10 for Hobey 2007

Here are the top 10 players up for the Hobey Baker (all depends on if they stay or not).

#1 Brian Elliott G Wisconsin- Without question he was the best goaltender in the country this year. He lead the nation in every stat with a 1.55 gaa and a .938 save pct and his record was 27-5-3. A Hobey finalist this year might lead him to having a better senior season for the Badgers as they will look to make it two in a row.

#2 Brian Boyle F Boston College- With 52 points last year (22 g, 30 a) Boyle will be the returning leading scorer for the Eagles. He declined a three year offer to stay at Boston College (for now anyway). It is most likely that he will stay because of the Kings new officers which includes GM Dean Lombardi who did not draft him.

#3 Scott Parse F Nebraksa-Omaha- The third leading scorer in the country this past year. It might be unlikely that he stays because of Brian Boyle's decision to stay. If Parse stays expect him and Nebraska-Omaha to have a better year.

#4 Joe Pavelski F Wisconsin- The fourth leading scorer in the country and the leading scorer for the Badgers should get more recognition for next year, especially with the departure of the Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player Robbie Earl. Look for him to improve on his numbers.

#5 Cory Schneider G Boston College- Should improve on his stats which included eight shutouts this year a school record. He is an elite goaltender and should have help with an improved defense which only loses one senior.

#6 Phil Kessel F Minnesota- Had a great Freshman season and should be drafted in the top two this year. Without Poltuny and Irmen, Kessel will be the main threat on this team. Expect more from him next year.

#7 Drew Stafford F North Dakota- Had 48 points this year which led the team. Stafford might not of played his best hockey when he needed to the most in the loss to BC in which he was held without a goal or an assist, but expect that to motivate him for his Senior season.

#8 T.J. Oshie F North Dakota- The leading goal scorer as a Freshman, Oshie will have a bigger role next year. 24 goals is a lot for a Freshman, expect more with him and Drew Stafford on the same line, that could be a great 1-2 threat.

#9 Jack Johnson D Michigan- Another player who turned down an offer to stay at least one more year, Johnson will only improve. He had a great Freshman year scoring 10 goals and adding 22 assists for 32 points total. The Wolverines were young last year so look out for them come NCAA tournament time.

#10 Bobby Gopfert G St. Cloud State- A transfer from Providence, Gopfert led St. Cloud State to the WCHA tournament finals. Expect more from him this year as the Huskies will be up there in the WCHA as teams like Colorado College might be on the down side this year. Can the Huskies take advantage?

Appert in at RPI

The Rensselaer Engineers have named Seth Appert (a former goalie of Ferris State from 1992-96) the 12th head coach in Rensselaer Hockey history. Appert was an assistant coach at Denver for nine seasons, and was there for both of the Pioneers National Championship teams in 2004 and 2005.

Appert will take over for Dan Fridgen, who resigned from the position on March 21, 2006. Over Fridgens 12 years at RPI he lead his teams to a 211-193-38 record and is the winningest coach in Rensselaer history.

By Friday Appert will meet with the RPI community and accept his position. His deal is reportedly for four years.

Other canidates for the job included former Los Angeles Kings head coach Andy Murray, who turned down an offer to become head coach, and Boston College assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh.

Berenson signs contract extension

Red Berenson, the University of Michigan head coach since 1984, has just recently signed a three year contract extension that will last through the 2008-2009 season.

Berenson has led his team to 16 consecutive NCAA apperances, which includes nine apperances to the Frozen Four and two National Championships. His record is 585-278-63. Conference honors include eight CCHA regular season titles and seven CCHA tournament titles.

Berenson, 66 was a graduate of Michigan in 1962, and played 17 seasons professionally which included stops in St. Louis, Montreal, New York Rangers, and Detroit.

Red's coaching career began in 1978 with St. Louis and later became head coach from 1980-1982. In 1981 he won the Jack Adams award given to the NHL's top coach.

The future looks bright for Michigan Hockey. Is another National Championship on their way back to Ann Arbor?

Paul Pearl gets contract extension at Holy Cross

Holy Cross head coach Paul Pearl has just recently signed a contract three year extension to stay with the Crusaders through the 2008-2009 season.

Pearl concluded his 11th season as head coach with a 27-10-2 record which included the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history as Holy Cross defeated Minnesota last month. It was the Crusaders first ever win in the NCAA tournament and finished 14th in the nation, their highest ever ranking.

Pearl's record behind the bench with Holy Cross is 181-148-31 with two NCAA apperances, and three Atlantic Hockey Championships in 1999 (which was the now defunct MAAC conference), 2004, and 2006.

Also signing a contract extension was Michigan's Red Berenson also signed a contract extension this weekend. Details will be updated on hockeynuts when the terms of his contract is announced.

Yale Finds its new Head Coach

Keith Allain, a Yale graduate of 1980 and current goaltending coach for the St. Louis Blues, will return to his alma-mater and become the new head coach at Yale. A former goaltender, Allian played under former head coach Tim Taylor, who was removed a couple weeks ago after 28 years.

Allian's coaching resume:

Washington Capitals Assistant Coach (1993-97)
Nashville Predators scout (1997-98)
St. Louis Blues Goaltending coach (1998-06)
USA Olympic team Assistant Coach (1992)
USA World Junior Team Head Coach (2001, 2002)

Allian also had coaching experience in the two U.S. teams in the World Cup of Hockey.

Allian Reportedly beat out three canidates, Dave Peters Dartmouth Assistant Coach, Holy Cross Head Coach Paul Pearl, and Harvard Assistant Coach Sean McCann.

A press conference has been scheduled for 1 p.m. today at Ingalls Rink home of Yale Hockey.

Flight Risks report

Leaving this week:

Robbie Earl JR. F (Wisconsin)- Earl the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tournament has decided to forgo his senior season in Wisconsin and will report to Toronto (AHL). He was second on the team in scoring.

Matt Samby JR. D (North Dakota)- At 6"5, Samby brings a lot of size to Tampa Bay. He could be playing in the playoffs for the Lightning, but if he doesnt he will most likely be with the club next year because Tampa Bay needs a little help at D.

Travis Zajac SO. F (North Dakota)- Zajac had two solid seasons at North Dakota and now he has signed with the New Jersey Devils. He is one to look out for in future years.

Staying put:

Brian Boyle JR. F (Boston College)- Boyle turned down a three year offer from the Los Angeles Kings to stay at Boston College for his Senior season. If Cory Schneider also stays at BC which is most likely than this team will be dangerous again.

Seniors who signed:

Dan Spang D (Boston University)- San Jose
Greg Moore F (Maine)- NY Rangers
Peter Harrold D (Boston College)- Los Angeles

On the Radar:

Cory Schneider SO. G (Boston College)- From what I am hearing he has told head coach Jerry York that he will be back for a Junior season. Vancouver owns his rights.

Scott Parse JR. F (Nebraska-Omaha)- The third leading scorer in the country, Parse is most likely to leave now that Brian Boyle has decided to stay at BC. The Kings need something to spark the team and Parse could be the one.

Joe Pavelski SO. F (Wisconsin)- The leading scorer on the Badgers will most likely stay for a Junior campagin in Madison. San Jose owns his rights.

Brian Elliott JR. G (Wisconsin)- Again another player who will most likely stay for the Badgers. He will only improve in the college level. Ottawa owns his rights.

I will be updating you every week in the off-season and whatever breaking news comes in I will make sure to update everyone on what is happening in the world of college hockey.

Bracketology 2006-2007

Here are my early projected brackets for the 2006-2007 season.

First lets rank them:

#1 Wisconsin
#2 Boston College
#3 North Dakota
#4 Miami (Ohio)
#5 Maine
#6 Boston University
#7 Michigan State
#8 Michigan
#9 Minnesota
#10 New Hampshire
#11 Harvard
#12 Nebraska-Omaha
#13 Denver
#14 Northern Michigan
#15 Sacred Heart
#16 Niagara

Before we place them lets take a look at the regional locations and the hosts.

East- Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY , ECAC Hockey League host March 23-24, 2007
Midwest- Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI, Western Michigan host March 23-24, 2007
Northeast- Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH, New Hampshire host March 24-25, 2007
West- Pepsi Center, Denver, CO, University of Denver Host, March 24-25, 2007

Now lets place them

Midwest:

#1 Wisconsin vs #4 Niagara
#2 Michigan vs #3 Minnesota

Northeast:

#1 Boston College vs #4 Sacred Heart
#2 Michigan State vs #3 New Hampshire

East:

#1 North Dakota vs #4 Northern Michigan
#2 Boston University vs #3 Harvard

West:

#1 Miami (Ohio) vs #4 Denver
#2 Maine vs #3 Nebraska-Omaha

The Bracket will go as follows:

Midwest vs West
Northeast vs East

As the months go by I will continue with Bracketology.

Coming soon: Player Flight Risks

Top 15 for 2006-2007 season

Here is the top 15 for the 2006-2007 and why they are placed there.

#1 Wisconsin- The National Champions are losing five seniors. They might lose a flight risk or two but goaltender Brian Elliott if he returns will have a stronger team in front of him. Their only loss on defense will be Tom Gilbert and that is big but five defensmen will return from last years team. Forwards Joe Pavelski and Robbie Earl are the other flight risks. I think one of them might go pro but both of them wont in my opinion. Freshman Jack Skille will be an offensive threat next year, and with Elliott in net the Badgers will stay #1.

#2 Boston College- This was such a young team this year, in fact the youngest in the country. They will only get better. Even if Brian Boyle leaves for the pros, this is still a team with one more year of experience and will improve under Jerry York. It was amazing to see the Eagles in the title game this year, next year they will be back and will be better. If Brian Boyle stays, this can be a very dangerous offense. Teammates will step up I will tell you that right now and they will improve. In fact they will be looking forward to their re-match with Wisconsin on October 26 and 28. And on another note the Eagles will be playing at Fenway Park. Stay tuned for that piece of news as I will update it as soon as the news release comes out.

#3 North Dakota- Some players like Jonathan Toews will be a top draft pick in this years draft. He is a flight risk, however the Sioux have so many other threats like T.J. Oshie. Like BC, this was a young team and they will get better. Goaltender Jordan Parise should return, he is a great goaltender and most likely will get another year of experience. If Drew Stafford and Travis Zajac the two leading scorers on the team return than they will be very good offensively. All the defensmen will return, that means the Sioux will be a force to be reckoned with in 2006-2007.

#4 Miami- True Andy Greene will be gone, but the Redhawks will still be strong. The top two leading scorers Nathan Davis and Ryan Jones should be returning for a Junior season. The two goaltender system worked all year and that will continue with Charlie Effinger and Jeff Zatkoff splitting time in goal.

#5 Boston University- BU has one thing in mind for next year, and that is to make the Frozen Four. They were one game away from making it this year, only to lose 5-0 to BC in the Northeast regional final. John Curry should be stronger than ever next year. Kenny Roche was the surprise of the team scoring 17 goals and Peter McArthur the leading scorer on BU will be a good one-two threat. The third linemate could be Hockey East rookie of the year Brandon Yip as his numbers should go up. BU will be up there, but does Jack Parker have enough to make their first Frozen Four for the first time since 1997?

#6 Maine- They do lose Greg Moore, Michel Leveille, and Derek Damon, but they have 6"7 goaltender Ben Bishop returning. Josh Soares should also return and Sophomores Billy Ryan and Brett Tyler should have a stronger campagin. Maine, BU, and BC will be right up there in Hockey East and could be a great three team race for the top next year.

#7 Michigan State- Jeff Lerg returns and probably Drew Miller the Junior Captain this year. They might be ranked higher come pre-season but it all depends the fate of the flight risks.

#8 Michigan- Another young team that is going to be better next year. Defensmen Jack Johnson has already turned down an offer from Carolina, doesn't mean he wont turn down another offer but if he stays the Wolverines should be alright. Goaltender Billy Sauer should see his stats improve as he is going to be the number one goaltender for next season. T.J. Hensick is another flight risk and probably will sign a contract to go pro.

#9 Minnesota- They have already lost Ryan Poltuny and Danny Irmen, who will go next, Phil Kessel? If they lose Kessel than the Gophers are in trouble. They do have a good recruting class coming in, but they will have to step up immedeatly.

#10 New Hampshire- They have already lost Daniel Winnik and they will possibly lose Brett Hemmingway. But the offense will still be there as UNH should have a balanced offensive attack. Kevin Regan will improve as he is the clear cut #1 goaltender and wont have to split time anymore.

#11 Harvard- Head coach Ted Donato will find a #1 goalie so that won't be an issue. Kevin Du and Jon Pelle will return and will lead a balanced offensive attack. The defense will be solid as whoever the goaltender will be will have a good D to back them up.

#12 Nebraska-Omaha- I am putting them there right now. But if they lose Scott Parse than they will lose two key offensive players. Bill Thomas already left to go pro. Will Parse follow his footsteps?

#13 Northern Michigan- They do lose eight seniors, but goaltender Bill Zaniboni has a year behind him. Darin Oliver should return and will be the go-to guy. This team should be interesting.

#14 Denver- If Matt Carle had come back for a Senior season they would have been ranked higher. But Denver should be okay as Paul Stanstny and Ryan Dingle I think will return. They are flight risks but I can see scouts saying already they could use another year at college.

#15 Dartmouth- Mike Devine has taken over as the #1 goalie in the ECACHL with the departure of Cornell's David McKee. David Jones will be back as well as Tanner Glass and Nick Johnson. Look for them to be on the same line.

Also look out for: Providence, Lake Superior State, Cornell, and Colgate.

Oh Wisconsin! Badgers get first National Championship since 1990

Congratulations to the Wisconsin Badgers for winning the National Championship for the first time since 1990.

Even though the score doesnt show, the Badgers won on mostly every stat in the book including shots on goal and faceoffs. But the most important stat was the 2-1 victory.

Boston College had 19 shots in two periods than only four in the third. The Eagles were 0-4 on the power play and had 0 shots on goal on the Powerplays. Wisconsin was 1-8, they scored the game winning goal on the powerplay when Tom Gilbert got one past BC goaltender Cory Schneider.

Wisconsin might of got lucky at the end with about three seconds left BC hit the post on a shot from the corner in which Wisconsin goaltender Brian Elliott did not even see. But its sometimes to be lucky better than good and that is what happened.

From a 13-23-4 season three seasons ago, the four seniors on this team saw improvement each year leading up to this dream season. Captain Adam Burish, Assistant Captain Tom Gilbert, A.J. Degenhart, and Nick Licari did a good job stepping up as senior leaders.

So what does the future look like for Wisconsin. Well it depends on the fate of Robbie Earl, Brian Elliott, and Joe Pavelski. Now I don't know how many will stay but they are all flight risks. If all three stay for another season then look for the Badgers to be up there in the rankings.

For BC, their future is looking bright as well. Even if Brian Boyle leaves, the Eagles still have a good group of young players led by Mike Brennan, Brett Motherwell, and Cory Schneider. But the Eagles need scoring, especially from Dan Bertram who has not led up to expectations. Expect Schneider to have a better year in net next year.

Thats all for the 2005-2006 season, but its not all for Hockeynuts. In the upcoming weeks I will get as much news as I can from flight risks to tommorrow's top 15 for 2006-2007, and a bracketology coming in the next few days. Also in June there will be the NHL draft. And there will be updates on coaching changes, players leaving, and any other news from the world of college hockey. Stay Tuned.

National Championship Preview

Expect the unexpected. That is what Boston College has done through the NCAA tournament. The Eagles indeed have the toughest road to the National Championship game defeating Miami (Ohio) in the first round, rival Boston University in the Northeast regional final, and yesterday defeated North Dakota in the National Semi-Finals to make the National Championship game.

This by far however is the Eagles' toughest challenge. They will be playing in front of a sell-out crowd and many of them will be Wisconsin fans as the game is being played in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin got here through defense and goaltending. The Badgers have only allowed two goals in the tournament and have the nations best defense in the country. With Brian Elliott in goal, the Badgers head into this game with a goaltender on a hot streak. That is why he is in the Hobey Hat-Trick.

Another player in the Hobey Hat-Trick is BC forward Chris Collins, who with three goals against North Dakota is now the leading scorer in the country with 64 points (34 g, 30 a). He is a must watch for tommorrow's game.

Goaltender Cory Schneider did not have the best of games yesterday especially late in the game. However he is still one of the top goaltenders in the country and will look to rebound after giving up five goals yesterday.

The two players to watch for Wisconsin are Robbie Earl and Joe Pavelski the top two scorers on the team. Tom Gilbert had a strong defensive game against Maine and Ross Carlson had a goal and an assist, one of them was to Earl who scored a pair of goals.

Look for this game to be speedy. But in the end I think Brian Elliott and the Badgers prevail and celebrate the National Championship in their home state.

Final score: Wisconsin 3, Boston College 2.

Well tommorrow night we will crown a National Champion. Will the WCHA have a 5th straight national champion, or will it be Hockey East's turn to crown a new champion. It will be exciting tommorrow, the game is at 7 ET on ESPN.

Milwaukee becomes Badgertown as home-state Wisconsin heads to the title game

The Wisconsin Badgers outplayed the Maine Black Bears tonight and are headed to the National Championship game against Boston College Eagles.

The 5-2 victory over Maine gave the Badgers momentum heading to the final game. Goaltender Brian Elliott played well again. Although his shutout streak came to an end, the Junior goaltender is now 26-5-3 on the year and did not come out rusty at all after a week off.

Maine goaltender Ben Bishop gave up five goals and was a little rusty. The 6"7 goaltender made some Freshman mistakes including turnovers in his own zone.

Maine's offense did not help at all tonight as the team that scored 11 goals in the East regional did not show up.

However Maine's future looks bright. Despite losing Seniors like Greg Moore and Michel Leveille the Black Bears should have a pretty good offense as Josh Soares should return for a Senior season, and the defense will be better with people like Brett Tyler and Mike Lundin, while Ben Bishop should improve his game.

For Wisconsin the question is can their defense continue to be dominant? Boston College scored six goals of a strong D in North Dakota and have scored 16 goals in three games in the NCAA tournament. It will be a battle of strength vs strength (while for BC in the tournament anyway).

Tommorrow there will be more in the National Championship preview.

Eagles Soar to new heights as Collins' hat trick puts them in the final

Senior forward Chris Collins had a hat trick as the Boston College Eagles defeated the North Dakota Fighting Sioux 6-5.

It was sweet revenge for the Eagles as their victory over the Sioux was a payback message over last years regional finals in which the Sioux dominated play.

Anthony Aiello, Nathan Gerbe, and Brett Motherwell all Freshman stepped up by scoring 1 goal each. For Aiello it was his first of his career. It couldn't of come in a better time when he made it a two goal game after North Dakota scored two goals in the second.

Boston College defensmen Peter Harrold was on and off the ice as he aggravated his ankle during first period.

North Dakota would make it interesting by scoring two goals in the last few minutes as Travis Zajac and Brian Lee made it a 6-5 game. But it was too little too late as the Eagles hung on and move on to the National Championship game where they will face the winner of tonights game between Maine and Wisconsin.

The future is looking bright for North Dakota however. There are many young players on this team and expect them to make another Frozen Four apperance with this great group of Freshman and Sophomores. Question is how many players will go pro? Jonathan Towes is expected to be one of the top picks in this years draft and could leave early, but look for T.J. Oshie the leading Freshman goal scorer in the country to stay one more year.

For BC, well they are on to the National Championship game. Not many people thought (like myself) would be in the title game with the youngest team in the country. But they have proved people wrong. However they will need a better performance from Cory Schneider if they want to win the National Championship. The future looks bright for the Eagles.

Frozen Four Semi-Final Picks

Tommorrow begins the Frozen Four. I gave you the team capsules now lets predict the games.

Boston College vs North Dakota (3 P.M. ET ESPN 2):

The Eagles and The Sioux meet again in the NCAA tournament. This time in the semi-finals of the Frozen Four. There is a history of these two meeting each other particulary in the National Championship game (met in 2000 and 2001 championship game in which North Dakota won in 2000 and BC won in 2001). They last met in the NCAA tournament last year in the East regional finals which North Dakota dominated play in the 6-3 victory.

These are two different teams this year. Both teams are young and fast. So it should be a more interesting game unlike last years regional finals.

Goaltender Cory Schneider for BC is coming off two consecutive shutouts over Miami (Ohio) and Boston University. He has only two losses in his last eight games going 5-2-1 with a 1.65 gaa and an amazing .947 save pct over that span and also named Hockey East goaltender of the month for March.

North Dakota goaltender Jordan Parise for North Dakota has the experience and is also playing very well as of late. He was named to the all West regional team stopping 51 of 54 shots on goal over the weekend. Parise has only lost two games in his career during the NCAA tournament both to Denver.

Expect this game to be a very physical and very speedy game. Both teams have speed and like to hit. Chris Collins could be the difference maker for BC while T.J. Oshie could be the difference maker for North Dakota. Both of them can score at will.

But at the end i think the Sioux will previal and move on to the National Championship.

Final Score North Dakota 3, Boston College 2.

Maine vs Wisconsin (8 P.M.)

Maine is coming in scoring 11 goals in the East Regional. Michel Leveille and Matt Duffy played very well and helped in each aspect of their games.

Wisconsin is coming in with three cosecutive shutouts from Goaltender Brian Elliott, including the triple overtime victory over Cornell. Elliott a hobey finalist has had an amazing season. As mentioned in the team capsule he is one of the most key players on the team, and I think he could be the key player in all of the Frozen Four.

Ben Bishop goaltender for Maine has other plans. The 6"7 Freshman goaltender also has good stats (see Maine team capsule). The Badgers have not seen a goalie of this size before which could be to their disadvantage.

But the Badgers still have the advantage with. With the game being played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin should have a good following.

That is why I am taking Wisconsin for this game.

Wisconsin 4, Maine 2.

Well we will see how each game plays out. Game reports will be coming after each game tommorrow. Until then enjoy the Frozen Four.

Wisconsin Team Capsule

Location: Madison, WI
Record: 28-10-3 (17-8-3 in WCHA tied for second)
Qualified: At-Large (#1 seed in entire tournament)
Frozen Four Apperances: 10 (Last in 1992)
National Championships: 5 (1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1990)
Head Coach: Mike Eaves

Key Players:

Joe Pavelski SO. F (23 g, 30 a, 53 p)
Robbie Earl JR. F (21 g, 25 a, 46 p)
Tom Gilbert SR. D (11 g, 19 a, 30 p)
Brian Elliott JR. G (25-5-3 1.55 gaa, .938 save pct)

The Badgers come in as the number one team in the tournament and they have the advantage of staying in the state of Wisconsin for possibly all four games (played two in the Midwest regional in Green Bay). That means the Badgers have a home ice advantage once again. But the Badgers have earned it.

When Brian Elliott was hurt in January, the team went down a little bit as well. But now that he is back the Badgers are back and maybe the stronger than they were earlier in the year when they were ranked #1 for eight straight weeks.

Now Elliott is playing better than ever. He has shutouts in three consecutive games making 81 saves during that stretch which included victories over Cornell and Minnesota.

But Elliott is not the backbone of this team by any means. The offense is pretty solid with Robbie Earl and Joe Pavelski. Defensmen Tom Gilbert is a great two way player and can be very dangerous with the puck.

The game against Maine should be a good one as no one knows what to expect from both teams. It could be a defensive struggle but there could be a lot of scoring knowing both of these teams. Wisconsin however has the advantage with many of the Badger fans don't have to travel far to Milwaukee to support the Badgers.

I expect this game to be very physical and it might come down to the goaltenders. It could be a game of who can top this. If that is that way I expect the Badgers to win since Maine is more of an offensive team. This should be a good one.

Coming later this afternoon I will make predictions. Tommorrow after the games there will be game reports of each semi-final game. Enjoy Tommorrow should be exciting.

Maine Team Capsule

Location: Orono, ME
Record: 28-11-2 (17-8-2 second in Hockey East)
Qualified: At-Large
National Championships: 2 (1993, 1999)
Frozen Four Apperances: 10 (last in 2004)
Head Coach: Tim Whitehead

Key Players:

Greg Moore SR. F (28 g, 16 a, 44 p)
Josh Soares JR. F (15 g, 25 a, 40 p)
Michel Leveille SR. F (15 g, 24 a, 39 p)
Ben Bishop FR. G (21-7-2 2.22 gaa, .908 save pct)

Maine came into the East regional with one goal in mind, that is of course to get to the Frozen Four. To do that they first had to get by Harvard, who scored 16 goals in the ECACHL semi-finals and finals including a 10 goal outburst against ECACHL regular season champion Dartmouth. Maine however responded well and only allowed one goal in a 6-1 victory. The next day the Maine offense was still there in a 5-4 victory over the top seed in the region the Michigan State Spartans.

The key for Maine in their game with Wisconsin is to keep playing their game. The Black Bears do not want a defensive game with Wisconsin which would be to the Badgers' advantage. If that is the case Ben Bishop will have to outplay Brian Elliott in all aspects in order to win.

If the Black Bears can get a good amount of shots on goal they will be in good shape. They had 78 shots on goal in the NCAA tournament 44 against Harvard, and 34 against Michigan State. Even though Brian Elliott stopped 40 plus shots against Cornell in the regional final, Elliott has not faced an offense quite like what Maine has.

It will be one of the best offenses in the country versus one of the best defensive teams in the country. How will the Black Bears respond to one of the best goaltenders in the country? Can the Black Bears get their offense going?

Tommorrow Wisconsin will be featured in the last team capsule.

North Dakota Team Capsule

Location: Grand Forks, ND
Record: 29-15-1 (16-12-0 in WCHA tied for fourth)
Qualified: Automatic (Won WCHA tournament over St. Cloud State)
Frozen Four Apperances: 16 (last in 2005)
National Championships: Seven (1959, 1963, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, 2000)
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol

Key Players:

Drew Stafford JR. F (24 g, 23 a, 47 p)
T.J. Oshie FR. F (24 g, 21 a, 45 p)
Travis Zajac SO. F (17 g, 27 a, 44 p)
Jordan Parise JR. G (24-8-1, 2.08 gaa, .933 save pct)

North Dakota might of had the easiest road to the Frozen Four thanks to Holy Cross upseting Minnesota in the first round. In the Sioux's first round game they had no problem against Michigan as they defeated the Wolverines 5-1. The next night they defeated Holy Cross 5-2. Jonathan Towes the regions MVP had a great weekend with two goals and two assists. Let's not forget that North Dakota did have the home ice advantage in their regional.

Five players for North Dakota scored 16 or more goals this year, which includes three freshman so the offense is there. The defense which was average during the regular season has stepped up their game during the WCHA tournament and the NCAA tournament. Jordan Parise is arguably right now one of the best goaltenders in college hockey.

Last years meeting against Boston College saw North Dakota dominate the whole game. The Sioux were bigger, and faster than the Eagles. While some of the size is gone for the Sioux (only four players are over 6"0 including a 6"7 Joe Finley), the speed is still there.

The Sioux and the Eagles will be a game of speed as both teams can fly. The goaltenders are hot, Parise and Schneider but can they stay that way? I think it will come down to the team that makes fewer mistakes. Who wants it more? Find out Thursday as the Sioux and the Eagles will play in semi-final #1 at 3 p.m.

Tommorrow Maine will be featured in the next team capsule.

Boston College Team Capsule

Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
Record: 25-12-3 (17-8-2 Hockey East)
Qualified: At-Large (Lost in Hockey East Final to Boston University)
National Championships: 2 (1949, 2001)
Frozen Four Apperances: 19 (last in 2004)
Head Coach: Jerry York

Key Players:

Chris Collins SR. F (31 g, 30 a, 61 p)
Brian Boyle JR. F (22 g, 30 a, 52 p)
Peter Harrold SR. D (7 g, 23 a, 30 p)
Cory Schneider SO. G (23-12-2, 2.03 gaa, .930 save pct)

After losing to North Dakota in the regional final last year, the Eagles will have a chance at redemption after a 6-3 loss to the Fighting Sioux. BC won both games in Worcester 5-0 over Boston University and Miami (Ohio). After an off month in February in which the Eagles went 3-5-0, BC has only lost two games since. Cory Schneider has been one of the nations best goaltenders in the NCAA tournament and if he can stay hot they will have a good shot against North Dakota.

Offensively the Eagles have been doing well as of late. They have gotten more goals from players not named Boyle and Collins. Teamates such as Joe Rooney and Benn Ferriero have picked up their game. Rooney scored two shorthanded goals against BU in the regional final and Ferriero scored a goal in both games in Worcester.

The weakness might be that the Eagles are very young, in fact they are the youngest team in the country with only three seniors and four juniors. But their opponent North Dakota also has a very young team. Their matchup with the Sioux is very even. It will be a matchup of speed vs speed as these teams can fly. A line I think to watch out for will be the third line Joe Rooney, Benn Ferriero, and Dan Bertram.

Overall BC had a very strong year. Not many people including myself did not pick them to go this far. Head Coach Jerry York has done an outstanding job with this team and is one of the ten finalist for the Spencer Penrose award which is given to the nations top coach. How will York's team respond to their critics? Well this Thursday all your questions about the team could turn into answers if BC has brings their A game just like they did against Miami (Ohio) and Boston University.

Hobey Baker Hat Trick

Matt Carle of Denver (pictured on the left), Chris Collins (middle) of Boston College, and Brian Elliott (right) of Wisconsin have made it to the Hobey Hat Trick. The announcement of the Hobey Baker will come on this coming Friday night the night before the National Championship and the night of the skills competition.

Heres a breakdown of their seasons:

Matt Carle: The top scoring defensmen in the country (11 g 42 a 53 p), Carle led the Pioneers to a second place finish in the WCHA only to lose to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round thus missing the NCAA tournament. Carle left school early the day they missed the NCAA tournament and went pro and signed with San Jose. However he is probably the favorite to win the Hobey because of his two way play on not just offense but his defense as well. He is the best all around defensmen in college hockey and that might help him win the Hobey.

Chris Collins: He is the leading scorer out of this bunch and he is also second in the country in scoring (31 g, 30 a, 61 p). He only trails Ryan Poltuny of Minnesota by two points and could defintly catch up with the Frozen Four this weekend. He is the Hockey East player of the year, and won the Walter Brown Award for the best player in New England college hockey as well as a first team All-American. Will Collins be the third player in BC history to win the Hobey Baker? He's got a good shot especially if he can lead the Eagles to a win over North Dakota this coming Thursday.

Brian Elliott: The only goaltender to even be in the final 10 is now in the Hobey Hat Trick. Elliott had a great start to the season but got injured in late January missing six weeks of action. He hzs come back strong and has three consecutive shutouts including two of them coming in the NCAA tournament. He is the best goaltender in the country and deserves to be in the Hobey Hat Trick. Elliott and the Badgers will have a lot of support this weekend in Milwaukee. Elliott will have a good shot at the Hobey, especially if he adds another shutout to his resume this Thursday against Maine. Stats (25-5-3, 1.55 gaa, .938 save pct).

My pick: Chris Collins

Tommorrow the first team capsule will be revealed and Boston College will be the first team.