happen? How did Yost become the most intimidating place to play in America?

Part of the final answer lies within the 3.7 million people who have walked through the Yost doors to support their beloved Wolverines. But it begins almost 40 years before many of today’s fans were even born.

The Children Before the Children

Long before the Children of Yost had the rink vibrating with noise, the arena was housing footballs as the team’s practice facility. The hockey — and the noise — was a few streets down, inside the Weinberg Coliseum (now the Sports Coliseum). It was there where then-coach Vic Heyliger created a simple method to put fans in the seats — win.

Six national championships brought the crowds in and Heyliger’s successor, Al Renfrew, kept the winning method going. By the time a young center from Saskatchewan named Red Berenson pulled the Michigan sweater over his head, supporters would line up all the way down Hill St. to try to be one of the approximately 2,000 lucky fans that squeezed into the building on gameday.

“It was a great environment for us.

It wasn’t just the students, it was the townspeople, it was a little bit of everything,” Berenson said. “Some people now say, ‘what kind of a rink was that?’ Well, we thought it was great.”

Inside that comparatively tiny of a building, the University and the city of Ann Arbor set the precedent for supporting Michigan hockey. It was obviously smaller than Yost, and Berenson admits it wasn’t as organized, but the rules were still the same: Pack the building. Make it loud.

The pep band even showed its early form inside the Coliseum.

“I remember them playing ‘The Victors’ — a lot,” Berenson said after this season. “In a small building, as you can imagine, it’s even louder than it is in (Yost).”

Playing Road Games at Home

The year was 1984, and Michigan was in the middle of the lowest era in the history of the Michigan crowd.

Somewhere between the time Berenson transitioned from Michigan center to Michigan coach, The winning was interrupted. The Wolverines hadn’t finished first in the conference in 20 years and had made exactly one NCAA Tournament appearance in that time. In the five years before Berenson took over, the team had just a .479 winning percentage, and as the team lost, the foundation of support that was laid a few streets down began to erode.

Less than ten years after Michigan moved to Yost Ice Arena in 1973, it played most of its games with the paint-chipped bleachers empty. The atmosphere was non-existent. The high volume of students and townspeople stopped showing up and the band became a collection of students with nothing better to do.

“It was a kind of piecemeal situation, like ‘we have 18 tickets, who wants to come?’ ” John Pasquale, Director of the Michigan Hockey Pep Band, said in May. “So we’ll have six trombones and a flute, two tubas and a bass drum and we’ll kind of get together and just kind of play just for fun.”

The same high ceilings and brick walls that would be ideal for holding in sound and adding to the raucous atmosphere that would arrive years later only contributed to the dire situation of Michigan’s crowd at the time.

“There was nobody in the building,” Berenson said. “It was like being in a big cave.”

But there were games when the potential of Yost could be seen. Twice a year, Yost was rocking — for the other team. When rival Michigan State came to town, so did its supporters.

While the Wolverines and Spartans battled on the Yost ice, the official colors in the stands were Green and White. Inside the building named for one of the greatest figures in Michigan athletics, the sold out crowd donned the other team’s colors and watched its Spartans play their inferior neighbors.

“It was embarrassing,” Berenson said.

From the embarrassment, came action. Berenson wanted the Michigan State fans out of Yost. Michigan needed its own fans, and so the coaching staff began to reach out.

“One of the programs they implemented was to try to block them out,” associate head coach Mel Pearson said. “So they did go up on campus in the Diag and to the faculty and the students to try to get them at least to buy Michigan State tickets, so we wouldn’t have a road game at home.”

It wasn’t just going to the Diag. It was going to the dorms. It was sending players to fraternities and sororities. It was putting brochures in the dorm mailbox of every freshman.

More importantly, it was turning a 12-26-0 record into 22-15-4 and eventually, turning that into 34-10-3. Wearers of the Maize and Blue began to fill the building consistently. By the time Michigan hosted the 1991 NCAA regional, it had enough fans to set a weekend attendance record that still stands to this day.

But the attendance was only the first step in creating a true home-ice advantage.

The Turning Point

The student section, barely extending blue line to blue line behind the benches, had already started the countdown.

No. 3 seed Michigan was up 4-3 on sixth-seeded Cornell as the seconds slowly counted down in the 1991 Regional. The crowd, staring at the approximately 200 Cornell fans situated near center ice on the side opposite of the student section, belted out the numbers. “Five! Four! Three! Two!…”. But the countdown never finished.

Big Red forward Kent Manderville slapped a backhand shot from the top of the circle past freshman goaltender Steve Shields to tie the game.

Cornell then scored on its first trip down the ice in overtime to end the game, but it was the halted countdown that spurred the veteran Big Red crowd.

“I’ve never heard a countdown stop,” William Sangrey, a Cornell graduate student at the time said. “Five, four, three, two, and it stopped. The whole building just stopped.”

The following night, as the first period waned down, the boisterous Cornellians added a new chant to their already versatile repertoire.

“They would go, ‘Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, OHHH!’ to make fun of the crowd reaction,” then-Michigan graduate student Matt Thullen said. “I was like, ‘hey that was actually pretty clever.’ ”

But the Michigan fans were drawn in before that. The personal cheers and cleverness of Cornell clicked with them, and on that weekend in mid-March, the crowd took its first step toward becoming what it is today. In the face of the rowdy Ivy League crowd, it began to defend its building.

“(The Cornell fans) were loud and they got their message across, and I think the fans kind of took it as a challenge,” Thullen said. “We’re the ones with the intimidating building. We’re the home team. We’re not going to let these guys come in and basically do anything (they want).”

But many of the Michigan fans were new to college hockey and didn’t know how to pass the test presented by the Cornell contingent. So, the Wolverine fans took the Big Red’s cheers.

The number and variety of cheers that were taken vary, depending on the memory of each person that was there. Some say that Steve Shields wasn’t the only goalie who had his mother call to tell him he sucked. Others can only remember Cornell goaltender Jim Crozier getting hit with “It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!” added to the end of Michigan’s already established goal count. But the most important lesson that Big Red crowd taught wasn’t a specific chant — it was the attitude that a college hockey crowd should have.

“I think that the Cornell folks kind of taught us how you can really make a chant that really gets under people’s skin a little bit better,” Thullen said.

And after a 6-4 Michigan win, the decisive game came on a St. Patrick’s Day Sunday in front of Berenson’s first sellout that wasn’t against Michigan State. Michigan rode the crowd to a 9-3 victory.

The winning method had been restored.

The win also ended the three-day fan crash course. The Michigan faithful left for seven months of hibernation, unsure if the atmosphere would take hold without Cornell baiting them. So in the home opener of the 1991-92 season, the crowd faced another test — Michigan State. The fans showed up, and armed with their knowledge from early March, Michigan home games have never been the same.

“The very first series of games, it was packed,” Eric Storhok, a graduate student at the time, said last month. “The student section basically filled the entire end … There was enough students that once somebody came up with a clever cheer, everybody was doing it immediately.”

It was the beginning of the modern era of the Yost crowd, one that has relied on the cheers and ability to adapt that was taught to them by 200 kids from Ithaca, New York. And when the Big Red came back to Yost in 1997, they saw the monster they had created.

“They gave us a hard time about stealing their chants and those of us who were at that game were like, ‘if we could chant ‘thank you,’ we would,” Storhok said.

The Molly Incident

For 24 hours, Molly McGannon was the most hated person in Ann Arbor.

The Michigan crowd had a newfound swagger after Berenson completed the revival on the ice with two national championships, including one that saw Michigan upset heavily favored North Dakota in the 1998 NCAA Regional at Yost. When the regional returned to Ann Arbor in 2002 for the first time since the national championship, the wrath that had evolved in those 10 years since the crowd’s 1991 lesson was on full display.

In the 2001 regional in Grand Rapids, Michigan and St. Cloud State had their first ever meeting. For McGannon, one of the Huskies’ skating cheerleaders, once was enough. But the next year, St. Cloud drew the No. 5 seed, sentenced to play the fourth-seeded Wolverines again, this time in Ann Arbor.

In the week leading up to the game, McGannon made a fatal mistake and made her feelings of the Michigan crowd known.

“The University of Michigan fans are like combining (North Dakota) Sioux fans and Minnesota Gophers fans,” McGannon told the St. Cloud Times a few days before the game. “They’re horrible people. It’s like they’ve never seen hockey cheerleaders.

“Their band was obnoxious, horrible, not very welcoming at all. Now it’s going to be on their home ice, and they’ll be worse.”

For any fan that missed it, The Michigan Daily reprinted a portion of the quote the day of the game. By the time it got around campus, the girl known to Ann Arbor as simply “Molly” was the enemy. When eight o’clock came around that night, the crowd was prepared.

“We’re walking around before the game and there’s a couple of St. Cloud cheerleaders in front of us … I just yell out, ‘Are you Molly?’ ” Tim Williams, a student at the time, said in an interview last month. “These girls turn around, a look of absolute horror on their face. They had no idea how we found out about that.”

Once the cheerleaders stepped out onto the ice, Molly’s words became a self-fulfilling prophecy — the Michigan fans were worse. Dollar bills were waving throughout the student section as the crowd chanted “Jer-sey Chas-ers” to the cheerleaders skating on the ice during warm-ups. If that wasn’t enough, some cheerleaders ventured on to the Michigan side of center ice and six-foot-four, 245 pound sophomore defensemen Mike Komisarek decided to put them in their place. A little tug on the skates of a cheerleader accomplished the goal, as the cheerleader almost fell down, to the mad delight of the already frenzied crowd.

“Then it was kind of on,” Williams said.

Having watched all of this happen was the St. Cloud State mascot, Blizzard, and he decided to take matters into his own hands. His method of choice was to spear freshman defenseman Brandon Rogers with his stick as he skated off the ice, and in doing so, he had the whole Michigan team after him and took away any censorship that was left in the student section. But the Huskies paid for it once the game started.

Junior captain Jed Ortmeyer gave the crowd the blood they were looking for, knocking two St. Cloud players out of the game with clean hits.

“Maybe (it was) a little classless, but we all held two fingers up in the air to do like the goal count after he knocked the second guy out,” Williams said.

The Wolverines scored three first period goals and never looked back, winning the game 4-2. And the crowd never came down from the level it was at in the pregame warm-ups.

“I thought I heard this building the loudest it could go, but for a second in the second period, my head was hurting,” then-freshman forward Milan Gajic said after the game. “It was so loud it was unbelievable. Every time we did something, it erupted.”

The following night, the Wolverines had to win again, this time against top-seeded Denver. And without the benefit of a Molly-type incident to rile up the crowd, it still managed to deliver, helping Michigan to a 5-3 win.

“The next night it was Denver. It was the same thing,” Williams said. “I’ve been told you could hear the crowd from a block away.”

After the regional, Michigan was fined $10,000 for what was only described as “crowd control issues.” Whether it was what is now known as “The Molly Incident” or the profanity laden ‘C-Ya! Chant’ — which has been in the crowd’s arsenal since before the Cornell series, adding the various curses to the end through the years — directed at an opposing player that goes to the penalty box, it wasn’t enough to stop the NCAA from awarding Michigan the regional the following year. Again, the Wolverines upset the No. 1 seed, this time Colorado College, to advance to the Frozen Four.

Berenson is 8-1 in regionals at Yost, with the lone loss coming in the first game against Cornell in 1991.

“I don’t know in any one of those three years (1998, 2002, 2003) if we could have beat that team — the teams we played against — either in a neutral site or definitely in their building,” Pearson said. “But because of the situation, the atmosphere, being in Yost, it really helped us get by those teams.”

Role Reversal

Nineteen years after they were taught how to watch the games, the Michigan crowd is now an integral part of the program’s tradition.

As each class graduates, the next one comes in to uphold the tradition. Steve Shields, Jed Ortmeyer and Louie Caporusso are all linked by Michigan hockey. In a similar fashion, Matt Thullen, Tim Williams and Rob Eckert are linked as well. And Yost is the device through which the two lineages are bonded.

But changes still happen. In an age where a number of CCHA teams have stolen cheers from Michigan, the Yost student section continues to try to differentiate itself and keep moving forward.

As each new class comes, the evolution of the student section continues. Two years ago the opposing team was able to take the puck out of its zone on the power play without any added trouble from the crowd. Now, several thousand call out a high-pitched “wooooop!” as the puck is touched below the blue line.

Throughout the course of a season, several mean-spirited chants pop up in the middle of a game, and are never heard again.

“That’s one of (those) things that’s most fun about hockey games, because you can go there and you’ll start hearing things that you’ve never heard before,” Eckert said. “There’s always room where it’s open, always room where it’s changing and just because (of) the smaller nature of the student section, we do a lot more.”

In two decades, the student section has gone from copying others to relying on its spontaneity to differentiate itself, as it is now the one being copied. The band has gone from a small number of kids playing “just for fun” to a 92-member monstrosity. The fans have gone from not showing up to never leaving. Even through a four-game home losing streak this past season, Michigan’s worst since 1989, attendance averaged 6,800. Official capacity is 6,637.

“It’s always 0-0 and you go in with that mentality (that) the louder I cheer, the better they’re going to do,” Eckert said. “The mentality of the fans (is) we were there and we were there to support the Michigan boys and we’re always going to be there.”

That mentality, one that has been growing with every year of Michigan’s 20-year streak into the NCAA Tournament, was perhaps tested more than ever last season.

Finishing seventh in the CCHA and in jeopardy of halting their NCAA Tournament streak at 19, the Wolverines were forced to play No. 2 seed Michigan State in East Lansing in the second round of the conference tournament. With the Spartan students on spring break, the Children of Yost had tickets widely available to them.

As the Wolverines swept the best-of-three, the section behind the Michigan bench was packed with Maize and Blue.

“When we had all our fans there, it was kind of a slap in the face to them,” junior forward Louie Caporusso said two weeks ago. “It showed how much more we cared, and it really propelled our team to win those games.”

Michigan had finally done to Michigan State what had made Berenson so embarrassed in his early years in Ann Arbor — it had forced the Spartans to play a road game at home.

“It culminated in that,” Berenson said. “We have never had a home-ice advantage at Michigan State in all the years we’ve been here. You can just see there is so much momentum around this program that in a situation this past spring it showed up on the road.”

Early in game one, before the Wolverines pulled the first of four upsets to win the conference tournament and extend their NCAA Tournament streak, the Michigan section used its hallmark of recent years and belted out one of its impromptu cheers. It was a simple, but effective, statement directed at the Spartan student section.

“WE CAN’T HEAR YOU!”

After that chant, there was one more thing that reminded Berenson of his early days at the helm: silence. It was like a big cave. The revival off the ice had completed.

With time off, the former Buckeye All-American is back at Ohio State U. in pursuit of the college degree he began working toward nearly 10 years ago.

“This is something I set out to do at the beginning, and I like to see things completed,” Umberger said. “There is always life after hockey, and it helps me prepare for that.”

The 27-year-old marketing major is no stranger to taking classes in the off-season. He managed to take online classes four of the last five summers. However, Umberger has left the comfort of his own home this spring and is back on campus.

“Things have changed,” Umberger said. “The fact that I know I am older than everybody and I don’t know anybody, that is probably the biggest change.”

Enrolled in Marketing 750 and 758, the Blue Jackets winger needs just three more classes after this quarter to graduate.

He said he hopes to attain his degree by summer 2011.

To take classes, Umberger passed on playing hockey for team USA in this year’s World Championships.

“It was a hard decision,” Umberger said. “Based on the fact that it’s an incredible feeling and honor to represent your country, but my degree is important, and I have mapped out a plan here and put it within reach for next summer if I took classes now.”

Although classes, studying and exams are again part of his routine, Umberger said the “extracurricular activities” associated with college life aren’t on his agenda this time around.

“I’m strictly here to get classes done,” he said. “As soon as I am done with class, I get back home as soon as I can. I don’t hang around the college atmosphere.”

It’s easy to fix a broken finger; it’s a lot harder to fix a broken mind. Likewise, while ice can help reduce the swelling from a broken bone, icing the brain is not exactly an option.

Yet, until recently, concussions were viewed as just a part of the game in most contact sports, especially ice hockey.

Having suffered 10 concussions during his eight-year NHL career, Mike Eaves, head coach of the U. Wisconsin men’s hockey program is quite familiar with such head injuries and the mentality that came along with them at the time.

“It was accepted that guys got their bells rung,” Eaves said. “So you got your bell rung, shake it off. You got a little headache; it’s OK. Just be tough and play through it.”

Eaves’ last concussion came on Sept. 21, 1985, when he collided with Pat Price of the Quebec Nordiques during Calgary’s preseason opener in Quebec City.

That hit was the first one that really made him think about the impact of concussions on his future, Eaves said. While it was not one of the harder hits he’d been on the receiving end of in his career, it still resulted in a concussion, sending a message to Eaves, who was 28 years old at the time.

“When I went to go out on the power play, I got this feeling of déjà vu like I’d been there, and for the first time it spooked me,” Eaves said. “I thought, ‘this is not right. I did not get hit that hard to have this happen.’

“All the other concussions, I’d been hit a lot harder — there was no question I was coming back. But I was 28 years old, the neurologist did all the tests, and I remember him saying, ‘Mike, you don’t have any permanent damage right now. But I can’t guarantee you, because of your history, that next time you get hit something bad won’t happen.’”

One month later, Eaves retired for the first time on Oct. 21, 1985. He would return briefly during the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs when Flames forward Carey Wilson was forced out of the lineup with an injury.

Eaves played in eight of the Flames’ final 11 games, and he retired for a second and final time after Calgary lost in the Stanley Cup finals.

Of course, Eaves certainly is not alone as far as concussions and hockey are concerned. Some of the greatest players in NHL history have had their careers affected or even shortened by concussions.

Since 1996, more than 30 NHL players have had their careers ended by concussions. Among them is Eric Lindros, who suffered eight concussions in his 13-year NHL career.

According to Eaves, keeping his head up — something Lindros never had to do as a kid because he was always the biggest — may have saved Lindros a few visits to the trainer.

“All of a sudden, he turns pro. Guys are pretty big and strong, and he gets caught with his head down, and look what happened to him,” Eaves said. “You’ve got to know where people are; you’ve got to know what’s going on around you on the ice.”

Another Wisconsin and NHL alum, Chris Tancill, suffered four concussions during his professional and amateur hockey career.

For Tancill, who now coaches the Junior Jets 1998’s (11-12 year olds) hockey team in Madison, the last concussion was by far the worst.

“You can YouTube me and see. I got knocked out,” Tancill said. “My last NHL game, actually, I got knocked out with a concussion, and I missed about six weeks. That year, with the Dallas Stars, they did a concussion test at the beginning of the year, and they did a test after I got hit, and they realized that I was a little messed up, so they sat me down.”

While the test performed on Tancill in 1998 was not as technologically advanced, it was a precursor to what has made such a difference in concussion treatment today. The ImPACT test, which two doctors developed in the early 1990s, is a 20-minute computer-based test that has become the most widely used system for concussion management.

The test is administered before the season to establish a baseline, and athletes undergo the ImPACT test again following a concussion to evaluate their progress toward a full recovery.

“It’s a series of tests involving words and numbers that focus on memory and reaction time,” UW athletic trainer Andy Hrodey said. “After a concussion, your brain doesn’t work as well sometimes; it’s slowed down, so to speak. So, in the first one, you may have trouble remembering those words. In the second one, your reaction time may be slowed down.

Its popularity has grown rapidly, and nearly every team in the NHL, NFL, MLB and MLS, as well as a handful of NBA teams, currently use it. At the University of Wisconsin, every athlete takes the test when arriving on campus as a freshman, providing a baseline that can be used throughout his or her four- or five-year careers.

ImPACT testing is beginning to pop up in high schools across the country as well, including a number of Wisconsin schools. Students who participate in contact sports at both Madison West and Edgewood High School in Madison began taking the test this year.

“Our athletic director said, ‘I want everybody ImPACT tested,’” West hockey head coach Brett Farley said. “If there’s any sign at all that we think that they might’ve gotten hurt with a head injury, they go see the trainer. … Concussions, we don’t even mess around with it. She gets them tested again, and they don’t come back until the test is in the clear.”

In addition to ImPACT testing, Farley’s team has taken part in the Messier Project, which introduced new helmets designed specifically to help prevent concussions in hockey.

According to its website, five NHL players, six AHL players, seven NCAA schools and a large number of high school, prep and youth programs currently wear the Mark Messier-sponsored Cascade M11 helmets.

For the West hockey team, this decision was not, however, one made by the school. Instead, one particular player’s parents bought him the helmet after hearing about the project. Shortly thereafter, 15 others followed suit on the Regents’ 20-player team.

Since adopting the new helmets, West has had just one player suffer a concussion. Coincidentally, that player also happened to be one of the four who did not purchase one of the new helmets.

“What Messier is doing goes beyond simply trying to bring awareness to the problem of concussions,” Farley said. “He’s going to a manufacturer and having them build specific helmets that protect against concussions. It shows how much he cares about the issue.”

Along with specifically designed helmets, mouth guards are another piece of equipment that some suggest can prevent a concussion. But while well-designed helmets that insulate the skull and brain are widely accepted as a preventative measure, opinions on mouth guards vary from person to person.

For example, Farley and Hrodey are among those not convinced that mouth guards provide any additional protection.

Yet, Tancill and Pete Rothering, hockey head coach at Edgewood High School, believe in the protection that can be provided by a mouth guard that is molded to fit each player.

“While helmets are certainly the most important piece of equipment in that regard, mouth guards also are an important element of concussion prevention,” Rothering said. “An elbow to the head on a blindside hit is one of the most common causes of concussions. Oftentimes these hits can be to the jaw, which can send the impact to the skull and the brain.

“With a well-fitted mouth guard, the severity of that impact can be reduced, which can either prevent a head injury, or at the very least, reduce the severity of a concussion.”

Little evidence exists to prove that concussions can be prevented using mouth guards. But they are recommended for dental purposes at all levels and required for youth above the age of 12 through the high school level.

Still, there’s only so much that equipment can do for concussion prevention. The biggest changes that have been made and can still be made come through a transformation in the culture and mentality of those involved in hockey regarding head injuries.

As Eaves mentioned, it was part of the game for years. Concussions, getting your bell rung, headaches, they all were just something that was dealt with and played through.

Today, through ImPACT testing at all levels and the development of new policies regarding hits to the head, concussions — especially multiple concussions sustained by one player over a short period of time — are becoming less likely.

For example, hits to the head have become a specific on-ice penalty at the college, high school and youth levels. In the NHL, suspensions and fines can be levied, though no on-ice penalties can be called.

Such a policy is just one example of the impact different levels of hockey have on each other.

Across the board, whether it is new helmet designs, other equipment innovations or policy changes on policing head injuries in the game, things typically operate from the top down in hockey. As something, such as concussions, becomes an issue at the NHL level, it funnels down to the college level, then high school and finally to youth hockey.

This can have an impact on youth, high school and college hockey in two ways. First, they implement new policies based on what the NHL does in previous years. But additionally, policy changes at the top, once they reach the lowest levels, become the norm.

Young athletes who grow up with required equipment or special attention paid to hits to the head become more accustomed to and accepting of such policies as they continue to grow and move up the ranks. As a result, it’s easier to police at the higher levels as well.

“It takes some time for things to go from the pros to college to the high school level,” Rothering said. “With the added emphasis on head shots this year in college and the NHL, it’s likely we could see even more focus on it at our level next year.”

With the amount of contact in the game of hockey, however, it’s nearly impossible to avoid being hit or even hits to the head. But one way to lessen the frequency of such hits is through proper instruction of fundamentals and techniques at all levels.

Rothering, who played hockey through high school, spends a considerable amount of time teaching his players to play the right way — with their heads up and elbows down while avoiding checking from behind.

This season, three Edgewood hockey players suffered concussions, which Rothering said is about average. While he does all he can to teach his players to avoid causing or receiving concussions, Rothering continues to emphasize proper post-concussion treatment.

“It’s not like an injury to your hamstring or your shoulder or your leg,” Rothering said. “It’s not something you can just tough out. I think it’s especially important for kids to keep that in mind because returning too soon makes you more susceptible to suffering another one.”

However, the drawback of such increased focus on hits to the head became apparent for Eaves and Wisconsin this year in the Frozen Four.

During the championship game, UW’s John Mitchell was penalized for a hit to the head that appeared to be nothing more than a Boston College player failing to get out of Mitchell’s way.

Eaves was unhappy with the call in the Badgers’ final game because he did not believe that kind of hit, with hockey being a contact sport, was what the rule was implemented to stop.

“That’s not what it’s meant to do,” Eaves said. “But at the same time, when guys are getting blindsided and hits to the head, then I think those are the things that we’re trying to take out of the game. Guys are skating faster, equipment is a lot harder, and I think we have to put more emphasis on the guys hitting to make sure that they understand what’s going on.”

In addition to calling penalties for hits to the head, Eaves suggested another option for reducing concussions at the college level, one with which some may not agree. One person who does share a similar point of view, though, is Tancill.

Both Eaves and Tancill, who played at UW and in the NHL, think eliminating the full facemask style helmets in college and switching to a pro-style half shield would make a difference.

They believe the additional facial exposure instills more fear and respect into the players who are less protected than with the full facemask.

“I think that at the college level you’ll see headshots maybe more because they’re wearing the full mask,” Tancill said. “As you get to the pro level, there’s a little more respect to hopefully keep the elbows down, but you’re still seeing a lot of that.”

Eaves agreed, though he wasn’t sure the collegiate game would ever switch.

“If we took off the full face mask and we went to a half shield, there’d be more respect and fear in the game and guys would slow down and be more responsible,” Eaves added. “When you put that cage on, there’s no fear. I’ve had a cage on after I played; you feel invincible inside that thing.

“But if you know that you can get your jaw smacked or your nose broke or your lip cut, you’re going to play with your stick down and you’re going to play more controlled is my feeling. I don’t know if the NCAA will get to that point, but I’m sure that it would help.”

Mark Osiecki, a former assistant with U. Wisconsin, was hired as the eighth coach in team history on Saturday.

Osiecki served the past six seasons as the top assistant to Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves, and helped lead the team to the 2006 NCAA Championship and the NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship game in 2010.

“It’s never easy to make a coaching change,” said associate athletic director Chris Schneider. “But it was time to make an appropriate change and there is excitement for a new beginning.”

Osiecki said he was excited when he learned Saturday that he had been hired.
“When the job opened, the Wisconsin athletic department told me to look into it and had good things to say about the Ohio State athletic department,” he said.

Schneider said he was looking for a coach that could bring some sustained success to the hockey program.

“We expect our programs to be competing regularly in the NCAA,” Schneider said.

Osiecki gave credit to the previous regime for helping to build some of the tradition around the program, but says it’s his staff’s job to continue the tradition.

“Our job is to make our players better young men in their lives,” Osiecki said. “But we also hope to see many of these players continue to play hockey after Ohio State.”

Osiecki was the recruiting coordinator at Wisconsin and handled the defensive responsibilities.

Some of the players Osiecki worked with during his time as an assistant coach that have moved on to the NHL include San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski and Chicago Blackhawks forward Adam Burish.

Osiecki has earned a reputation as being intense and working hard to get the most out of his players, a quality the OSU athletic department was working to find for the position.

“We were looking for somebody who can believe in the direction we want to go, and take it to a level of consistent competition,” Schneider said.

Osiecki said he knows several of the players from recruiting trips, including Peter Boyd and Sergio Somma, but will have to take some time to evaluate the roster before the 2010-2011 season starts.

“The locker room is filled with good players and I look forward to building on the tradition of the coaches who have come before me,” Osiecki said.

Despite the departures of forward Zac Dalpe and center Hunter Bishop to NHL entry-level contracts, Schneider believes the team still has plenty of talent for the upcoming season.

“We have a very talented team in place, even without Zac Dalpe,” Schneider said.

It didn’t take long for Osiecki to grasp OSU’s rivalry with Michigan.

“Anytime you face Michigan, it’s a lot of fun,” Osiecki said. “It’s our job to make sure we’re prepared for that.”

— NCAA Division I Bylaw 6.6.6

In 2005 the National Collegiate Athletic Association — likely based largely on the little known bylaw above — decided this country had suffered enough racism, and the time was ripe to promote colorblind amateur athletic competition. Although the NCAA only decided to ban inappropriate nicknames for postseason play, collegiate sports’ governing body could effectively change a school’s identity with the pressure of being banned from postseason riches.

The NCAA’s first target? Those nasty colleges that dare besmirch American Indians/Native Americans/Or whatever the hell we are supposed to call the original inhabitants of our country. Mascots from the Florida State Seminoles and the Illinois Fighting Illini portray negative stereotypes.

School names like the U. North Dakota Fighting Sioux are offensive, they reasoned. After all, this implies the Sioux people fought, which, even if they once did — sports metaphors often employ the word “battle” — means such a nickname is offensive now, or something. Umm, yeah.

Whatever their rationale, a five-year battle between North Dakota alumni, professors, administrators, students, the NCAA, the North Dakota State Board of Education and local Sioux tribes (both for and against) came to a conclusion last Thursday when the State Board of Education ordered the University of North Dakota to change its Fighting Sioux mascot. After 80 years, the racism of playing hockey under the name “Sioux” just became too much to bear, even if it is a girl’s name.

The question now is, where does UND go from here? As far as I can tell, there are five reasonable options to pursue — each with its own positive and negative implications

Seek legal action — Unfortunately, this isn’t much of an option at all. Though there are plenty of alumni pissed off that the school nickname they graduated under will no longer exist in a year’s time, the NCAA and its horde of soulless lawyers know how to win a legal battle. Appeals could possibly buy the Sioux mascot a couple more years to fight, but realistically, suing the NCAA will just delay the inevitable.

Eff You Option — North Dakota is no longer allowed to use the Fighting Sioux name. No one has told them, however, what new moniker they must adopt. My suggestions are they stick a middle finger up to the NCAA and show them what an offensive mascot really looks like. Incensed Injuns, Fighting Sue or the Feathers Not Dots People are all solid choices.

UND can make the Cleveland Indian’s Chief Wahoo look like a compassionate, post-racial champion for equality if they really want to. Enjoy that PR mess NCAA.

Just like going the legal route, however, this might not be a feasible option.

Compromise — Sadly, it is probably too late to do so. Instead of making this a “Yes or No” issue about the Fighting Sioux mascot, both the university and current Sioux tribes would have been better served looking for an alternative solution. Be it royalties paid yearly to use the name, a percentage cut from Fighting Sioux apparel sales or huge tuition cuts for American Indian students, both parties should have been able to find a reasonable answer to the problem.

Because really, how does banning the name really help Sioux tribes, many of which suffer from much graver issues.

Alumni step up — Now we get to more realistic responses. Many alumni are reportedly upset over the name change — something they feel was controlled by a few power mongers at the top and does not accurately represent how most feel about the school logo. Well, there is always one way to make your voice heard to NCAA and college officials alike — stop giving money.

We can call this the “Marquette Warriors” option. Ever since MU changed its name from the Warriors to “You Know What” in 1994, alumni from the Al McGuire era frequently respond to telephone calls seeking donations with the same five words: “Are you the Warriors yet?”

Cut off funds. Tell UND you aren’t an alumnus of whatever lame name they choose — I vote for “The Green!” — and that you graduated as a Fighting Sioux. They might not listen to your words but they will listen to what dead, former presidents tell them.

Who knew hockey still had leverage? — North Dakota doesn’t have much: few major cities, even fewer celebrities and no major professional sports franchise. But like the Cornhuskers have football and the Tar Heels have basketball, the Fighting Sioux have hockey.

Even more importantly, Ralph Engelstad Arena — known as one of the best hockey arenas in the world — is privately owned. And the university has no control over it. And there are 2,400 Fighting Sioux logos throughout the arena, including many carved into glass, granite floors and seats. Plus, Engelstad built the Arena, which opened in 2001, on the premise that the nickname would not change.

Whoopsy-daisy.

Perhaps being a tad shortsighted, pro-nickname changers may not have counted on this Mount Rushmore-sized hurdle. (wrong state, I know.)

The solution to this over sensitive, politically correct BS, is actually remarkably simple. Cut off UND from its prized hockey arena and alumni will show you what Fighting Sioux really means. Take away this 11,600-seat hockey cathedral and North Dakota officials will be applying for repeals of the decision faster than a five-on-three goal vs. Michigan Tech. I’m sure the state of North Dakota would love to be home to a $100-million-plus building that is no longer used for anything.

Per usual, the NCAA is drunk with power while relying on Rep. Jeff Wood as a DD.

On this rare occasion, however, UND alumni and students actually have leverage to fight in a way Marquette alumni were denied all those years ago.

Take a lesson from the Warriors, keep fighting to stay the Sioux.

Michael is a U. Wisconsin senior majoring in journalism. Have any thoughts about the Fighting Sioux to share? Are you offended by the forced name change, or are people overreacting by eliminating the Sioux mascot? Tell him at mbleach@badgerherald.com.

But this year, the Boston College Eagles are the only ones who can say they are the best team in college hockey after taking down Wisconsin, 5-0, Saturday night in Ford Field.

Cam Atkinson scored two goals, Joe Whitney added three assists, and goaltender John Muse saved 20 shots to propel BC to its second national title win in three years.

Entering the game, Wisconsin held an advantage over BC in every category, from goals scored per game to goals allowed per game, from power-play efficiency to goals-against average. Yet, it was the Eagle squad’s speed that countered the Badgers’ size, pulling away with blazing acceleration and scrappy defense.

BC blew an even game open in the third period. Only a minute and a half into the final frame, Atkinson took a feed from Joe Whitney at half-ice and simply beat the Badgers down the rink. The two forwards switched as they sped down the ice, with Atkinson opting for the left boards. Once he gained a step on the defenseman, Atkinson swept in toward Badger goaltender Scott Gudmandson’s right and whipped a backhand five-hole to push BC’s lead to 2-0.

Just two minutes later, the Eagles made it a 3-0 game. Brilliant passing down the ice, started by Philip Samuelsson, created a three-on-two BC advantage. Jimmy Hayes cradled the puck on the right boards with a Badger defenseman close by, and just as he was about to run out of real estate, he zipped it across the ice in front of the crease. A streaking Chris Kreider poked a stick out and got enough of it to tap it past Gudmandson.

Atkinson struck again, this time on the power play, with 13 minutes to go. Linemate Brian Gibbons slid Atkinson the puck at the edge of the BC zone and let the sophomore leading-scorer go to work. Once again, Atkinson turned on the jets to beat his defender, and another swift backhand fooled Gudmandson for a 4-0 lead.

Matt Price added an empty-net goal when Wisconsin pulled the goalie with just under five minutes to go to make the game 5-0 Eagles.

The game would not have been the same without the stellar play of Muse, who turned multiple spectacular saves, including on a handful of breakaways, throughout the night. Despite four 50-point scorers and two Hobey Baker finalists, the Badgers failed to generate any offense against a young but immovable set of Eagle defensemen. The Eagles blocked a fantastic 13 shots, keeping the puck away from the net and making it a little easier on Muse.

Ben Smith began the scoring with seven minutes to go in the first period. Steven Whitney gave a beautiful pass from the blue line to Smith, who was sitting in between two defenders in the middle of the Wisconsin zone. He ripped a quick wrister that beat the goalie five-hold to provide an early 1-0 cushion.

Only one team can be National Champion. Because every piece – speedy forwards, relentless defensemen, and a shutdown goaltender – fit together perfectly, BC is that one team in 2010.

Wisconsin senior and Hobey winner Blake Geoffrion had to look away as his mother told an embarrassing story about his obsession with being a cowboy in his younger years on while being interviewed on ESPN during the announcement ceremony. But the man of the night forgave his mother at the later press conference, and is fully aware of the jabs he’s going to get from friends.

“Actually, yes, I opened my phone, I’ve got a million text messages,” Geoffrion said. “But one of the first ones I read was one of my buddies, it said ‘Cowboys and boots and guns, huh?’”

A fantastic senior year culminated in Geoffrion winning the award, given annually to the best player in college hockey. A second-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators, it was surprising that he came back for his senior year – a decision that rewarded him with both the Hobey Baker and the chance to win a national title Saturday.

Geoffrion put up career highs offensively, ranking second in the nation in goals with 28 on the season. He also leads the nation in power play goals with 15 after scoring one against RIT in the Frozen Four semifinal. Geoffrion also has 22 assists, joining teammates Michael Davies, Brendan Smith and Derek Stepan in reaching the 50 point mark this season.

“He’s very deserving. I think he embraces what Hobey Baker was, as they described him. Being a talented athlete, but perhaps a better human being,” UW head coach Mike Eaves said.

Making the win even more special is that Geoffrion became the first Wisconsin player in history to win the Hobey. The closest any Badger had come to winning previously was when Steve Reinprecht was runner up in 2000.

“There are some great names that have come through Wisconsin: Coach Eaves, Mark Johnson, Dany Heatley, (Brian) Rafalski, both Suters,” Geoffrion said. “I don’t think I’d put myself in that category. But it’s an honor to win the award and I’m just happy to bring this award back to the Wisco family.”

Previous Badgers aren’t the only company Geoffrion had to live up to in winning the Hobey. His family is hockey royalty, with his great-grandfather Howie Morenz and grandfather Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“I don’t think that this even compares to what they’ve accomplished in their hockey careers, but I love my family to death, I’m very proud of what they’ve done,” Geoffrion said.

Geoffrion beat out the nation’s top point scorer in Maine’s Gustav Nyquist and the top goal scorer in New Hampshire’s Bobby Butler to win the award. While the Brentwood, Tenn. native’s numbers are just as good as the other two Hobey Hat Trick finalists, it’s the other things he does that helped give him an edge.

In addition to helping anchor the Wisconsin power play, Geoffrion is the team’s top forward on the penalty kill. He’s also been clutch in winning key faceoffs, converting at a 61 percent clip on the season. But Eaves was quick to point out the kind of leader his captain has become.

“As a captain, one of the qualities you look [for] in people that are going to be your leaders is can they look outside themselves and what are the needs of others,” Eaves said. “He has that ability to step outside his own needs and that makes him special.”

Along with teammate and fellow top-10 Hobey finalist Smith, Geoffrion was also named a first-team All American. Smith is a junior and after putting up the best offensive numbers of any defenseman in the nation, the first-round Detroit Red Wings draft pick could consider bolting for the pros after this season. Eaves hopes the success Geoffrion has enjoyed after returning for his senior year could influence the decisions of future Wisconsin hockey players.

“We’ll carry this story as loud and as far and as long as we can, because it’s a great example that you don’t need to rush out (to the pros),” Eaves said.

But Geoffrion can’t celebrate too much yet. Wisconsin still has to worry about its NCAA title game against Boston College Saturday night and the hopes UW can win its seventh national championship.

“After tonight, it’s back to the game face; we’ve got a war to prepare for tomorrow against BC,” Geoffrion said.

Unlike Denver and New Hampshire, however, the Badgers succeeded in the role of Goliath. UW jumped out in front early and never let up, displayed an overwhelming combination of size, speed and tenacity, and powered past the tournament darlings by a count of 8-1.

With the win, Wisconsin moves into the national title game against Boston College and has a chance to bring a seventh championship banner home to Madison.

There never seemed to be a doubt about the outcome, as senior forward John Mitchell tallied the Badgers’ first goal just 1:33 after the opening faceoff and sophomore center Derek Stepan capped the scoring off with just 2:22 to play.

“They put us on our heels right from the beginning,” RIT head coach Wayne Wilson said. “Their first couple of shifts were very strong.”

Not only did the Badgers get consistent play over the entire course of the game, they got production from all corners of the depth chart. 13 of the 18 Badger skaters tallied at least one point, and four had two or more.

“We started rolling over the bench with four lines,” said Stepan, who collected two goals and two assists in the contest. “That’s when we’re at our best.”

The Tigers found some rhythm and skated with confidence after Wisconsin scored the first goal of the night, but Wisconsin broke the game wide open in the second period on the strength of three power-play goals. RIT sophomore forward Mark Cornacchia was assessed a major penalty for checking from behind—one of two five-minute infractions for the Tigers in the period—and subsequently ejected in the midst of the Badger onslaught.

“We were effective in the specialty teams in the second period and that was kind of the turning point of the game,” Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said. “It separated the gap a little bit.”

Junior defenseman Brendan Smith tallied an assist on all three power play goals for the Badgers and finished the night with five helpers. His fellow blue liners stifled the Tigers offensive attack all night, allowing just 14 shots on net and continually denying scoring opportunities.

“They just pinned us down,” Wilson said. “We never really got a good look up the ice to make clearing passes or long passes.”

The seven-goal differential stands as the largest margin of victory in a national semi-final game since Denver topped Harvard 9-2 on March 15, 1969. With an upperclassman-heavy squad, Eaves said he is not worried about his team maintaining focus after such a lopsided affair.

“This group has the ability to enjoy the moment and [then] get back to the task at hand,” he said. “We’re going to need to be able to have that happen again.”

If the Badgers can indeed renew Thursday’s focus and execution for 60 minutes on Saturday evening, those championship aspirations could very well become reality.

The Eagles simply didn’t care.

BC used relentless speed and lightning-quick shots to pummel top-seeded Miami, 7-1, to advance to the NCAA championship game. Ben Smith scored twice, and Joe Whitney added a goal and two assists to lead the Eagles to a resounding win.

“I thought we played really well on both sides of the puck, both offensively and defensively,” said BC head coach Jerry York. “We were aggressive on offense, but we also blocked a lot of pucks in our own end.”

“Total domination from Boston College,” said Miami head coach Enrico Blasi when asked for an opening comment. “They definitely deserved to win tonight.”

The first period offered a stingy pace of play conducive to the RedHawks’ preferred style of hockey. After only nine combined shots in the first 18 minutes, Smith capitalized on a power play to put BC up 1-0. With Cam Atkinson screening starting goaltender Knapp after winning the faceoff, Smith one-timed a Joe Whitney pass from the blue line.

The period came to an end with Miami leading the shot count, 6-5, and for the most part dictating the state of play.

The second period, however, was much more illustrative of BC hockey. Just over two minutes into the middle frame, the Eagle power play – 11th best in the country at a 20-percent conversion rate – struck again. Two seconds before the penalty ended, the puck bounced high off the boards and to the side of the net off a Brian Dumoulin shot. Pat Mullane picked up the stray puck and sent it over to Jimmy Hayes, standing right in front of Knapp, fired a shot that beat the goaltender for a 2-1 lead.

Just a minute later, Joe Whitney joined the Eagle attack, netting the third goal of the game. Dumoulin cradled the puck at the top of the Miami zone before turning out a nifty spin move to shake his defender. The freshman defenseman fired a laser across the middle of the ice to Joe Whitney at the bottom of the right circle, who fired it past Knapp for a 3-0 lead with 16 minutes to play in the second period.

RedHawks head coach Enrico Blasi had seen enough, replacing Knapp with Reichard. The new goaltender hushed the Eagle offense for the remainder of the second period, and BC goalie John Muse, who improved to a perfect 7-0 with the victory over Miami, matched Reichard save for save, including a fantastic save on a shorthanded breakaway attempt by Andy Miele early in the second period, logging 10 stops after two periods.

“If he scores, then it’s 1-1,” Blasi said. “It’s a different game, no question. You have to capitalize on your opportunities. The fact that we weren’t getting many to that point, and it was early in the second if we scored, it’s a totally different game.”

Sticky Eagle defensemen also pestered RedHawk forwards all night, thwarting offensive breakouts with a swipe of the stick and blocking numerous shots before they could get to Muse.

An aggressive start to the third period for Miami finally allowed the RedHawks to break through five minutes into the third period. Joe Hartman rocketed a slap shot through heavy traffic in front of the net, sending the puck past Muse.

Instead of crumbling, BC responded. Five minutes after Hartman’s goal, Atkinson picked up a feed from Brian Gibbons, who was sandwiched between two defenders in front of the crease, and flashed a pretty backhand five-hole to push the Eagles’ lead to 4-1. Just 34 seconds later, Patch Alber notched the first goal of his career after skating into the zone, picking up a pass from Smith in front of the blue line, and ripping a shot over Reichard’s shoulder. Only a minute later, Paul Carey got in on the act by firing a quick wrister from Reichard’s left after a faceoff, putting BC on top, 6-1, with eight minutes to play.

Smith added his second goal of the game with a little under four minutes to go to cap off the third-period deluge.

They have had an extra week to think about it, an extra week to practice for it and now the Badgers want nothing more than to see the puck finally drop in Ford Field.

“I’m real anxious to get going. You can only talk about it so much, and all we’ve been able to do is talk about these games,” senior tri-captain Ben Street said. “We just want to get out there and get it started.”

After playing through a demanding, pressure-packed postseason schedule, where the Badgers played in the WCHA Final Five and the NCAA West regional, UW and the other three Frozen Four teams have had a rare extended period without game action.

Street, who will be playing in his second Frozen Four after helping to win a national championship in 2006, had trouble keeping busy with so much time between games.

“It’s been boring. We have all this time off, and I don’t even know what to do with myself,” Street said. “I mean there has been a lot going on in the sports world. Opening Day of baseball, college basketball wrapping up, it seems like everyone else is doing a bunch of stuff, and we are just practicing.”

It is fair to say senior forward Aaron Bendickson is tired of waiting as well.

“It sucks to have to wait this long,” Bendickson said. “Everyone is just really jacked to play.”

Tonight, the wait is over and the Badgers are set to take on the RIT this afternoon.

According to Bendickson, anticipation for the Frozen Four created tremendous energy that was put to good use in practice.

“Practice has been really competitive,” he said. “You can tell people are hungry to play because everyone is just going after it really hard.”

UW hopes the rigorous practice sessions have helped it prepare for the intensity the Badgers will face in Detroit. As a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, the energized RIT squad has emerged as the tournament’s Cinderella story.

The Tigers shocked Denver, the WCHA regular season champion, in the opening round and proceeded to take down Hockey East regular season champ New Hampshire in the East regional final. Now, the former Division II and Division III national champions are headed to Detroit looking for another title.

RIT may have snuck up on opponents in the early rounds of the tournament, but UW head coach Mike Eaves knows full well the upset-minded Tigers will come out with a lot of energy and present a difficult challenge for the Badgers.

“They are going to get after it. They are going to finish every check,” Eaves said. “And they may be as good as any team I’ve seen in the defensive zone.”

The Badgers are one of the top scoring teams in the nation, but Eaves and the Badgers know RIT will attempt to play a tight defensive game to keep scoring chances limited.

That strategy has worked particularly well for the Tigers due to the performance of goaltender Jared DeMichiel. The senior has been red-hot between the pipes for RIT, allowing only three goals in two NCAA tournament games, and his play has spearheaded the Tigers’ NCAA tournament run.

UW junior goaltender Scott Gudmandson has played pretty well in his own right, making crucial saves in the Badgers’ tight wins over Vermont and St. Cloud State.

With his counterpart playing with such confidence, Gudmandson hopes to see lot of the commotion and activity in front of the other net as the Badgers plan on testing DeMichiel early and often.

“They are real good defensively so we need to work them down low and get a lot of traffic in front of that goalie,” Gudmandson said.

The Badgers know the game plan, and they’ve waited long enough to execute it.

Now after all the preparation, they are ready to continue their pursuit of a national championship.

“It’s so exciting,” Gudmandson said. “We can’t wait to get out on that ice.”

The U. Wisconsin men’s hockey team has had a charmed season in making its run to the Frozen Four — and possibly the program’s seventh national title. Lots of little things happened that added up in a big way: players staying, opportunities to play in big games and maybe most importantly, a lack of injuries.

“It’s not wood, but it will do,” Street said with a chuckle, as he tapped the practice rink boards in reference to the Badgers’ health this season.

Aside from senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion missing a game early in the season and a two-game series at Michigan Tech at the end of February, Wisconsin has been lucky to avoid the injury bug. The fact he was able to return from the concussion with no ill effects is a big reason the Badgers are one of the last four college hockey teams standing, as the Brentwood, Tenn. native had two goals and three assists in Wisconsin’s two West Regional games.

“Any coach will tell you that you need a little bit of lady luck on your side, and having good travel and having people that are healthy makes a big difference,” Eaves, UW’s head coach said.

“The biggest thing I think is people not getting hurt,” Smith said. “That comes along in the season when your top players go down and it really affects — because somebody else has to step up and maybe they don’t do the exact same job.”

WCHA tournament champion North Dakota knows the pain of injury — the Sioux lost former All-WCHA defenseman Chay Genoway to head injury in November and UND struggled until a second-half surge.

In addition to staying injury free, the Badgers have also stayed, well, for lack of a better term, the same team. UW’s seven-man senior class is the Badgers’ biggest since the groups that won it all in 2006 and fell one overtime goal short of the Frozen Four in 2007.

“First time we’ve been an upperclassmen team since we won it,” Eaves said. “You talk to any college coach, and he’ll tell you, to have a legitimate chance, if you can count on that cycle, that every four years you’re going to be an upperclassman team, those are going to be pretty good years for yourself.”

The price of having a large senior class is if a player lasts until their senior year, they most likely weren’t drafted by the NHL. Teams with successful pedigrees tend to attract top talent — which then bolts for a paycheck after one or two years.

Case in point, WCHA regular season champion Denver — just two weeks removed from the NCAA tournament — already lost two of its top players in Joe Colborne and Patrick Wiercioch, both of whom played just two seasons with the Pioneers.

“Everybody wants to be here, it’s not, at this point, it’s not guys playing for NHL contracts, it’s guys playing to win a national championship,” Street said. “Guys aren’t taking days off because they’re thinking about the $1 million down the road, they’re thinking about now.”

‘Now’ has been kind to the Badgers, many of whom are having career years. Senior Michael Davies is the team’s leading scorer with 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points. His previous single-season high for points was 24. Geoffrion’s decision to come back — it was assumed the second-round pick would leave after his junior year — has paid off both for the Badgers and himself personally (he’ll find out Friday if he’s going to be Wisconsin’s first Hobey Baker Award winner).

“Our senior class has been a big part of who we are, being an upper-classmen team,” sophomore Derek Stepan said. “The younger guys have held their own too. It’s rare when you can have a team come together so good like we have.”

Youth — in the form of freshman winger Craig Smith and freshman defensemen John Ramage and Justin Schultz — has contributed in addition to the veterans for Wisconsin. Stepan, Ramage and Schultz got their share of big-game experience while winning the gold medal at the World Junior Championships back in January.

“Playing at the world junior was definitely something that helped me learn how to play in a big atmosphere like that, but in the same sense, it’s still a hockey game,” Stepan said of the experience.

Wisconsin got more experience under the bright lights in its outdoor hockey game. The Camp Randall Hockey Classic attracted 55,031 fans to a chilly football stadium to see the Badgers come up big under pressure, scoring twice near the end of the game to come back for a 3-2 win.

“When you amp up the pressure, like an outdoor game — it’s pretty embarrassing if you don’t win your own outdoor game,” Street — who played in UW’s other outdoor game in 2006 — said.

Street is in his own weird way, lucky to be here himself. A senior captain last year as well, he went down with an ACL tear early in the season and got a medical redshirt.

Although it’s hard to say what his impact on last year’s squad that finished 0.0002 of a percentage point from the NCAA tournament would have been, he gets one more shot this year, calling this season the “silver lining” to his injury. Street could be the only player to play in two outdoor games and win two national titles.

There are plenty of factors to point to that explain why Wisconsin is in the Frozen Four.

But to be two wins away from a truly magical, storybook-ending type of season, there are a lot of little things that have helped. The big-game experience, the seniors who stuck around, the great fortune the Badgers have had as far as injuries go, all factor into this Frozen Four run.

So is it really a charmed season? Is this a team of destiny — did the Badgers know they would be here?

“Right from the beginning,” Stepan said. “I think each year, it’s kind of the mindset as a team. If we aren’t in the Frozen Four, it’s a surprise, because it all comes down to hard work.”

Miami’s double overtime victory in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final marked the first time in program history the Red and White has beaten U. Michigan (UM) in the postseason in addition to the first time the RedHawks won an overtime game in the NCAA Tournament.

With the victory, Miami secured its bid to play Boston College in the NCAA Semifinal in Detroit and moved one step closer to competing, again, for a national championship.

“It feels like 10 years ago, but it’s hard to believe a year has gone by,” Miami Head Coach Enrico Blasi said, referring to last April’s national championship loss to Boston University. “We’re excited; ff you walk by our locker room you can tell. We’ll get a couple days rest and then start preparing for Boston College.”

Before Sunday’s nail biter, the Red and White had to get over another hurdle in the form of CHA Tournament champion University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH).

The Brotherhood outpaced UAH throughout most of the Midwest Regional Semifinal matchup Saturday. Exercising its signature puck possession style of play, Miami limited the Chargers’ shots on goal (SOG) to the single digits in each of three dominant stanzas and patiently established a controlled lead.

The RedHawk defense smothered most of the Chargers’ offensive drives along the boards and protected the puck bin at all costs, making life easy on sophomore goaltender Cody Reichard. The CCHA Player of the Year and Hobey Baker Award Finalist did not face a single SOG until 8:58 of the first frame.

The Chargers took several penalties early on in the contest, but UAH’s fifth ranked penalty kill (PK) used good neutral zone positioning to ward off any odd man rushes by the Red and White. Miami’s coaching staff was heads up about the Royal Blue and White’s tactics, though, and adjusted the RedHawks’ power play attack to a more effective umbrella formation.

Miami took the change all the way to the bank when freshman Curtis McKenzie took advantage of UAH’s third trip to the box and netted the Brotherhood’s first goal of the night.

One minute into the man-advantage, junior Carter Camper popped the puck out from behind the net right into the crease where McKenzie was waiting to pull the trigger, putting the RedHawks on the board at 10:24.

“I was just finding myself in the net where I’m supposed to be,” McKenzie said. “I saw Talbot cheating a bit there and just put it over his pad.”

More penalties early on in the middle stanza doomed the Chargers to a two-goal deficit at 6:06. Junior net minder Cameron Talbot stopped sophomore Cameron Schilling’s initial attempt but didn’t cover up. The unattended puck trickled past the goal line for the Brotherhood’s second tally of the game.

“What we care about is timely goals,” Blasi said. “Tonight we had two power play goals, and that was the difference in the game.”

As the game wore on, Miami’s four lines wore UAH down and the Chargers saw themselves outshot 28-10 in the final two frames. The Chargers 10 penalties over the course of the contest cost them precious energy and resources as well.

“We just kept trying to get some momentum going, but as soon as we got that and a little bit of life it was wiped out by the power plays,” UAH Head Coach Danton Cole said. “The whole third period was that way – we kind of shot ourselves in the foot.”

It took a six-on-four advantage for the Royal Blue and White to finally break through in the closing moments of regulation. Sophomore Chris Wideman’s holding penalty and an empty net gamble for UAH paid off when senior Brennan Barker put a hard shot into the back of the net with 38.3 seconds remaining on the clock, robbing Reichard of what would have been his sixth shutout in 2009-10.

“The puck was bouncing around in front of the goal all night,” Barker said. “Finally we got one when desperation set in.”

The Chargers played with desperate intensity but it was too little too late and the scoreboard read 2-1 at the final buzzer. With the victory, Miami improved to 25-0-0 when leading after two periods this season.

“Congrats to the Miami team,” Cole said. “When we weren’t good out there it was because of them. They have a really good chance to win a national championship. We don’t like losing, but (Miami) did a lot of good things out there, and I’m very impressed with them.”

All dreams of winning a national championship aside, the Red and White still had a monumental hurdle to get over in the Regional Final game v. UM.

“The last time we played Michigan I don’t think we showed them anything,” Blasi said. “It looked like we were chasing them around.”

Both teams knew there was no room for error going into the matchup, and the two teams stuck to each other like glue throughout the duration – forechecking, backchecking, matching lines and battling heatedly along the boards with the weight of their seasons resting on their shoulders. Goaltending played a crucial role as well, as Miami sophomore Connor Knapp and UM junior Shawn Hunwick – both No. 31 – stood heroically tall throughout the contest.

Few chances were granted at even strength, but Miami continued to shine on the power play and netted the game’s critical first lamplighter 35 seconds into UM’s first trip to the sin bin. With junior Louie Caporusso out for tripping, junior Pat Cannone managed to tip the puck in from a tough angle off the crossbar over Hunwick’s left shoulder. Entering the contest, the RedHawks were 22-0-3 when netting the first goal of the game.

The Red and White’s lead was short lived, however, as UM sophomore David Wohlberg knotted the action just 1:34 later. The left-winger saw his initial shot from between the circles stonewalled by Knapp, but hustled into the crease unmarked and buried the rebound at 13:42. The tie held up for the remainder of the period with Knapp and Hunwick recording 10 and five saves, respectively.

In the middle period, both teams burst forth with renewed energy.

Just 38 seconds into the frame, freshman Reilly Smith was whistled for holding. It took the Wolverines just one faceoff win and 11 seconds to capitalize on Miami’s man-disadvantage and put the biscuit in the basket. Working off of a feed from senior Steve Kampfer, junior Chad Langlais sent in a blast from the blue line that gave UM the lead at the 49-second mark.

Just 2:29 later, the RedHawks retaliated with a power play tally. Hunwick made an initial save but the puck remained loose. Cannone forced it under the junior net minder’s pads to even things up again.

Knapp came up with a huge save to keep the Red and White in the game at 4:09 in the third, twisting around to dive on the puck before it could cross the line. Hunwick was equally as sharp, smothering the puck in the crease after Miami sent a shot in off the post that was close to going in.

The RedHawks faced some adversity in the last moments of regulation when senior Brandon Smith was whistled for hooking, but the third stanza ended scorelessly, necessitating an extra session. Miami entered the fourth frame with a 1-2-7 history in overtime this season.

Controversy erupted early when a referee blew a high sticking penalty on freshman Joe Hartman just moments before the Wolverines netted the puck. The situation was reviewed and a ‘no goal’ order was issued.

“That’s a tough one to swallow,” Michigan Head Coach Red Berenson said. “You can’t win on those calls.”

UM redoubled their efforts, outshooting Miami 20-6 in the extra session, but it was Knapp time. The 2009 Buffalo Sabres draft pick tracked the Wolverines’ every move to keep the Brotherhood in the game for the entirety of the extra 20 minutes.

“Tonight was Connor’s night, and we knew he would go in there and do exactly what he did,” Blasi said.

When the scoreboard still showed 2-2 at the conclusion of the fourth stanza, Miami encountered uncharted territory. Sunday marked the first multiple overtime game the team has faced in the program’s history.

Just 1:54 into the second overtime period, Miami punched its ticket to its second consecutive Frozen Four appearance.

After working the puck loose from along the boards down in Miami’s zone, sophomore Alden Hirschfeld brought it up the right side of the ice. Sophomore Trent Vogelhuber freed it from the melee and dished it to Hirschfeld, who let it fly from the top of the left circle for the game winner, sending the crowd into frenzy.

“It was a heck of a battle tonight,” Blasi said. “Obviously it goes into overtime like that and one shot can win it for you. The guy to my left (Hirschfeld) had the good fortune of that happening to him, but its tough when both teams are giving it everything they have. We are very proud of our team and the way they responded to the little bit of adversity.”

Miami will now face Boston College in the semifinal round of the Frozen Four April 9. Puck drop is slated for 8:30 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit. Should the RedHawks advance, the national championship game will take place at 7 p.m. April 10.

“Cam [Atkinson] had gone through a dry spell with his line, but they have been working hard and practicing hard,” said BC head coach Jerry York.

The line’s hard work certainly paid off when the rest of the team needed it most. In a game that saw many ups and downs and twists and turns, including three different goalies in net for Yale, Whitney, Atkinson, and Gibbons served as a stabilizing force.

Whenever the trio was on the ice, BC pucks found the back of the net. The three combined for 17 shots on goal, and each registered a solid plus-minus rating, with Gibbons finishing the night plus-4, and Atkinson and Whitney at plus-5.

“I think we were just gripping the stick a little too tight the last four games,” Atkinson said. “I think we were just trying to do it all by ourselves. We sat down today before the game and talked about what we needed to do and what we needed to work on.”

The first of many scores by the threesome came only five minutes into the game.

Atkinson took control of the puck at BC’s blue line and saw Gibbons flying down the left side of the ice. Gibbons and Atkinson took advantage of Yale defenders out of their own zone to help out on Yale’s attack. Atkinson placed a crisp pass right on Gibbons’ stick, and then Gibbons skated it up the ice under limited pressure. He took the open shot, the puck crossed the crease and hit the right post, sailing in to give the Eagles the early 1-0 lead.

As the first period came to a close with the Eagles up 2-1, both Whitney and Atkinson knocked at the Bulldogs’ door once more, but both times their efforts were stymied. The late-period misses would soon turn into early second-period makes, though. Just over two minutes into the second period, Joe Whitney got on the board with a hard-fought goal to extend the Eagles’ lead to 3-1.

Pat Mullane gathered the puck behind Yale’s net and then found a wide-open Whitney as he charged to the front of the net. Whitney took the shot, but Yale’s goaltender Ryan Rondeau made an excellent save to keep the puck out.

That mattered little to Whitney. He took the rebound and just continued to bang away at the puck until it eventually found its way past Rondeau.

After BC was whistled for too many men on the ice, Yale took advantage and cut the Eagles’ lead to 3-2 with 15 minutes left to play in the period.

Atkinson responded in a resounding fashion a mere 11 seconds later.

He stole the puck in Yale’s zone off a poor clearing attempt, and in the blink of an eye, Atkinson was standing in front of Rondeau with his arms up, and the puck in the back of the net.

“He has to be considered one of the top players in the country,” York said.

Later in the same period, Atkinson proved why he is one of the nation’s top scorers and why York believes him to be one of the best in the country, when he tallied his second goal of the night. The series also typified the excellent night that he, Gibbons, and Whitney had.

The series began with a nice steal by Gibbons. He poke checked the puck free and directed it right to a wide open Atkinson who then blasted a shot, but Rondeau made a great save to keep the puck out of the net, at least for a few more seconds.

Whitney then gathered the puck up and passed it along the boards to Gibbons, who positioned himself behind the net. Gibbons stalled for a bit, and waited as Atkinson positioned himself right in front of Rondeau. Gibbons then hit Atkinson at the point, and Atkinson rifled the shot home to give BC the 5-2 lead midway through the second period.

“We just played our game today,” Atkinson said. “Everyone executed.”

Yale then decided to switch goalies, putting Billy Blase in between the pipes. A few minutes after getting on the ice, however, and Whitney showed that Blase’s luck would prove just as bad as Rondeau’s.

Whitney received a pass from assistant captain Ben Smith, and then proceeded to rocket a perfectly placed slapshot from the top of the left circle. The puck squeezed right in between the netminder’s stick and the post, extending the Eagles’ lead to 6-2, and giving Whitney his third point of the game.

Yale refused to go away, though, and scored two late second period goals to close the gap to 6-4 heading into the locker room.

Atkinson again responded at the start of the third period. After a blocked shot sent the puck drifting up the ice toward Yale’s zone, Atkinson showed his pure speed, blazing past defensemen to get to the puck in order to create a one-on-one situation with Blase.
Atkinson simply wristed a shot over the glove side to earn the hat trick, as well as his 27th goal of the year, placing him in a tie for second in the nation in goals scored. Hats proceeded to fall on the ice, and just like that, the Eagles were back up by three.

“It was great to see all the hats on the ice,” York said. “Unbelievable experience.”

With the Eagles needing more than seven goals to top Yale, it’s only fitting that it come from the line that has received the most attention all season.

The final count, which read 9-7 in the Eagles’ favor, looked more like a football score than anything else. The teams set several NCAA records and combined for 16 goals, 78 shots, and countless Grade A scoring chances. Three Yale goaltenders saw time, none escaping the game with a save percentage higher than .800. Only BC’s John Muse, who managed to weather 32 Bulldog shots, withstood the offensive furor well enough to emerge victorious.

“The games at the national level come in all different styles,” said BC head coach Jerry York, as he opened the postgame press conference. “The goal is to win and advance. Would I like a 1-0 game over a 9-7 game? To me, it doesn’t matter. I just want to win games.”

“It was just one of those nights where whoever scores the most goals wins, and we did it,” said BC assistant captain Ben Smith. “We had a lot of good and a lot of bad tonight. The good thing is we came out on the right side of it.”

The outburst came on the heels of a gritty 3-1 win over Alaska in the first round. But one day after defense and goaltending carried York’s balanced team, it was the offense’s turn to shine.

Not that anyone in the DCU Center anticipated otherwise. Yale entered Sunday’s game first in the nation with 4.09 goals per game, and BC came in ranked third with 3.87. Certainly, goal scoring was expected. Just not at the rate by which it accumulated.

The onslaught began when center Brian Gibbons broke free from the BC zone off a pretty pass from linemate Cam Atkinson and skated down the left wing. Gibbons took advantage of the open ice and fired a low snap shot past Yale goaltender Ryan Rondreau, who was making just his second start since Nov. 21.

The tally was Gibbons’ first since Feb. 21 when BC defeated Merrimack, 7-1, and it sparked an explosion from the Eagles’ top scoring line of Gibbons, Atkinson, and Joe Whitney. The linemates combined for six goals, after having registered just one in the prior four postseason games.

But the Gibbons line was far from the only productive unit against the Bulldogs. The team’s balance was on full display, and the trio of Smith, Jimmy Hayes, and Chris Kreider scored twice, both courtesy of the 6-5 Hayes. The team’s postseason scoring leader tallied two goals in a 23-second span to give the Eagles an insurmountable 9-4 lead in the third period.

“Winning hockey games is [all about] putting teams away,” York said.

And armed with a five-goal advantage in the third period, the Eagles had all but put the Bulldogs away.

It did not come easy, though. Yale mounted an aggressive counterattack, notching three goals in a five-minute stretch to pull within two at 18:38. Forward Mark Arcobello matched Atkinson with a hat trick of his own at 13:32, before the Bulldogs scored an even-strength goal minutes later to pull within three goals.

From that point forward, Yale mostly played with an extra attacker on the ice, as Bulldogs’ head coach Keith Allain elected to pull goaltender Jeff Malcolm.

York countered by calling a timeout, and afterward, BC’s defense recovered. The forecheck improved, as the first line of Matt Price, Matt Lombardi, and Barry Almeida kept double-shifting. And even though the Bulldogs controlled the puck throughout the final minutes, Muse made several key saves to preserve the victory.

“John probably wishes he had a few of those goals back,” York said. “[But] they had some phenomenal goals and John made some critical saves. He competes well. Fact is, he’s a winner and he’s going to the Frozen Four.”

So, too, is the rest of BC’s team. And to reach Detroit, York’s players have shown a remarkable ability to win by playing several styles of games. In the postseason, the team has now played a pair of games for three consecutive weekends. In each stage, one game has been offensive, the other defensive.

“Being able to play both types of games, that’s going to help us moving forward,” York said. “Being able to gut it out, like we did yesterday against Alaska, and then being able to use our offense and our firepower to win a 9-7 game.”

It is a trait that few teams possess. But it is a quality that York’s most successful Frozen Four teams have employed.

“There’s been a lot of stress and tough, difficult games to get to this point,” York said. “We’ll look at the other Frozen Four runs. It’s always interesting, and we’re very excited to continue. We have two more games for a national title, and we’d certainly like to achieve our goals this year.”

After beating No. 2 Miami 5-2 in the CCHA semifinals Friday and following it up with a 2-1 over No. 12 Northern Michigan in the championship game at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday, Michigan had scaled the mountain and extended their 19-year NCAA tournament streak to 20.

No. 17 Michigan started the journey as the seventh-seed in the CCHA Tournament and many had dismissed the team’s chances. A seven seed had never won the CCHA Tournament before.

Starting goalie Bryan Hogan went out with a groin injury two games before the playoffs. Junior Shawn Hunwick, who had played in just two games his whole career up to that point, was forced to step in.

If that wasn’t enough, senior captain Chris Summers went out with knee injury in Michigan’s first-round series.

But after two impressive wins, this weekend the Wolverines stood at the top of the mountain, wondering how they got there.

“I don’t know,” junior Louie Caporusso said. “Maybe it was just the commitment and playing defensive, sound hockey. We had to play as a team. I can’t tell you what it was; maybe it was the adversity throughout the whole year. Finally, we just said it is up to us.”

On Saturday, the Wolverines (25-17-1) took a 1-0 lead into the final period. They had 20 minutes to extend to their streak to 20 years. As those minutes dwindled down to mere seconds, Michigan still clung to a one-goal lead, this time by the score of 2-1.

Caporusso, the face of Michigan’s second-half resurgence, had the game-winner on the power play. He wheeled out of the corner, received a pass from senior defenseman Steve Kampfer and directed it on goal to score his second of the game.

The Wildcats spent the third trying to get back into the game after Caporusso’s second goal. But their final chance was sent wide to the right of Hunwick, and with 3.5 seconds left in the game, Northern took a penalty to stop the clock. Michigan didn’t wait for the final seconds to tick down to mob Hunwick. As soon as the puck was dropped, the bench emptied and gloves and sticks lay scattered all over the ice as Hunwick disappeared in the huddle of blue jerseys.

It was a fitting end for the goalie who was anonymous to the masses for most of his career thus far.

Hunwick’s biggest contribution came against the CCHA’s leading scorer, Northern’s Mark Olver, in the second period. Olver walked into the slot and let go of a wrist shot, only to have Hunwick reach out with his glove to get a piece on it. Hunwick’s 17-save effort was rewarded after the game, as he was named the tournament’s MVP.

“It was obviously nice, but I think it takes away from the team,” Hunwick said. “The guys played tremendous, I don’t even know if I deserve to be the MVP. Six weeks ago if you would have said I would sit here, I would’ve said you’re crazy.”

Despite facing relatively few shots — just 39 all weekend — Hunwick stepped up to make the saves when he needed to. On Friday, Hunwick made three second-period stops, including one where he reached back with his stick to deflect it into the netting.

Hunwick’s effort got the Wolverines into the locker room up by a goal. Michigan went on to score three goals in the first eight minutes of the third period.

“You’ve got a one-goal lead going into the third period and we talked about if we have to play the whole game with a one goal-lead that’s fine,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said after Friday’s game. “We’re going out to win the period. As it turned out we got the first goal and then we got some momentum and got another one.”

After the championship game, the team, the same one which started the season 10-10, saw its name on the bottom of the “CCHA Champions” banner before it was sent up into the rafters. The Wolverines had 14 wins in 22 games and won six consecutively. For the first time all year it was clear they were the best in the conference.

Amidst the commotion, Berenson remained calm as he stayed behind to do an on-ice interview. He only had one message as the team headed into the NCAA tournament.

“We’re still climbing.”