With the search for Al Skinner's replacement consuming the blog for the last week, I've built up an impressive backlog of Frozen Four links and articles. So instead of letting them all go to waste, here's a rather lengthy link post that should keep you busy until tomorrow's Frozen Four Semifinals.
Go Eagles!
Boston College Eagles
Ben Smith proves BC catalyst (Boston Herald)
"To be back this year, you just take in the moment that much more, and understand that to get to this point is an unbelievable accomplishment. It’s a quick tournament. Sixty minutes of hockey gets you to the championship. Sixty minutes (more) gets you the national championship. You never know what can happen."
Dumoulin working to keep his focus (Portland Press Herald)
Dumoulin believes the experiences the Eagles (27-10-3) have had in professional venues this season -- the Hockey East game at Fenway Park, winning the Beanpot and the Hockey East championships at TD Garden in Boston and playing two NCAA tournament games at Worcester's DCU Center, an AHL facility, will benefit them.
Greenwich's Atkinson leads Boston College into Frozen Four (Greenwich Time)
"I'm sure there will be a couple nerves in there, but it's going to be good nerves," said Atkinson, former Prep Player of the Year. "It's exciting being only one of four teams still playing. There are a lot of teams out there that wish they were in our position. We just have to have some fun, play our game and good things will happen."
Puck Daddy chats with BC's Carl Sneep ... (Puck Daddy)
"Everyone on the team was just devastated by not even being able to make the tournament after winning the championship. We had such high expectations for that team and we really thought we could go deep in the playoffs again, then not being able to make it just makes us want it that much this year, especially for the sophomore class. They've never been able to taste the successes we've had in the past here. I think they wanted it a lot more this year, too."
BC's small line produces big results (ESPN.com)
Since the [Whitney-Gibbons-Atkinson] line was formed 22 games ago it has accounted for 36 goals, 48 assists and 84 points. And more importantly, BC is on a 17-4-1 run, starting with that win over the Friars back on Jan. 12.
Frozen Four Preview: Boston College Carries On (USCHO)
Why the Eagles will win it all: Boston College can win the low-scoring games (it finished tops in Hockey East in team defense) and it can win the shootouts, too (7-6 over Maine in the league championship game and 9-7 over Yale in the Northeast Regional).
For BC, It's a Matter of Style (College Hockey News)
When they take the ice against Miami on Thursday night, they'll face another gifted team with players capable of forcing an opponent to play their style of the game. But that doesn't worry York. He knows that if his opponents want to run and gun, he can rely on Brian Gibbons, Joe Whitney and Cam Atkinson outrun them. And he knows if his opponent wants to play a more physical, possession game, he can let his playoff-tough checking line bang with them.
Miami RedHawks
Miami facing another Boston roadblock (Boston Globe)
Boston schools have been nothing but trouble for the RedHawks. Three straight springs, from 2006 through ’08, Boston College beat them once in the Northeast Regional semifinals and twice in the regional finals before BU beat them last year.
RedHawks' goaltending duo second to none (Dayton Daily News)
Blasi guards the secret of which Miami goalie will start on any given day with the effort of a poker player guarding his face with a million dollars on the table and a royal flush in his hand. In essence, that’s exactly that Blasi holds in his hands.
Miami Overcomes Pressure, Hardship (College Hockey News)
Perhaps most impressively, Miami has rapidly overcome an almost unimaginable mental obstacle - that of refocusing an entire program for another title run, just months after the most heartbreaking loss in RedHawks history. After all, who doesn't know by now the truly tall tale of Boston University's dramatic D.C. triumph in last April's national championship game?
Experience is with RedHawks in the Frozen Four (Dayton Daily News)
Numbers suggest Miami University’s hockey team will have a slight advantage over the Boston College Eagles in terms of Frozen Four experience. Of the 26 players on Miami’s roster, 19 made it all the way to the national championship game last year. Of the 26 players on Boston College’s roster, 19 never have been to the Frozen Four.
RIT Tigers and Wisconsin Badgers
Puck Daddy chats with RIT goalie Jared DeMichael ... (Puck Daddy)
I would say as soon as we stepped on the ice and did warm-ups, all the initial nerves were gone. It was no different than really any other game. There are a little bit of nerves, but once we get out on the ice and get our feet moving and take a couple of shots and [get] used to the atmosphere, it's just business as usual.
Breakout Season Takes RIT to Frozen Four (Detroit Free Press)
The electronic scroll on the front of the team’s charter bus painted the perfect picture — "RIT Hockey. Who are these guys?" ... "It’s funny. We were joking we were Rhode Island Tech," star defenseman Dan Ringwald said. "Hopefully, people now know we’re the Rochester Institute of Technology."
Mr. and Mr. Smith (College Hockey News)
One is emerging as a star forward on the nation's No. 1 team. The other, a Hobey Baker finalist, is arguably the best defenseman in college hockey ... Now, of course, we know them as the Smith brothers, Brendan and Reilly - a junior defenseman for Wisconsin and a freshman forward for Miami, respectively.
Frozen Four
Detroit Has History of Classic Frozen Fours (College Hockey News)
Though it hasn't been there in 20 years, Detroit was once a popular destination for college hockey's ultimate weekend. Five times in a 14-year span, between 1977 and 1990, the Frozen Four came to what's now known as Hockeytown, in two different previous venues.
Ford Field Layout (Sixty Minutes. No Alibis. No Regrets)
The new layout is expected to hold about 36,000 spectators, no word on how many tickets have been sold at this point. Risers with seating will be place on both sides of the rink. This design is even different than the layout that Wisconsin played at during the Lambeau Field game. At the Lambeau game, organizers also shrunk the playing area, but they ran the rink parallel with the football field.