Can the “State of Hockey” bring home another ring?

With the snow finally melting up here at school, it coincides perfectly with the ending of the D1 hockey season. Now that March Madness is officially behind us, we can turn our attention to the NCAA Frozen Four. The tournament’s semifinal games are this upcoming weekend on Thursday night in Tampa with the final being played on Saturday.

The Minnesota teams got robbed this year, as they all ended up having to play each other in the same side of the bracket. Minnesota State University, Mankato, St. Cloud State and the U of M all found themselves playing in the Fargo Regional of the tournament. The Gophers ended up being the final team representing Minnesota as they put away the St. Cloud State Huskies in the regional finals with a commanding 4-1 victory. The other three teams accompanying the Golden Gophers in the Frozen Four this year include Quinnipiac, Michigan and Boston U. All four of these programs are powerhouses that have been dominating the hockey scene as of late.

The real question will be if the Gophers will be able to come out of the Frozen Four with a national championship. It’s been 20 years since the Gophers last held up the championship trophy. Since then, they have watched their Minnesota counterparts (UMD) establish themselves as the prominent team in the state of hockey. The Bulldogs of Duluth have won three titles since the Gophers last won the entire tournament in 2003. This tournament gives the University of Minnesota the opportunity to cement themselves back as the top dog in the state and in the country. Even though the Gophers are ranked No. 1 in the nation, that doesn’t mean it will be a cakewalk to the championship.

The path to the ship for the Gophers goes right through a Boston U team that has been hot recently. Winners of their last nine games, the Terriers will attempt to upset the top-seeded Gophers by outskating them. Since the Gophers are clearly the more talented team, the Terriers will have to rely on their speed to keep them in the mix. A potential rematch with Michigan lies ahead in the National Championship if the Gophs can get past their East Coast counterparts and Michigan is able to handle Quinnipiac. The last time the Gophers played Michigan was in the Big Ten Championship game just two and a half weeks ago.

I remember watching them blow a 3-2 lead in the early minutes of the third period on our couch upstairs in Seton before ultimately losing 4-3. After winning three of four regular season games against the Wolverines, the Gophers looked sloppy in the conference title game. My roommates and I were all pretty discouraged by their performance since there were lapses of judgment on defense and missed assignments that turned into Wolverine goals. It was encouraging knowing that the Gophs hadn’t played their best game, though, so there was plenty of room for improvement. I think that not winning the Big Ten Championship put a chip on the team’s shoulders, so they have something to prove heading into this weekend’s Frozen Four.

If the Gophers are going to do it all this year, they’ll have to rely on the talent of their top line, which consists of two NHL first rounders in Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley and one second rounder in Matthew Knies. These three continue to dominate the collegiate hockey scene with their offensive production. Cooley is in the midst of a 15-game point streak which happens to be the longest streak in the nation at the moment. (A point is earned for either an assist or goal). Snuggerud has also had a successful freshman year with 21 goals and 50 points, which ranks fifth in the NCAA. Finally, Knies, who was awarded the Big Ten Player of the Year, has also bagged 21 goals in 38 games during his stellar sophomore season. Together, this talented trio has the Golden Gophers yearning to obtain their sixth national title in school history.

I’m optimistic that Minnesota will get the job done this year, but we’ll just have to wait and see. The puck drops for the Gophers at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday against the Terriers. Michigan and Quinnipiac will follow suit at 7:30 p.m. CT. It kind of seems like a crime that the Frozen Four is taking place in a city as far south as Tampa, but that’s a debate for another time. Row the boat, Ski-U-Mah and Go Gophers!