Gophers Heading East

The Gophers failed to defend the Broadmoor Trophy, falling to the Denver Pioneers 2-1 on Saturday night, but their miraculous run through the WCHA playoffs earned them a spot in the national tournament as a #3 seed. Minnesota heads to Worcester, Massachusetts to play 2nd seeded Boston College in a Saturday night tilt. The team's road to the postseason was anything but smooth, with an all out battle against Minnesota State in the 1st round of the playoffs followed by two nerveracking affairs against St. Cloud State and Colorado College in the Final Five. But phenomenal goaltending from Alex Kangas anchored the team, and some puck-luck, which had gone against the Gophers for most of the year, was found as they advanced to the Final Five title game. Minnesota heads to the NCAA Tournament for the 8th straight year, although their streak of six straight #1 seeds comes to an end this year. The Worcester bracket features Miami, Boston College, and Air Force along with the Gophers and the winner of the region advances to the Frozen Four in Denver. The tournament features 6 WCHA teams, and the field sets up like this:

Albany, NY
1) Michigan vs. 4) Niagara
2) St. Cloud State vs. 3) Clarkson

Colorado Springs, CO
1) New Hampshire vs. 4) Notre Dame
2) Colorado College vs. 3) Michigan State

Madison, WI
1) North Dakota vs. 4) Princeton
2) Denver vs. 3) Wisconsin

Worcester, MA
1) Miami vs. 4) Air Force
2) Boston College vs. 3) Minnesota

The big controversy surrounded Wisconsin, a sub-.500 team who had all the chips fall in their favor in order to sneak into the tourney. Minnesota State was the odd man out, despite a better conference record and head to head record. The Badgers were aided by a better Pairwise ranking combined with the fact that Madison was a host this year, meaning more money will be pumped into the NCAA if the Badgers compete at home. It is an indictment of the system, but it does not appear the system is going to change anytime soon. The tournament kicks off Friday with the Gophers and Eagles squaring off Saturday night at 6:30.