March Madness On Ice: Big Ten Storms The Frozen Four, Upending Favorites

March Madness On Ice: Big Ten Storms The Frozen Four, Upending Favorites

The consequences of March Madness aren't relegated to the court, apparently, as the NCAA hockey tournament has been just as insane.

Mar 27, 2018 by Hunter Sharpless
March Madness On Ice: Big Ten Storms The Frozen Four, Upending Favorites

 By Jacob Messing


March has wreaked collegiate havoc this year, as upsets first shattered basketball brackets and, now, turned to decimate hockey brackets as well. Some of the NCAA’s best teams packed their bags early, well before their desired goal of a Frozen Four—or even a national championship.

As No. 1 seeds in their respective regions, Cornell and St. Cloud State were heavy favorites but dropped their opening games of the 16-team tournament. St. Cloud State was the top-seeded team overall while Cornell was third overall.

Notre Dame and Minnesota Duluth held on for a couple of 2-1 wins on Saturday to earn the first two spots in the Frozen Four. The exciting opening weekend then came to a close on Sunday, with Michigan and Ohio State posting decisive victories to secure the final two spots in the tournament semifinals.



Three Big Ten teams remain in the hunt for the championship, and at least one is guaranteed a spot in the finals. Let’s break down who has the best shot of lifting the ultimate hardware.

Ohio State vs Minnesota Duluth

Ohio State has been one of the most consistent teams this season, going 26-9-5, and their dominance has seen them land their first trip to the Frozen Four since 1998. Last season, the Buckeyes ended a seven-year drought at the NCAA tournament, though they lost in the first round to none other than Minnesota Duluth.

But fourth-year coach and 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year Steve Rohlik has restored the once-dynamic program to greatness, and his upperclassmen have stepped up to help lead the team during the first two tournament matchups. Seniors Kevin Miller and Christian Lampasso each recorded three points, combining for three goals and three assists during the team’s wins over Princeton and defending champ Denver.

“It's a really a proud moment for me, for these guys, for the 27 players and my staff,” Rohlik told Matt Castle of USCHO.com following the win over Denver. “I couldn’t be luckier to be a part of something like this. To go into a game against a team like that, defending champions, very talented, I just give our guys a lot of credit. We were resilient tonight.”

Leading scorer Tanner Laczynski also added a goal and an assist over the first two games, as the team’s collective play has shown what they can do.

But the Buckeyes will have to get through Minnesota Duluth first before they get too ambitious. The Bulldogs have been one of the top college hockey teams over the past several years with four straight NCAA tournament appearances; they enter their second straight trip to the Frozen Four. They’ll be looking to get back to the championship game after losing to Denver for the title last season.

The Bulldogs, 23-16-3, have had their trying times this season, losing seven of 10 from November 3 to December 8 and four of five from January 23 to February 3. Those stretches come after losing six of their top eight scorers from last season, including their top two.

But the depth finally came around this weekend, when 12 different players recorded a point in the team’s wins over Minnesota State and Air Force, which knocked off top-seeded St. Cloud State on Friday. Freshman defenseman Dylan Samberg posted two assists over the weekend and was the only Bulldogs player to record multiple points.



Samberg was a second-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2017, and while he has just one goal and 13 points in 40 games on the season, he’s beginning to find his game when it matters most. Over his past 10 games he has recorded seven points (1 G, 6 A).

Air Force coach Frank Serratore had high praise for the Bulldogs, their young defensive core, and head coach Scott Sandelin.

“Whoever gets them in the Frozen Four, they’re gonna have their hands full,” Serratore said Saturday after the Bulldogs' victory.

Sandelin and the Bulldogs success has stemmed from the back end, where five freshmen and a sophomore have held down the defensive zone. The Bulldogs are a true threat for their program’s second national championship after winning the title in 2011.

Notre Dame vs Michigan

Notre Dame’s first season in the Big Ten just keeps getting better. The Fighting Irish went 27-9-2 and were the only team in college hockey to win both their conference title and conference tournament this season. They’re two wins away from winning the Big Ten again—sort of.

Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year Cale Morris has been phenomenal this season, collecting a 26-7-1 record backstopped by a 1.91 goals against average, .945 save percentage, and four shutouts. In what little pains Morris has experienced this year, a deep offense and defense have been there to bail him out.

“This group has been a resilient group and we call them the ‘Cardiac Kids’ for a reason,” head coach Jeff Jackson told Joshua Seguin of College Hockey News. “They find a way to win, regardless of the situation. Everything I should say is about them and everything they have accomplished this season.”

The Irish are currently enjoying their third straight NCAA tournament. They lost in the Frozen Four to eventual champ Denver last season and were knocked out in the first round in 2016 by Michigan.

“I think the biggest thing is, we were mesmerized by the moment last year,” added Jackson, the Big Ten Coach of the Year. “We had a lot of kids that had never been there before and we played a team in Denver that had been there before. There are so many distractions and so many things going on. Our guys will know now how to prepare for it.”

Michigan will look to bring Notre Dame’s season to a halt once again as one of the hottest teams in college hockey. The Wolverines hold a 77-56-5 all-time record (2-2 this year) over the Irish, who they also swept in February in their latest meeting. The Wolverines were the only team to hand Notre Dame two losses this year.

Michigan has risen from the ashes after a disastrous 2016-17 campaign, and new coach Mel Pearson has them believing in themselves.

Eleven months ago, during his introductory press conference as the new coach, Pearson alluded to Michigan needing some minor tweaks. He did so with a metaphor of the family car: a car with a beautiful body and great engine but in need of some minor work in order to reach its destination. That destination was, of course, St. Paul, Minnesota, where the Frozen Four is held.



Well, the Wolverines have arrived and the car’s value has increased over the past several months. Michigan has gone 9-1-0 over its past 10 games for an overall record of 22-14-3, and the gas tank is anything but empty.

Similarly to Minnesota Duluth, Michigan’s young team saw a collective effort with 12 different players recording a point over the weekend. Their second game, a 6-3 win over Boston University, was tighter than the scoreboard portrayed.

“I can’t tell you we played the best game; I can’t tell you we were the better team tonight,” Pearson told Jim Connelly of USCHO.com after the game. “We got lucky. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, but we were good and lucky.”

Luck is a necessary ingredient in every champion. With Michigan’s dedication to playing the right way, luck tipped in their favor.

Don’t miss the pair of games this weekend as four great, deserving teams eye a trip to the final for the national championship.


Have a question or a comment for Jacob? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.