After a weekend full of upsets and late-game
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
Saturday, April 11, at 7 pm.
