NCAA Frozen Four – Midwest Regional preview

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GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – The NCAA Midwest Regional starts this Friday at Van Andel Arena Grand Rapids, Michigan and will host the following four schools: Cornell (ECAC), Northeastern (Hockey East), Bemidji State (CHA), and Notre Dame (CCHA). The CCHA are serving as hosts for the regional. Here is a preview of the Midwest Regional and our bold predictions on who we think will win.
 
3 seed Cornell (21-9-4) vs. 2 seed Northeastern (25-11-4), 4 p.m.
Cornell is one of three ECAC teams to make the Frozen Four tournament (Yale, and Princeton). This is Cornell’s first time back into the F4 since 2006, and it is the 17th time in school history. The Big Red won titles in 1967 and in 1970; this was the only undefeated team in NCAA history. They finished second in the ECAC, 6 points behind first place Yale. Cornell leads the series over Northeastern 13-2-0. In their last meeting Cornell won 3-0 in December 2005 at the Florida College Classic Semifinal in Estero, Fl.
 
The Big Red finished the season as the nation’s ninth ranked team, and is led by head coach Mike Schafer (275-148-49) who is in his 14th season. Schafer has guided the Big Red to four ECAC Hockey championships and six NCAA tournament berths during his tenure. Additionally, he led the Big Red to its last NCAA Frozen Four appearance in Buffalo in 2003.
 
Players to watch – Riley Nash (13G, 21A), Colin Greening (14G, 15A), Blake Gallagher (6G, 20A), and Evan Barlow (12G, 13A) are tops in scoring for Cornell. Riley is a first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, 21st overall in 2007). Greening is a seventh round of the Ottawa Senators.
 
Junior Brendon Nash is the team’s highest scoring defenseman with 2 goals and 15 assist. Goaltender Ben Scrivens has a 1.77 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage.
 
Northeastern fell in the semifinals of the Hockey East tournament to Massachusetts-Lowell, 3-2 in overtime. The Huskies are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and finished the season as the nation’s sixth ranked team in the country.
 
Players to watch – Northeastern’s top scorers are Wade MacLeod (14G, 21A) and Ryan Ginand (20G, 12A), Joe Vitale (7G, 20A), and Steve Quailer (10G, 15A). Vitale is a seventh round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005.   Quailer is a third round pick of the Montreal Canadiens.
 
In goal for the Huskies is junior Brad Thiessen, the nation’s leader in minutes played and saves. Thiessen is a Hobey Baker Award finalist with a .932 save percentage and a 2.09 goals-against average. The Huskies have converted on 15.2 percent of their power play chances (34-of-223) and have killed off 86.4 percent of their opponents’ power plays (190-of-220).
 
Prediction – Cornell is a 3-2 nail biter.
 
4 seed Bemidji State (18-15-1) vs. 1 seed Notre Dame (31-5-3), 7:30 p.m.
 
CHA champion Bemidji State ( Minnesota) is making its third trip to the F4 tournament as a Division I school. This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. BSU is 5-12-1 all-time against teams from the CCHA.
 
Players to watch – Matt Read led the team with 13 goals and 22 assists in 34 games. Tyler Scofield led the team in goals with 18. Matt Francis was the only other player on the roster with more than 10 goals on the team with 12. Goaltender Matt Dalton had a 2.24 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.
 
Notre Dame’s 30 plus win season is only second time in school history they have achieved that feat and are riding a 10 game win streak into the tournament. They finished the season as the #2 ranked team in the country. BSU was not ranked in the top 20. Notre Dame is 4-3 in the NCAA Tournament history. Last March, the Irish were a fourth seed in the West Regional at Colorado Springs and advanced to the Frozen Four with wins over New Hampshire and Michigan State. In the Frozen Four at Denver, the Irish upset Michigan with a 5-4 overtime win to advance to the title game against Boston College where they lost, 4-1.
 
Players to watch – The Irish have eight NHL prospects on their roster. Erik Condra is one of them. He is Senators prospect (7th round pick in 2006) and was eighth in CCHA scoring with 13 goals and 25 assists. Goaltender Jordan Pearce is an undrafted senior who was the CCHA leader in goals against (1.61) and was second in save percentage (.934).
Prediction – Irish will make quick work of BSU 5-1.
East Regional final prediction – Notre Dame is a much tougher game over Cornell 4-2.
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com

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