Over the next couple weeks, we’ll introduce you to the 10 players we’ve pegged as the top contenders for the 2013 Hobey Baker Award and take a closer look at 10 issues that will impact the upcoming season. First on the agenda, however, are our picks for the top 10 teams headed into coming season.

No.	Team	Of Note
1.	Minnesota	2011-12 record: 28-14-1, 20-8-0 WCHA Key returnees: Erik Haula, F, Jr. (20-29–49); Kyle Rau, F, So. (18-25–43); Nick Bjugstad, F, Jr. (25-17–42); Kyle Schmidt, D, Jr. (3-38–41) Key losses: Jake Hansen, F (16-22–38); Taylor Matson, F (8-15–23); Kent Patterson, G (28-14-1, 2.32, .907)
Assuming Bjugstad returns for his junior season instead of turning pro, the Gophers’ lineup will boast seven players who scored 20 or more points last season. Good thing they’ll score a ton, because Minnesota must break in a pair of untested goaltenders—junior Mike Shibrowski (20 career minutes played) and rookie Adam Wilcox, a South St. Paul, Minn., native who spent the last two seasons in the USHL with Green Bay and Tri-City.
2.	Michigan	2011-12 record: 24-13-4, 15-9-4-1 CCHA Key returnees: Alex Guptill, F, So. (16-17–33); A.J. Treais, F, Sr. (15-17–32); Phil Di Guiseppe, F, So. (11-15–26); Jon Merrill, D, Jr. (2-9–11) Key losses: David Wohlberg, F (16-17–33); Luke Glendening, F (10-11–21); Shawn Hunwick, G (24-12-3, 2.32, 2.00)
The returning cast is talented and deep, but it’s the newcomers who’ll draw the most attention from Wolverines fans early. U.S. NDTP defenseman Jacob Trouba is a sure-fire first-round pick in next month’s NHL Draft and could be among the first 10 players selected. Forward Cristoval “Boo” Nieves is a talented forward from the New England prep ranks likely to be chosen in the draft’s first two rounds. Then there’s U.S. NTDP goalie Jared Rutledge, the heir apparent to Shawn Hunwick.
3.	North Dakota	2011-12 record: 26-13-3, 16-11-1 WCHA Key returnees: Danny Kristo, F, Sr. (19-26–45); Corban Knight, F, Sr. (16-24–40); Carter Rowney, F, Sr. (18-15–33); Nick Mattson, D, So. (6-13–19) Key losses: Brock Nelson, F (28-19–47); Ben Blood, D (3-18–21); Mario Lamoureux, F (4-7–11)
As long as everyone doesn’t get hurt, it should be an exciting winter in Grand Forks. Kristo, Knight, and Rowney lead an attack that will benefit from the return of a healthy Rocco Grimaldi, and heralded freshman Jordan Schmaltz will round out an exceptional defensive corps. Goalie Aaron Dell was leaning toward turning pro this spring, but hasn’t signed. Even if he doesn’t return, NoDak’s goaltending should be in good hands with freshman Zane Gothberg and Alabama-Huntsville transfer Clarke Saunders.
4.	Union	2011-12 record: 26-8-7, 14-4-4 ECAC Hockey Key returnees: Troy Grosenick, G, Jr. (22-6-3, 1.65, .936); Daniel Carr, F, Jr. (20-20–40); Wayne Simpson, F, Sr. (18-13–31); Shayne Gostisbehere, D, So. (5-17–22) Key losses: Jeremy Welsh, F (27-17–44); Kelly Zajac, F (8-34–42); Nolan Julseth-White, D (0-4–4)
Within the ECAC Hockey ranks, last year’s performance by Union didn’t come as much of a surprise, but it certainly marked a bump in Union’s national profile. There are some key departures to address, most notably Welsh and his goal-scoring and defensemen Julseth-White and his leadership. However, there’s enough talent returning for the Dutchmen to make another run toward the Frozen Four and remain among the top-ranked teams in the country all season long. Hobey Baker finalist Grosenick returns in net and will have 10 forwards and five defensemen of the team’s regular lineup last year back in front of him.
5.	Western Michigan	2011-12 record: 21-14-6, 14-10-4-4 CCHA Key returnees: Chase Balisy, F, Jr. (13-24–37); Shane Berschbach, F, Jr. (10-22–32); Dan DeKeyser, D, Jr. (5-12–17); Frank Slubowski, G, So. (17-11-4, 2.03, .911) Key losses: Matt Tennyson, D (11-13–24); Greg Squires, F (8-11–19); Ian Slater, F (7-8–15)
First-year head coach Andy Murray kept the Western on the path Jeff Blashill forged, leading the Broncos to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and the school’s first CCHA tournament title since 1986. This season looks just as promising. The team’s three leading scorers—forwards Balisy, Berschbach, and Dane Walters—are back. So, too, are five regulars from one of the country’s best collection of defensemen, led by Dan DeKyser and Luke Witkowski. Then there’s goalie Frank Slubowski, arguably the Broncos’ most valuable player from a year ago when, as a freshman, he posted a 2.03 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.
6.	Boston College	2011-12 record: 33-10-1, 19-7-1 Hockey East Key returnees: John Gaudreau, F, So. (21-23–44); Steven Whitney, F, Sr. (16-23–39); Bill Arnold, F, So. (17-19–36); Parker Milner, G, Sr. (29-5-0, 1.66, .937) Key losses: Chris Kreider, F (23-22–45); Brian Dumoulin, D (7-21–28); Barry Almeida, F (22-18–40)
The defending national champions are one of the elite programs in the nation and always have to deal with quality players leaving the program due to graduation or professional hockey opportunities. This year might have hurt more than most, but the Eagles are certainly still among the top teams in the country. We’re a little concerned about where some of the scoring might come from with Chris Kreider already joining the New York Rangers and the graduation of Barry Almeida and Paul Carey who combined to score 40 goals last year. Milner proved he’s one of the nation’s best goalies and might have to carry this team as it finds its way in the first half, but as usual, BC will be there in the end.
7.	Cornell	2011-12 record: 19-9-7, 12-4-6 ECAC Hockey Key returnees: Andy Iles, G, Jr. (19-9-7, 2.12, .919); Greg Miller, F, Sr. (14-17–31); Dustin Mowrey, F, Jr. (8-15–23); Nick D’Agostino, D, Sr. (8-12–20) Key losses: Sean Collins, F (13-13–26); Sean Whitney, D (2-9–11); Locke Jillson, F (7-3–10)
If the Big Red had been able to score on a crucial power play in the NCAA Midwest Regional final, it would have been Cornell instead of Ferris State in the Frozen Four. That near miss may serve as motivation, as it was a Big Red team that was still a year or two away from being its best. Standout goalie Iles will back a lineup that lost just four regulars among its 18 skaters, including eight of its nine leading scorers from the 2011-12 campaign. If last year’s stellar freshman class that included Brian Ferlin, Joakim Ryan, John McCarron, Joel Lowry and Cole Bardreau can take steps forward, this team will be a legitimate threat to Union’s reign atop ECAC Hockey and a player in the national picture.
8.	Wisconsin	2011-12 record: 17-18-2, 11-15-2 WCHA Key returnees: Mark Zengerle, F, Jr. (13-37–50); Michael Mersch, F, Jr. (14-16–30); Tyler Barnes, F, Jr. (11-15–26); Joel Rumpel, G, So. (12-12-2, 2.48, .919) Key losses: Eric Springer, D (1-4–5)
Here’s a change: it should be a quiet summer in Madison other than the expected departure of defenseman Justin Schultz, who’s likely to end up signing as a free agent with someone other than Anaheim, the team that drafted him in 2008. Zengerle very quietly turned in a 50-point season, and with classmates Mersch and Barnes lead a group of young forwards. Even without Schultz, the Badgers will be solid on the blue line; senior John Ramage won’t fill up the score sheet, but he’s a tough defensive defenseman. Rumpel seized the no. 1 goaltending job midway through the season, proving he deserved the nod by posting a 2.02 GAA and a .931 save percentage after Jan. 1.
9.	UMass Lowell	2011-12 record: 24-13-1, 17-9-1 Hockey East Key returnees: Riley Wetmore, F, Sr. (14-25–39); Scott Wilson, F, So. (16-22–38); Derek Arnold, F, Jr. (17-17–34); Doug Carr, G, Jr. (22-10-1, 2.13, .928) Key losses: Matt Ferreira, F (14-18–32); David Vallorani, F (10-19–29); Michael Budd, F (6-5–11)
One of the nation’s most pleasant surprises a year ago seems to have some staying power with a number of key players back to build on those successes. Most importantly, Carr and his four shutouts, 2.13 goals-against average and .928 save percentage, will be manning the nets in his junior season. Up front, Wilson was in the discussion among the best freshmen in the country after turning in a 16-goal, 38-point first year on campus. The River Hawks have their top three scorers back, and their top six defensemen in terms of games played.
10.	Notre Dame	2011-12 record: 19-18-3, 12-13-3-0 CCHA Key returnees: T.J. Tynan, F, Jr. (13-28–41); Anders Lee, F, Jr. (17-17–34); Austin Wuthrich, F, So. (7-10–17); Stephen Johns, D, Jr. (4-6–10) Key losses: Billy Maday, F (12-15–27); Riley Sheahan, F (9-16–25); Sean Lorenz, D (3-10–13)
Yeah, it was a dumpster fire of a season in South Bend last year and their goaltending is suspect, but the Fighting Irish are too talented to fail. You know what you’re gonna get from Tynan and Lee, Wuthrich showed promise as a freshman, and Jeff Costello, if healthy, gives Notre Dame a rugged, front-of-the-net presence. Throw in four incoming freshmen who might be the best collection of rookie forwards in the nation and a group of talented defensemen who struggled with consistency last season, and the pieces are there for the Irish to bounce back.

It’s also fitting that in spite of his unconventional goaltending style—the lunging, the flailing, the diving, the cartwheeling, the desperation—Hunwick became Michigan’s primary asset. A guy who played like an invertebrate was the Wolverines’ backbone.

There were goalies who had better numbers and, let’s be honest, just about every netminder in the nation looked the part better than Hunwick who, at 5-foot-7, was an amalgam of Dominik Hasek’s acrobatics, Billy Smith’s fieriness, and Darren Pang’s build. But what made Hunwick so intriguing (it wasn’t his Horatio Alger-like rise to starter) was how his success and that of his team were so inexplicably intertwined. The Sterling Heights, Mich., native likely doesn’t make as big an impact on any other team; likewise, the Wolverines probably don’t win as many games if someone other than Hunwick is in goal.

And Hunwick won—a lot. In 40 starts, he was 24-12-3 with a 2.00 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. During the last two thirds of the season as the Wolverines pushed their way toward the top of the CCHA standings, earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament along the way, Hunwick was even better, going 17-5-1 with a 1.60 GAA and a .945 save percentage.

“As a coach, it just shows you—we don’t know everything,” Michigan coach Red Berenson told the Michigan Daily in October. “You don’t know everything about your players, you don’t know what’s inside a kid, and you don’t know what the possibilities are.”

His Runner-Up: Troy Grosenick, Union

• INCH’s year-end awards are decided upon with input from the editorial staff of InsideCollegeHockey.com and in consultation with coaches and other college hockey followers from across the country.

His offensive production was great. Krug posted 34 points in 38 games, including a seven-game stretch from late January through mid-February in which Krug scored 13 points as Michigan State went 5-2-0 and solidified its place in the CCHA standings. His defensive work was noteworthy, as Krug posted a plus-17 rating and finished the regular season with a plus-21 rating.

Most importantly, Krug was the single most-important reason that Michigan State posted a winning season and made a return to the NCAA Tournament. He was a two-year captain, logged a ton of ice time and came up with big plays in the team’s biggest games. His peers recognized what he meant as Krug was selected as the CCHA Player of the Year and a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

Krug’s junior year was his last as a college hockey player, as he signed a professional contract with the Boston Bruins after Michigan State’s season ended and has already made his NHL debut. That’s not to say he didn’t have a complete college career. He was a 2012 AHCA West Region First Team All-American, a two-time First Team All-CCHA pick, and twice named as the CCHA’s Best Offensive Defenseman. Now, he adds INCH Defenseman of the Year honors to his impressive list of accolades.

His Runner-Up: Brian Dumoulin, Boston College

• INCH’s year-end awards are decided upon with input from the editorial staff of InsideCollegeHockey.com and in consultation with coaches and other college hockey followers from across the country.

The top-ranked player with college ties is U.S. National Team Development Program defenseman and Michigan recruit Jacob Trouba, who is ranked ninth. Others listed among the top 30 include Vermont recruit Zemgus Girgensons, a forward who currently plays for Dubuque of the United States Hockey League (18th); U.S. NTDP defenseman Brady Skjei, a Minnesota recruit (19th); Michigan forward Phil Di Giuseppi (22nd); Kent (Conn.) School forward Cristoval Nieves, a Michigan recruit (27th); U.S. NTDP forward and Wisconsin recruit Nick Kerdiles (29th); and Dubuque defenseman Mike Matheson (30th), who will head to Boston College in the fall.

The North American lists rank 210 skaters and 30 goalies, all of whom play in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to college players, the list features draft-eligible major junior players as well as a number of college-bound high school, prep, and junior players. The NHL Entry Draft takes place June 22-23 in Pittsburgh.

The trip to Tampa this year’s Frozen Four was a necessary evil. At least that’s what I had decided as the date approached. It’ll be hot and humid, and I’ll be sweaty and miserable. Outside of a few snowbirds and transplants from college hockey hotbeds, no one around here will care about the Frozen, especially with the Rays opening the baseball season with a series against the Yankees on the other side of the bay. And then Ferris State and Union qualify for the first time ever which, while great for the respective schools and college hockey as a whole, won’t generate heat in a non-traditional college hockey market.

Permanent venue? We think it works.

As has been the case more often than not this month (just look back at my NCAA picks), I was wrong.

Sure, there were empty seats for both Thursday’s semifinals and Saturday’s championship game, but the crowds have been enthusiastic. The Frozen Fest in the plaza just outside the Tampa Bay Times Forum was wall-to-wall-to-wall people prior to Saturday’s game. The weather has been great and fans to soak up the sun and enjoy the mild nights while taking in the sights in the area. The local media, especially the two daily newspapers here, have been terrific. There are signs trumpeting the Frozen Four all over the city—not just the Channelside area around the rink, but Ybor City, the airport, and other locales. Most surprising, the locals have embraced the event; sit down at a restaurant, belly up to a bar, go into a store, climb into a cab, or bump into regular folks at a night spot, and you’re likely to be asked if you’re here for the hockey tournament.

Clearly, this area knows how to host big events—Tampa is a frequent landing spot for the Super Bowl and hosts the Outback Bowl; the NCAA Final Four was in St. Petersburg in 1999 and basketball regionals have been held in both Tampa and St. Pete; and both the Stanley Cup and World Series have been here in the past decade.

So why not make Tampa the permanent Frozen Four host?

Scoff if you must, but it wouldn’t be unprecedented. Omaha is the permanent host of the College World Series and Oklahoma City is always the site of the softball’s championship. Turn the Frozen Four into college hockey’s version of a bowl game.

Think about it. Hotel rooms are plentiful and reasonably priced. Most airports across the country offer affordable flights to either Tampa or Orlando, which is a little more than an hour’s drive from here. There’s plenty to do around here—museums, theme parks, the beach. And by all accounts, the teams and fans who made the trip down here this week had a blast. Before long, planning a week-long trip to Tampa in early April becomes a must for college hockey fans.

When I floated this idea Saturday afternoon via Twitter, I was surprised by the blowback (which I assume came from people who aren’t here.)  Some suggested Tampa shouldn’t host if the championship game wasn’t a sellout. With more than 18,000 announced as the Saturday attendance, it wasn’t, but I don’t see that as the host city’s problem. And, hey, a few empty seats didn’t affect the quality of Saturday’s game. Unlike a major league baseball game, the Frozen Four isn’t something you go out and do on a whim. And you’ve known for how long this event was coming to Tampa? Stop complaining and get here!

The odds of something like this coming to fruition are unlikely. College hockey fans like to hang onto traditional sites like Boston (expensive city, iffy spring weather, mediocre rink) and St. Paul (affordable city, iffy spring weather, best rink in America). We assume the Tampa Bay Lightning won’t like the idea of wrapping up the regular season with road games every year, but why not give it a shot? We heartily endorse the idea.

Often times those runs have been one-and-done occurrences, with teams or leagues retreating to national anonymity in the seasons that follow. But two of the schools that reached the Frozen Four for the first time in program history have managed to use those appearances on the final weekend as a springboard for sustainable excellence and perennial national relevance.

Notre Dame, which reached its first Frozen in 2008, and Miami, a team that first reached the final weekend for its first time in 2009, have used those appearances to jumpstart recruiting and solidify a culture of excellence.

Having reached the Frozen Four and National Championship game for the first time in program history, Ferris State now embarks on the effort to determine whether this was a once-in-a-blue-moon foray into national relevance, or an Irish- or Redhawks-like springboard to the big leagues.

Senior defenseman and second-team All-American Chad Billins believes it’s the latter.

“I think that now the guys have some experience and some confidence, we’re honored to be able to be seniors in the dressing room,” he said. “Hopefully, we taught them how to play the game and how to play Bulldog hockey, as some people call it. I think it’s a special group of guys in that room and I think it will keep going when we’re gone.”

Coach Bob Daniels saw that trend begin a few years ago, as his teams have earned first-round byes in three consecutive seasons and came a within perhaps a single victory of reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2010.

“I think last year we had a bye in the first round of the playoffs,” Daniels said. “The year before last we had a bye. And we’ve been a good team for quite a while now – it’s just not on the national scene maybe.”

Daniels recognizes, however, that the scale by which his program is measured has changed with a trip to the national championship game.

“I think you say to yourself, okay, we can do this,” Daniels said. “So it does change our standard. It was good, but it wasn’t like we were saving the free world, we can do this. We’ve always felt we could be a very good team, but now I feel that we can do it on a national stage. It’s so tough to do this year in and year out, but it’s certainly our goal next year is to duplicate.”

Reflecting on how many key pieces return and the growth that players like Jordie Johnston and Blair Riley have seen as upperclassmen in recent years, Daniels believes that the stars could be aligned for another strong season.

“I think there’s the ability level there to have another very good year,” Daniels said. “Now it’s whether we’re willing to do all of the things that this team was willing to do. Only time will tell that. I’m really interested to see how we respond to this, if there’s going to be some kind of hangover or if we’re able to keep pressing forward. That’s going to be our challenge, not only for the players, but also for the coaches. Can we take this and keep moving this thing in that direction and keep it at this level?”

Echoing his coach’s sentiments, forward Jordie Johnston named his roommate, Kyle Bonis, and freshman netminder C.J. Motte, who played well in early duty before senior Taylor Nelson grabbed the reins and played his way on to the All-America First Team, as key catalysts for the 2012-13 Bulldogs.

“We saw Bonis, how he played this weekend,” Johnston said. “He’s a machine. He’s going to be unreal for them next year. And Motte’s quite a goalie. He’ll step into Nelly’s role pretty well. They’ll be a great team next year.”

And Johnston believes that this year’ success will breed future successes beyond the promising immediate future.

“That’s what we’re so proud of, that we were able to be on a team that kind of started the ball rolling for the program,” Johnston said.  “Because now there’s going to be kids who want to come to Ferris now. And that’s something we’re really proud of.”

Whether the Bulldogs can play their way to Pittsburgh remains to be seen, but it’s worth noting that there was no talk of this team being an underdog after they lost to Boston College. On the big stage, this didn’t look like a coach or a team that didn’t belong in the spotlight. It looked, rather, like a program ready to contend for another championship in the final year of the CCHA and a program that could be poised to carry the WCHA’s banner once the realignment process is complete.

The Bulldogs are ready to keep playing Bulldog hockey off the ice in the coming months, and that they’ll keep heads up and pushing forward even if they’re not taking the ice in the Frozen Four next year. Having witnessed a true perennial powerhouse up close and personally on Saturday night, they know what it takes to sustain success.

“I think Boston College is special,” Daniels said. “For them to win three out of five, I mean, that’s something. That says a lot. I believe Jerry York deserves all the credit for that and his staff. It’s wonderful what they’ve done.  I think it’s somewhat unprecedented and it’s going to be hard to duplicate.

“But for our own selves, I feel we’ve been pretty good for a while, and I think we’ll continue to be good.”

TAMPA, Fla. – For all of the game’s complicated defensive systems and forechecking patterns and line combinations, very often, hockey boils down to a pretty simple fact: Stop more pucks than the other team, and you’re likely to win.

Such was the case Saturday as Boston College claimed its third NCAA crown since 2008, holding off a hard-working and determined Ferris State team to win 4-1.

Again and again, the Bulldogs controlled the play and worked the puck to the front of the Eagles’ net. And as he’d done time and again throughout BC’s dominating run through the NCAA playoffs, Parker Milner spoiled the opponents’ fun.

Boston College's Steven Whitney tries to poke the puck past Ferris State goalie Taylor Nelson in the second period of Saturday's NCAA championship game. The play was whistled dead shortly thereafter.

In earning the Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player award, Milner stopped 27 Bulldog shots; in two games in Tampa and two in the NCAA Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass., two weeks ago, he allowed just two goals. He was near perfect and needed to be, as Ferris State never looked awed by their surroundings.

BC scored first, as it had done so often during its 19-game unbeaten streak, when Steven Whitney cashed in on a bad turnover in front of the Bulldogs’ net. But barely two minutes later, Ferris State responded when Garrett Thompson poked a loose puck past Milner, who had stopped the first two shots on the play.

From there, it became a battle of special teams—some effective and some not so. The Eagles got a power-play goal later in the first to lead 2-1 when a long-range shot by defenseman Brian Dumoulin got past Ferris State goaltender Taylor Nelson after it careened off the glove of BC forward Paul Carey. But Ferris was undaunted and took control of the play for long stretches in the first and second periods.

And that’s when, again, it became the Milner show. The junior from Pittsburgh had an answer for everything that came his way, which included a Kyle Bonis breakaway and a point-blank shot by Thompson on the doorstep, which the goalie sprawled to smother.

The Bulldogs had three consecutive power plays later in the third but got nothing to show for them as BC’s penalty kill was perfect. The Eagles hung around and looked content to claim the title with a one-goal win until freshman forward Johnny Gaudreau provided the dagger with 3:02 left in the third period, beating Ferris State goalie Taylor Nelson up high with a wicked backhand to start the countdown to BC’s fifth title in earnest.

Whitney added an empty-net goal from beyond the blue line with just over one minute to play to seal the game. Nelson finished with 33 saves for the Bulldogs, who finish 26-12-5 while earning the second CCHA regular-season championship in school history.

The Eagles conclude with a 33-10-1 mark. Coach Jerry York won his fifth national title—four with Boston College (2001, 2008, 2010 and 2012) and one with Bowling Green (1984).

Don’t tell the Boston College players that, though. The Eagles are well aware of the threat that the Bulldogs pose to their title chances.

Tommy Cross and his Boston College teammates aren't taking Saturday's challenge from Ferris State lightly.

“Ferris State is a team that has played some great hockey over the course of the season, obviously, but especially where they beat some really solid teams in the NCAA Tournament in Union, Cornell and Denver,” said senior captain Tommy Cross. “They’re red hot. We said last night that if we want to get a trophy, it will probably have to be our best game of the season on Saturday night.”

For certain, the challenge facing Boston College is a drastically different one than the Eagles faced Thursday against Minnesota. While Minnesota attempted—and failed—to skate with Boston College, Ferris State is just as likely to pick their spots to counter the Eagles and have shown the ability throughout this postseason to capitalize on its opponents’ mistakes.

“We have a great deal of respect for Ferris State,” said head coach Jerry York. “Any team that can win the CCHA, you know, Michigan’s in there, Michigan State’s in there, Miami’s in there … some really powerful, powerful teams, and you have Ferris that won the [regular-season] championship.”

In this instance, Boston College’s players would do well to heed the words of their head coach. In 2007, York’s team was on the losing end of a 3-1 contest against Michigan State, a team that few people gave any chance to capture the championship. Even back then, the many of the same comparisons of David versus Goliath were being made, a notion that York was quick to dispel.

“Everybody’s got something to lose at this point, unless you don’t want to win a trophy,” he said. “There’s nobody here that has nothing to lose.”

FERRIS STATE DEFENSEMEN ONE-UPMANSHIP
By James V. Dowd

• While team chemistry is paramount in the playoffs, a bit of a healthy rivalry in the locker room can be productive for a team as well. That has been the case for Ferris State blueliners Brett Wysopal and Scott Czarnowczan, who are first and second on the team in blocked shots. Czarnowczan came into the weekend leading the team with 74 blocked shots, one ahead of Wysopal. A six-block performance against Union in Thursday’s Frozen Four semifinal gave Wysopal the lead and bragging rights for at least 48 hours.

On the other hand, Bulldogs’ forwards Jordie Johnston and Kyle Bonis, first and second on the team with 20 and 19 goals, respectively, have found that mutual encouragement works for them. Heading into the weekend, Johnston was encouraging his roommate, saying that he foresaw a goal or two in Bonis’ future. That vision became reality when Bonis broke out with the game-winning goal and an assist against the Dutchmen. Of course, Johnston was quick to take credit for the goal thanks to his confidence-boosting pep talk.

Ferris State captain Chad Billins says he's a "light" sleeper.

• Speaking of roommates, two anchors of Ferris State’s success have a unique method of making sure they’re not sluggish the morning of a game. Goaltender Taylor Nelson and defenseman Chad Billins have lived together since they were freshmen and know each other’s habits cold. One commonality they share is sleeping with the window shades open the night before a game. Perhaps superstition as much as anything, the pair joked that the sunlight gives them positive energy and have found that early-morning light pouring in through an unblocked window helps prevent sluggishness on game day.

• Back to Bonis, Ferris State coach Bob Daniels noted during Thursday’s postgame press conference—much as he did during Bonis’s hot start to the season back in October—that he and his staff always knew the former walk-on could score goals but worried about his skating. The senior forward said it was a flaw in his game he ignored despite coaches’ criticism when he was younger, but as a college player, he matured and embraced the opportunity to improve. Summer workouts focusing on improving his stride paid off handsomely with a junior season that surpassed the offensive output of his first two seasons combined.

•  While Johnston is thrilled to be playing for a national title and happy his prophecy of a Bonis goal was fulfilled, the senior forward admitted the victory over Union was personally frustrating. Johnston registered three shots on goal against the Dutchmen, but felt as if he squeezed his stick a little on a few solid opportunities. The team’s leading scorer is looking forward to the opportunity to redeem himself and create scoring chances against a tough Boston College defense Saturday.

Nobody gave Michigan State much of a chance in 2007, but the Spartans defeated a highly-favored Boston College team in the national championship game.

However, 18 victories don’t guarantee a 19th. A comparison of hockey pedigree and championship reputation is only that, a look at the past. What happens on Saturday night will be remembered as the culmination of a tremendous run by the Eagles or one of the most surprising championship results of all time. It brings to mind some of the same themes that surrounded this game and Frozen Four weekend just five years earlier.

Drawing the parallels between this championship weekend and the St. Louis event in 2007 is easy to do. A marquee semifinal game was the prime time attraction as Boston College faced North Dakota, a few hours after Michigan State worked past Maine in the early semifinal. The buzz was about that second semifinal being a de facto national championship game. Sure, the Michigan State and Maine teams of 2007 had nice seasons and earned Frozen berths, but did anyone consider the winner of that game would pose a real threat to Boston College or North Dakota, two of the giants of college hockey?

And so here we are again in 2012. Ferris State and Union had nice seasons, both won regular-season league titles and qualified for the Frozen Four for the first time in each program’s history, but this was just a precursor to the more attractive second final between Boston College and Minnesota. Or so they say.

“We didn’t hear much of that before the semifinals, we didn’t pay much attention to anything because we were too focused on beating Maine. They knocked us out of the tournament the year before and we were really pointing toward that game,” Lerg said. “But afterward, watching that second semifinal we did hear a little bit about that being the game that everyone was excited about and that was the (perceived) title game.”

Of course, Michigan State defeated Boston College in the finals and it gives every team hope.

That’s just the beginning of the similarities between the 2006-07 Michigan State Spartans and the 2011-12 Ferris State Bulldogs. Both CCHA member schools, they advanced to the Frozen Four out of the Midwest Regional. The teams carried similar records into the national title game, Michigan State at 15-13-3 and Ferris State at 26-11-5, and earned more renown for defense than offense. Frozen Four semifinal victories were two-goal wins bolstered by a pair of third-period goals. Bob Daniels is a Michigan State alum. Jeff Lerg of Michigan State and Taylor Nelson of Ferris State are steady, reliable netminders that don’t make the big mistake and can come up with huge saves when necessary.

“I think Ferris State does have the same mindset and is in a similar situation as we were,” former Michigan State goaltender Jeff Lerg said. He said that Spartan team thrived by focusing on themselves. “For our team, we just liked being around each other so much. It was a do-or-die situation, but we just wanted to keep winning so that we could keep playing together for as long as we could.”

With all of that in mind, it’s foolish to discount Ferris State’s chances. It’s just one game, not a seven-game series, and for three periods on Saturday night in Tampa, the opportunity is there for the Bulldogs. Lerg said their Friday practice at the Frozen Four might have been too relaxed, too loose, but they were able to refocus for the championship game. The Bulldogs are also of the mindset that the pressure shifts away from them, despite the magnitude of the opportunity that awaits.

“I think we can just come up and play our game,” Nelson said. “Sometimes when you are that top team coming in, you are a little worried about that team like us who has been an underdog all season long. We just come out and play. You might be squeezing your stick a little too tight if you are considered a favorite because you should win the game. Both teams have had great years. Both teams are here playing in the championship. Both teams are very well deserving and I think we just need to come out and play.”

The similarities are undeniable. Ferris State can only hope that the story ends the same way.

DEFENSIVE DEPTH LIFTS BULLDOGS
By James V. Dowd

Freshman Jason Binkley and the the Ferris State defense corps was at its best in a semifinal win over Union.

Ferris State coach Bob Daniels described facing off against Union in the national semifinal game as being like looking in the mirror. Both teams are hard-nosed, play nearly flawless defense and have overcome the obstacles facing small schools to emerge as two of the nation’s top teams this season.

If there’s one thing that differentiated the two on paper, it was the play of Union’s most prolific line this year. That trio of Jeremy Welsh, Daniel Carr and Josh Jooris amassed a combined 54 goals and 110 points in the 40 games prior to the Frozen Four.

“They’re just too big and too strong,” Daniels said. “And so we also wanted to make sure we followed the puck, if you will, so when Welsh or that line headed in the offensive zone, rather than relying on a man-on-man type defense with them, we tried to send two players right at the puck to limit our exposure with them in zone.”

Neutralizing that line and Union’s prolific power play became a focal point for Ferris State, especially on a night where they were designated the visiting team and they wouldn’t have the ability to match lines. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, defensive depth is one of coach Bob Daniels’ top assets this year.

Being able to use his top two pairings, senior Chad Billins and sophomore Scott Czarnowczan followed by senior Brett Wysopal and freshman Jason Binkley, interchangeably proved to be difference, as the Bulldogs limited Union’s fearsome trio to a single second period goal in Ferris State’s 3-1 victory.

Wysopal and Binkley, in particular, often found themselves out there against Welsh’s line consistently and made up for Carr’s goal by limiting the number of chances that got through to goaltender Taylor Nelson for the rest of the night.

“I’ve been a defensive defenseman this year, that’s kind of the role that I’ve had,” Wysopal said. “I like playing against other teams’ top lines, and I got a few blocks in the first period and a few against (Welsh). It’s a challenge, he’s a heck of a player and I know he likes to shoot a lot. He got one off of my foot my foot pretty good.”

Daniels took note of those efforts and praised the senior for his gritty play after the game.

“There are a lot of teams that would like (Wysopal) on their number-one pairing in the country because of how well he plays defensively and he’s really a warrior,” Daniels said. “For us to have him in our second pairing is really a bonus for us. Because of the fact that now with the rules on icing, you can’t change players, people that watch that game very closely, every single time we had an icing the Welsh line came out. So you would get a group of our players tired and so you could never guarantee who you’re going to have on the ice, and then to have Brett Wysopal to be able to run out after Czarnowczan and Billins is a luxury a lot of teams would like to have.”

In the end the result was a prototypical Ferris State victory that sent the Bulldogs to prepare for their first-ever national championship game – the type of contest where depth and grit, especially on defense, are always keys to victory.

UNION’S KEYS TAKEN AWAY
By Joe Gladziszewski

Union only got one (abbreviated) power play, but committed five minors including this third-period elbow by Mat Bodie.

When you’re game-planning to stop Union, one of the first bulletpoints on the game plan is to stay out of the penalty box. The Dutchmen power play is one of the best of the country and entered the game at 24.3 percent, ranked fourth nationally.

Neither team was penalized in the first period, and Union committed two infractions in the second. The Dutchmen went on the power play for the first time with 15:30 remaining in the third period when the game was tied 1-1. That turned out to be Union’s only power play in the game and that was cut short when Union’s Josh Jooris was called for a high-sticking minor with 37 seconds left in the man advantage. A team that scored 46 power-play goals on the season was unable to get one in the biggest game of the year.

“We thought maybe we’d get a call eventually,” Union senior captain Nolan Julseth-White said. “We thought we’d try to lean on the refs about the hooking and what not, and we’re not putting anything on the refs. You can’t expect those to come. You’ve got to go out there and earn calls and earn opportunities and we didn’t do that tonight,” Julseth-White said.

It was just one of the areas that Union typically excels at that didn’t go its way in the national semifinal. Some of the things that Ferris State does particularly well are similar to Union’s way of playing, but whereas Union likes to possess the puck and get speed in transition, this game tended to favor loose puck battles and races into open space.

“They play a pretty similar style to ourselves. We didn’t take care of the puck like we normally do and I think we got outhit tonight as well. We kind of got away from our game,” Julseth-White said. “I didn’t think our talk level was there tonight, especially when guys were going to battles for the puck I think we could have done a better job.”

It was the fourth year in a row that Union can characterize the completed season as the best in the program’s Division I history, and wrapped up in the month of April for the first time. While the elements of the game that Union has used to build its program into one of national prominence didn’t go in the team’s favor on Thursday night in Tampa, those are the types of things that have helped build sustainable excellence in Schenectady.