2-4-T At Frozen Four 2014: Day 1

I admittedly don't have a whole lot of college hockey chops, my only real exposure to it being the Hockey City Classic in 2013 at Soldier Field in Chicago. That day featured two outdoor contests, one between Miami (Ohio) and Notre Dame, the other Minnesota versus Wisconsin, on a February day that got more and more frigid as the sun crept below the western edge of the stadium. While I can speak most fluently about NHL action, I'll never turn down an opportunity to take in some puck.


So here I am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the NCAA's Frozen Four.

Just know I'm not an encyclopedia of knowledge on this event, I didn't even get to catch much of the playoffs leading up to the games, but I have a pair of eyes and a love of hockey so I got that going for me.

This is definitely a celebration of all college hockey. While the overwhelming majority of fans are here for Union, Boston College, North Dakota, or Minnesota, many other teams are represented. Penn State, Wisconsin, Maine, University of New Hampshire, Providence, Notre Dame, and Denver all made appearances on sweaters and other forms of apparel on the floor. And of course various other teams popped up, mainly the Flyers, but I also spotted some Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Steel (USHL), some high school program I didn't catch the name of, and, of course, the San Jose Sharks courtesy of a hat belonging to yours truly.

I was parked up in the nosebleeds one row ahead of last with an excellent view of all of the action and pretty close to the Union and Minnesota bands, which is always a good time.

Union (N.Y.) Dutchmen 5 v Boston College 4

This game was a lot of fun. BC came out of the gate on fire with a goal from Mr. Johnny Hockey himself (Johnny Gaudreau) a touch over 2 minutes into the contest on the team's first shot. Boy, is that kid fast. BC was basically taking it to Union for the entire first period despite what the shot total (11-9 in favour of Union) and score (1-0 BC) told you. BC was all over the ice, out-skated Union by a country mile, and the score could have easily been 3-0 were it not for a couple of shots rung off the iron. Union, on the other hand, was struggling with their transition game, couldn't generate much offence because of poor puck support, and were allowing BC to walk all over them.

I don't know what Union head coach Rick Bennett said in the locker room during the first intermission but whatever it was must have lit a fire under the squad. The Dutchmen tied the game early in the second off of a beauty of a slapper by defenceman Matt Bodie and took the lead midway through the frame with Daniel Ciampini's first of three on the night. Union was gaining composure and cutting opportunities short for BC. With just over 4 minutes left in the second, the Eagles pulled even and we had a game.

One thing you will probably notice at any level of hockey with teams struggling to score is the tendency to over-pass. Boston College was very creative with the puck all game but fell into the trap of getting too cute with cross-crease passes in tight and behind the back drops on the rush. Around 6:30 of the third, BC fell behind once more but, seconds later, were handed quite the gift. Matt Hatch of Union committed a check from behind which cost the team 5 minutes with a man down.

While this is always a nice opportunity for any hockey team, the Eagles couldn't capitalise on the power play. In fact they only managed three shots on net but otherwise couldn't get away from their over-passing modus operandi. And to add salt to the wound, Union would score just 4 seconds after the expiry of their major infraction, pushing the score to 4-2 with 8 minutes remaining.

BC couldn't get anything going in the following minutes, and with 2 1/2 minutes to go, they pulled goaltender Thatcher Demko for the extra attacker. 45 seconds later through some heavy press, the Eagles pulled within one. With Union winning the ensuing faceoff, Demko couldn't exit the net for another 25 seconds but Ciampini capped off his 3-goal night with a shot into the empty net. It seemed like BC was done for the night before Ciampini would put the Eagles back to power play on a slashing call with 34 seconds left. To add to how ridiculous the final two minutes were, BC scored another tally on somewhat of a softie with 5 seconds remaining. Gaudreau would manage one final shot with the remaining ticks of the clock but time would finally run out and the Union Dutchmen would advance to the championship round.

Minnesota Golden Gophers 2 v North Dakota Team Formerly Known as Fighting Sioux 1

You know those 1-0 games, usually involving teams like the St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings in the playoffs, where the goalies stand on their heads, bodies are flying all over the place, and the entire arena hangs on every shot directed on net? How about those 1-0 games, more likely between teams like the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers on a Tuesday night, where the teams don't seem to care about each other, no one except the plucky rookie call-up is shooting the puck, and NOTHING happens all game? Split the difference and you have Gophers versus Sioux.

It was a decent game to be sure, it was fast-paced and went back and forth with regularity, it just lacked the explosiveness of the matinee. I could be wrong though, from the groans of the child sitting next to me, because the score was so low, this was the worst game of hockey that ever hockeyed.

There wasn't much that stood out here. The teams traded chances, going 12-9 in shots for North Dakota in the first and even at 12 a side in the second. Both teams had a chance on the power play in the second as well but neither could capitalise.

Minnesota finally broke the tie with just over 9 minutes remaining in the third. Sam Warning put one past UND goaltender Zane Gothberg on a second attempt after a Kyle Rau shot. But before the Gophers faithful could get too excited, Connor Gaarder returned the favour on a Sioux rush up the ice.

It was a short outburst but the following 8 1/2 minutes were business as usual. Gothberg and Minnesota goaltender Adam Wilcox had the answer for everything coming at them.

With 10 seconds left, and a Minnesota zone faceoff, the game seemed all but certain to be heading to overtime. The Gophers won the puck and started a rush up the ice. Kyle Rau attempted a shot on UND from the left side, which was blocked. Justin Holl picked up the change and, through a screen, threw the puck on net which snuck just inside the far post and in. After video review, the goal was confirmed with 0.6 seconds left on the clock and the Minnesota Golden Gophers would wind up victorious and the Gophers fans would have a new chant for the next two days.