Frozen Four 2012: Ferris State Will Be out of Its Element Against Union

The NCAA basketball tournament was missing an underdog, but there are two in this year's Frozen Four.

While traditional hockey powerhouses Boston College and Minnesota battle it out on one side of the bracket, Ferris State will make its first-ever appearance in the Frozen Four after having been absent from the tournament since its first trip in 2003.

Its opponent? Another Frozen Four first-timer, Union.

Ferris State sits about 55 miles north of Grand Rapids in Big Rapids, Mich. Despite the fact that few hockey fans outside of the diehards are aware of its presence, the Bulldogs were hard to ignore this season: They went undefeated for 15 games after a 4-2 loss to Vermont on December 30 and have spent a big chunk of time at the top of the national polls.

As is the case with most underdogs, the Bulldogs have used the no-respect card to motivate them in 2011-12. Goalie Taylor Nelson told the Associated Press' Noah Trister:

"

Each and every year, they talk about how Ferris State is going to be low in the polls, low in the standings, low in our league and low in the nation. I guess you kind of get tired of it.

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Ferris State certainly proved those expectations wrong: It finished atop the CCHA at 16-7-5, sweeping series' against powerhouses Notre Dame and Michigan State in the second half of to the season to solidify its place among college hockey's greatest. 

But the Bulldogs are not infallible. They went on a remarkable run throughout the second half of the season, but now, with the pressure on and either Minnesota or BC waiting on the other side, this is a different story.

It is easy for underdogs to get caught up in the narratives surrounding their rises to greatness as the season draws to a close. The Bulldogs will have had two weeks off by the time they take the ice against Union on April 5, which may be just enough time to let the pressure mount and halt the momentum they brewed up when they beat Cornell 2-1 in the Midwest Regional.

Additionally, a regular season-ending loss to Western Michigan followed by a series loss to Bowling Green in the CCHA Tournament tells the story of a  team that could be struggling to rediscover the  magic that fueled its run throughout the regular season.

Plus, Union is an underdog in this tournament, too. Guess both these teams may need to find new sources of motivation if they want to advance to the championship.