2015 NCAA Men's Hockey Frozen Four Shipping Up to Boston
The 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Frozen Four field has been finalized and will feature two teams apiece from the Hockey East Association and the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
The first semifinal game on April 9 at 5 p.m. at TD Garden in Boston will feature Hockey East's Providence against Nebraska-Omaha. The second semifinal at 8:30 p.m. will star the NCHC's North Dakota against hometown Boston University. Both contests will be televised on ESPN2.
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Providence (24-13-2 overall) won the East Regional in its own backyard and advanced to its first Frozen Four in 30 years by besting Miami, 7-5, and Denver, 4-1. The Friars raced out to a 6-2 lead after 40 minutes in the first game against top-seeded Miami at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Saturday, then held on as the Red Hawks scored three times in the third period with their goaltender pulled for an extra attacker.
In the regional final against Denver, Providence defenseman Tom Parisi broke a 1-1 tie with just under five minutes remaining in regulation, wristing home a shot from the left side in the waning seconds of a major power play after the Pioneers' Joey LaLeggia had been ejected for a check to the head. The Friars then notched two empty-net goals, while Gillies made 23 stops in all to power Providence to its first Frozen Four since 1985.
"Providence head coach Nate Leaman on #FrozenFour "The margin of winning and losing in those games is very small. We need to play our best hockey"
(@hockey_east) March 31, 2015"
Omaha (20-12-6) won the Midwest Regional in South Bend, Indiana, by topping Harvard, 4-1, and RIT, 4-0, to punch its ticket to its first ever Frozen Four in its 18th season of varsity play. Mavericks netminder Ryan Massa made 25 saves against the Crimson in the opener on Saturday, then posted 40 stops versus the Tigers on Saturday as UNO won its first ever game in its third trip to the NCAA tournament. Jake Guentzel scored a goal for Omaha in the opener and then set up two scores in the clincher.
"Massa stops 40, sending Omaha past RIT and into its first Frozen Four— USCHO.com March 29, 2015"
RIT, which made its first Frozen Four in 2010, made more history on Saturday when it upset overall No. 1 seed Minnesota State-Mankato, 2-1. It marked the first time the No. 1 seed had lost to a No. 16 seed since the NCAA tournament expanded to 16 schools in 2003.
North Dakota (29-9-3) returned to the Frozen Four for the second straight season by claiming the West Regional in Fargo, North Dakota, with a pair of 4-1 victories over Quinnipiac and St. Cloud State. Zane McIntyre stopped 24 shots for the former Fighting Sioux against the Bobcats, then turned away 19 St. Cloud shots to backstop UND back to the national semifinals. Drake Caggiula led UND in Game 1 with a goal and an assist, and Colten St. Clair did likewise in Game 2.
"Congrats to UND Hockey on earning its 21st #FrozenFour berth in program history and second straight!(@TheNCHC) March 29, 2015"
Boston University (27-7-5) made it back to the Frozen Four for the first time since winning the 2009 national title, and for the first time under head coach David Quinn, by recording 3-2 wins over Yale and Minnesota-Duluth, the first one in overtime. Danny O'Regan connected at 7:27 of sudden death in the opener, assisted by national scoring leader Jack Eichel. Evan Rodrigues followed up his goal for BU in that game with two for the Terriers in the second contest, including the game-winner with just under two-and-a-half minutes left, following up a neat toe drag with a wrist shot up high. BU netminder Matt O'Connor finished with 21 and 27 saves, respectively.
"BU head coach David Quinn on Rodrigues: "Any situation we're in, I want him on the ice. He's a huge reason we're having the success we are having (@hockey_east) March 31, 2015"
The full interactive bracket and all the regional results can be accessed here. The two semifinal winners will earn berths in the national championship game on April 11 at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) in Boston. UND defeated BU, 6-4, in the 1997 NCAA title game in Milwaukee, while Providence and Omaha are meeting for the first time in the national tournament.
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