All five college hockey conferences will hold their championship this weekend and
28 of the 30 NHL teams have prospects that among the 22 teams still in action.
Here's a look at how they got here and here's a run down of who is still aiming for a conference title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Atlantic Hockey
RIT - The Tigers are the defending champions who went all the way to the Frozen Four last year with their automatic bid. They lost a lot of talent last year to graduation and with Chris Tanev's early departure to play with the Vancouver Canucks, but bring back another very talented team that has lead their conference for the majority of the season. With the tournament held in Rochester, they will have considerable home ice advantage, but will need to keep their emotions in check and quit it with the penalties if they want another trip to the NCAAs.
Air Force - Having won three of the last five AHA Championships, the Falcons are by far the most experienced of this year's field in pressure situations. Their games are usually won and rarely lost on special teams as they score on one out of every four opportunities with the man advantage. This is a very disciplined team and head coach Frank Serratore always comes prepared with a game plan tailored to find success against their opponent as they utilize their strengths to expose your weaknesses and pounce on your mistakes.
Holy Cross - The Crusaders are one of the hottest teams in college hockey right now with a 10-1-3 record in the last 14 games causing them to climb up the standings to earn home ice this post season. Holy Cross is also tremendously effective on the power play and are a team that could surprise you if you aren't prepared.
Connecticut - The Huskies finished 6th overall but earned a bye as the second seed in the eastern scheduling pod (explained in an earlier blog). Some would argue that that don't belong in Rochester, but that's how the rules work. Now, it's up to the Huskies to play the game of their lives and prove that they belong.
CCHA
Michigan - The Wolverines have garnered a lot of attention in the second half of the season that has got them playing their best hockey when it matters most. They were the underdog last year that rose from the ashes to win the title, but this year that've got a huge target on their back. They're still dealing with injuries and playing musical linemates, but they always seem to find a way to get it done with their depth and strong goaltending.
Notre Dame - The Irish are lead by two freshmen - Anders Lee and TJ Tynan - and their growing pains, along with the large crop of underclassmen as a whole, has lead to inconsistent play as a team. Lake Superior gave them a tougher fight then they were expecting in the quarterfinal series last week and hopefully that was enough of a wake up call to get them firing on all cylinders in Detroit.
Miami - The RedHawks have never won the CCHA tournament and they're looking to change that by playing a full 60 minutes - something they've struggled with all season. In early February, things started to click for the RedHawks and they saw what they were capable of if they played with purpose and focus and it's earned them an 8-0-3 record to finish the regular season and get the to Joe Louis Arena. One of the most penalized teams in the league, they will have to play more disciplined and stay out of the box if they want to win their first league championship.
Western Michigan - The Broncos are making their first trip to the CCHA championship since 1994 and while that's exciting, there is still more hard work ahead. They've worked their way to bubblicious status in the PairWise and are looking not only for an upset championship win, but a berth into the NCAA tournament. Problem is…they ended the season going 1-4-1 against Michigan, Notre Dame & Miami. We'll consider that research and see how they do when put to the test.
ECAC
Yale - The Bulldogs were expected to be the runaway favorite in the ECAC until about a month ago. While they've essentially locked up the overall #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they are far from playing their best hockey. That said, it's better than it was last year where not only is every line an offensive threat, but now they have a goaltender they can rely on in senior Ryan Rondeau. They might just need to climb on his back this weekend in Atlantic City and gain some positive momentum going into regionals next weekend.
Dartmouth - The Big Green are bubblicious, but their gritty, blue-collar work ethic has found them success on a regular basis and they'll look to continue that this weekend and solidify their spot in the NCAA Tournament. Their consistentcy has been great for their confidence and gives them a real swagger to their game and makes them really tough to play against, let alone beat.
Cornell - The Big Red struggled mightily at the start of the season, but has managed to get it together at the right time and are currently riding a huge wave of positive results to the conference championship. As reigning champs they have a bit of a target on their backs but no one really expects them to win which allows them to play like they've got nothing to lose…which makes them very dangerous.
Colgate - The Raiders are this year's Cinderella. No one else even comes close. They were the 12th seed in the conference and knocked off RPI (15th in the PairWise) in the first round and Union (9th in the PairWise) last weekend to advance to the championship. Now that were down to a win and you're in scenario, they can draw from what they've learned the past two weekends to knock off the #1 team in the country to move on to the championship game and earn a berth into the NCA Tournament….it could happen!
Hockey East
Boston College - The Eagles know how to win championships and they're back at it again this season. They have a huge target on their back as the team to beat, but all three of the other teams making the trip to the Garden have managed to beat them in the regular season and know that it can be done. BC will once again lean on goaltender John Muse and attack with their lethal combination of speed, skill and strength to help them win their third league title in four years.
New Hampshire - The Wildcats easily took care of Vermont last weekend, but they've struggled against ranked opponents and Merrimack is no different. They will need to rely on their recently reunited top line of Mike Sislo, Paul Thompson and Phil DeSimone and their calculated approach to team defense to win battles and maintain puck possession if they want a chance at their third Hockey East title.
Merrimack - The Warriors have struggled recently especially in the scoring department, but they bounced back last weekend against Maine scoring a combined 11 goals in two games. They play a really great team defense as head coach Mark Dennehy builds his team from the net out. They are a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but are itching for some shiny new hardware to showcase in recently renovated Lawler Arena.
Northeastern - The huskies are the only road team to advance to the Garden as they defeated BU in the only series that required a third game. They've had a rough go of it since losing the Beanpot to BC 7-6 but they've been competitive with every team which should inspire some confidence for them. The big key for them will be playing a sound defensive game.
WCHA
North Dakota - Without question, the Sioux are the team to beat. They've got it all even with all the injuries they've dealt with over the course of the season. They were the upset champions last year at the Final Five, but this year have given reason for some extra video scouting. Some people were surprised they beat up on a much weaker team in Michigan Tech like they did the past two weekends, but now is not the time to start developing bad habits as they have a WCHA and National Title in their sights.
Denver - The Pioneers have been somewhat of a surprise this year. With all their early departures and graduating players from last year, many expected this to be a rebuilding year for DU. They are looking to redeem themselves from a very disappointing post season last year with a strong showing in St Paul. They've been buoyed by strong goaltending from freshman Sam Brittan and a powerful offensive attack from freshman Jason Zucker and sophomore Drew Shore. They didn't rebuild. They reloaded.
Minnesota-Duluth - The Bulldogs started the year hot, simmered a bit and are back to boiling at just the right time. Their strengths their consistency and resiliency as they haven't lost two games in a row all season. Their top line of Mike Connolly, Jack Connolly (no relation) and Justin Fontaine have combined for 153 points this season and carry this team on their backs with outstanding help from their defense. They're looking to win their second WCHA title in three years.
Colorado College - The Tigers haven't been to the X in three years and have been in playoff mode for the past month as they climbed the PairWise and are looking to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Another team that's done better than expected due to their underclassmen. They'll be able to draw strength in tight games because over the past few weeks, they've been the ones to figure out a way to win. Helps them play with a certain swagger that only confidence can provide.
Alaska-Anchorage - The Seawolves find themselves in St Paul for the first time in seven years thanks to strong play from goaltender Chris Kamal. Having confidence in their netminder has really allowed their offense to be more aggressive and take more risks that have recently paid off for them.
Bemidji State - The Beavers have had Nebraska-Omaha's number all year and last weekend's play off action was no different as they easily handled the Mavericks to get to St Paul in their inaugural season as a member of the WCHA. They're a team that generally struggles to generate offense, but balance out with a sound defensive game.
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Tonight Duluth and Bemidji gets things started at 4:30ET with Anchorage and Colorado College face off at 8pm ET both on Fox Sports North.
On Friday, things start in ernest with most games on TV:
CCHA - Fox Sports Detroit
ECAC - CBS College Sports
Hockey East - NESN
WCHA - Fox Sports North
Championship games are on Saturday night.
Julie
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@JulieRobenhymer
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