Tommy Wingels captained Miami as a junior and finished with 42 points in 44 games

Two 2010 Frozen Four participants - Miami forward Tommy Wingels and RIT defenseman Chris Tanev - have signed with NHL teams, becoming the 23rd and 24th college players to leave this offseason prior to completing their college eligibility. (View the complete list of pro signees.)

A sixth-round draft pick of San Jose in 2008, Wingels signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Sharks. Miami’s captain as a junior, Wingels ranked second on the RedHawks in goals (17) and fourth in points (42) in 44 games. He was named the CCHA’s Best Defensive Forward and was a second-team All-CCHA selection. Wingels finished his college career with 99 points in 127 games and made consecutive trips to the Frozen Four. San Jose also announced the signing of free agent goaltender Carter Hutton of UMass Lowell.

Tanev signed as a free agent with Vancouver after posting 10 goals and 28 points in 41 games as a freshman at RIT. He was Atlantic Hockey’s Rookie of the Year and a third-team all-league selection, finishing fourth on the Tigers in scoring.

By Ricardo Cooney

DETROIT - The Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers’ dream season came to a screeching halt early Thursday evening at the hands of a school steeped in college hockey tradition. Led by standout performances from sophomore forward Derek Stepan and junior defenseman Brendan Smith the Wisconsin Badgers used a dominating first 40 minutes to steamroll past RIT 8-1.

The Badgers celebrate the first goal of their 8-1 rout

“We ran into a buzzsaw tonight,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. “They had an answer for everything. They were just physically stronger, quicker and really answered anything we tried to generate and we had a tough time generating anything.”

RIT captured the underdog hearts of many college hockey fans by rolling off 12 straight wins, including NCAA East Regional upsets of Denver and New Hampshire, to earn a spot in the school’s first-ever Frozen Four.

But Wisconsin, playing in its 11th Frozen Four and not being far removed from its 2006 national title win, looked like a team filled with NHL draft picks - 10 to be exact - against a fledgling group of Tigers, that were experiencing the big time for the first time.

On the strength of three power-play goals, two which came on 5-on-3 man advantages, the Badgers got goals from seven different players to end the Tigers’ dream.

“We talked all year about how one of the strengths of our team was depth,” said Hobey Baker candidate and senior forward Blake Geoffrion. “Guys stepped up.”

“We started rolling over the bench with four lines and when we’re playing our best is when we’ve got four groups going over the boards,” Stepan added.

During extended stretches in both the first and second period, the contest looked more like a mismatch than a matchup between two teams seeking an opportunity to play for a national title. The Badgers won most of the one-on-one battles for the puck and coming away cleanly with loose pucks that went to the corners.

“They have a tremendous power play and we knew that going in so we didn’t want to give them those opportunities,” Wilson said. “Scoring early and executing on their power play and being rewarded were, I thought, were the keys, besides them just being a better team tonight.”

RIT, which prides itself on team speed, a strong transition game and driving to the net was neutralized in those areas by a Wisconsin team that has strong, offensive-minded, puck-moving defensemen who kept possession of the puck with crisp passing, never allowing the smaller, speedier Tigers a chance to sustain any offense.

“We never really got a good look up the ice and a good clearing pass. They pinned us down,” Wilson said. “We never got any long passes and I thought they did. They were able to get themselves turned around, look up ice and make the really nice passes to generate their transition game.”

And by the time the Tigers did figure out Wisconsin’s defense, scoring their only goal of the game when Tyler Brenner sent a shot past Badgers’ goalie Scott Gudmanson at 19:32 of the second period on the power play, it was too late because that only made the score 6-1 in Wisconsin’s favor.

The Badgers added two more late in the third period after Wilson had pulled DeMichiel in favor of backups Shane Madolora and Jon Ropponen, with each giving up a goal apiece, but this semifinal had long since been decided.

Maybe even when John Mitchell scored on the third shot of the game at 1:27 of the first period because Wisconsin was 17-2-1 entering Thursday’s contest when scoring the game’s first goal this season.

Mitchell’s goal like many of the others that were scored on Thursday came because Wisconsin camped a big body in front of the net, limiting the line of sight for RIT netminder Jared DiMichiel, who gave up the first six goals on 27 shots.

BOX SCORE

With nothing new developing on the Detroit Red Wings’ lease situation at Joe Louis Arena and the possibility of a new rink at least several years away, perhaps the Original Six franchise should look to Ford Field for a temporary solution. Whether Wisconsin junior Brendan Smith joins the franchise after Saturday’s national championship game or after he exhausts his NCAA eligibility next year, Detroit’s 2007 first round pick would feel right at home in a non-traditional venue.

Michael Davies' 20th goal made it 5-0 Wisconsin midway through the second period

Playing his second game of the year on a football field - the Badgers beat Michigan at Camp Randall Stadium in January - Smith has stolen the show both times, amassing 7 points on two goals at Camp Randall and five assists against RIT at Ford Field Thursday night.

Smith’s five assists in Wisconsin’s 8-1 throttling of the Tigers set a Frozen Four record, breaking the previous mark of four that was first set by Minnesota’s Tom Vannelli in 1976 and the tied twice by North Dakota’s Phil Sykes in 1980 and Lake Superior State’s Gerald Tallaire in 1994.

The junior, who wasn’t aware he’d broken the record, credited a bit of puck luck and the ability to find just the right spot of open ice to make a pass.

“Coach and I were talking about it, it was kind of funny,” Smith said. “It was like that old fable of Midas where everything he touched turned to gold. It was kind of lucky, a lot of them were second assists but I give myself a little credit for being in the right place at the right time.”

With Red Wings fans likely salivating over such a prolific offensive blue liner, they can take comfort in knowing that even if he does spend another season in Madison, he’s looking forward to a bright future in Detroit.

“Playing in Detroit is so great,” Smith said. “It’s close to home, I’ve got family and friends coming. And just playing in front of all of the fans in Detroit, it made me show them what I’ve got.”

BIG PICTURE IS PRETTY FOR RIT

Defenseman Chris Tanev finished the season as RIT's fourth-leading scorer

Of course it wasn’t the way that RIT wanted to showcase itself at college hockey’s biggest event and much of the immediate reaction will suggest that this team didn’t belong. Contenders in Atlantic Hockey since they joined the league, RIT lined up with some of the nation’s elite and traditional powers. What went right in NCAA East Regional wins over Denver and New Hampshire went all wrong against Wisconsin. But the bigger picture is that the state of RIT hockey is in fantastic shape.

“In the coming days I’ll reflect back on it and I’m definitely proud of how far we’ve come this year, especially starting 0-5 and to see the development of some of the younger guys. This team and the program are something that I’m really proud of and will cherish for the rest of my life,” senior defenseman Dan Ringwald said.

One striking characteristic about RIT is that the team’s rapport and camaraderie were top-notch. It was a loose, friendly bunch that knew when to be business-like and always enjoyed the moments. The 2009-10 Tigers were comprised with a special mix of chemistry that you often find on successful teams.

“It’s been a great season, plenty of personalities on the team and they all work well together. There isn’t one guy on the team who wants to do things on his own,” senior captain Stevan Matic said. “We like each other, want to be together and that’s what’s made it so fun. Some guys are different, some guys are the same and there are no real cliques or anything.”

For casual followers of college hockey, it was likely their first look at RIT, but the direction that this program is heading indicated that it won’t be the last.

SEEN AND HEARD AT FORD FIELD

- When John Mitchell scored to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead in the first period, it marked the first time RIT had trailed an opponent since Feb. 27, when Canisius bagged the game’s first goal in the first period of the Atlantic Hockey regular-season finale for both teams.

- RIT fans traveled in good numbers, seemingly outnumbering Wisconsin fans, and most all were still in their seats through the final moments of the 8-1 blowout, chanting “R-I-T” as a salute to the team as they left the ice. Senior goaltender Jared DeMichiel offered a stick salute to the fans on his way out.

- Following the RIT portion of the postgame press conference, both DeMichiel and Cameron Burt snatched their nameplates from the table as souvenirs.

Justin Schultz is an Anaheim draft pick who scored Wisconsin's fourth goal

- There are 28 NHL draft picks scattered among three rosters (RIT has none). Wisconsin has 11, Boston College has 10, and Miami has seven.

Columbus is the leader with four picks playing in the Frozen Four while Anaheim and the New York Rangers have three each. Pittsburgh, Toronto, Nashville, and Dallas have two each and 10 other teams one.

- In the main entryway to Ford Field, the jerseys of every Division I team are on display. Well, 56 of the 58 teams are there. Missing? Providence and Harvard.

- This is probably the first Frozen Four in history offering binocular rentals at booths located all around the Ford Field concourse. This is a football stadium after all.

- An actual conversation Wednesday afternoon between an INCH staffer and a U.S. Border Patrol officer at the tunnel coming into Detroit:

Officer: What are you here for?
INCH: Covering the Frozen Four.

Officer: The Frozen what?
INCH: The Frozen Four - college hockey.

Officer: You came all the way from [insert state name here] to cover a college hockey game?

INCH: Actually, three.

Officer: Sounds suspicious to me … I need you to follow me over the garage area.

The tunnel facility is literally a slap shot away from the tourney’s media hotel.

PLUS AND MINUS

RIT stands for Rochester Institute of Technology, but on Thursday it meant Representing in Tigertown. The RIT fans were boisterous from the get-go and continued to make noise even when things went south for the Tigers. Special mention to the trombone player in the RIT band who sported the four-inch orange mohawk with brown tips.

The Badger goal barrage wasn’t limited to the guys in skates. A Wisconsin fan chosen to participate in an around-the-world style shooting contest during the first intermission - he had to fire pucks through four corner holes in a tarp covering the net - did his best Blake Geoffrion impression and ripped a shot through the cutout in the top right corner.

The way the first semifinal played out didn’t help, but Ford Field lacked a certain ambience this afternoon. Is it a beautiful building? No question. But as a hockey venue, it’s got the feel of an airplane hangar. Let the record show we reserve the right to change our minds on this one.

Between television timeouts, a timeout called by RIT, the Badgers’ half-dozen goals, and a handful of official reviews, the first part of this afternoon’s game dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. It took 70 minutes of real time to play 25 minutes of hockey. That’s a pace that even the Red Sox and Yankees would find leisurely.

Even though North Dakota isn’t at the Frozen Four, news of the school’s imminent retiring of its Fighting Sioux mascot spread like wildfire throughout Ford Field. While we certainly understand why the nickname has become such a contentious issue, the school and its fans treated the nickname and logo with honor and respect. It’s still disappointing to see the proud warrior go to the rafters; to us, North Dakota will always be known as the Fighting Sioux.

INCH’S THREE STARS OF THE GAME

3. Aaron Bendickson, Wisconsin - The senior has become an important part of the Badger attack over the last two months. He had a goal and an assist against RIT Thursday, giving him 10 goals and two assists in his last 15 games.

2. Derek Stepan, Wisconsin - Two goals and two assists for the standout sophomore. His deflection of a Ryan McDonagh point shot past RIT goaltender Jared DeMichiel in the first period was a beaut.

1. Brendan Smith, Wisconsin - The defenseman picked up five assists in the rout. Any time you break a Frozen Four record like that, you deserve to be the first star.

WHAT’S NEXT

With Thursday’s win, the Badgers are in the championship game for the second time in five seasons. Judging from their performance against RIT, they’ll be the favorite regardless of whom they play Saturday. Their dismantling of a red-hot Tiger team was impressive.

For RIT, Thursday’s loss was a disappointing end to what was a spectacular season. In addition to winning the Atlantic Hockey regular-season and playoff titles, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance, and their first trip to the Frozen Four, the Tigers won a school-record 28 games.

Joe Gladziszewski, Warren Kozireski, James V. Dowd and Mike Eidelbes from the Inside College Hockey staff contributed to this notebook

Until a couple of weeks ago, the RIT hockey team was college hockey’s best-kept secret. After sweeping the Atlantic Hockey regular season and tournament titles, the Tigers truly announced themselves one week later with two wins at the NCAA East Regional over powerhouse programs Denver and New Hampshire.

Chris Tanev earned Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year honors.

A deeper look inside this RIT team reveals its own best-kept secret. Freshman defenseman Chris Tanev logs a lot of ice time and plays on the top defense pairing for RIT with All-American candidate Dan Ringwald. We spoke with Tanev about the excitement surrounding the Tigers, his transition to college hockey and other aspects about RIT.

Inside College Hockey: There was an awful lot of excitement on your campus when you got back from Albany. How has that been to experience? Your rink sells out all the time, so I guess that you can’t be too surprised about the fans.

Chris Tanev: It’s been good, been pretty crazy actually. All the fans are getting involved. The school is pretty upbeat and excited for us to play on Thursday.

INCH: Coming in as freshman you’ve been given a lot of responsibility and also the opportunity to play with Dan Ringwald. How was the adjustment and how was it to play with him?

CT: To start my first shift in college, I got scored on, the very first shift of the game [against Colgate at Blue Cross Arena]. I didn’t know how things were going to go after that. It was great playing with Ringer. He helped me adjust a lot and he’s been really great.

INCH: What are your keys to success, what happens when you are playing well?

CT: When I’m playing well, I’m moving my feet, moving the puck and getting the puck up ice. When I’m not playing well I think the puck tends to be in our end more. When I move my feet I can be the most effective when my feet are feeling good.

INCH: I think that’s also true for your other defensemen. Would you agree?

CT: We’re pretty mobile, I think. We play pretty good D but we like to move the puck. Watching tape on Wisconsin, they’re really mobile and they get up the ice fast. We’ll see how we react and defend against that tomorrow.

INCH: How are your forwards as far as helping out the defense?

CT: They’re good. We’ve been working on it the last two weeks, defending. We’ve seen them on tape and their defense like to jump in the play. We’ll be ready for it tomorrow, our forwards especially.

INCH: Tell us more about goalie Jared DeMichiel.

CT: He does everything. If you watch the last two games in particular, even the Atlantic Hockey playoff games he’s made really key saves that have got us going. He’s been making the key saves, he’s really good back there, plays the puck and communicates with us. He’s all you could ever want.

INCH: Going into the regional at Albany your team was so loose and just went to play to win without worrying about any of the pressures. Still loose, or starting to feel a little bit of pressure or anticipation for this weekend?

CT: We’re still loose. I think we’re excited or anxious to get going tomorrow but we’re still loose. Just having lots of fun out there.

ALBANY, N.Y. - It turns out you can’t spell Detroit without R.I.T.

The Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers became only the fourth number-four seed to advance to the Frozen Four with a 6-2 victory over third-seeded New Hampshire in the NCAA East Regional final played before 3,737 fans at the Times Union Center. RIT becomes the first Atlantic Hockey member to reach the Frozen Four.

Tournament most outstanding player Jared DeMichiel of RIT followed his 39-save effort on Friday in a 2-1 win over top-seeded Denver with a 24-stop performance on Saturday.

“One thing I can tell you is that the 30 guys in our dressing room definitely believed it,” said RIT all-star defenseman Dan Ringwald. “We expected to win and we still expect to win. A lot of the outsiders didn’t give us a chance, but we just take that in stride, accept it for what it is and still go out there and approach the game the same way.”

RIT is already being heralded as the next Bemidji State, the College Hockey America champ which reached the national semifinals last year, and these Tigers see the similarities.

“They were the second-to-last overall seed, they shocked a lot of people,” DeMichiel said. “They are similar to us in that they have smaller, quick forwards and like the transition game.”

“We don’t think of the underdog role or David vs. Goliath, we don’t care about that,” DeMichiel continued. “We worry about ourselves. We want to give Atlantic Hockey the respect it deserves. We want to prove to the nation we can play.”

If the nation wasn’t aware of RIT before this weekend, it is now. The Tigers (28-11-1) own the nation’s longest win streak of 12 games. RIT is ranked third defensively and fifth offensively, two elements which shined in the national spotlight.

The Tigers limited New Hampshire to 26 shots on goal, 12 coming in a furious third period. RIT got goals from five players and points from 10, representative of the way the Tigers have played throughout the season. Tyler Brenner scored twice, Andrew Favot set up three tallies and Tyler Mazzei and Chris Haltigin each had two points.

A close game turned during a 94-second span in the second period as RIT beat UNH goalie Brian Foster for three goals from Brenner, Brent Alexin and Stevan Matic to break a 1-1 draw.

Similarly, it was New Hampshire which scored two quick goals on Cornell’s Ben Scrivens late in the second period to turn the tide of Friday’s semifinal.

Favot set up the go-ahead goal with a drive toward the net before slipping a nifty backhand pass to Brenner. He took the puck in front of the crease and fired a shot between Foster’s legs at the 13:23 mark.

The crowd was still buzzing when Alexin rushed the slot, split two defensemen and got off a wrist shot which Foster stopped. Alexin followed the long rebound into the right circle and used a deke to beat Foster. The two goals in 13 seconds is a RIT school record at the Division I level.

Matic capped off the decisive rally when he scored off a tough angle from the right side at 14:57 of the second. Foster had stopped Matic’s original shot and a rebound shot from Sean Murphy before Matic scored on the wrister.

“They did a great job of burying our mistakes,” said Hockey East player of the year Bobby Butler.

“It’s hard to come back from that and it’s disheartening in a 1-1 game,” said UNH senior forward Peter Leblanc. “We had our chances and the bounces didn’t really go our way tonight. It’s tough to come back against a good team, down 4-1 in the third period.”

“It happened so darned quick,” said UNH coach Dick Umile. “We didn’t play our best game in the second period, that’s for sure. They frustrated us and we didn’t respond well. It wasn’t over going into the third period. We had to score early, and he (DeMichiel) made some saves there. We didn’t get enough quality shots.”

RIT jumped out on top with a goal from defenseman Haltigin at the 14:10 mark of the first period. Fresh off a faceoff win in the offensive zone, the puck came out to Haltigin on the right point. The sophomore skated into the high slot and flipped a shot that sailed through a crowd and eluded Foster for his 11th goal of the season.

New Hampshire produced the equalizer with 58.9 seconds left in the first period. Defenseman Brett Kostolansky fired a shot from the left wing which center Phil DeSimone slapped down in front of the crease, causing the puck to skip past DeMichiel.

DeMICHIEL IS BREAKOUT STAR OF EAST REGIONAL

Jared DeMichiel is having the time of his life, and he’s sharing it with anybody who cares to listen to the fun-loving RIT senior.

DeMichiel was looking snappy in a jacket, tie and green shirt, and he made sure to praise the green shirt worn by a media member. He joked about his fist-pumping celebration with the sound of the final horn.

He keeps his team loose, and leads by example - a perfect captain, coach Wayne Wilson says, even though DeMichiel doesn’t wear a C on his sweater.

“He probably should be wearing a C,” Wilson said. “He is not afraid to speak up. He keeps us loose. He has a great, strong work ethic. He is invaluable right now.”

DeMichiel has won all six playoff games this year, running his record to a nation-leading 27 victories. Coming into Saturday’s game, he ranked fourth nationally with a 1.98 goals against average and fifth in save percentage (.924). His 41 career wins is a school record, and he owns the RIT career marks for goals against and shutouts.

DeMichiel has made steady improvement every year in Rochester. He posted a 3.69 goals-against average in six games as a sophomore. Splitting time as a junior, DeMichiel went 13-6-0 with a 2.70 goals against and .905 save percentage.

In the NCAA East Regional, DeMichiel outdueled two elite goalies, beating Denver’s Marc Cheverie on Friday and New Hampshire’s Brian Foster on Saturday. Overall, he stopped 63 of 66 shots in RIT’s two victories, and was the obvious choice for tournament most outstanding player honors.

“It’s definitely an honor but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my teammates,” said DeMichiel, a business major from Avon, Conn. “I have a great defense playing in front of me and great forwards who are committed to team defense.”

DeMichiel was by no means dazzling in net but he made all the necessary saves and did not put himself in danger.

“What you saw this weekend has been Jared throughout the whole year,” Wilson said. “He was there when we needed him. He made a lot of things look pretty simple out there. He gives us a lot of confidence as a team. When you are not worried about your back end so much you can be more aggressive on the other end. He has done that for us. We’re very fortunate to have him.”

DeMichiel is slated to compete for the East team at the Frozen Four Skills Challenge, and may have to be replaced.

SEEN AND HEARD AT TIMES UNION CENTER

• And the least shall rise among them - This is the fifth time the number three and four seeds have met in a regional final since the tourney format expanded to 16 teams in 2003, and the third time that the lower seed prevailed. This marks the fourth time in the past three years that a four seed has advanced to the Frozen Four. No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 3 Michigan State in the 2008 West final. No. 4 Miami (Ohio) beat No. 2 Minnesota Duluth in the 2009 West final. No. 4 Bemidji State beat No. 3 Cornell in the 2009 Midwest final.

• RIT had its streak of scoring at least three goals snapped at 16 games with its 2-1 victory over Denver on Friday. The Tigers popped in six goals against UNH, raising their season total to 144.

• The Tigers are not Frozen rookies. This may be RIT’s first visit to the Division I Frozen Four, but the Tigers have a rich program history. The program is making its 14th visit to the NCAAs in 28 seasons. The Tigers won the 1983 Div. II national title and the 1985 Div. III national title. RIT has played in the national Final Four in 1984, 1986 and 1999.

• New Hampshire successfully killed off 34 consecutive opponent power plays, including six against RIT, since Vermont scored on the man-up in the first period on Feb. 19. The rest of the streak: Vermont (0-1, 0-2), Northeastern (0-3, 0-4), Boston College (0-1, 0-4), Vermont (0-2, 0-4, 0-5), Cornell (0-2) and RIT (0-6).

• Bobby Butler leads the nation with 29 goals scored, following his two-goal effort on Friday against Cornell. His 53 points ranks fifth on the UNH single-season list, trailing Darren Haydar (76, 2001-02), Colin Hemingway (66, 2001-02), Sean Collins (56, 2004-05) and Preston Callander (54, 2004-05).

• Sorry Stevan. Senior captain Stevan Matic was not originally slated to start alongside center Cameron Burt and Sean Murphy, with Jeff Smith listed instead. Coach Wayne Wilson was able to inform the game officials beforehand to make sure Matic was penciled in. Matic went on to score RIT’s fourth goal.

• Wildcat facts - UNH is 13-23 all-time in NCAA tournament play. The Wildcats have won two NCAA tourney games in one year just three times (1998, 1999, 2003). UNH has won at least 20 games in 30 seasons, including the last 14 in a row.

PLUSSES AND MINUSES

The 100th is special. Saturday’s win by RIT was the 100th in five seasons of play at the Division I level. RIT is 100-71-13 since joining in 2005-06.

The Albany area has two Division I teams (Union and RPI) in its backyard and sits in the middle of the footprint of both ECAC Hockey and Atlantic Hockey, and yet the local community hasn’t completely embraced the regional. Losing regional-favorite Cornell from Ithaca on Friday night certainly didn’t help Saturday attendance, but thank goodness many fans made the nearly four-hour trek from Rochester. The Capital Region talks a good story about supporting events but doesn’t always back it up.

INCH’S THREE STARTS OF THE NIGHT

3. The RIT defense - Goalie Jared DeMichiel did not have to play spectacular because his job was made so much easier by a six-man unit which herded New Hampshire’s scoring threats to the outside. The Tigers limited the Wildcats to 26 shots on net.

2. Tyler Brenner, RIT - Each game gets bigger down the stretch, and RIT’s senior forward came up big with two goals, including the go-ahead tally that sparked a three-goal rally.

1. Jared DeMichiel, RIT - The netminder outdueled two elite goaltenders on the way to winning the regional’s most outstanding player honors. DeMichiel shut down two powerful offenses, holding Denver to one goal on 40 shots and New Hampshire to two tallies on 26 shots.

ALL-EAST REGIONAL TEAM

F - Tyler Brenner, RIT
F - Cameron Burt, RIT
F - Bobby Butler, New Hampshire
D - Dan Ringwald, RIT
D - Chris Haltigin, RIT
G - Jared DeMichiel, RIT

Most Outstanding Player: Jared DeMichiel, RIT

WHAT’S NEXT

Most coaches would agonize over losing 48 goals and 96 points from the lineup at graduation, but New Hampshire’s Dick Umile actually has better production from his junior and sophomore classes. The juniors also have 47 goals and 124 points and the sophomores have 27 goals and 99 points. The Wildcat freshmen have nine goals and 38 points.

It’s time to head west for Rochester Institute of Technology and its faithful fans. The Tigers will face Wisconsin in the Frozen Four at Detroit’s Ford Field on April 8.

“We do have some momentum going our way right now, but at the same time it’s great to have a week off,” RIT goalie Jared DeMichiel said. “It will give us time to heal physically and allow our heads to deflate a little. We need to get back out there and focus.”

TIGERS HAVING FUN IN POSTSEASON
By Ken McMillan

ALBANY, N.Y. - Goalie Jared DeMichiel is making the most of his championship run with Rochester Institute of Technology and having fun at the same time.

DeMichiel extended his playoff win streak to five games with a season-best 39 stops as fourth-seeded RIT stunned No. 1 Denver, 2-1, in the NCAA East Regional semifinals at the Times Union Center on Friday afternoon.

“Jared looked calm and poised and was just hitting his spots,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said. “He looked very, very comfortable tonight. He came up with a couple big saves, which you’re going to have to do every game in order to win, particularly at this level.”

Afterward, DeMichiel provided some laughs during the post-game press conference, reminiscing about his junior hockey days in Boston and lobbying for a coach of the year award for Wilson three years after the fact.

“It is a great opportunity (to play in the NCAAs) but at the same time I lost the opportunity to go out on spring break so I am pretty disappointed about that,” DeMichiel joked. “I would rather be in the NCAA Tournament, and playing with these guys is definitely great.”

RIT, the only Division I school to win its regular-season crown and conference tournament, is the hottest team in college hockey, winning its last 11 games. Next up for the Tigers (27-11-1) is a regional final date with New Hampshire at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Freshman defenseman Chris Tanev scored at 5:02 of the first period and sophomore Cameron Burt scored on the power play at 12:36 of the third, staking RIT to a 2-0 lead. Denver’s Joe Colborne scored on the power play at 14:34, putting DeMichiel on the spot again. The senior made three stops in the closing minutes, and shed his composure at the final horn, thrusting both arms to the sky and pumping his fists as he leaped off the ice before getting mobbed by his teammates.

The biggest win in RIT’s five-year Division I history also marked Atlantic Hockey’s third opening-round triumph in five seasons. Holy Cross knocked off Minnesota, 4-3 in overtime, in the 2006 West Region semifinals. Air Force blanked Michigan, 2-0, in the 2009 NCAA East Regional semifinals.

It was a crushing loss for second-ranked Denver (27-10-4), which lost its last three games and bowed in its NCAA opener for the third year in a row.

“It hurts more than I can even explain right now,” Colborne said. “We had the team. … I came here with one goal in mind and that was to go to Detroit (for the Frozen Four). We didn’t get that done.”

Tanev broke the scoreless draw five minutes into the afternoon contest. He gathered in a clearing attempt at the blue line and got ahead of Denver’s Brandon Vossberg. Tanev was not distracted as another Denver player slid across his path and he went top shelf to the left side past a shocked Marc Cheverie for his 10th goal of the season. Tanev’s goal helped set the tone for the game, giving RIT a needed confidence boost and putting a bit of pressure on Denver.

“In these one-game shootouts, scoring the first goal is very critical in order to give you an emotional jump,” said Denver coach George Gwozdecky. “They were the ones that got it. Even though we were able to generate some offense throughout the game, their goaltender DeMichiel was very, very good.”

Denver had the speed advantage and seemed to win most 50-50 battles, but RIT did a good job of keeping the Pioneers to the outside during the opening 40 minutes. Denver started to make headway in crashing the net midway through the final period but DeMichiel was up to the task, making a kick save on Vossberg and holding his ground as Patrick Wiercioch and Kyle Ostrow each crashed the cage during a short flurry.

When Jesse Martin was whistled for an elbow to the head at 11:35 of the third, RIT seized the opportunity. Andrew Favot spotted Burt open near the right goal post and his hard pass was one-timed into the net at 12:36.

Denver’s pressure on the RIT net finally resulted in a goal two minutes later. With Mike Janda in the box for holding a stick, Tyler Ruegsegger fired a shot from the right point which DeMichiel made a kick stop on but the rebound found Colborne in front and he tallied his 22nd goal of the season.

Denver was buoyed by the goal but could not produce the equalizer.

“We were excited to break the barrier and confident that we would get another one,” said Denver all-star Rhett Rakhshani. “Their goalie stood (his) ground. It’s tough in a game like that when a goalie is playing so well.”

BOX SCORE

SECOND-PERIOD SWING SHIFTS GAME FOR UNH
By Joe Gladziszewski

A stoppage came with 2:29 remaining in the second period and Cornell leading New Hampshire 1-0 in the East Region semifinal Friday night in Albany. But when there was actually 2:29 remaining in the second period, New Hampshire had a 2-1 lead. The Wildcats went on to a 6-2 win and will face RIT in the East Region final Saturday night.

The first stoppage at 17:31 of the second was the first whistle after a potential goal. It was reviewed by video and revealed that UNH’s Bobby Butler’s wrist shot whistled through the net and the clock was reset to the time of the actual goal. The clock was reset to 3:13. Mike Sislo scored New Hampshire’s go-ahead goal, 26 seconds after the Butler tally, and the Wildcats went into the dressing room with a lead when it seemed they might be facing a deficit after 40 minutes.

The scoring came from the game’s two best forwards in Butler, a Hobey Baker finalist, and second-line winger Sislo. They were the difference makers. Each finished with two goals and were dangerous almost every shift. UNH’s six-goal night followed two straight shutouts of the Wildcats by Vermont in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

“The second goal was huge,” UNH coach Dick Umile said. “Sislo’s goal going into the second period (intermission) was huge and I think at that point, that was all behind us about not being able to score.”

Cornell controlled the second period before the late swing. They possessed the puck more and outshot New Hampshire for the first 16 minutes. The Big Red worked the boards and generated chances in the UNH zone. It was a reversal from the first period, in which New Hampshire outshot and out-chanced Cornell.

“Getting out of that period 1-1 would have been awesome but they capitalized on a turnover on a 2-on-1,” Cornell head coach Mike Schafer said. “The more we pressed in the third for chances, the more we gave up and the more we gave up the more they scored.”

For a Big Red team that prides itself on making disciplined plays and taking care of the puck, turnovers caused its downfall. Shots in traffic that fell in the slot ended up on New Hampshire sticks, as they were quicker to loose pucks in high-traffic areas.

“One big thing was we had great stick positioning tonight,” Sislo said. “There were a lot of times when they tried to make passes where we had our sticks in the lanes and were knocking down pucks. We were able to transition and get some offense off that.”

The Wildcats had 17 shots in the third period and kept up the pressure. Paul Thompson stretched the lead to 3-1 with a tally at 2:52 of the third period and Butler scored on a breakaway four minutes later to give UNH a three-goal cushion.

That lead stood up for New Hampshire. They play Saturday for the chance to go to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2003.

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SEEN AND HEARD AT TIMES UNION CENTER

• Thompson joined Butler and Sislo as two-goal scorers for the Wildcats, even though he tried not to. Thompson had the puck and was credited with the empty-net goal. He tried to pass the puck across for Butler - it would have been Butler’s hat trick goal - but the puck was deflected by a Cornell defenseman into the empty net.

• “We had a 1-0 lead with three minutes left and our guys all year have been pretty good at taking care of that. Tonight we didn’t,” Cornell coach Mike Schafer said.

• As we’ve seen in recent NCAA Tournaments, anything can happen when you get two of the 16 best teams in the nation together. “RIT and every other team in this tournament deserves to be here,” Denver coach George Gwozdecky said. “RIT played very, very well and I give them full credit for their effort.”

• RIT is one of the loosest teams in the tournament and has played with a relaxed mindset. No pressure, no over-thinking of what’s at stake. It’s a team that just wants to go out and play hockey. That poise showed in the third period.

• Ben Scrivens’ shutout streak of 267 minutes, 11 seconds is the third-longest in NCAA history and the longest ever by an ECAC Hockey goalie.

PLUSSES AND MINUSES

All four teams played a disciplined style and a total of just eight minor penalties were called over the two games. RIT had three minors, Denver and New Hampshire two each and Cornell had just one infraction.

The stands in the Times Union Center had a particular RIT flavor with hundreds of orange-clad fans cheering on the Tigers. Rochester is located 230 miles west of Albany, and a large contingent made the drive along the New York Thruway. Times Union Center’s section 107 was the home-away-from-home for RIT’s Corner Crew and they stood throughout the early game.

It ended up not having an impact in the result, but UNH’s Greg Burke took a cross-checking penalty with 11:11 remaining in the third period and his team holding a 4-1 lead. The cross check was committed on the Cornell goalie as Burke went to the net. An offensive zone infraction that gave the Big Red a power-play opportunity and a chance to revive itself was a poor decision.

INCH’S THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT

3. RIT’s Defense - The defensemen and backchecking forwards did a nice job keeping Denver to the perimeter most of the game and limiting grade-A chances against.

2. Mike Sislo, New Hampshire - Butler gets lots of attention, but Sislo was UNH’s best in the win over Cornell. The second line came through with scoring punch after the Big Red focused its best checkers on the top line.

1. Jared DeMichiel, RIT - The senior netminder posted a season-best 39 saves, including 13 in the final period, for his first NCAA tournament triumph.

WHAT’S NEXT

RIT and New Hampshire go to Saturday’s game with a chance to make this great season even better and earn a trip to the Frozen Four. The Wildcats tallied five goals on the nation’s top-ranked goalie and added an empty-netter. They’ll have to solve RIT and a sound defensive team that plays well in front of goalie Jared DeMichiel, he of the 39-save performance in the Tigers’ win over top-seeded Denver.

Two teams with legitimate national title hopes were eliminated on the tournament’s opening day and will have a long summer to think about what happened, despite having tremendous regular-season records.

HOT TOPIC

Four teams head to Albany’s Times Union Center with different concerns but all share one common confidence - goaltending. Denver, Cornell, New Hampshire and RIT are rock-solid between the pipes and bring the First Team All-League goalie from each of its respective conferences into the regional.

Denver’s Marc Cheverie and Cornell’s Ben Scrivens are also Hobey Baker finalists. UNH’s Brian Foster and RIT’s Jared DeMichiel were first-team Hockey East and Atlantic Hockey honorees. That’s not to say that these teams can’t score, all four teams rank in the top-20 nationally in scoring average. Cornell is the “worst” of the bunch, 19th at 3.18 goals per game. RIT paces the field, fifth, averaging 3.58 goals per game.

BACK STORY

The top-seeded Denver Pioneers have been among the top two or three teams in the country since the puck dropped back in October. A mix of talent, experience and depth has made the 2009-10 season a memorable one for the Pioneers. After winning the regular-season title in the WCHA they lost twice at the Final Five, their first back-to-back losses of the year. We’ll see how they react this weekend.

Similarly, UNH was a regular-season league champion that stumbled in the conference playoffs. The first-place team in Hockey East lost in three games to eighth-place Vermont. Of greater concern, New Hampshire was shut out by the Catamounts in the last two games that weekend.

Cornell and RIT come into the game on extended winning streaks and are playing their best hockey of the season. RIT has the nation’s longest win streak at 10 games and rolled through the Atlantic Hockey championship weekend by an aggregate score of 10-1. Cornell was a perfect 4-0-0 in the ECAC Hockey playoffs, posting three straight 3-0 wins to close their run to the title, and are back on familiar ice in downtown Albany.

ON A ROLL

Cornell goalie Ben Scrivens is wrapping up his historic Cornell career in style. He’s got three straight shutouts in the playoffs and carries the school’s longest shutout streak into this weekend’s games. He also holds the second-longest shutout streak and his three goose eggs over the last two weeks moved him into first in Cornell history in that category. The names below him in those categories at Cornell include the likes of Dryden, Leneveu, McKee and Elliott. Not too shabby for the kid from Spruce Grove, Alberta - an undrafted player who will likely sign a lucrative pro contract once his college career is over.

SOMETHING TO PROVE

It’s NCAA Tournament time and fans from rival schools will certainly bring up New Hampshire’s distinction as being the most historically prominent college hockey program never to have won a national championship. That’s the historical perspective. This UNH team has to prove its value. The pros include a Hockey East regular-season title with a 15-6-6 league record and a Hobey Baker finalist in Bobby Butler, in addition to all-league performers Brian Foster and Blake Kessel. The cons? Just two non-league wins - one of those was to Vermont in the league playoffs and the other was against a struggling Dartmouth team. A first-round playoff exit and its current goal drought don’t make things any better.

ONE TO WATCH

It’s the first time ever on national television for RIT since moving to Division I and college hockey. Fans across the country will get a look at the Tigers and sophomore pivot Cameron Burt as RIT and Denver play the tourney’s happy-hour game Friday afternoon. Burt is RIT’s leading scorer and does a lot of things well. He’s got decent size and good mobility, and he excels in puck possession. When he’s got the puck in the offensive zone he can beat a defenseman and create a scoring chance, or use his vision and playmaking ability to set up his linemates.

MR. CLUTCH

Rhett Rakhshani and Marc Cheverie get the most publicity for Denver but sophomore forward Joe Colborne has arguably been Denver’s best player in the second half of the season. He’s filling into a pro frame and has great hands around the net. His 21 goals shares the team lead with Rakhshani, 10 of his goals have come on the power play and eight are game-winning goals, the highest total in the nation.

SATURDAY STORYLINE

Don’t expect a blowout in the early game Friday, despite the talent mismatch on paper between Denver and RIT. The Tigers have some experience and are playing well. They shouldn’t be tight on the national stage, but Denver will have too much in the long run and advance. Cornell is doing everything right it seems and New Hampshire has faced some struggles in recent outings. Current form is not an indicator of future success, but Cornell is the pick here after having already beaten UNH earlier this season in Durham.

A meeting between Cornell and Denver on Saturday would come down to three important factors. The first is goaltending. If Scrivens or Cheverie are able to out-duel the other, advantage goes to their side. The second is special teams, both in terms of staying out of the penalty box and taking advantage of power plays should they happen. Thirdly, the matchup of Cornell’s checking line of Joe Scali, Sean Collins and Dan Nicholls against Denver’s top unit of Rakhshani, Colborne and Tyler Ruegsegger. This game’s a toss-up, win two of those three key points and move on to Detroit.

“RIT has a great hockey tradition and tonight was another step in that tradition,” said Tiger head coach Wayne Wilson, referring to the school’s NCAA Division II national championship in 1983 and Division III title in 1985.

RIT's Sean Murphy scored two goals in the Tigers' 6-1 win over Sacred Heart in the Atlantic Hockey tournament title game Saturday in Rochester, N.Y.

The 3,298 fans at Blue Cross Arena had barely settled into their seats when the Tigers got a chance at an extended power play after the Pioneers’ David Berube was assessed with a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct 1:48 into the first period. RIT’s Cameron Burt scored the game’s first goal less than 30 seconds later — the first of his five points on the night — to give the Tigers a 1-0 advantage. RIT took a 2-0 lead late in the first period with another special-teams goal, this one a shorthanded effort by Mark Cornacchia 19 seconds prior to intermission.

The Tigers exploded for three goals in the second period. Sean Murphy converted a feed from Burt 68 seconds into the period to make the score 3-0, and Jeff Smith scored 11 minutes later to give RIT a four-goal cushion. Then, with Sacred Heart’s Matt Gingera in the penalty box for high sticking, RIT’s Tyler Brenner scored a power-play goal with 56 seconds left in the period to advance his team’s edge to 5-0.

Sacred Heart finally got on the board 3:48 into the third period when Eric Delong scored his 15th goals of the season. RIT’s Murphy provided the final margin of victory with his second goal of the game with 2:04 left in regulation.

RIT goaltender Jared DeMichiel stopped all but one of the 33 shots he faced, while Sacred Heart netminder Steven Legatto made 33 saves.

ATLANTIC HOCKEY ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
G - Jared DeMichiel, RIT
D - Dan Ringwald, RIT
D - Chris Tanev, RIT
F - Tyler Brenner, RIT
F - Cameron Burt, RIT (MVP)
F - Patrick Knowlton, Sacred Heart

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SACRED HEART 2, AIR FORCE 1

Friday was a big day for the Knowltons of Colorado Springs. Chris Knowlton, a freshman at the University of Denver, scored a shorthanded goal in the Pioneers’ 4-3 loss to North Dakota in the semifinals of the WCHA Final Five.

Patrick Knowlton, a junior at Sacred Heart University, scored a goal with 42 second left in regulation to propel college hockey’s other Pioneers to a 2-1 Atlantic Hockey tournament semifinal win over three-time league playoff champion Air Force in Rochester, N.Y.

Knowlton’s goal, his 13th of the season, came just 47 seconds after the Falcons’ Jacques Lamoureux scored with goaltender Andrew Volkening pulled in favor of an extra attacker to tie the game at 1-1. Sacred Heart took a 1-0 lead on David Jarman’s goal midway through the second period.

Both goaltenders were outstanding — Volkening and Sacred Heart’s Steven Legatto each stopped 32 shots.

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RIT 4, CANISIUS 0

RIT, the top seed in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs, moved one step closer to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth with a 4-0 win against Cansius Friday in Rochester, N.Y.

The Tigers have won nine in a row and 16 of their last 19. During the nine-game winning streak, RIT has outscored its opponents by a 39-12 margin.

“It was complete team effort for all 60 minutes,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. “This was the first time in three seasons I thought we completely ready for this game. We were very focused.”

Tyler Brenner and Mike Janda scored less than a minute apart late in the first period to give RIT a 2-0 edge after 20 minutes of play. Andrew Favot extended that lead to 3-0 a little more than eight minutes into the second period with a goal during an RIT two-man advantage. Al Mazur provided the final margin of victory with a power-play goal with six minutes left in regulation.

RIT goaltender Jared DeMichiel stopped all 20 shots he faced en route ot his sixth shutout of the season. Canisius goalie Dan Morrison made 26 saves. 

BOX SCORE

RIT senior goalie Jared DeMichiel is one of the best in the nation and leads the Tigers into this weekend’s Atlantic Hockey championship weekend at Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester. The Tigers had a record-setting year in Atlantic Hockey, establishing new marks for a team in league wins and total points.

DeMichiel, from Avon, Conn., had five shutouts on the year with a .919 save percentage and 2.10 goals-against average, posting a 23-9-1 record and was a First Team All-Atlantic Hockey selection. He was also featured in INCH’s Tweet of the Week earlier this year. You can follow him @demike3316.

Jared DeMichiel

Joe Gladziszewski: Your team is very solid in all aspects. Is balance a big word for you guys?

Jared DeMichiel: I would say we have the six most underrated defensemen in the nation. Dan Ringwald gets a lot of press but it seems people really don’t know how good he is. Chris Tanev is a freshman and he’s a part of our top D pairing. Great freshman, very knowledgeable, wants to get better, works hard. The same can be said for the rest of our D corps. With the forwards we have a good mix of young guys and older guys. There’s good leadership there with the likes of Andrew Favot and Stevan Matic but you’ve got guys like Cameron Burt, a sophomore, stepping up. This is probably the best team that’s been here in my four years. A couple years ago we had some great players in Simon Lambert and Matt Smith but this is our best team. We play as a team, we’re vocal in the locker room, we’re vocal on the ice. We all care about each other, it’s a good brotherhood here.

INCH: Your team set some records in Atlantic Hockey. Start of the year, out of the league it was a rough start, but what was it like as the season progressed? Setting new bars, getting to first place, setting a record for points, was that a challenge?

JD: It wasn’t the start we wanted, we played some good teams early. We lost a couple of one-goal games that we should have won, and if we play those teams over again it might be a different story, you never know. We got a couple of wins here early going against UConn, Army, kind of rolled from there. I think once we got a few wins we got greedy. You don’t like losing, you want to keep winning and keep going from there. We got into first and I think still teams didn’t respect us as much as maybe they should have and it kept pushing us. Personally, I wanted to break the (team) wins record and have as many points. Dan Ringwald also brought that up in one of the practices that we had a chance to break the most points in a season. This is our last year and we want to make the best of it. We just want to win and play the best we can play.

INCH: Now you’re in a situation where every time you play it could be it. I imagine that it can’t be too hard to get motivated. Is it fun to get in this atmosphere?

JD: This is what you play the game for. Last year was tough for me, I broke my wrist right before the semifinal game, still played, if I’m 100 percent I think our team goes a little bit farther and I kind of take the blame for that loss last year. This is what you play the game for, it’s fun, you live for this. I feel like a kid out there, I don’t care how old I am. It’s just fun every time you step out on the ice. Maybe it means more, but it’s just fun. That’s why you play the game, to play in the playoffs.

INCH: How about the beginning of the season, the early game you had at Blue Cross Arena in front of a lot of fans against Colgate.

JD: We play well at Blue Cross, but we just can’t get over the hump. We need to do that next week, get over the hump. I thought we outplayed Colgate, outshot them. Their goalie played great that game. He stood on his head, made some sick saves. We should have won that game, but we can’t be saying shoulda, coulda, woulda this weekend. We’ve got to get it done. A lot of people talk, maybe we’re snakebit at Blue Cross, but we just need to get the job done.

INCH: What are your thoughts on Sacred Heart, Canisius and Air Force?

JD: All three of the teams that you mentioned have great offenses. Sacred Heart has Nick Johnson, a great goal scorer. Same thing with Canisius and (Cory) Conacher, even (Vincent) Scarsella and (Josh) Heidinger, they have (Carl) Hudson on the point who is also a great offensive defenseman. Air Force, you have to tip your cap to them, they’ve made the NCAA Tournament the last two years. Jacques Lamoureux is a great player, Andrew Volkening between the pipes. All three teams, if we face them it’s going to be a battle. We’re definitely looking forward to it and looking forward to the challenge.

INCH: What does the Cameron Burt, Mike Janda, and Stevan Matic line do for your team?

JD: Burt plays with a lot of energy, you can tell the fans love him here. He’s really good with puck possession, moving the puck, cycling down low. I think he frustrates teams because they can’t get the puck off of his stick and then they do something and he pulls some moves, makes a pass back door. He creates a lot of space for his linemates. Matic brings some grit to that line. He’s not afraid to hit people and he understands his role, he’s a good two-way player. He knows that if he blocks shots in the defensive zone he might get a chance in the offensive zone. Mike Janda has a great shot, really underrated shot, really underrated player. Sean Murphy, who is normally on that line, is out injured. We miss him, he also brings a nice mix of grit and skill. It’s definitely a really good line. Burt’s line and (Andrew) Favot’s line, we build off of those.

INCH: You said earlier that this is the best team you’ve been on in four years, how about your overall experience at RIT?

JD: It’s great, there’s not too much more that I could ask for. My freshman year, first year in Atlantic Hockey and nobody would’ve picked us to win it. My sophomore year I didn’t play as much as I would have liked to, but it’s my own fault because I didn’t play that well. Last year was a great experience, and this year is the icing on the cake. I’m 24 years old and this is the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey. There’s a great coaching staff, great rink, great education. It’s kind of ironic that we have so many great fans here and not too many people know about us. I’m definitely happy with my choice.