DETROIT, Mich. - That Shawn Hunwick was the calm amidst the storm was a somewhat fitting sight as Michigan forward Louie Caporusso and blue line Steve Kampfer rushed amidst their teammates to celebrate an unlikely CCHA title with the goaltender and tournament MVP. As Caporusso, Kampfer and their teammates watched a faceoff at the far end of the ice with 3.5 seconds remaining and let loose at the final horn that ended a 2-1 victory over Northern Michigan, Hunwick was as calm as ever, soaking in the moment.

Michigan, the seventh seed in the CCHA tournament, beat Northern Michigan to win the Mason Cup

“I’ve never seen a goalie lean on the net with three seconds left,” Kampfer joked, “So lackadaisical.”

Caporusso took note too.

“I have to admit, he’s a calm goalie,” Caporusso added, laughing.

Since taking over Michigan’s starting goaltender spot after Bryan Hogan was injured during the final weekend of the regular season, Hunwick’s calm, collected manner helped to settle down a team that couldn’t find its way all season long. The junior’s focus helped his team to find the drive and will that was so evident over the past weekend, a will needed to win the conference tournament and secure the Wolverines’ 20th consecutive trip to the national tournament.

But even the even-keeled Hunwick admits that he did indeed feel the gravity of the moment.

“When I saw that faceoff down at the other end with two seconds left, I got pretty emotional,” Hunwick said. “I saw everyone’s legs hanging over the boards, and I was just trying to keep it together and have some fun with the boys.”

Hunwick made 17 saves in the victory after stopping 20 shots against Miami in the semifinal matchup, and has posted an incredible 6-0-0 record with a 1.50 goals against average a .929 save percentage - the type of numbers that made Miami’s Cody Reichard the CCHA player of the year.

While Hunwick has been lauded for making the most of his 5-foot-7, 163-pound frame by taking away the bottom of the net and not losing his patience, the junior gives credit for his tournament MVP award to the team in front of him for helping to take away opponents’ opportunities.

“It was obviously a nice feeling (to win the award), but I think it takes away from the team,” Hunwick said. “The guys played tremendous, I don’t even know if I deserve to be the MVP, I don’t even know if I deserve to be a star of the game. It’s nice to get a little recognition. Six weeks ago if you said I’d be sitting here, I would have said you were crazy.”

NORTHERN COMES UP JUST SHORT

After coming on strong over the past few weeks, Northern Michigan seemed to be at least at even-odds if not the favorite in the championship game, but Coach Walt Kyle, the master of second half surges, gave full marks to Michigan for picking up their game in the latter stages of the season and throughout the playoffs.

“I think that one of the things that we always talk about is that when you’re in playoff games, there are no excuses, the team that plays better always wins,” Kyle said. “In my opinion Michigan certainly played much better than us tonight. Their speed gave us problems; they got pucks in behind us and they forechecked and came at us with the attack. They had great back pressure and stole the puck from us coming up the ice.”

While Michigan did indeed control the flow of the play for most of the game, Northern Michigan’s explosiveness was certainly evident in a few close calls, including a memorable play when Mark Olver danced around an attempted check from Michigan defenseman Brandon Burlon and wrapped around the net only to be stopped by Hunwick.

Olver and Greger Hanson both had their moments, but it was gritty play in front of the net that finally got the Wildcats on the board and gave them a chance to come back. Forward Justin Florek, who played well all weekend long down low, particularly on the power play, powered through Michigan defenders and knocked the puck across the low slot to Andrew Cherniwchan, who knew exactly what to do once he got the puck.

“We knew we had to go upstairs on that goalie because he covers the bottom of the net well,” Cherniwchan said. “Once we got it I thought we had a good chance of coming back and I think we pushed them hard until the end.”

With Stewart out of the net in the final 1:18, the Wildcats threatened down low a few other times, but a final push by Michigan tied up the puck behind the net, resulting in a cross-checking penalty for Ray Kaunisto and a faceoff at the other end of the ice that clinched the victory.

SEEN AND HEARD AT THE JOE

• Northern Michigan’s power play was amongst the nation’s best throughout this season, but the unit has fallen on hard times in recent weeks and struggled again against Michigan. After Wolverines’ forward Luke Glendening was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a hit from behind on Cherniwchan in the late stages of the first period, Northern Michigan not only didn’t score on the power play, but turned a five minute man advantage into a four-on-three Michigan power play with a pair of penalties.

In all, the Wildcats’ power play was 0-for-8 on the weekend, which might have been more frustrating for Kyle if he hadn’t come to terms with the unit’s struggles.

“It wasn’t as frustrating as you would think because our power play has been really inefficient,” Kyle said. “We were very good at the beginning of the year, but lately we’ve been very ‘oh-for, oh-for, oh-for’ for a while here. There were a couple of opportunities that we squandered away being impatient and we turned pucks over. That was a big turning point in the game, when we didn’t get that done. We had a couple of looks at it, but we have to find a better way to put pucks in.”

Should his team earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, one can bet re-finding the power play groove will be a priority for Kyle’s squad.

• Michigan’s first goal of the game came on an interesting play where forward Matt Rust broke his stick and went to the bench for a replacement, only to have Caporusso jump on the ice to replace him instead. Caporusso’s judgment - and Rust’s decision to let Caporusso go - paid off, as Caporusso sprinted into the zone and blasted a shot past Stewart for the game’s first goal.

“Everyone wants a lot of power play time,” Caporusso joked. “But at the same time, Matt realized that it would have been quicker for me to get out there than it would have been for him to grab a stick, and who knows if that stick is good for him or not. So I just jumped out there; I didn’t really give him a choice to be honest with you.”

• Michigan coach Red Berenson admitted that Hunwick’s recent success has helped him warm up to having a smaller goaltender manning his nets. In the past, Berenson has tended to favor bigger netminders who take up more of the goal, but the junior he described as a “Rudy”-like story to local media earlier this postseason has won him over.

“I don’t even like small goalies,” Berenson said with a smile. “I’ve always been a big goalie fan. But I’m a fan now of small goalies that battle hard. This kid is a warrior. He’s not too worried about it, he’s out there playing hard for his team, and his team is playing hard for him. You can call it any kind of story that you want, but it’s an opportunity and he’s taken advantage of it.”

• After beating Ferris State 2-1 in the third-place game, Miami coach Enrico Blasi is playing his cards close to his vest when it comes to naming his goaltender for the NCAA tournament. After Cody Reichard was shelled for five goals in the semifinal, Connor Knapp got the job done in the third-place game, stopping 12 of the 13 shots he faced after stopping the bleeding with 12:43 of shutout play in Friday night’s loss to Michigan. Blasi said Cody Reichard and Knapp will compete for the job throughout the week and it will be a game-day decision.

• If you’re wondering what goes through mind of the head coach of a bubble team, Ferris State coach Bob Daniels is pleased with his team’s season and puts their chances of making the NCAA tournament at “fifty-fifty.”

• It’s somewhat unusual to see a player from one of the competing teams hanging out in the media lounge, but Michigan’s Eric Elmblad, who was scratched from the lineup, was doing just that in between the third place and championship games. Like many members of the media, Elmblad was camped in front of a television watching basketball, but instead of the NCAA tournament, the St. Ignace, Mich., native had his eyes trained on the Class C Girls State Championship game, where his sister was competing for the state title with her St. Ignace high school squad. Nicole Elmblad, a former AAA women’s hockey player herself, notched an impressive 36 points and nine rebounds in a crushing 68-66, double overtime loss to Flint Hamady.

PLUSSES AND MINUSES

It was a great atmosphere during the championship game. Although Michigan’s fans dominated in numbers, fans did travel in relative droves from Marquette, making for a spirited contingent that made itself heard throughout the game. The stated attendance for the championship game was 17,063.

Shawn Hunwick’s success has truly been one of college hockey’s inspiring stories over the past few weeks, and it was a great moment to hear the crowd’s chants of “Sha-wn Hun-wick” turn into “MVP, MVP” as they presented him with his All-Tournament Team and Most Valuable Player awards.

The third-place game, despite having potential NCAA Tournament consequences featured a lot of relatively uninspired play. Perhaps the teams were feeling the effects of disappointing results from Friday, but the game failed to show just how good both Ferris State and Miami can be at their best.

It was certainly unusual to see two of Michigan’s captains in street clothes when accepting the Mason Cup and Championship banner. Captain Chris Summers has been out with a leg injury since the first round of the playoffs and alternate captain Luke Glendening was given a game misconduct for a hit from behind in the first period of the championship game.

INCH’S THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT

3. Connor Knapp, Miami - Knapp wasn’t overly busy in the RedHawks’ third-place game victory, making just 12 saves, but he provided the stability Miami needed to bounce back from Friday’s disappointment, and perhaps entered the conversation for starting goaltender in the NCAA Tournament.

2. Louie Caporusso, Michigan - Caporusso was at the top of his game, bouncing back from a point-less Friday night with a two-goal game that might have made him tournament MVP if it wasn’t for Hunwick’s steadying influence in net.

1. Shawn Hunwick, Michigan - Hunwick got the job done all weekend long and was no different when his team needed him most in a one-goal game. The junior effectively optimized his game to overcome any size disadvantage and his will to win was contagious for his teammates.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
G - Shawn Hunwick, Michigan
D - Steve Kampfer, Michigan
D - Erik Gustafsson, Northern Michigan
F - Ray Kaunisto, Northern Michigan
F - Louie Caporusso, Michigan
F - Carl Hagelin, Michigan

WHAT’S NEXT

Sunday will be a big day for all four teams that made it to The Joe. Miami has likely locked up the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament and will prepare to make another run to the Frozen Four, almost certainly through the Midwest Regional in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Michigan can breathe a sigh of relief as its two-decade-long streak of NCAA Tournament appearances remains in tact, and the Wolverines might be a national contender if they continue to play as well as they have over the last two weekends.

Northern Michigan will likely make the tournament and will be looking to find some more consistency on offense and on the power play to enhance a dangerous offense that can strike at any time.

Ferris State might be the odd team out of the national tournament, but should the Bulldogs make it in, they’ll look to continue their gritty game down low in the offensive zone. Regardless, they can use this season as a building block for future success.

MICHIGAN COULD DO NO WRONG

DETROIT, Mich. - In a game between a talented team playing for its NCAA tournament life and the No. 2 squad in the country there isn’t a lot of room for error. Lucky for Michigan, two of the few errors it committed in a surprising 5-2 blowout of Miami in Friday’s CCHA semifinal resulted in goals for the Wolverines.

Tristan Llewellyn started the scoring for Michigan

Wolverines’ forward Carl Hagelin notched two of his three assists on passes that were intended for teammate Matt Rust but ended up on the stick of Kevin Lynch, who put both pucks past Miami netminder and CCHA RBC Player of the Year Cody Reichard to help put the game out of reach for the RedHawks.

“Well the first time, when I went around the net, I knew they only had one (defenseman) in front of the net so I was trying to get it to either Rust or Lynch - they were both doing a good job crashing the net,” Hagelin said. “Same thing on the other play, I was for sure trying to find Rust in front of the net and he kind of missed the puck and Lynch is doing a good job getting to the net.”

While the Wolverines’ offensive outburst was certainly surprising against an exceptionally stingy Miami defense, perhaps the most notable part of Michigan’s success was its defensive play. Goaltender Shaun Hunwick continued his streak of excellent play since coming into the lineup for an injured Bryan Hogan during the final weekend of the regular season. He was aided greatly by teammates who blocked 14 shots and broke up countless passes with outstanding stick work.

Throughout the year, too many chances seemed to sneak through to Hogan due to deficiencies in clearing Michigan’s own zone, but Friday the Wolverines took their defensive will to win to a new level and it paid dividends.

“Coach talked a lot about refocusing on everything in the defensive zone, not just getting the stick in the puck lanes and things like that,” Hagelin said. “It’s more the will to block shots and win battles against the other team. We’re doing a good job right now, everyone’s coming back and our (defensemen) are playing terrific and so is our goaltender.”

Michigan coach Red Berenson also noted his team’s renewed focus on defense, and is happy that his team is doing all it can to solidify its legacy during the most important stretch of the season.

“There’s will, we know it’s just a game, but we know it’s a big game,” Berenson said. “These are our keynote games in the whole season, no matter what we did before, all that matters is what we do right now. There’s some urgency, but I don’t think there’s a lot of desperation, but they’re playing hard, they’re playing really hard.”

BOX SCORE

THE ‘WILDCAT’ ON ICE

The power of the Wildcat offense has been well-documented in the NFL, but the term has an entirely different yet equally intimidating connotation in the CCHA.

Northern Michigan’s offense yet again brought the Wildcats back from mid-season irrelevancy, and showcased just how potent it can be in overcoming a resilient Ferris State team that fought through two separate two-goal deficits. NMU won 5-4 in an overtime thriller to advance to the CCHA championship game for the first time since 1999.

With this year’s upperclassmen making their third consecutive trip to Joe Louis Arena, the Wildcats were determined to overcome their championship game drought. They made good on it with two markers from senior Ray Kaunisto, one each from sophomores Andrew Cherniwchan and Tyler Gron before junior Greger Hanson clinched Northern Michigan’s spot with a memorable overtime winner.

“This is my third year down here and (in the past) we’ve come down here and have been really excited to get here,” Kaunisto, who added an assist on Gron’s goal for a three-point night. “This year, we wanted to focus on getting to the championship game and trying to win it.”

Hanson made that dream a reality, dancing through the neutral zone and slotting the puck past Ferris State goaltender Pat Nagle at the 1:07 mark of the first overtime period. After picking the puck up from teammate Erik Gustafsson, Hanson saw the Bulldogs’ defenders fall back and his killer instincts took over.

“I think I caught them a little flat-footed,” Hanson said. “They didn’t really expect me to go into the middle, they thought I was going wide. I just tried to shoot it blocker-side and it went in.”

The overtime winner gave Northern Michigan five goals for the second consecutive game, meaning the Wildcats are averaging 4.67 goals per game in three playoff appearances, numbers that should match them up well against Michigan in the title bout - and, if fate’s on their side, any opponent in the NCAA tournament.

With the offense scoring at such a prolific clip, perhaps the one worry for the Wildcats might have been the play of netminder Brian Stewart - he’s allowing just under three goals per game in the playoffs - who is usually more apt to pick up his offense in a subpar performance rather than vice versa. But when asked about Stewart’s four-goals-against night, coach Walt Kyle was quick to compliment his netminder.

Stewart made a save in the final minute of regulation that prevented a Ferris State victory, and was victim of some own-zone turnovers and knuckling shots that make any goaltender’s job difficult.

After talking about Stewart’s play for the evening, Kyle summed it up simply, perhaps alleviating any fears that Wildcats fans might have.

“He’s a champion,” Kyle said of Stewart. “That kid’s a champion.”

BOX SCORE

SEEN AND HEARD AT THE JOE

• After Northern Michigan’s second consecutive appearance in the third-place game last year, Kyle, in his sixth third-place game appearance in seven years, joked that they should name the third-place game after him. Having reached the title tilt for the first time, Kyle laughed when asked if he’s relieved his name was no longer at risk of living in infamy, saying he wouldn’t mind the game being named after him, he’d just prefer to never play in it again.

• It would have been understandable if Michigan netminder Shaun Hunwick was feeling the pressure early in the second period, especially when up by just single goal in the opening minutes and again when Tommy Wingels brought the RedHawks within one later in the frame. But Hunwick stood strong in the net, and described the hectic period as his most comfortable since jumping into the lineup three weeks ago.

“Actually early in the second period and throughout the second period was probably the smoothest and the most confident in the net since I’ve been in,” Hunwick said. “I wasn’t really thinking; I was just reacting.”

• Miami’s Cody Reichard has certainly had to deal with some tough losses in his career, and will be forced to try and bounce back once again after giving up five goals and being pulled for the first time this season with 12:43 remaining in the game. Blasi knew that Reichard, even though he may not have been able to stop several of the goals, would take his performance hard.

“The way I know Cody, I’m sure he’s very upset with the way he played and the fact that we lost the game,” Blasi said. “We had to get him out of there, he’s too good of a person, we wanted to get him out of there.”

PLUSSES AND MINUSES

The hard-fought first game was aired on Fox Sports Detroit, hopefully giving some fans who couldn’t make it down to Joe Louis Arena a look at just how exciting two teams they wouldn’t give a second thought to based on name-recognition can be.

All four pep bands showed up, and it added a lot to the atmosphere.

The sparse crowd during Northern Michigan’s victory could be due to beautiful weather, an early start or small fan bases, but definitely not enough people were on hand for a great college hockey game.

It seems a little unfair that top-seeded Miami ended up playing what was essentially a Michigan home game.

INCH’S THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT

3. Shaun Hunwick, G, Michigan - Hunwick made just 20 saves in the victory, but he made key stops when he needed to and avoided a letdown after Wingels beat him with a spectacular goal in the second period.

2. Ray Kaunisto, F, Northern Michigan - While it was Hanson’s magic that ultimately clinched the victory, Kaunisto was the catalyst who helped the Wildcats seize control of the game with a goal and an assist in that three-goal stretch and then re-extend their lead with Northern Michigan’s fourth goal.

1. Kevin Lynch, F, Michigan - Whether he was the intended target of Hagelin’s passes or not, Lynch finished the chances he got, and notched an additional point with an assist on Brian Lebler’s third period tally.

WHAT’S NEXT

Michigan and Northern Michigan will duke it out tomorrow, with only the winner assuring their spot in the NCAA Tournament. It should be an interesting game with both offenses clicking on all cylinders in their respective semifinals, perhaps with the play of Hunwick and Stewart being the difference.

Miami is forced to try and bounce back from a disappointing performance, and a victory against Ferris State would help put them on the right track for a well-deserved long run in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 1 Miami
Record: 26-6-7 (21-2-5, 2 SOW CCHA)
RedHawks Note: If opponents sit in the locker room trailing Miami in the second intermission, it has been time to forget about a come-from-behind victory all year long. Although Ohio State made a valiant effort in the closing minutes of Sunday’s game, the RedHawks not surprisingly thwarted the comeback attempt. They only allow one third period goal every two games on average, and they now stand at 23-0-0 when leading after two periods.
How MU Wins: The RedHawks are the clear favorites in this tournament and should make a run at the Frozen Four and a national title after coming so painfully close last year. Despite their status as a national contender, Miami will be heavily focused on the task at hand — winning the program’s first-ever Mason Cup. Look for the RedHawks to continue to play strong team defense, and to use their depth to beat opponents as they have all year, including a 6-0-2 record against the other teams reaching Joe Louis Arena.

No. 3 Ferris State
Record: 21-11-6 (13-9-6, 4 SOW CCHA)
Bulldogs Note: With his overtime game-winner against Nebraska-Omaha last Saturday, senior Casey Haines jumped into a five-way tie for the conference lead with 5 game-winning goals — three of which have come in overtime — and a 12-way tie for sixth in the nation. That series-clinching goal sent the Bulldogs to Joe Louis Arena for the first time since the 2002-03 season and went a long way towards solidifying Ferris State’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since that same year.
How FSU Wins: In the Bulldogs’ two wins over the Mavericks last weekend, the scoring tended to come from one line each night. The good news was that it wasn’t the Blair Riley-Cody Chupp-Casey Haines line that has carried the team all year long, with second-liners Mike Embach (2) and Aaron Lewicki scoring on Friday night. Embach, Lewicki and Justin Menke, along with defensemen Zach Redmond and Brett Wysopal need to continue to give Ferris State a second dimension offensively, which would wear down opponents and create more opportunities for its very productive top line.

No. 4 Northern Michigan
Record: 19-11-8 (13-9-6, 3 SOW CCHA)
Wildcats Note: Northern Michigan has made a habit of finding its way to Detroit under head coach Walt Kyle, reaching Joe Louis Arena in seven of his eight years at the helm, including each of the last three seasons. While Kyle’s Wildcats would love to continue that streak, they’d love to buck the trend that has them falling before they reach the Championship game. The last time Northern Michigan reached the final was in 1999 under current Michigan State coach Rick Comley, and it hasn’t won the Mason Cup or playoff title since 1981.
How NMU Wins: Goaltender Brian Stewart will need to continue his strong play of late to give the Wildcats’ offense a chance to shine. Lucky for Northern Michigan, Stewart played arguably his best game on the road against Ferris State on Feb. 6, notching an incredible 51 saves in a shutout victory. Forward Mark Olver, the CCHA’s leading scorer, and his second-line counterpart Greger Hanson were both quick to point out that while the offense has been on a tear, Stewart’s goaltending is the cornerstone of this team’s success.

No. 7 Michigan
Record: 23-17-1 (14-13-1, 0 SOW CCHA)
Wolverines Note: Michigan’s Louie Caporusso has caught fire during the CCHA playoffs, notching nine points (5g, 4a) in the Wolverines’ four playoff games thus far. The junior’s maturity and patience helped him turn it around after a slow start, but scoring success against Miami would be somewhat new for him — Caporusso has just one goal and four assists in nine games against the RedHawks, with that .55 points per game representing his lowest average against any CCHA opponent.
How UM Wins: Like last weekend, Michigan’s success will be contingent on two major factors: whether its playmakers can make plays and convert chances, and how the Wolverines continue to respond to Shawn Hunwick in the net. Provided Bryan Hogan remains sidelined with a groin injury or Berenson predictably remains with the hot hand, Hunwick will face the toughest test of his short stint as a starter. He will need his teammates to galvanize around a shot at the Mason Cup and an NCAA Tournament bid and play airtight defense.

Ohio State announced Tuesday that the contract of John Markell, head men’s hockey coach at Ohio State, will not be renewed.

Markell was head coach of the Buckeyes the last 15 full seasons, beginning his tenure as the interim head coach in 1995. He was 280-267-56 in his career at Ohio State. He led the squad to six NCAA tournament berths, most recently in 2009. He also headed the program’s first Frozen Four appearance in 1998 and a CCHA tournament championship in 2004.

Chris Schneider, associate athletics director for sport administration, oversees the men’s hockey program at Ohio State and will conduct a national search to fill the position.

THE FAVORITE

No questions here as the CCHA heads into the conference quarterfinals this weekend: The Miami RedHawks are the team to beat. Right from the get-go, the RedHawks surged to the top of the CCHA and never relinquished a lead that seemed to grow perpetually, especially in the second half of the season. Miami’s team defense was incredible all year long, with very few slipups, and led the nation giving up just 1.75 goals per game, including just 1.39 per game in conference play. It will take a Herculean effort for any of the CCHA teams to knock the RedHawks off in the conference tournament, and it’s likely they’ll find their way to Detroit both a week from now and a month from now, although, admittedly, the postseason can be cruel to favorites.

THE GATE CRASHER

Over the past few seasons, every CCHA team has known that come the turn of the calendar year, it’s time to start looking in your rearview mirror for a speeding mass in Old Gold and Olive Green. Finally, after making several late surges that came up short, Northern Michigan cracked the top four and could be headed to the NCAA Tournament with a series win over Alaska this weekend and a stellar performance once the CCHA title race finds its way to Detroit. With a potent offense that seems to be hitting its stride and one of the league’s better goaltenders in Brian Stewart, the Wildcats are definitely a force to be reckoned with over the next few weeks.

INCH’s ALL-CCHA TEAM

F — Mark Olver, Northern Michigan
Olver was a major catalyst in Northern Michigan’s second half run into the top-four, and the junior is carrying a nine-game point streak that has produced a 7-9-16 line, giving him a league-leading 46 points on the year.

F — Corey Tropp, Michigan State
The story of Tropp’s revival after a season-ending suspension last year has been told many times, but the junior’s diligence in the offseason and on the ice helped bring Michigan State back from last year’s disappointing finish. His 20 goals and 22 assists place him second in the scoring race.

F — Tommy Wingels, Miami
You look a little bit further down the point scoring list to find Wingels’ name, but the Miami junior certainly deserves mention amongst the CCHA’s best this season. His 16-20-36 line is amongst the conference’s top-10 point scorers, and his defensive and leadership contributions are amongst the league’s best with a plus-14 rating and 30 blocked shots on the season.

D — Erik Gustafsson, Northern Michigan
Gustafsson is calm, cool and collected and knows how to make plays at both ends of the ice. The junior from Sweden makes his second-consecutive appearance on INCH’s All-CCHA team after finishing with 28 points on the year, and a plus-8 rating. Gustafsson was also INCH’s Freshman of the year 2 years ago.

D — Ed Del Grosso, Nebraska-Omaha
Del Grosso has always been one of the top offensive defensemen in the league in his four years in Omaha, and he continued that trend with a 30-point output in 40 games. The senior was his team’s leading point scorer and also led the club in plus-minus, and the pressure he puts on the net with his 110 shots helps create opportunities for his forwards.

G — Cody Reichard, Miami
Every great team gets great goaltending and Reichard provided that for Miami with a 1.48 goals-against average, a .938 save percentage and five shutouts. He was 17-2-3 on the year.

COACH OF THE YEAR

While a few perennial powers faltered due to injury or inconsistency, the 2009-10 season was a great showcase for the coaching acumen of veterans like Walt Kyle and Bob Daniels who guided their team to at least the NCAA Tournament conversation. But it’s Miami’s Enrico Blasi who was able to best piece together the puzzle that a college hockey season can be. His team could have been in emotional tatters after a crushing loss in the national championship game last year and even more so after losing team manager Brendan Burke in a tragic accident last month. But Blasi brought his “brotherhood” together stronger than ever, coaxing maximum effort out of his players and clinching the CCHA title with several weeks to play.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

He’s always been known as one of the more dynamic skaters and scorers in the CCHA, but 2009-10 proved to be a breakout year for Northern Michigan forward Mark Olver. The Colorado Avalanche prospect spent some time in the weight room bulking up to prepare himself to be a more physical player in his junior season and to get ready for the next level, and it certainly paid dividends throughout this season. Olver led the league with 46 points on 19 goals and 27 assists, giving him a career mark of 56-63-119 in 114 games, and helped the Wildcats’ rapid ascension into the top four and earning a first-round playoff bye.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Having arguably the most stellar team defense and goaltending in the country throughout last year, the Alaska Nanooks had one major problem that ultimately prevented them from making the NCAA tournament — they didn’t score goals. Despite ranking second in the nation in team defense, the Nanooks finished an abysmal 54th in scoring offense. This time around, Scott Greenham and the defense still held down the fort, but freshman Andy Taranto finally gave Alaska the offensive spark that it needed. Taranto’s 17-24-41 line, a line that includes seven power-play goals and a short-handed marker, gave him 12 more points than any other rookie heading into this weekend’s quarterfinal series against Northern Michigan. And in true Nanook spirit, Taranto’s not too shabby defensively either, notching 17 blocked shots and a plus-13 rating through his first 36 games.

BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER

Ferris State coach Bob Daniels always had a feeling about senior Blair Riley. The forward from Kamloops had good hockey sense and nice hands, but it seemed like Riley just couldn’t put it together. Daniels never gave up on Riley and his faith and patience paid off as Riley put together a memorable season that helped propel Ferris State into the league’s top four and made the Bulldogs contenders for an NCAA Tournament bid. All year long, Riley sat amongst the conference scoring leaders, and even sat atop the national scoring charts for a few weeks, and the senior heads into the quarterfinal series against Nebraska-Omaha with a 17-17-34 line. Riley’s success not only elevated the Bulldogs’ team, but also makes him a desirable prospect for NHL teams looking for undrafted free agents.

Other Conference Recaps: Atlantic | CCHA | CHA | ECACH | Hockey East | WCHA

Playoff Preview Capsules: Atlantic | CCHA | CHA | ECACH | Hockey East | WCHA

No. 8 Ohio State at No. 1 Miami
Ohio State: 14-16-6 (10-12-6, 4 SOW CCHA)
Miami: 24-5-7 (21-2-5, 2 SOW CCHA)
Season Series: Miami won 3-0-1, Ohio State won shootout
Buckeyes Fact: Ohio State’s Zac Dalpe (20), Sergio Somma (14) and Hunter Bishop (12) have accounted for 45 percent of the team’s 102 goals this year.
RedHawks Fact: The RedHawks’ first-place finish is its third in program history, and each of the first two CCHA tournaments they played in as the top seed ended with a championship game loss.
How Ohio State Wins: Ohio State needs to rely on strong goaltending and find ways to try to take Miami out of games early. Strong starts and consistent team defense should allow the Buckeyes to compete with the high-flying RedHawks.
How Miami Wins: More than any other team in the country, Miami just needs to keep doing what they’ve been doing all year long. If the RedHawks keep their focus on playing solid defense and keep putting home the chances they get there is little doubt that Miami will be skating in Detroit next week.

No. 7 Michigan at No. 2 Michigan State
Michigan: 21-17-1(14-13-1, 0 SOW CCHA)
Michigan State: 19-11-6 (14-8-6, 2 SOW CCHA)
Season Series: Michigan State won 3-1
Wolverines Fact: The Wolverines have made the CCHA semifinals every season since 1990, and they haven;t been on the road other than games at Joe Louis Arena since being swept by Western Michigan in 1988.
Spartans Fact: It has been a long time since these two fierce rivals met in the quarterfinal round, but the Spartans swept Michigan in 1986 and 1987 — the only two times they’ve met at this stage of the playoffs.
How Michigan Wins: Michigan needs to continue its strong performance from last weekend, riding the play of top forwards like Louie Caporusso and David Wohlberg to create scoring chances and working together in its own zone to make up for the possibility of a weekend without Bryan Hogan or Chris Summers.
How Michigan State Wins: Michigan State can focus on playing the game that made it successful throughout this year, and by being a recipient of strong goaltending from Drew Palmisano. If Palmisano gives his team a chance to win, that should be all the Spartans need.

No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha at No. 3 Ferris State
Nebraska-Omaha: 20-14-6 (13-12-3, 2 SOW CCHA)
Ferris State: 19-11-6 (13-9-6, 4 SOW CCHA)
Season Series: Ferris State won 2-0-0
Mavericks Fact: Nine Nebraska-Omaha skaters have registered 20 or more points this season, more than any other team in the league this year.
Bulldogs Fact: A pair of wins against Nebraska-Omaha would give the Bulldogs the second highest home win total in program history with 15.
How Nebraska-Omaha Wins: The Mavericks need to stick to their balanced approach in order to win on the road at Ferris State. If Ed Del Grosso can continue to distribute the puck effectively and they take an undoubtedly rabid crowd out of the mix, Nebraska-Omaha will have a chance to leave the CCHA in style — from Joe Louis Arena.
How Ferris State Wins: Ferris State needs to stay within itself and play the physical, playmaking hockey that helped them be so successful all year long. The Bulldogs should feed off the home crowd and need to avoid taking bad penalties.

No. 5 Alaska and No. 4 Northern Michigan
Alaska: 18-9-9 (11-9-8, 4 SOW CCHA)
Northern Michigan: 17-11-8 (13-9-6, 3 SOW CCHA)
Season Series: Northern Michigan won 1-0-3, Alaska won 2 shootouts, Northern Michigan won 1
Nanooks Fact: Andy Taranto’s 41 points have him tied for the Nanooks’ freshman record, which was set during the 1986-87 season.
Wildcats Fact: The recently released list of finalists for CCHA awards speaks to the effect Erik Gustafsson has on his team. The junior is amongst the final three candidates for RBC Player of the Year, Offensive Defenseman of the Year — an honor he took home last year — and Defensive Defenseman of the year.
How Alaska Wins: Scott Greenham needs to have a string of solid performances in the always-intimidating Berry Events Center and the Nanooks need Andy Taranto, Dion Knelsen and the forwards to find the back of the net.
How Northern Michigan Wins: Northern Michigan will continue to ride Mark Olver, Greger Hansen and a dynamic group of forwards to victory while Erik Gustafsson, T.J. Miller and goaltender Brian Stewart hold down the Wildcats’ own zone.

Playoff Preview Capsules: Atlantic | CCHA | CHA | ECACH | Hockey East | WCHA

Conference Recaps: Atlantic | CCHA | CHA | ECACH | Hockey East | WCHA

No. 12 Western Michigan at No. 5 Alaska

Western Michigan: 8-18-8 (4-17-7, 2 SOW CCHA)

Alaska: 16-9-9 (11-9-8, 4 SOW CCHA)

Season Series: Western Michigan won 1-0-1, Alaska won shootout

Broncos Fact: Western Michigan goaltender Riley Gill has 10 career playoff games under his belt and has made 35 or more saves in six of those 10 contests.

Nanooks Fact: Not counting a pair of shootout defeats, Alaska went undefeated in the month of February, finishing the regular season on a 6-0-2 run to give them the nation’s second longest unbeaten streak and to narrowly miss out on a first-round bye.

How Western Michigan Wins: The Broncos will have to hope for a little puck luck in Fairbanks, and they must bury the chances that they get, as well as continuing to benefit from strong play by Riley Gill.

How Alaska Wins: The nation’s least penalized team needs to continue stay out of the penalty box and will count on solid goaltending from Scott Greenham and some offensive spark from Andy Taranto and Dion Knelsen – both of whom have been point-per-game scorers in conference play.

No. 11 Bowling Green at No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha

Bowling Green: 5-23-6 (4-17-7, 2 SOW CCHA)

Nebraska-Omaha: 18-14-6 (13-12-3, 2 SOW CCHA)

Season Series: Nebraska-Omaha won 1-0-1, Bowling Green won shootout

Falcons Fact: Bowling Green has won just two playoff series since the 2000-01 season, and both times, the deciding game has been won in overtime.

Mavericks Fact: The Mavericks’ 20-10-3 historical record against Bowling Green yields a winning percentage that fits quite nicely into a three-game series. Even better, Nebraska-Omaha is 5-0 all-time in playoff meetings with the Falcons.

How Bowling Green Wins: The Falcons need to get off to stronger starts, while the defense has been consistent from period to period, Bowling Green scored only 12 first period goals in 28 conference games, while scoring 23 each in the second and third periods.

How Nebraska-Omaha Wins: The Mavericks need to continue to ride the offensive wave they have created recently, averaging 3.85 goals for per game in over their last 13 games after scoring less than two per game in their seven games prior to that. If Nebraska-Omaha can maintain or increase that goal-scoring pace, the Falcons will be hard-pressed to stay in games.

No. 10 Lake Superior at No. 7 Michigan

Lake Superior State: 15-16-5 (10-15-3, 2 SOW CCHA)

Michigan: 19-17-1 (14-13-1, 0 SOW CCHA)

Season Series: Michigan leads 2-0-0

Lakers Fact: Lake Superior State experienced a February to forget, playing three of four series on the road and losing seven of its final eight games, including its last five in a row.

Wolverines Fact: Michigan has won nine in a row against Lake Superior State and 13 of 15 since the turn of the century. One of the Wovlerines’ two losses came during a 2002 CCHA Tournament Series.

How Lake Superior State Wins: Lake Superior State needs to play strong defensively in the early stages of games to prevent Michigan from gaining momentum and to provide its forwards with the opportunity to bury the chances it gets.

How Michigan Wins: Michigan’s success in this series rides on two things: whether the forwards bury their chances, and how the team responds to the absence of Bryan Hogan for Friday and most likely the whole weekend. The team looked tentative at times in front of Shawn Hunwick, who performed admirably in almost two games of action against Notre Dame, but needs to be able to rely on his defense to help carry him.

No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Ohio State

Notre Dame: 13-15-8 (9-12-7, 2 SOW CCHA)

Ohio State: 12-16-6 (10-12-6, 4 SOW CCHA)

Season Series: Notre Dame leads 1-0-1, Ohio State won shootout

Fighting Irish Fact: After floundering in the first half with just six points in 20 games, captain Ryan Thang has bounced back nicely in the second half, notching a 6-10-16 line in 16 games, but in seven career games against Ohio State, the senior has yet to notch a point.

Buckeyes Fact: Ohio State has won both of the two previous playoff meetings between these two teams, beating the Irish in the conference quarterfinals at Joe Louis Arena in both 2003 and 2004.

How Notre Dame Wins: The Irish must stay out of the penalty box to avoid falling victim to a potentially dangerous Ohio State power play, and must put home any chance they get offensively, as they missed out on a few close calls last week against Michigan.

How Ohio State Wins: As has been the key for Ohio State over the past few years, the goaltending and team defense will be a major factor in deciding this series. Dustin Carlson gets the start Friday night for the Buckeyes and needs to play well and get some help from his defense to be a catalyst for what can be one of the league’s most dynamic offenses.

When the dead of winter rolls around, many college hockey teams, like the mammals whose likeness they wear on the front of their jerseys, go into hibernation.

Sometimes the strength of opponents finally catches up to a team that had an easy run in the first half of the year, sometimes a grueling travel schedule can take its toll on teams that are balancing full academic loads on top of hockey. Perhaps it’s even simply an inability to shake off the rust of the holiday break.

But while these conditions can be unpredictable with different effects striking different teams and all, you can almost set your watch to the emergence of a Northern Michigan team that has once again jumped to life at the turn of the year just as it has the two previous seasons, putting the Wildcats into contention for a first-round bye in the CCHA playoffs.

Northern Michigan has amassed a six-game unbeaten streak, with four wins in regulation and two shootout victories, propelling a that may have been headed on the road for the playoffs into a club with a legitimate shot to be resting during the opening round of the postseason.

“We finally started to play the way we’re supposed to,” Wildcats forward Greger Hansen said. “We’re following the coaches’ guidelines and doing all of the little things right.”

Hansen and fellow forward Mark Olver, perhaps the league’s most exciting players, have led the charge. They have compiled seven and eight points a piece during the past half dozen games, including a four-point night for Olver during last weekend’s 7-2 drubbing of Western Michigan at the Berry Events Center.

But while the offensive numbers continue to pile up and the Wildcats’ power play has risen to become the top unit in conference play in converting 22.7 percent of its opportunities, Hansen and Olver contend that the key has been focus on the team’s defensive game.

Heading into a critical two game series at Michigan, the Wildcats know that they must be responsible defensively and put away any chances that they do get against a talented Wolverines team. Olver noted that with Northern Michigan can’t always recruit the top talents in the land, coach Walt Kyle’s focus on recruiting the hardest working players he can find is paying off. Even Olver, as effective as his supreme offensive talents are, has made a renewed commitment to playing a two-way game.

“I think this year has been a little different for me,” Olver said. “I’m working to become a better defensive player. To get to the next level, you have to be a good defensive player and you have to be good down low, so I spent a lot of time in the weight room.”

One major piece of the Wildcats’ defensive efforts is goaltender Bryan Stewart, who continues to show why he is known as one of the toughest netminders in the CCHA. The 6-foot-4, 200 pound senior from British Columbia consistently comes up with big saves and his .923 save percentage ranks among the league’s best.

In the team’s five-point weekend at Ferris State, Stewart showed that he’s as ready as ever for matchups against top opponents, notching perhaps the single most heroic goaltending performance of the season in a 4-0 victory.

“The other weekend at Ferris State, (Stewart) had a 51-save shutout,” Olver said. “We won 4-0, but he came up with some of the big saves that we needed, because it would be a different game if it was 4-2 or 4-3. He has been a real catalyst for our team.”

If Stewert, Olver and the Wildcats can manage a big weekend in Ann Arbor, Northern Michigan could find itself in position to close out the year amongst the top four. With Michigan State and Ferris State facing each other and Nebraska-Omaha facing a tough road series at Miami, a sweep of Michigan could launch Northern Michigan to third place.

With a first-round bye and the rabid Wildcats fans pulling for the home team in the second round, it would be a downhill road to Joe Louis Arena for Northern Michigan.

Having finished the first half at 7-12-1 after starting the year with high expectations surrounding a seemingly resurgent program, Ohio State seemed to have finally found its course in the early stages of 2010.

The Buckeyes breezed through the month of January, going 4-1-1 with a pair of wins over Bowling Green and single triumphs on the road at Michigan State and at home against Ferris State. But just as it appeared they were back in the thick of the race for a first round bye after junior Kyle Reed sent the Ferris State finale to overtime with a third period goal, the impending shootout loss at Value City Arena began a tailspin that has seen Ohio State lose a shootout and a game in regulation at Nebraska-Omaha while falling all the way back into 10th place ahead of this weekend’s home series against Alaska.

“Our guys got impatient with playing simple hockey and doing the little things that make one guy able to read off of the other guy,” coach John Markell said. “It’s just a matter of getting focused and creating those opportunities for ourselves. We’re shooting the puck now, and little things are happening offensively, but defensively it’s a whole different story. We need to get better defensively if we’re going to go anywhere from this point on.”

Markell attributed a great deal of his team’s success against Michigan State and Ferris State to its ability to maintain focus on its defensive systems on several different levels. While the Buckeyes continued to generate offensive opportunities, there were continual lapses in the defensive zone resulting from undisciplined forward play and an inefficient transition game.

Compounding the team’s struggles in the defensive zone has been the underwhelming play of goaltenders Cal Heeter and Dustin Carlson. They had been the catalysts for Ohio State’s strong play at certain points this year and throughout last year, when the Buckeyes finished one point out of fourth place.

“I can’t say our goaltenders are up to snuff right now,” Markell said. “They’re making a spectacular save, but they’re letting the easy one in. I don’t know how many games in a row they want to have back. We need that save. We need the good save and we need the normal save. They’re every bit a part of this as the defensemen not clearing the zone or the forwards not finishing their checks or not backchecking the right spot. We’re all part of it.”

As the Buckeyes prepare for the home series against Alaska, Markell is hoping that his team can recapture some of its earlier discipline. The Nanooks are one of the league’s stingiest defensive teams and they can be opportunistic on the offensive end, so a complete effort will be required to help keep Ohio State from playing a first-round playoff series on the road.

With six conference games remaining, Ohio State still has a chance to earn a first-round bye, although those hopes would dwindle quickly if the Buckeyes were swept. A sweep of Alaska, however, combined with splits by the teams ahead of them in the standings - Michigan at Nebraska-Omaha and Ferris State at Lake Superior State - could help them move closer to securing at least a first-round series at home.

In trying to avoid going on the road for the opening round of the playoffs, Markell is looking for improved play from at least one of his goalies, and intends to ride the hot hand if Heeter or Carlson emerges as the favorite.

“I’ve told them that I want to run with the hot goalie,” Markell said. “This time of year you have to run with the hot goalie, and one of (them) has to come out. I spoke to them both at the same time and told them what I need, what I want and what I’m going to do. Whoever starts on Friday, let’s see how he plays and keep going forward. But they keep handing it back to me, where I can make the switch. That’s not what I want, that’s not what we need this time of year.”

Recent patterns suggest that Heeter will get the first shot at securing the job down the stretch in his first start against the Nanooks. Carlson is 3-4 against Alaska in his career, and while the experience is important, a split won’t go all that far in helping Ohio State move up in the conference.

MADISON, Wis. — If Wisconsin’s Brendan Smith is to be a serious contender for this year’s Hobey Baker Award, the junior added a key line to his resume at Saturday’s Culver’s Camp Randall Classic.

After dominating the first 20 minutes of play in front of 55,031 fans at Camp Randall Stadium, Smith’s Badgers let momentum slip into the hands of visiting Michigan in the second and a good chunk of the third period as the Wolverines gained a 2-1 lead. But as the clock wound down, Michigan captain Chris Summers took a pair of untimely penalties in the closing minutes of the contest, allowing Smith to steal the show.

The junior from Mimico, Ont. sent Badger fans into a frenzy with two power-play goals that solidified his candidacy for college hockey’s most prestigious individual honor and leading WIsconsin to a 3-2 win.

“When a young player is on the ice, all they think about is winning the Stanley Cup or whatnot on the back door rink,” Smith said as Wisconsin students chanted his name in the background. “This was pretty damn close.”

Wisconsin outshot Michigan 13-6 in the opening frame, controlling the puck with ease and taking an early lead three minutes into the period when Jordy Murray knocked a rebound past Wolverines netminder Bryan Hogan.

Though the Badgers maintained momentum and threatened to extend the lead on several occasions, Michigan scratched its way back into the game when Scooter Vaughan slipped a puck past Scott Gudmandson late in the first period. Linemate Lindsay Sparks cycled the puck behind the net and sent a pass back to Vaughan in front of the Wisconsin net.

Michigan's Carl Hagelin celebrates linemate Kevin Brown's third-period goal that eluded Wisconsin goalie Scott Gudmandson and gave the Wolverines a 2-1 lead.

Freshman Kevin Lynch gave the visitors the lead midway through the third period. Lynch carried the puck up through the neutral zone and let loose just inside the blue line, surprising everyone in the stadium, including Gudmandson, who lost sight of the shot.

“Obviously the ice wasn’t too good, so just getting shots on net was our focus,” Lynch said. “Off of the faceoff we lost the draw, but it came out to Carl [Hagelin]. He gave it to me and I just held on to it and once I got across the blue line, I just let one go and it went in.”

Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves praised his team for their response to Lynch’s stunning goal. Instead of collapsing and letting the exuberant atmosphere within the stadium dwindle, the team bonded together on the bench behind its captains and leaders and set out to crack the Michigan defense that held them goalless for more than 51 minutes.

“A lot of times, you talk about the fact that a game is like trying to solve a riddle,” Eaves said. “You’ve got to find the answer to the riddle. We stayed with it. On the bench, guys were saying the right things. It wasn’t like they got quiet or they got down. We stayed with it and we had good leadership on the bench.”

Once Summers took his first penalty, a tripping call at the 14:18 mark of the third period, Eaves was confident he had solved that riddle with some review of Michigan’s penalty-killing strategy between periods.

“It had more to do with what Michigan was doing and trying to take advantage of what they were doing,” Eaves said. “We watched the first power play after the period and thought there was something we could do. We made an adjustment and we executed at a critical time.”

The Badgers used Michigan’s focus on Blake Geoffrion to their advantage, getting Smith open from close range twice, and he buried them both.

“It’s so exciting, I have to give credit to the power play,” Smith said of the tying goal. “Michael Davies threaded that through the lane so pretty. He’s so talented. Really the play was backdoor to Blake, but they took that away so I was able to get open.”

The victory could be a big one for Wisconsin, which Smith said is focused on trying to get to the top seed in the NCAA tournament. He admits that it will be tough to run down Miami and Denver from behind, but his coach believes the victory might just give them the momentum they need to do just that.

“We said at the beginning of the week that this could be an energizer for us as we head into the last part of our WCHA season,” Eaves said. “To win the game the way we did, it certainly has the potential of doing that. I think the guys will be really excited about coming to the rink next week and getting back into the WCHA race.”

A Camp Randall Tradition?

With the game such a rousing success, Eaves was asked in his post game press conference whether he would do it all again.

“I hope so,” Eaves said. “Scooter, the ice doctor here from the company that put the ice in, actually feels that doing it at the college level makes a lot more sense than the pros, because if you do it every four years, you’ve got a new crop of students that haven’t experienced it. That’s a pretty common-sense statement. After what happened tonight, I think we can get that upper part of the stadium full based on what happened here.”

If the game’s star, Brendan Smith, had a vote, he’d surely do it all again next year.

“Fifty-five thousand fans, you can hear them now,” Smith said as they continued to chant his name in anticipation of his exit through the tunnel to the Wisconsin locker room. “This is unbelievable; I have no words to describe it.”

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag

• Aside from the renowned Wisconsin bratwursts, the hottest seller at concession stands inside the stadium was a $6 souvenir travel mug filled with hot chocolate.

• The fan festival area inside the Badgers’ football practice facility was a heated and, therefore, popular place Saturday. The Hockey Hall of Fame had several of the NHL’s top awards on display, and there was a significant line to get pictures taken with the Hobey Baker Award.

The display from the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame featured vintage sweaters from Michigan and Wisconsin. The 1924 Badger sweater looked more like a maroon mock turtleneck with well-worn leather elbow patches, while the sweet-looking 1946 Wolverines sweater featured a snarling animal on the front and—get this—stripes of maize, blue and red on the shoulders.

No puck luck: Instead of giving errant biscuits to fans, security gathered them.

• Both Wisconsin goalies—Becca Ruegsegger in the women’s game and Scott Gudmandson in the men’s game—wore red and white knit hats over the top of their goalie helmets. The wind chill was in the single digits by the time Gudmandson took to the ice, making the winter headwear more of a necessity. Not so in the relative warmth of the afternoon women’s game. “The hat was more of a decorative thing,” Ruegsegger admitted.

• Cardinal and white were by far the most popular colors inside the stadium, with the combination of maize and blue a distant second. In third place was not the green of Bemidji State (which lost 6-1 to the Badgers in the women’s game) but the eye-popping blaze orange favored for cold-weather wear by so many Wisconsin deer hunters.

• We had a tie in the contest for favorite t-shirt seen on State Street before the game. We really liked the one with the map of Illinois that said “Baja Wisconsin.” But we’re not sure if we could rank that ahead of the one next to the “Wisconsin Nursing” and “Wisconsin Engineering” shirts that read “Wisconsin Undecided.”

• Facilities officials from the University of Minnesota were on hand Saturday getting a first-hand look at how the rink was put together and how to smoothly run an outdoor hockey event. Marc Ryan, one of Minnesota’s associate athletic directors, told INCH this week that the Golden Gophers are in the advanced planning stages of hosting a similar event at the new 50,000-seat TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis next season.

• Stadium security down on the field was unfortunately tight for some young fans at the game. The security personnel ran down every loose puck that came off the playing surface, ending any hope that kids might head home with a free souvenir and the memory of a lifetime.

Jess Myers contributed to this report.