They got so close to the Frozen Four last year that they could taste it, Miami RedHawks’ forward Justin Mercier has been telling anyone who’ll listen these last few weeks. The taste now that Miami practically had one hand on the national championship trophy, only to have it snatched away by a gritty Boston University … Read more
Secret Revealed All season long, Boston University sported t-shirts bearing the phrase “Burn the Boats.” The team swore itself to utter secrecy, only promising to divulge the meaning and origin of the slogan after the season ended. Well, the season ended, all right. “Coach (Jack Parker) read us a story at the beginning of the … Read more
Brent Brekke joined the Miami staff last offseason knowing the challenge that lay before him. He would be working with four freshman defensemen on a team that lost plenty on that side of the ice, and would be charged with keeping the RedHawks’ identity intact. That Miami will play for the national championship on Saturday … Read more
There is always a lot of noise about “experience” every postseason. No matter the sport, fans, coaches and players alike can’t get enough of it. Who’s got it, who needs it, where it came from. What it means, what it’s worth, what it fosters on the ice. Cody Reichard proves that pundits can posit what … Read more
If there was an undoing for Bemidji State this season, it was exactly what played out Thursday on the Verizon Center ice. Not being outplayed, like coach Tom Serratore and his players said they were in a 4-1 loss to Miami in the Frozen Four semifinals. Not a shortfall of scoring like the Beavers experienced … Read more
Colors Both games, for all intents and purposes, feature teams with the same color schemes (green for Bemidji and Vermont, red for Miami and Boston University. Fours This game marked the first time two number four seeds met in the Frozen Four. The only other four seed to make the Frozen Four was Notre Dame. … Read more
Who’s Going in Goal? Miami coach Enrico Blasi was non-committal about his starting goaltender for Thursday’s semifinal against Bemidji State, saying he would meet with his staff later Wednesday to discuss the plan. That’s what comes with a goaltending rotation. Cody Reichard won both games at the West Regional, but he and fellow freshman Connor … Read more
Miami vs. Bemidji State Thursday, 5 p.m. ET, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. Miami RedHawks Record: 22-12-5, 17-7-4-2 CCHA (t-second) Seed: No. 13 overall, No. 4 West Road to Frozen Four: Beat Denver 4-2, beat Minnesota Duluth 2-1 2008 NCAA tournament: Lost in Northeast Regional final A month ago, the Miami RedHawks were reluctant spectators. Having … Read more
Perhaps it’s fitting that in the wildest, most unpredictable NCAA tournament in recent memory, one of the steadiest programs of the last several years reached its first Frozen Four. Under head coach Enrico Blasi, the Miami RedHawks have been transformed from an afterthought in the CCHA to a conference and national contender. Until Blasi took … Read more
They came into their Northeast Regional semifinal game with similar streaks for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Trailing only Michigan, New Hampshire had earned its eighth straight berth to North Dakota’s seven. The two teams shared other similarities. On the plus side: some of the most highly skilled players in the country and a penchant for … Read more
Minnesota Duluth’s incredible 5-4 overtime win Friday against Princeton defies easy categorization. For each team, the game’s script had elements both of the familiar and the fantastic. Winning games they weren’t supposed to was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who did that three times last weekend in the WCHA Final Five. UMD, the seventh-seeded team … Read more
Narrowest of Margins In Friday night’s West Regional action, Minnesota-Duluth scored an extra-attacker tying goal versus Princeton with just 0.8 seconds left in the game, before going on to win after more than 15 minutes of overtime. But New Hampshire eclipsed even that narrow margin, scoring with just 0.1 seconds left in the game. Of … Read more
Miami’s coaching staff apparently made the right choice in goaltenders. It was no foregone conclusion that Cody Reichard was going to be in net to earn all-regional honors and help the RedHawks claim their first trip to the Frozen Four this weekend at Mariucci Arena. In fact, after a week of competition in practice between … Read more
If it wasn’t already abundantly clear from their shared histories how close Denver coach George Gwozdecky and Miami coach Enrico Blasi are, that story got another chapter in the makeshift media room at Mariucci Arena. First, Gwozdecky took his turn in emotionally describing his relationship with his former player and assistant coach. Then Blasi did … Read more
It’s easy to look at the box score and flush out that Minnesota-Duluth’s power play made the difference in its 5-4 overtime victory Friday over Princeton in the West Regional. The Bulldogs scored one of their two final-minute goals with the man advantage (actually a two-man advantage because goaltender Alex Stalock was on the bench) … Read more
Upset (up’-set), n.: a game or contest in which the favorite is defeated. No. 4 seeds went two-for-two Friday in the NCAA regionals. After Air Force a rode a 43-save performance by Andrew Volkening to a 2-0 win over Michigan in the East Regional, Miami — not to be outdone — dominated top-seeded Denver in … Read more
Two heroes, one award. That was the conundrum at the WCHA Final Five, where UMD goaltender Alex Stalock and his teammate MacGregor Sharp both put in starring performances. Todd D. Milewski reports.
Patrick Wiercioch nearly became a Wisconsin Badger. Saturday, the Denver freshman helped his Pioneers roll past UW into the WCHA final.
For much of the season, the penalty kill had been a weakness for Minnesota Duluth. At the WCHA Final Five that has changed, helping carry the Bulldogs to the title game. Scott Brown reports.
For North Dakota, goaltender Brad Eidsness has offered stability in net this season, and the freshman takes his act to the WCHA Final Five this weekend. Patrick C. Miller reports.