ST. PAUL, Minn. – A year ago, what North Dakota is attempting to do was impossible. Getting to the WCHA Final Five was a big deal, and a win in the Thursday night play-in game meant you got to play two more. But designs on winning the title, if you played on Thursday night, were akin to non-existent.

But after Minnesota Duluth pulled off the three-wins-in-three-nights trick last year, becoming the first team in nearly two decades of trying to do so, suddenly there’s hope for all.

The Bulldogs were indeed hoping to do it again, but ran into a green-and-white roadblock Thursday, falling 2-0 to the Fighting Sioux behind 22 saves by Brad Eidsness. Just don’t talk to the North Dakota coach about pulling off the “win from Thursday” feat. He’s got more immediate concerns in mind.

“We live to fight another day, which is the name of the game in this tournament,” Dave Hakstol said. “We’re not worried about winning three games, we were just worried about today. We’ve had close, tough games with Duluth all season, and we knew this would probably be the toughest.”

Chris VandeVelde celebrates North Dakota's first goal in the midst of several Minnesota Duluth players.

The Sioux did everything but score for 40 minutes, dominating both ends of the ice and out-shooting the Bulldogs 25-10 in the first two periods. After all of that, it looked as if Minnesota Duluth had taken the lead early in the third.

Eidsness produced a pop-fly rebound on a wide-angle shot by Drew Akins, and linemate Cody Danberg swatted the puck out of the air, off a North Dakota skate, and into the net. After a lengthy review, officials ruled no goal, saying Danberg had used a high stick. Clearly disappointed by the call, Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin seemed satisfied with the explanation.

“The nice thing is they have so many cameras here, they can look at it from a lot of angles, instead of just the overhead like in our rink,” he said. “Of course, maybe it would’ve worked in our favor if it was just the overhead.”

With the final minutes ticking away, Jason Gregoire got his team-leading 20th goal for the Sioux short-handed, ripping a high shot past Bulldog goalie Kenny Reiter just seconds after Chris VandeVelde had been stopped on a short breakaway. Later, Evan Trupp got an insurance goal with less than two minutes to play. For the relieved Trupp, it was his first goal in 21 games. Reiter finished with 32 saves.

“We take a lot of pride in our penalty kill,” said Gregoire, after his team got its sixth shorty of the season. “It’s been a huge factor in a lot of our wins.”

The Sioux have now won 10 of their last 11, and are solidly in the NCAA Tournament as it currently stands. The Bulldogs will now wait and hope, having gone 6-10-0 since mid-January. Winning on Thursday would have helped, and winning the tournament, again, would have gotten them a guarantee. But they know better than anyone what a daunting, but no longer impossible, task that is.

“To win three games here is tough. We did it last year, but the circumstances are different,” Sandelin said. “On Sunday we had the Broadmoor (Trophy) in the dressing room, hoping that would give them a little spark. But this is a different team, and it’s a different year.”

Black, White and Blood

The game’s most significant stoppage of play came with 7:45 left in the second, when assistant referee Bob Keltie took an inadvertent stick up high from a Sioux player. The North Dakota training staff attended to Keltie, staunching the bleeding from a cut above his left eye during a several-minute delay. Keltie skated a few more shifts, then was replaced by Jared Moen with 4:37 to play in the first.

BOX SCORE

One quick realization about this weekend’s field - it’s hard to argue against the idea that the four hardest-working teams in the league all made it to Albany this year. The teams that do the best job in the battles along the boards and for loose pucks will have a decided advantage this weekend.

No. 2 Cornell
Cornell: 19-8-4 (14-5-3 ECAC Hockey)
Big Red Fact: Riley Nash has points in eight of his last nine games since returning from an injury, with six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in that stretch.
How Cornell Wins: Continued production from the line of Riley Nash, Colin Greening and Patrick Kennedy will be important, but another line or defenseman can step up and fill any gaps if that top unit struggles.

No. 3 Union
Union: 20-10-6 (12-6-4 ECAC Hockey)
Dutchmen Fact: Adam Presizniuk needs three points to reach 100 career points. He’d be the first junior in Union’s Division I history to reach that mark.
How Union Wins: A relatively young defense group will need to keep the front of the net clear to aid Keith Kinkaid or Corey Milan. That should help Union’s excellent transition game.

No. 5 St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence: 19-14-7 (9-8-5 ECAC Hockey)
Saints Fact: Mike McKenzie has 49 career goals. With one more, he’ll become the first Saint with 50 goals in a career since 2006 Hobey Baker finalist T.J. Trevelyan (78 goals).
How St. Lawrence Wins: This team is finding a way and has a three-game stretch in which they’ve won late in the third period. They’re tested and coming through in late-game situations.

No. 11 Brown
Brown: 12-19-4 (6-12-4 ECAC Hockey)
Bears Fact: Brown is the lowest-seeded team to make it to the league’s championship weekend in the eight years the tournament has been held in Albany.
How Brown Wins: The Bears’ confidence is soaring right now and while observers might be surprised at what they’ve achieved, the team expects this success. They’ll need to come out and play with that swagger, and continue to get great goaltending from Mike Clemente.

Like so many Minnesota kids before him, Garrett Raboin headed to junior hockey after a successful high school hockey career (and a state championship football career) in his hometown of Detroit Lakes, Minn. Three years later he was still playing junior hockey, thinking about following his parents into a special education career, and starting to wonder if the call from a big-time college would ever come.

Then, thankfully, the phone rang.

As Raboin heads into his final few college hockey games, his place among St. Cloud State’s best defensemen and best leaders is as secure as his bright future beyond hockey, whenever that may come. A member of the WCHA’s academic all-star team for three years running, Raboin has been the leader of the Huskies defensively all season, and was one of the conference’s top scorers from the blue line, despite missing a few games due to injury late in the season. His 81 career points puts him fourth all-time among Husky defensemen; Raboin recently passed Stanley Cup winner Bret Hedican (77) on that list.

Seeded third, the Huskies will be looking for their second-ever WCHA playoff title this weekend, starting with an afternoon date versus Wisconsin on Friday. Win or lose, two games later Raboin will make his third trip to the NCAA Tournament, fully aware that a win on that stage would be the program’s elusive first of its kind.

As he relaxed on St. Patrick’s Day evening gearing up for the trip to St. Paul, Raboin shared some thoughts about this year’s Huskies, how he got here, and just how much he hears from St. Cloud State’s notorious student section once the puck drops for a home game.

Garrett Raboin: They played well. They played tight and didn’t allow us many opportunities all weekend. They got fantastic goaltending and strong defense, which made it tough for us.

INCH: Is that typical of your rivalry with the Mavericks?

GR: Mankato’s been tough as long as I’ve been here. All in all, they’ve probably gotten the better of us record-wise. They had some good players and good leadership this year and gave us all we could handle.

INCH: Were you a Husky fan as a kid?

GR: I was. Well, I was kind of a WCHA fan. My first few years I lived in International Falls (Minn.), so I grew up around Duluth. The ‘Dogs are the big deal around International Falls. Depending on who was having success in a particular year, I kind of flip-flopped from team to team in the WCHA.

INCH: When did you move?

GR: I was six years old when we moved to Detroit Lakes.

INCH: Your parents are both in special education. What was it like growing up around that?

GR: It was just what I knew, I guess. It was always entertaining when their students would come over. We always had a lot of fun, so it was just part of growing up for me, having students around in the summertime. I never thought too much about it.

INCH: At what point did you feel that was something you wanted to do as well?

GR: Probably after high school when I was in juniors, you kind of start thinking about which direction you might be heading and it seemed like the natural choice for me.

INCH: You played three years of junior hockey. Were you always thinking Division I, or did you get to a point where you would’ve taken any college offer?

GR: Division I was always the goal. There definitely is a point where you’re wondering if you might need to go play Division III or anything to continue your career, but I stuck with it and never lost hope and things ended up working out.

INCH: What ultimately went into your decision to go to St. Cloud State?

GR: It was one of those things where right when I heard from Coach Motzko, it felt good in my gut and my heart was there. I couldn’t wait to get to St. Cloud. From the time I first talked to coach to the time I knew I was coming it was a matter of days.

INCH: Last season the Huskies did pretty much everything except beat Minnesota and ended up sitting home and watching the Final Five as a result. Was that a motivating factor going into this year?

GR: I don’t think it was really our losses to Minnesota. Definitely being away from the Final Five and other postseason play, guys went to work this summer with that in mind. It’s also another year of maturity throughout our lineup and we brought in some good freshmen. It’s just a unique team. It’s different than any team we’ve had since I’ve been here and guys like to go to work every day at the rink. That’s contributed a lot to our success.

INCH: It’s your second year as a captain. How has it changed things for you, being in a leadership role?

GR: It really hasn’t changed things too much. I’ve always been a player that’s worn it and gone about my business as I had before. That letter has fallen on me by how I’ve carried myself on and off the ice up to the point that I earned it. I’ve kept doing the things that come to me naturally and never thought too much about it.

INCH: How did you injure your ankle and how has the recovery process been?

GR: I kind of went into the boards funny, got bumped from behind a little bit in Wisconsin. It’s the longest injury I’ve ever had to deal with, but a lot of players have to deal with it in their career. I had to go through rehab, and it’s one of those things that’s going to linger around until the season’s over and I get some rest. For right now, with the importance of these games and the intensity of them, you just play with it and kind of forget about it with the emotions of the game.

INCH: On the Huskies defensive corps, what makes that group so successful?

GR: Eric Rud is our coach back there and he’s done a lot of work with us. It’s an accumulation of things that have come throughout the four years at St. Cloud, from learning from the guys who were older when I was a freshman and sophomore. When you’re growing up through a program, you try to teach the younger guys something as I was taught by the guys before me. This year, I think we have some defensemen who have played a lot of games. Just about all of us have a couple seasons under our belts and have led for various teams. It’s a team thing. It’s the forwards and the defense all working together toward a common goal.

INCH: A few years ago some of the Huskies dyed their hair red for the playoffs and I see Wisconsin is going with the playoff moustaches this year. What is your team doing as a playoff gimmick?

GR: Nowdays you’re different if you don’t do anything, so we’re going to stick with being ourselves and go with what’s been winning us games throughout the year.

INCH: With the end of the season approaching, do you think about the NCAA Tournament and getting the Huskies their first win there?

GR: To our guys, that’s not a thought. You hear about it. The two previous times I was in the national tournament, that comes up, but this team of guys has goose eggs all across the board and we’d like to get a win. Not to get rid of the losing streak for the university but for ourselves because that’s where we hope our season can go.

INCH: The crowds at the National Hockey Center are pretty legendary. What is it like having all of those crazies on your side?

GR: It’s unbelievable. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I think opposing teams enjoy playing in our arena and it brings out the best in them … it definitely brings out the best in us.

INCH: Do you block out the crowd once the game starts or do you hear the chants from the student section?

GR: Absolutely you hear them. They’re a big part of any success we have had and are going to have. Our fans are top notch, that’s for sure.

Union defenseman Mike Schreiber, a senior from Sherwood Park, Alberta, has been part of numerous milestones in his four years as a Dutchman. He is the program’s all-time scoring leader among defensemen with 78 career points, and 29 of those have come this year, establishing a single-season scoring record for a Union defenseman.

It’s not all about offense with Schreiber, a First Team All-ECAC Hockey selection on defense who leads the team with a plus-25 rating and was also a finalist for the league’s Best Defensive Defenseman Award.

Mike Schreiber

Last weekend, Schreiber was a part of two games of historical importance. The first game of Union’s quarterfinal game against Quinnipiac went five overtimes and is the longest game every played in college hockey. Sunday’s victory sent Union to the league’s championship weekend for the first time in program history.

Joe Gladziszewski: Let’s start by talking about the growth of this program over the last four years.

Mike Schreiber: From where we started off freshman year, we had a last-place finish, to where we are now, it’s leaps and bounds. That just shows how much this program, how much this team has grown. It’s positive, it’s going in the right direction. Without the coaches and the rest of my teammates I don’t think we’d be able to do it,

INCH: Let’s go back to those early days where a lot of young guys were playing a lot of important games in a lot of important situations. Do you think that’s helping now?

MS: Absolutely, if you look at our D corps now, how young they are, it means a lot for them to get this kind of exposure in big games. It definitely helps you out, it gets you in the right mindset, it lets you know what to expect and how you need to prepare.

INCH: What do you think the strengths of your defense group are?

MS: We move the puck pretty well. We’re not the biggest D corps but we have pretty active sticks and when there is a chance to knock a guy off the puck I think we’re pretty good about it. We have pretty good footspeed too, so that helps.

INCH: When you look around this league, it seems that every team has a really, really good top line, especially this year. What’s it like playing against those other teams’ top guys?

MS: It makes you prepare that much more, mentally and physically for games. That’s why it’s big for our freshman too with so many young d-men for them to get exposure against those top guys. I remember when I was younger I was getting that chance, that opportunity when I was an underclassman. You took it day by day, but you had a lot of pride. It made your job more meaningful and you knew you had to make that extra effort and you had to grow as a player and as a person.

INCH: How about your forwards, you play against them in practice and there are some dynamic forwards and depth up front too.

MS: They make you look silly sometimes but that’s where you’ve got to just keep it simple and that’s where it’s up to us upperclassmen to lead by example and show them the ropes.

INCH: I used to come to games here and be able to sit in the bleachers wherever I wanted, and that’s not the case anymore. Do you think that parallels how your program has grown?

MS: People always see teams that are winning. They don’t want to see a team when they’re down, and I think that just kind of shows. We’re a little more exciting to watch than we were a couple years ago, a little more offensive and we’re winning more so that helps.

INCH: Your team is advancing to the league’s championship weekend for the first time ever. What kind of meaning does that have for you?

MS: From freshman year to now, I guess I haven’t really thought about it, but it’s sinking in now. From freshman year when we finished last and lost first round to Quinnipiac, it kind of comes full circle for us seniors. To know how much it means, not only to our team, to my teammates, to our coaches, but also to our fans and our student body. They’re behind us 110 percent. Without that extra driving force behind us we probably wouldn’t be here.

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

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

Jared DeMichiel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation Thursday announced the 10 finalists for the 2010 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. This year’s winner will be announced at a ceremony in Detroit, site of the NCAA Frozen Four, on Friday, April 9.

The finalists are, in alphabetical order:

• Bobby Butler, F, New Hampshire, the Hockey East Player of the Year;
• Marc Cheverie, G, Denver, the WCHA Player of the Year and national leader in wins, save percentage, and shutouts;
• Blake Geoffrion, F, Wisconsin, the WCHA co-leader in goals;
• Gustav Nyquist, F, Maine, the country’s top point-getter with 59 points;
• Mark Olver, F, Northern Michigan, the CCHA leader in points and co-leader in goals;
• Chase Polacek, F, Rensselaer, ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and the league’s top scorer;
• Rhett Rakhshani, F, Denver, the leading scorer in the WCHA;
• Cody Reichard, G, Miami, the CCHA player of the year and the country’s leader in goals against average;
• Ben Scrivens, G, Cornell, winner of the ECAC Hockey Ken Dryden Award, presented to the league’s top goaltender; and
• Brendan Smith, D, Wisconsin, the top-scoring defenseman in the nation and WCHA Defensive Player of the Year.

The list of finalists will be trimmed to three with the announcement of the Hobey Hat Trick on Wednesday, March 31.

Sophomore Gustav Nyquist can take a lot of pride in leading Maine’s turnaround. The Hobey Baker candidate was the runner-up for Hockey East Player of the Year and has 18 goals and 41 assists this season. Most importantly, he has led Maine to the Garden for the first time in four years, and on his way he took a few minutes to speak with INCH about beating Lowell, signing autographs and light-haired European girls (our words, not his).

Gustav Nyquist is the second straight Swedish forward out of Hockey East to be a Hobey Baker finalist, following Vermont's Viktor Stalberg

Inside College Hockey: Take us through that Lowell series.

Gustav Nyquist: They’re a good team, and we know they’re a good team. We lost the last four games going into the playoffs, and then we lost the first game there. [Goalie] Dave Wilson stepped up for us the second night, and we had a shutout there, won 2-0. It gave us a lot of momentum going into that third game. I think we played great team defense all week and really stepped up big. That was a nice way to end the weekend there with the OT goal by Tanner House. That was obviously huge for us.

INCH: What changed for you? What was different between the losing streak and those last two wins to take the series?

GN: We knew that if we lost, we’d be out of the tournament and everything. We weren’t really ready to end the season like that. Wilson stepped up big for us, and that shutout changed the momentum. That’s the biggest part, I think.

INCH: How was the celebration after Game 3?

GN: It was a lot of fun, especially up in Maine when the crowd goes nuts. It’s a special place to play. I think they were excited, and we were very excited, too. It feels great to go down to the Garden this weekend.

INCH: BU has a ton of experience after last season’s run, and it’s got a good feel for the Garden due to that and the Beanpot. They’ve also got some experience in playing the second game of the semifinals, which can present some challenges with time management and things of that sort. Is that something you have to take into consideration, or will you just take things as they come?

GN: We’ll just take it as it comes. Last year, we played BU in the quarterfinals, and we took it to three games. I think we gained a lot of experience from that. We know they have a great team. They have a lot of skilled guys on their team that we have to look out for. I don’t think we’ll be too worried about [outside challenges]. I think we’re just very excited to play in front of a big crowd at the Garden. I think a lot of Maine fans will show up, as well. We know they’re a good team, but we know we’re a good team, as well, so it’s going to be a fun game.

INCH: Hockey is obviously the biggest thing going in Orono, and you’re a Hobey Baker candidate. How much do you get recognized around town and walking through campus?

GN: It happens a lot. Hockey is the biggest sport up in Maine. When we walk around the city, people will be like, ‘Good luck this weekend,’ and stuff like that. It’s a lot of fun to be recognized, and the whole team enjoys that. But at the same time, you can’t make a lot of mistakes out there because the eyes are on us all the time. I enjoy it up there. It’s a lot of fun to get attention, so it’s fun.

INCH: Do you guys sign a lot of autographs?

GN: Yeah, we do. We probably do 100 every week, and that’s pretty fun.

INCH: Did any of your struggles late in the season have anything to do with the uncertainty with your goaltending situation? (Starter Scott Darling was suspended for violating team rules and will not play this weekend.)

GN: I think we’ve handled it good. We showed this week that we can play good with the issues off the ice, too. Scotty is obviously still a huge part of our team, and we’re here for him as much as we can. We’re trying to support him right now when he’s going through some tough times. It’s been a little distracting, but not too much, I think. Our backup goalies have been taking it great, and they’ve stepped up big for us.

INCH: What’s the most common question that friends ask you about coming from Sweden?

GN: There’s a lot of questions about the girls because there’s a lot of rumors about there being beautiful blond girls out there. That’s probably the most common question.

INCH: On the opposite side, what do people from Sweden ask you about America?

GN: I don’t really know. I think we’re kind of the same people. It hasn’t been a big adjustment for me. I think we’re kind of similar in the way we act maybe. Americans might be a little more outgoing, I’d say. You can chat them up in the city, where in Sweden you wouldn’t really start a conversation with a complete stranger. I think you’re a little more outgoing, but that’s pretty much it.

INCH: What kind of prediction can you offer me for this weekend?

GN: You should expect a very tight game. We’ll try to shut down their offense as much as possible and not give them a lot of scoring chances.

No. 2 Boston College
Record: 23-10-3 (16-8-3 Hockey East)
Eagle Note: They’re 11-2-1 in their last 14 games, and they’ve scored at least five goals in seven of those contests.
How BC Wins: Boston College has been the league’s most dominant team down the stretch, and its offensive prowess is the major reason for that. The Eagles need to stay on point defensively, and they’ll have enough firepower to keep winning.

No. 3 Boston University
Record: 18-16-3 (13-12-2 Hockey East)
Terrier Note: They’ve advanced to the Garden for a record ninth consecutive year, and the Terriers’ quarterfinal series went to three games for a fourth consecutive time.
How BU Wins: Play consistently, especially in its own zone, and stay out of the penalty box (BU is second in Hockey East with 16.1 penalty minutes per game, and tied for fifth with an 81.2 percent penalty kill). The Terriers have the most postseason experience of any team in the field, and they’ve got enough talent to play with anyone.

No. 4 Maine
Record: 18-16-3 (13-12-2 Hockey East)
Black Bear Note: They scored a Hockey East-high 50 goals in the third period, but they’ve also surrendered a league-worst 46 goals in the final frame.
How Maine Wins: This team really has to compensate for its deteriorating situation in net, so Maine needs its power play to be great. The Black Bears have scored 58 of their 132 goals (43.9 percent) on the man advantage, and they lead Hockey East with a 27.9 percent power play.

No. 8 Vermont
Record: 17-13-7 (9-11-7 Hockey East)
Catamount Note: They’re the fourth No. 8 seed to advance to the semifinals in Hockey East’s 26-year history, but no eighth seed has ever reached the finals.
How UVM Wins: Goalie Rob Madore has played phenomenally and hasn’t allowed a goal in 135 minutes, 52 seconds. The Catamounts’ blue liners are big and physical, and they typically play well in front of Madore. They just need the timely goals that drove their 2009 postseason run.

Our weekly chat at ESPN.com took place Thursday afternoon.

INCH Chat at ESPN.com