Experience is with RedHawks in the Frozen Four

MU has 19 players ’09 runner-up team, which may help vs. Boston College.

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 9:51 PM Sunday, April 4, 2010

OXFORD — 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.

“Experience is important because there’s a lot of sitting around and waiting around on Wednesday in preparation,” said Miami coach Enrico Blasi, whose top-ranked RedHawks will face the No. 2 Eagles on Thursday, April 8, in the semifinals.

“There’s a lot going on, and you have to experience it and take it all in,” he said, “but once you’ve been there, there’s not as much novelty in being in the Frozen Four. Hopefully it’ll calm us down.”

The preparations can be stressful.

“Players are worried about their parents getting tickets and getting hotel rooms,” Blasi said. “It’s chaos.”

Miami’s team captain, junior forward Tommy Wingels, said it helps to have gone through it all.

“You know what it takes to win and what it takes to be in games against the good teams in that big environment with a lot of media around,” he said.

“We have many upperclassmen, which may be an advantage,” Wingels added, “but they (the Eagles) have been in the tournament before and their coach will have them ready to go.”

You can bank on it.

In fact, the seven Boston College players who do have Frozen Four memories have good ones.

Memories of beating Miami 4-3 in overtime in the regional finals in 2007, and memories of beating Notre Dame 4-1 to win the 2008 national title.

Boston College senior forward Ben Smith, whose 13 goals this season include a team-high four game-winners, said he doesn’t think the 19 Frozen Four newcomers on his team will be a liability.

“That was one of the biggest questions coming into the year,” Smith said. “We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores. They’ve exceeded expectations.

“It’s really exciting for the young guys to be a part of this,” he said. “(They should) enjoy the moment. It’s really a hard thing to make it to the Frozen Four. (They should) work hard in practice, but embrace the experience.”