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Eagles, Golden Gophers set for semis
Saturday's winner will face either No. 1 Miami or No. 4 Air Force for title.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
OXFORD — Two of the biggest names in college hockey will square off in the NCAA Northeast Regional on Saturday, March 29, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.
Second-seeded Boston College and No. 3 seed Minnesota are slated for the second regional semifinal at 7:30 p.m., and those two programs have seven national titles and 39 Frozen Four appearances between them. The winner will advance to face either top-seeded Miami or No. 4 seed Air Force for the regional crown.
Extras
Here's some information about the middle two seeds:
Boston College
Nickname: Eagles
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Coach: Jerry York, 14th season
Record: 21-11-8
League: Hockey East
League record: 11-9-7 (fourth place)
Top scorer: Junior forward Nathan Gerbe (28 goals, 29 assists)
Top goaltender: Freshman John Muse (21-11-8 record, .919 save percentage, 2.26 goals-allowed average)
NCAA history: This is Boston College's 28th tournament appearance. The Eagles have reached the Frozen Four 20 times, winning national crowns in 1949 and 2001.
The skinny: The Eagles, national runners-up the last two seasons, simply reload every year. Boston College has caught fire at the right time, winning its last five games and the Hockey East tournament title behind Gerbe, a Hobey Baker Award finalist.
Minnesota
Nickname: Golden Gophers
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Coach: Don Lucia, ninth season
Record: 19-16-9
League: Western Collegiate Hockey Association
League record: 9-12-7 (seventh place)
Top scorer: Junior forward Blake Wheeler (15 goals, 19 assists)
Top goaltender: Freshman Alex Kangas (12-9-9 record, .932 save percentage, 1.92 goals-allowed average)
NCAA history: This is Minnesota's 32nd tournament appearance. The Gophers have been to the Frozen Four 19 times and captured national titles in 1974, '76, '79, 2002 and '03.
The skinny: The Gophers endured a difficult regular season, but have found their groove of late, reaching the WCHA tournament championship contest before losing to Denver. Minnesota wins with defense — the Gophers haven't scored more than five goals in a game all year.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2194 or rcassano@coxohio.com.
