Frozen Four 2015: Top Players to Watch in College Hockey Semifinals
If you like a little bit of ice with your Final Four, the Frozen Four is for you. With North Dakota, Omaha, Boston and Providence all punching their tickets to college hockey's premier event, there are a few players worth paying close attention to at the event.
Let's break them down.
Zane McIntyre, Goaltender, North Dakota
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That stats probably speak for themselves. He's posted a 29-9-3 record, 2.00 goals-against average and .931 save percentage this season. He's also the career leader at North Dakota in GAA and save percentage.
In Zane the team trusts.
Against St. Cloud State, he came up huge, saving several clear goal-scoring opportunities and only allowing one shot to get past him, sending North Dakota to the Frozen Four. He'll face a stiff test against Boston's excellent offense, but he's certainly proven to be up to the task thus far.
Austin Ortega, Forward, Omaha
It's not just that Austin Ortega has 20 goals and 37 points this season, ranking second on the team in both categories. That's all fine and dandy, but it's when he's been scoring those goals that makes him so valuable.
See, in early March, Ortega set an NCAA record with his 11th game-winning goal of the season. Yes, 11 of his 20 goals have won the game for Omaha.
His teammates have scored nine game-winning goals combined. Ortega's penchant for clutch scoring is unbelievable.
Omaha may need more of that magic in a tough matchup against Providence.
Evan Rodrigues, Forward, Boston
Evan Rodrigues hasn't been quite as clutch as Ortega this season, but when Boston has needed a goal or big play, Rodrigues has generally been the man to provide it.
Not only has he scored 21 goals and posted 61 overall points after a rough junior season, he scored three times and added an assist in the Northeast Regional, including the game-winner against Minnesota-Duluth, helping to vault Boston into the Frozen Four.
“(Evan) has been electric all year,” junior captain Matt Grzelcyk told Chris Villani of the Boston Herald. “Every time he gets the puck, he is making a play. Everyone knows he has the skill set, but they might not know he is the hardest worker on this team. He sets the tone for us.”
Don't be surprised if he sets the tone against North Dakota, too.
Jon Gillies, Goaltender, Providence
Jon Gillies has been excellent this year. Heck, he's been excellent for four years. As Ryan Lambert of Puck Daddy noted, opponents are just accustomed to being stifled at this point:
"Gillies—a career .930 goaltender who’s posted seasons of .930, .931, and .929 and played about 90 percent of his team’s minutes from the second he arrived on campus—just takes up so much of the net and does such a good job of positioning himself against just about shot that it takes a minor miracle to sneak one by him on most nights.
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Maybe Omaha has some miracle workers. Ortega has certainly pulled out a few miracles in his day. But trying to sneak a shot past Gillies generally ends in failure, which is arguably the biggest reason why Providence punched a ticket to this year's Frozen Four.
Like an un-hittable pitcher in baseball or a shooter who can't miss in basketball, a goalie who can't be beaten in hockey is often enough to lead a team to a championship.
If Providence prevails at the Frozen Four, it's likely that Gillies will be the reason.
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