goals, the field for the 2009 Frozen Four has

been set, with Boston University, the University

of Vermont, Miami University (Ohio), and

Bemidji State University advancing.

<p>Boston University came out of the weekend as

the champions of the Northeast Regional, handily

defeating Ohio State University in the first round,

and then scoring with 15 seconds remaining in

regulation to break a tie and beat the University

of New Hampshire in the regional final. BU is the

overall top seed in the tournament, and the only

No. 1 seed still in contention for the title after the

opening weekend. New Hampshire was only able

to reach the final after a game-tying goal with 0.1

seconds remaining against the University of North

Dakota, and then carried over the energy to win

only 45 seconds into the first overtime frame.

<p>In the East Regional, the heavily-favored University

of Michigan Wolverines took an early exit, being

shut out by the Falcons of the United States Air

Force Academy, who earned their first ever NCAA

Tournament victory. They met the Catamounts of

the University of Vermont in the regional final,

who throttled the ECAC Champion Yale University

Bulldogs in the opening round on Friday.

<p>The final was evenly matched, with the teams

going goal-for-goal through three periods to

force overtime. Vermont finally broke through,

literally, as Dan Lawson ripped a shot from the

point through the net with six minutes remaining

in the second overtime. After an extensive video

review, the shot was correctly ruled a goal, sending

Vermont on in the tournament.

<p>Miami, another underdog team, was able to

drop No. 1 seeded Denver University in the first

game of the West Regional. However, this could

not match the excitement of the second semifinal.

The University of Minnesota-Duluth was trailing

Princeton University by a score of 4-2 heading

into the final minute of regulation. UMD scored a

pair of goals in the final 40 seconds—the second

coming with only 0.8 seconds left on the clock—

to send the teams into overtime. Thirteen minutes

of game time later, UMD ended Princeton’s

season on a power-play goal pushed into the net

by Mike Connolly.

<p>The final between Miami and UMD featured

stifling play by Miami freshman goaltender Cody

Reichard and two goals by Miami junior and eventual

West Regional Most Valuable Player Justin

Mercier, enough for Miami to advance to its first

ever Frozen Four by a 2-1 score.

<p>The Midwest Regional saw one more top seed

eliminated, as the Bemidji State Beavers, the lowestranked

team in the tournament, shocked the Notre

Dame University Fighting Irish by a margin of 5-1.

Cornell University advanced to face the Beavers after

being down 2-0 against Northeastern University in

the opener and netting three unanswered goals, the

last of which came with 18 seconds remaining.

<p>Despite again being up against a team considered

to be far stronger and more skilled in the Cornell Big

Red, Bemidji State hung with Cornell through the

first two periods in the final. In the third, however, it

was Bemidji who shut down Cornell, scoring three

goals to sew up the regional championship and write

another page in their Cinderella story.

<p>After the upcoming weekend off, the NCAA

Frozen Four will be held in Washington, D.C.,

with the national semifinals on Thursday, April 9.

Bemidji State will face Miami at 5 pm, with BU

and Vermont to follow at 8:30 pm. The winners

advance to the national championship game on