We’re more than four months from the start of the 2012-13 season, but here at Inside College Hockey we can’t resist casting our gaze toward the future. A lot can change between now and the drop of the puck in October, but that won’t keep us from rolling out our 10 For ’13 feature.

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.

If you’ve been following the INCH Hobey Tracker all season long, you’ve been keenly aware that our tendency has been to point toward the nation’s leading goal-scorer, Austin Smith of Colgate, as our favorite for the award. Smith didn’t win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award at the end of the 2011-12 season, that went to Minnesota Duluth’s Jack Connolly, but it didn’t change our thinking. Austin Smith is the 2011-12 INCH National Player of the Year.

Austin Smith

The numbers that Smith posted are remarkable. He scored a nation’s best 36 goals on the year and totaled 57 points in 39 games. His 1.461 points per game ranked third nationally, trailing only the other He had six short-handed goals, and seven power-play goals. The rest of his work was done at even-strength, meaning that 29 of his 36 goals came while the Raiders had equal or fewer players on the ice as the opponent. (Half of Connolly’s points came on the power play.) Smith was also remarkably consistent throughout the year. His longest streak without scoring a goal was two games.

“I think his statistics speak volumes about what he did, obviously the goals he put up. He had maybe three or four empty-net goals, a bunch of short-handed goals. These were not secondary assists, and we played some good teams this year. I’ve been at this a long time, and we had somebody who I thought could have arguably won the Hobey Baker in Andy McDonald, back in 2000, and I think Austin Smith has had the kind of year, and maybe in some ways even a little better than Andy McDonald had his senior year in 2000. I think that speaks volumes,” Colgate coach Don Vaughan said.

Smith’s standout senior season also impacted his team’s success. Colgate was just 11-28-3 in the 2010-11 season and finished 12th in ECAC Hockey before a deep run in the conference playoffs. The Raiders improved to 19-17-3 this season and earned a first-round playoff bye before returning to Atlantic City for the ECACH Championship weekend.

His Runner-Up: Jack Connolly, Minnesota Duluth

• 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 NHL’s Central Scouting Service has released its final ranking of the top players eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The rankings list North American and European players separately, as well as separating goalies from skaters (forwards and defensemen).

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.

TAMPA, Fla. – Count me among the skeptics.

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.

Inside some of the key storylines from Ferris State’s 3-1 win over Union.

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.

Ferris State 3, Union 1 | Box Score

Goalie's best friend: Union netminder Troy Grosenick gets some help from the crossbar on this Ferris State shot during Thursday's Frozen Four semifinal.

TAMPA, Fla. — Ferris State forward Kyle Bonis scored two goals, including the game-winner with 4:43 to play in the third period, to lead Ferris State to a 3-1 victory over Union in the first of two national semifinals at the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla. The Bulldogs, making just their second NCAA tournament appearance in program history, advance to face the winner of the second semifinal between Minnesota and Boston College in the national title game on Saturday night.

Aaron Schmit added an empty-net goal for Ferris State (26-11-5) late in the third period as the Bulldogs sealed away the victory. Daniel Carr scored for Union, whose season ends with a 26-8-7 record.

Ferris State goaltender Taylor Nelson stopped 27 Dutchmen shots in collecting the victory while his counterpart, Troy Grosenick, picked up 34 saves in the loss for Union. Ferris State finished the night 1-for-4 on the power play, with Union being held scoreless in one power-play opportunity.

Following a scoreless first period, Union got on the scoreboard first with Carr’s tip-in of a shot from the point by defenseman Greg Coburn at the 7:56 mark of the period. Ferris State would tie the game just over nine minutes later, with Bonis poking home a puck from the edge of the crease with the Bulldogs on the power play.

In the third period, Bonis again found the back of the net, backhanding a rebound off a shot by defenseman Brett Wysopal past Grosenick. Grosenick went to the bench for the extra skater with 1:21 to play, but Schmit forced a turnover at the Ferris State blue line and skated the length of the ice for the uncontested goal to provide the final margin.

INCH spoke with coaches of teams that have played this year’s Frozen Four participants. We offered them anonymity in exchange for their candid takes on strengths and weaknesses of the 2012 quartet.

FERRIS STATE vs. UNION

FERRIS STATE (25-11-5 overall, 16-7-5-1 CCHA)
CCHA regular-season champions
NCAA Midwest Regional champions

They’re a great team to play against, lot of skill.

They play so well defensively, and yet, they have some really good offensive ability. It all comes from the net out with their goaltender. He’s been outstanding for them all year and I think he’s going to be the key to success for them. At this point, that position becomes magnified, with one bad bounce and you’re going home. The common denominator for all of the teams that are still playing this weekend is that they have great goaltending.

It’s a very disciplined, mature team and they have a lot of really good, committed players who have bought in to what the coaching staff preaches. They’re physical, they finish checks and win a lot of puck battles. One of the things that differentiates them is that they’ve had a very consistent penalty kill that has been very high

Ferris State has a unique defensive zone coverage that’s almost like a box-and-one. They try to outnumber teams in the corners, because a lot of times other teams don’t want to commit that third guy. That leaves the points open, but Ferris is always quick to rotate and they block a ton of shots. It’s tough to penetrate.

Offensively, when they get those pucks in the defensive zone, they like to put a lot of pucks into space. The forwards can get out early in transition and get into footraces. The secondary forwards can join and try to beat their men down the ice.

One thing that might be worth watching is that their defense is pretty small. Union has big forwards and might be able to make things difficult on their defense.

UNION (26-7-7 overall, 14-4-4 ECAC Hockey)
ECAC Hockey regular-season champions
ECAC Hockey tournament champions
NCAA East Regional champions

This isn’t a team with a lot of major flaws. They are committed to doing the simple things well and have a lot of belief in their team identity. They are unwavering in how they want to play. I thought we were able to do some things against them that would have rattled lesser teams, but their conviction and belief is so strong.

If you want to score goals against them you’ve got to establish a forecheck, getting a little bit of a cycle going and then when you do get shots you’ve got to get bodies to the front of the net and get in front of Grosenick. I think Union does a really good job of clearing guys out and letting him see pucks. You’ve got to get in his face a little bit and push him back a little deeper in the net.

To slow them down, you’ve got to limit easy goals, which to me are on the power play and on faceoffs, where Jeremy Welsh and Kelly Zajac are especially good.

If you can utilize the weak side of the ice on breakouts and in the offensive zone you can make it tough on them because all five players on the ice are so aggressive toward the puck. Cycling against them and using the weak side is the best way to generate possession.

One of their strengths is their forecheck. They play all four lines and all four lines come hard on the forecheck. I think you need to match their competitiveness. You have to be ready to play a high tempo, a high pace and be ready. If you’re flat-footed you’re going to be in trouble.

They’ve got enough high-end talent, not a ton, but enough, and they really buy in to what they need to do to win. They’re a very selfless team. I don’t see a drop of selfishness in that team. Even Welsh, who’s bombing away, is not a selfish kid. He knows, “I need to score goals for this team to win.”

ANONYMOUS UNION DEFENSE KEYS TEAM SUCCESS
By Joe Gladziszewski

College hockey fans who are just catching up on to this Union team and its successful run through the regular season and NCAA Tournament can surely come up with the basic information. Troy Grosenick, the sophomore goaltender, is a Hobey Baker finalist. Jeremy Welsh, the team’s leading goal-scorer is a high-level player and has surely attracted lots of attention from NHL front office types.

But what about the defensemen? Those guys do their job in relative anonymity, and it suits them just fine. It’s a mix of differing styles of play, differing levels of collegiate experience and different personalities, but they make all of those things work as a complete unit. Union assistant coach Jason Tapp, a former Boston University goaltender, works primarily with the defenseman.

Junior defenseman Shawn Stuart is part of an anonymous Union defensive corps.

“I think the biggest part of the D is that they all know their roles,” Tapp said. “We have some offensive guys, we’ve have some stay-at-home guys and everyone says we’re an older team but we’re actually pretty young.”

Among the defense corps, the only senior that’s among the top-six is captain Nolan Julseth-White. Juniors Shawn Stuart (40 games) and Greg Coburn (39) have been in the lineup almost every night. Mat Bodie is a sophomore and Shayne Gostisbehere is a freshman. The other spot has been claimed by junior Ryan Forgaard, who returned from injury to reclaim a lineup spot and has been in 19 games this season. Freshman Charlie Vasaturo (12) and senior Taylor Reid (13) have been solid contributors when called upon.

“They’re all very coachable, and they know what their roles are. They listen, they do their job and don’t try to do too much. I think that’s the thing, they don’t try to do things they’re not capable of,” Tapp said. “They keep it even, keep it steady, go about their job and they know what they’re good at. They focus on that stuff and do those things well but they don’t try to get out of their comfort zone.”

That all comes from Julseth-White’s presence and leadership. He’s vocal about keeping things prioritized. Union’s strongest characteristics are its self-belief and unflappable nature, and those traits run through the defense. Grosenick is obviously a beneficiary and gets some notoriety as a result, and Union ranks first nationally in overall team defense. The Dutchmen have allowed just 1.80 goals against per game.

“Our D do a great job of allowing Troy to see pucks. We do a pretty good job of eliminating sticks on pucks and denying shots and taking away some grade-As that teams leave. We form a pretty good pocket around him,” Tapp said. “It’s not just our D, but our team defense. Our forwards get back hard for him and they pick up the trailers so there’s no late passes. We focus a lot on team defense and our guys have bought in and that’s certainly helped Troy.”

SIT STANDS TALL BOSTON COLLEGE
By Kevin Zeise

With as much firepower as Boston College has offensively, it’s easy to overlook the team’s defensive prowess. And as the Eagles try to match up with Minnesota’s top scoring line on Thursday night, they’ll rely on a freshman who grew up in the shadow of the Gopher program, freshman Michael Sit.

Sit centers the Eagles’ fourth line, flanked by fellow freshmen Quinn Smith and Danny Linnell, but unlike his linemates from the East Coast, Sit is the lone representative on the Boston College squad from Minnesota, hailing from the Minneapolis suburb of Edina—a mere 13 miles away from Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena.

Boston College forward Michael Sit, a Minnesota native, relishes the opportunity to face the Gohpers in Thursday's Frozen Four semifinal.

“We were actually (Minnesota) season ticket holders, and I watched them win a few championships when I was in my childhood, those back-to-backs in the early 2000s,” Sit said Wednesday. “We were like 15 minutes from campus, and attended a lot of games when we were younger.”

Despite the obvious hometown appeal, Sit had his sights set on attending school away from home, and a family connection drew his attention toward Boston. His older brother, David, enrolled at Boston University and plays for that school’s club team.

“The East Coast draw was pretty big because he was out here,” Sit said. “I felt more comfortable looking at the schools out east, and this was where my first interest came.”

Sit’s numbers (0-3—3) aren’t the type of thing to grab one’s attention, but he’s aware of the importance of his role on this year’s team. The chemistry he and his linemates have showed have helped the Eagles during their 17-game winning streak leading into the Frozen Four.

“I kind of envisioned my role as a shutdown guy from the beginning, but then when we started playing together, they’re both amazing skaters, they both battle hard in the corners and get to the net,” he said. “I’m more of a harassing-type of player. I don’t have the stature to throw the body around, but then again, Quinn Smith is a pretty small guy, and he bangs pretty hard.”

Facing a team that put up 12 goals in the two games in the West Regional in Minnesota, it’ll be up to Sit and his linemates to help slow down the Gopher attack for the Eagles to reach Saturday’s national championship game. Knowing that the road to the national championship game goes through the program that he grew up watching brings a smile to Sit’s face.

“It’d be a great feeling. I grew up admiring those guys, and that team, and being able to come back and beat them now that I’m in college would just be a great feeling and a great accomplishment.”

GOPHERS’ DEPTH MIRRORS BOSTON COLLEGE
By Jess Myers

Much was made a about the emergence of Minnesota’s newly formed third line when the WCHA playoffs started. When Don Lucia juggled just enough to create a more dangerous third offensive unit with Travis Boyd centering Nate Condon and Taylor Matson, he gave the team a certain offensive depth, correcting an area where the Gophers had been hit or miss in the second half of the regular season.

In Frozen Four foe Boston College, the Gophers now face a kind of mirror image, and not just because the Eagles also wear a variant of maroon and gold.

Watching tape: Minnesota's Ben Marshall readies a stick after the Gophers' Wednesday practice.

“Most teams aren’t three lines deep offensively,” Lucia said Wednesday. “That’s what separates Boston College from, I think, everybody else.”

Well, perhaps everybody except the Gophers, where the top two lines have provided scoring punch all season and the members of the third line all had at least a goal and an assist in the wins over Boston University and North Dakota during the NCAA West Regional. Minnesota’s defense was supposed to be the weak link this season but goalie Kent Patterson did his best work early in the season, giving the blue-line corps time to grow.

“They have three really good scoring lines, but one thing that might benefit us as defensemen is that we go up against a very talented group of forwards each and every day in practice,” said sophomore Nate Schmidt. “We’re up to the task. They have big, strong forwards as well. (Johnny) Gaudreau is a similar size to a guy like Kyle Rau and (Chris) Kreider is a big guy kind of like (Nick) Bjugstad, so we see the same type of players. That caliber doesn’t change very much.”

Still, Lucia tried hard to paint his team as the underdog , joking that you don’t get to the Frozen Four every year unless you’re Boston College while giving a little hint about his team’s strategy against an Eagles team that didn’t allow a goal in winning the NCAA Northeast Regional.

“The first thing we have to do is manage the puck. You can’t turn pucks over against BC and shorten the rink for them,” Lucia said. “We’re going to have to pick our spots, but at the same time I don’t think we can sit back and let them have the puck all night because they’re too talented.”

He won’t mention it, as it doesn’t fit with his underdog vibe, but there will be plenty of talent and three lines of offensive depth on both benches Thursday.

CHANGE OF SCENERY SUITS FERRIS STATE’S WYSOPAL
By James V. Dowd

The sense of surprise in Ferris State reaching its first-ever Frozen Four has been well-documented in the 10 days since the Bulldogs defeated Denver and Cornell in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional in Green Bay. But if there’s one person who finds it hardest to believe that he and his team has reached college hockey’s biggest stage, it might well be Ferris State senior defenseman Brett Wysopal.

Wysopal began his college hockey career skating for Colorado College, a program better known for national success and one just three years removed from a Frozen Four appearance when he arrived in Colorado Springs. The Tigers appeared to be trending in the right direction with a bevy of talent in the pipeline and a bright future seemingly assured.

But after finishing his freshman year with no points in 21 appearances and having mixed feelings about the college’s unique block scheduling setup, Wysopal decided to transfer, landing in Big Rapids.

Ferris State's Brett Wysopal transferred to Big Rapids after one season with Colorado College.

“I didn’t think we’d be in the Frozen Four before CC,” Wysopal said, “Especially after my freshman year at CC where we were ranked No. 1 in the country and kind of laid an egg in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, I was really rooting for my friends to get out of the [NCAA West] regional, but they couldn’t get it done. I thought they were going to do it.”

Despite leaving a program on the upswing and one that’s better known for recruiting and developing top-end talent, Wysopal found Ferris State has a knack for uncovering gems in the defensive zone—a key in the team’s growth and stability in recent seasons. The senior counts himself lucky to have played with some of college hockey’s top blueliners over the past three seasons and credits their skill sets with giving him the opportunity to refine and improve his own game.

“I think it makes my job a lot easier,” Wysopal said. “I’ve never been a really high-profile guy. We have (senior Chad) Billins this year, we had (Winnipeg Jets prospect Zach) Redmond last year and (Matt) Case a few years ago. They are all high-end players who are very skilled. It’s really easy to let them go do their job and I just have to worry about mine.”

As the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Wysopal improved as a defender, his responsibilities shifted. This year, he was asked to take on more of a defensive role than in the past and responded with a plus-5 rating and 73 blocked shots.

“I think my role changed this year,” Wysopal said. “I’ve been more of a power-play guy before but I think this year we needed a guy who could play in a more defensive role. I might be undersized, but I figured I could do it. The coaching staff asked if I could I do that and I think I’ve done a pretty good job.”

Wysopal’s defensive efforts will be as important as ever if the Bulldogs hope to reach Saturday’s title game. Facing a Union team that’s strong defensively and with explosive forwards who are big in stature, Wysopal knows little things like blocked shots and physical play will make the difference. And while the Bulldogs have enjoyed more offensive success than years past, they’re prepared to grind it out in a game that Wysopal believe will be a one-goal game.

“We like to run and gun more than Ferris State used to in the old days,” Wysopal said. “Guys like Jordie Johnston like to run and gun and score some goals. But I think we can (grind it out). It’s more of a battle, it’s much more of a battle and it wears you down. But at this point in the year, guys are willing to do anything to win.”

FRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG
By Mike Eidelbes and Kevin Zeise

• Ferris State coach Bob Daniels was named the recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award presented annually to the NCAA Division I coach of the year. It’s the second time Daniels has won the honor—he was also the Penrose winner in 2003—and the first CCHA coach to win it since Michigan’s Red Berenson in 2008.

“The (Penrose Award)  is unique in it represents a team accomplishment. There’s no coach that’s deserving of individually winning the award,” Daniels said following his team’s practice at Tampa Bay Times Forum. “I think it’s an award bestowed upon the coaching staff, the players, the administration, the fans. It truly is a team award.”

• No stranger to the Frozen Four himself, Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon was in attendance at Wednesday’s practice sessions. And while his Catamounts didn’t have the season they had wanted this year, Sneddon has taken some pride in seeing Union, a team he coached from 1998 to 2003, qualify for this year’s Frozen Four.

“It’s been a really neat evolution when you look at that program. I remember at the time, it was all about dollars and cents—can we recruit, do we have enough money to buy sticks, if we don’t get more donations, how can we continue to do this? I think at that point in time, we were focused on trying to build a foundation for the program to prosper and now that they have foundation, they can really get after it for championships.

“There’s some great people there and it’s a great school, and I think that’s part of the frustration during that time was it was this fantastic school and a great environment, and it just needed a little bit of help. Now they’ve got that help and you see where they are.”

• No one familiar with college hockey views this year’s Frozen Four semifinals as a case of the haves (BC, Minnesota) vs. the have nots (Ferris State, Union), but it’s naive to think there aren’t differences between the institutions. For example, one INCH staffer overheard a Union student manager talking to his boss about Minnesota’s equipment bounty: “Did you see how many sticks they have?”

• The Gophers earn a bonus point for adorning their Tampa Bay Times Forum locker room door with a logo similar to the skating Gopher logo that used to grace one end of old Mariucci Arena. The new Gopher logo certainly looks like he’d be better in the corners, but the old skating Goldy (pictured, right) has more of a Gretzky-like demeanor, no?

Kudos to Minnesota equipment manager and friend of INCH Lee Greseth for encouraging the Gophers to more prominently use the old logo.

• Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Shannon, out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury, visited the Boston College locker room after practice Wednesday and addressed the team. Shannon played for Boston College from 2001-05 and helped the Eagles to the Frozen Four in 2004.

“Coach York had him talk to us about his experience in the Frozen Four, just what it was like for him,” said Boston College sophomore Bill Arnold. “He reiterated that this is it, and not to take anything for granted, and to give it everything we have. One game, and the season could be done.”

• Flashback to Frozens past: Glanced up at one of the television monitors in the Tampa Bay Times Forum media workroom to catch a glimpse of a replay of Tuesday’s Anaheim-Vancouver match that starred Canucks netminder Cory Schneider—the former Boston College goaltender who helped the Eagles to the Frozen Four in 2006 and 2007. Schneider stopped all nine shots he faced in relief of starter Roberto Luongo as the Canucks earned a 5-4 shootout win over the visiting Ducks.

When asked by a reporter why Boston College and Minnesota don’t play each other more often, Eagles head coach Jerry York remarked that BC will be part of Minnesota’s holiday tournament next season and added that the two schools are working on a four-year scheduling agreement for regular-season series with an unspecified start date.

The candidates for the 2012 Hobey Baker Memorial Award was trimmed to three this week and there were no surprises among the finalists. The trio of senior forwards—Spencer Abbott of Maine, Minnesota Duluth’s Jack Connolly, and Colgate’s Austin Smith—have been at or near the top of everyone’s list of Hobey hopefuls the entire season.

So whose name will be called when the 2012 Hobey Baker Award winner is announced Friday at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa? In our final Hobey Tracker of the season, INCH gives its reasons why each of the three finalists should win the Hobey along with items that could hamper their chances.

Why He’ll Win: The nation’s leader in both assists and points played a huge role in Maine’s return to the NCAA Tournament after a four-year hiatus. In addition to the 21 goals he potted, his playmaking skills fueled increased production from Black Bears teammates Joey Diamond (25 goals), Brian Flynn (18 goals), and Matt Mangene (16 goals). And of Abbott’s 21 goals, all but four were scored at even strength or shorthanded.

Why He Won’t: Plus-minus rating can be deceiving, but for a guy who scored 16 even-strength goals, a +14 rating seems awfully low and suggests Abbott and his linemates are a liability when they’re not scoring, and a closer look at his numbers shows half his points and a whopping two thirds of his assists came on the power play. The combination of those two factors suggests Abbott’s impact at even strength isn’t Hobey caliber.

Why He’ll Win: Connolly came into the season with instant name recognition after helping UMD to the 2011 national title and he lived up to his name, leading the Bulldogs to a 17-game unbeaten streak. He had at least one point in 35 of the 41 games he played, including a 22-game point streak that stretched from mid-October to late January. And though the Hobey should be presented based on performance during the 2011-12 season, Connolly’s career numbers (66 goals, 197 points) could be a factor.

Why He Won’t: Can Connolly be the best player in the country when he might not be the best player on his team? Some would argue forward J.T. Brown, who led UMD with 24 goals, was the guy who made the Bulldogs go. And while Connolly supporters are quick to point out he didn’t play on a line with Brown and/or forward Travis Oleksuk (21 goals), but he did team with them on UMD’s top power-play unit—which is where Connolly got exactly half his points.

Why He’ll Win: The nation’s leading goal scorer lit the lamp 36 times in one of the most prolific lamp-lighting seasons in recent college hockey history, and his goals made a difference for the Colgate Raiders. He scored seven power-play goals and six short-handed goals on the year, which means that 29 of his goals came at even strength or while the Raiders were shorthanded. Colgate finished in 12th place in ECAC Hockey last year and improved to a top-four spot in 2011-12 as a healthy Smith led the way.

Why He Won’t: Colgate’s small-time reputation as a member of ECAC Hockey doesn’t carry as much national cache as the names of the other finalists in being associated with Maine and defending national champions Minnesota Duluth. That also means fewer television opportunities for Smith. How many voters actually saw him play?

One of the unique characteristics of the 2011-12 Union team is that even though there is some star power in the lineup and individuals who garner some attention, that’s not what defines the team. Enough contributions come from enough different places that it would be unfair to label Union as being carried by a player such as Troy Grosenick or Jeremy Welsh.

One of the lesser-known contributors who plays a key role is the team’s senior captain, defenseman Nolan Julseth-White. It’s a fitting choice for Julseth-White to wear the C, as his demeanor and level-headed approach is emulated by the rest of the team. There’s a good mix of recognizing and celebrating success without getting too caught up in the moment to distract the team from obtaining future goals.

Julseth-White’s role has become larger for the Dutchmen each year since arriving on the Schenectady, N.Y. campus as a freshman, when he played in just two games. He slotted in 25 times as a sophomore and played 32 games as junior. The man teammates call “Juice” has been in the lineup every game this season, and the Frozen Four semifinal will mark his 100th career game on Union’s blueline.

INCH caught up with Julseth-White as Union prepares for next week’s Frozen Four.

Joe Gladziszewski: First off, congratulations on a successful two-week stretch with two wins in Atlantic City at the league tournament and two wins at the regionals. How is the mood around the team right now?

Nolan Julseth-White: We’re definitely proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, but we know we’re not done yet. We celebrated a little bit on Sunday when we had the day off, but then it was right back to work with a lift on Monday and a skate on Tuesday. Now it’s just about focusing on executing every day in practice.

INCH: What did the team take from last year’s postseason experience, the playoff series loss to Colgate and the NCAA game against Minnesota Duluth, in winning the ECAC Hockey title this year and advancing to the Frozen Four?

Julseth-White: We’ve been asked that question a lot over the last few weeks and I’d say the experience helped somewhat but not that much, because we have a really mature group. It’s a group of guys that grew as the season went on. We took experience from all of the games, win or lose, and tucked that away, but didn’t get too high or too low.

INCH: That seems to be a big part of this team’s personality, the mindset and attitude of keeping an even keel and never swinging too far emotionally no matter what the score is or what kind of streak you’re on. As a senior, and a captain, is that the type of leadership you try to provide?

Julseth-White: Our leadership is a group effort. I have a great supporting cast as well as (assistant captains) Kelly Zajac and Jeremy Welsh, and as I mentioned it’s a really mature group. We know what it takes all around. When it comes time everyone can hold each other accountable for doing what they need to do and we know when to offer encouragement when someone needs a pick me up.

INCH: How has it been this season playing in front of goalie Troy Grosenick, who won the Ken Dryden Award as best goalie in ECAC Hockey and is a Hobey Baker Award finalist?

Julseth-White: He’s an outstanding worker and a very gifted goaltender. He fights to see every puck and to stop every puck, and he tries to make every save. He never gives up on a play. As a defenseman, it’s good to work with him because he’s always talking. He said in a recent interview that he was mostly talking to himself, not to us, but he’s talkative and just an outstanding goalie.

INCH: What is preparation like in this time before you head to Florida and go through a busy week down there with the events surrounding the Frozen Four and the semifinal game next Thursday?

Julseth-White: This is our first week back at school and definitely this week we’re getting the academics taken care of. There’s a lot of communicating with professors and getting our schoolwork taken care of and out of the way as much as we can. Also, we’re taking care of family and friends and tickets as much as we can right now so it’s not as big a distraction when we get down there next week. And, no offense to you, talking to media and fulfilling those kinds of requests, all of these things we’re just going to deal with as they come and then stay focused in practice.

INCH: You’ve got a lot of talented forwards on your team, and it’s not just the Welsh line with Daniel Carr and Josh Jooris. Tell me what it’s like to play against those guys in practice every day.

Julseth-White: We generate a lot of competition and it ends up being the defensemen against the forwards and I’d say that the defensemen have about a 98 percent winning percentage in practice (joking) and make sure you write that in there. But the group of forwards are all very competitive. They are skilled, and as you mentioned there’s depth and it’s spread out through all of the classes, not just one class. Each of them brings a different set of skills.