Time flies. It's hard to believe nearly 10 years passed since Boston University defenseman Colby Cohen's overtime winner ended the craziest NCAA Tournament in memory.
Cohen's goal wasn't too crazy. In terms of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, a deflected puck off a diving defender fluttering past the Miami goaltender could be considered normal.
It came in a national championship game where BU trailed the RedHawks by two goals entering the final minute of regulation. It came in a tournament where the Terriers weren't the first team to claw back from two goals down entering the final minute of regulation. It came in a tournament when Air Force upsetting Michigan in Friday's opening game was both a major deal and forgotten about 48 hours later.
The 2009 NCAA Tournament was the tournament that, looking back, helped shape its perception of unpredictability, where the last at-large team to get in has won as many times in the last six years as a No. 1 seed. This tournament had everything.
On the 10 year anniversary, let's take a look back at the craziness.
Friday, March 29, 2019
2019 Frozen Four: Neutral Fan Cheering Power Rankings
Sixteen teams remain in the quest for the 2019 NCAA Division 1 men's hockey championship.
This year's tournament is not one for the blue blood teams of college hockey. The top three overall seeds each hail from Minnesota yet the Gophers are not among them. Northeastern won the Beanpot and Hockey East conference tournament while Boston College and Boston University both sit at home. So does North Dakota for a second consecutive year as Arizona State, in its third season playing a full D1 schedule, goes dancing.
Either way, among the new faces and combinations of teams out not seen since the 1960s, means there are a lot of fans who do not have a team to cheer this weekend. Same goes with NHL fans or anyone casually coming across the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
To help you - the completely neutral fan - I thought it would be beneficial to rank the teams by who would be the best to see win a championship if you have no one to cheer.
Caveat: Take this as a guide. Obviously, there are going to be differences depending on fanbases, rivalries, draft picks, connections and other factors. It's okay to cheer for a team for any rationale. For that reason, I'll also give a reason to cheer as well.
This year's tournament is not one for the blue blood teams of college hockey. The top three overall seeds each hail from Minnesota yet the Gophers are not among them. Northeastern won the Beanpot and Hockey East conference tournament while Boston College and Boston University both sit at home. So does North Dakota for a second consecutive year as Arizona State, in its third season playing a full D1 schedule, goes dancing.
Either way, among the new faces and combinations of teams out not seen since the 1960s, means there are a lot of fans who do not have a team to cheer this weekend. Same goes with NHL fans or anyone casually coming across the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
To help you - the completely neutral fan - I thought it would be beneficial to rank the teams by who would be the best to see win a championship if you have no one to cheer.
Caveat: Take this as a guide. Obviously, there are going to be differences depending on fanbases, rivalries, draft picks, connections and other factors. It's okay to cheer for a team for any rationale. For that reason, I'll also give a reason to cheer as well.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
2019 Women's Frozen Four Final Thoughts
This past weekend I went up to Hamden, CT to cover the 2019 women's Frozen Four for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Those articles can be found below, but I also wanted to add some thoughts on the weekend and experience. It was a fantastic experience catching up with old friends, meeting several people I've interacted with, and of course, getting to once again cover the University of Minnesota's run in person.
Nicole Schammel gets her Frozen Four moment as Minnesota shuts out Cornell to advance to the national championship game: http://www.startribune.com/gophers-women-s-hockey-tops-cornell-2-0-to-advance-to-national-title-game/507538602/
"It's fierce and special, mixed with a dash of familiarity." On the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry being contested over a national championship: http://www.startribune.com/rivals-minnesota-wisconsin-to-play-for-women-s-hockey-championship/507572422/
"These years have been the best years of our lives." Why Minnesota was both disappointed to lose in the national championship game and grateful to get the opportunity: http://www.startribune.com/gophers-women-s-hockey-loses-2-0-to-badgers-in-national-championship/507591282/
An early look at the 2019-20 Gophers team: http://www.startribune.com/gophers-have-talent-to-rebound-from-ncaa-title-game-loss/507616532/
Some final thoughts that didn't fit into a story:
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
College Hockey 2019 Trade Deadline (or) What Teams Need Down The Stretch
Trades don’t exist in college hockey. In fact, college is one of the few times in life players hold the cards, choosing their destinations rather than the other way around. With a few exceptions, teams, for better or worse, are stuck with the same players through health and injury. There’s no buying or selling a season in February when things go awry and the window closes.
Still, last Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline trickled down an idea of what teams this year contending for a title, or on the bubble needing a final conference tournament push to get a chance to contend, could use for postseason success.
If it was allowed.
Perfect teams don’t exist (outside of the 1970 Cornell men and 2013 Minnesota women). Each of the top teams has strengths and weaknesses. In a single-elimination tournament, against a new matchup, those strengths and weaknesses get exposed.
So while college hockey won’t see what could happen with a team throwing its chips on the table and going all in, there is room for those teams to improve.
Rather than looking at trades - because trades don’t exist in college hockey - what could each of the contending teams use? Which player from a non-contending team would best help one with dreams of Frozen Four glory?
If it was allowed.
Of course, if it was, and using three simple rules, here’s who I would choose. First rule: Teams in the top 20 of the Pairwise, which mimics the criteria used by the NCAA selection committee to select the NCAA Tournament at-large bids, can only pick up one player from a team outside the top 20. Second rule: Only upperclassmen can be chosen. No one will be getting Quinn Hughes on their blue line or offensive help from Ludwig Stenlund.
Third rule: Teams cannot pick players from teams in the same conference. Like how NHL teams often avoid trading players inside its own division or conference, it’d be more difficult to convince players being picked up by rivals and conference mates.
If it was allowed, of course.
Still, last Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline trickled down an idea of what teams this year contending for a title, or on the bubble needing a final conference tournament push to get a chance to contend, could use for postseason success.
If it was allowed.
Perfect teams don’t exist (outside of the 1970 Cornell men and 2013 Minnesota women). Each of the top teams has strengths and weaknesses. In a single-elimination tournament, against a new matchup, those strengths and weaknesses get exposed.
So while college hockey won’t see what could happen with a team throwing its chips on the table and going all in, there is room for those teams to improve.
Rather than looking at trades - because trades don’t exist in college hockey - what could each of the contending teams use? Which player from a non-contending team would best help one with dreams of Frozen Four glory?
If it was allowed.
Of course, if it was, and using three simple rules, here’s who I would choose. First rule: Teams in the top 20 of the Pairwise, which mimics the criteria used by the NCAA selection committee to select the NCAA Tournament at-large bids, can only pick up one player from a team outside the top 20. Second rule: Only upperclassmen can be chosen. No one will be getting Quinn Hughes on their blue line or offensive help from Ludwig Stenlund.
Third rule: Teams cannot pick players from teams in the same conference. Like how NHL teams often avoid trading players inside its own division or conference, it’d be more difficult to convince players being picked up by rivals and conference mates.
If it was allowed, of course.
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