The waiting is almost over in Detroit — for the players, coaches and fans — and a total of 10 British Columbia Hockey League graduates are in the mix as the Frozen Four drops the puck at Ford Field on Thursday.
The 2006 NCAA champion Wisconsin Badgers and Cinderella darlings from the Rochester Institute of Technology will open the festivities in the Motor City, while No. 1-ranked Miami-Ohio and 2008 champions Boston College play in the nightcap Thursday evening for a spot in the National Championship Game.
#1 – Miami-Ohio vs. #4 – Boston College
In the clash of NCAA titans — or should we say birds — the nation’s first-ranked RedHawks battle the Eagles with redemption on their minds after last year’s heartbreak. Miami-Ohio was 59 seconds from winning a National Championship until Boston University scored two goals in the final minute to tie the score before taking the title 4-3 in overtime.
In 2010, the RedHawks fly into the Frozen Four after a thrilling 3-2 double overtime win over Michigan in the Midwest Regional Final. Former Penticton Vees forward Curtis McKenzie will help lead the charge against Boston College – the only team in the tournament without a BCHL grad. The freshman McKenzie has been a big part of Miami-Ohio’s Frozen Four run to this point, contributing a goal and three assists in two games. He scored the team’s first goal of the tournament in a 2-1 win over Alabama-Huntsville. The Golden, B.C. native also added a trio of helpers, including one on the crucial game-tying goal against the Wolverines.
Boston College, meanwhile, skates into Ford Field after competing in a pair of two-goal games in the first two rounds – both near upsets against Alaska-Fairbanks to open the tournament and against the Yale Bulldogs who challenged the Eagles in a 9-7 shootout. Despite missing the tournament altogether last year, the Eagles have experience with seven returning players from the 2008 championship team and boast a three-time NCAA Champion behind the bench in Jerry York, who is the second winningest coach in college hockey history.
The 2009 finalists and 2008 champions meet in what could be the premiere game of the 2010 Tournament between top-ranked hockey programs.
#3 – Wisconsin vs. (NR) RIT
In the first national semi-final on Thursday afternoon, the Wisconsin Badgers face the underdog RIT Tigers, who have been the talk of the tournament playing in their inaugural Frozen Four after only five seasons in Division I hockey.
Albeit the underdog, RIT is arguably the hottest team out of the four remaining with the longest winning streak in Division I hockey with 12 straight, including the two must-wins to open the tournament. RIT upset No. 2-ranked Denver squad 2-1 in the opening round on March 26th and followed up with an impressive 6-2 victory over New Hampshire. In the second-round win over Wildcats, former Nanaimo Clippers forward Tyler Mazzei recorded a goal and an assist, while Langley Chiefs grad Stevan Matic scored the 4-1 insurance marker for the Tigers.
Meanwhile, the favourites from Wisconsin will play in its first Frozen Four since winning the NCAA title in 2006. After taking care of Vermont in the first round, the Badgers eliminated St. Cloud State 5-3 on March 28th in another close affair that came down to the final minute. They have an offensively-talented group that finished as the second-best scoring team with 155 goals during the 2009/2010 campaign and has racked up eight in two games of the tournament to this point.
The Badgers-Tigers battle will undoubtedly provide the nine BCHL grads an opportunity to make their mark in college hockey. Out of the four schools remaining, RIT and Wisconsin sport the most former players with five contributing to the Tigers’ magical run and four competing on the Badgers’ side. So regardless of the Frozen Four results, the BCHL will be well-represented in the championship final April 10th at Ford Field.
