Frozen Four: Day 3

I know this is VERY late, but I figured I post these pictures and videos anyways.

Congrats to UMD on winning the national championship. I guess it was the best case scenario after Union's season ended. Even though a part of me thinks that it could have been Union. The Bulldogs had a very easy route to the championship (2 ECAC teams, no  Boston College or North Dakota, etc.), but you still have to win.

Anyways, enjoy these pictures and videos from my final day in Minnesota:

Inside the Mall of America... It had an amusement park!

The mall had a store dedicated to Minnesota (and North Dakota) college hockey

On a ride in the MOA with my brother Adam

Mickey's Dining Car... like in the Mighty Ducks movies

Inside Mickey's... it was an "interesting "experience"

Outside the Xcel Energy Center



At the Frozen Four fan fest



There was live music, and lots of food and beer

The Frozen Four banners hanging throughout St. Paul

A jersey from Harvard's national championship in 1989... the last time an ECAC team won the tournament

UMD's skating cheerleaders and mascot... we need to get some!

UMD celebrates the national championship

More celebration with the trophy

UMD player celebrates with the fans

College Hockey Video of the Week (4/11/11): Minnesota-Duluth Wins First National Championship

Well, the 2010-2011 college hockey season has officially come to an end. The final game of the season was classic as the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs beat the Michigan Wolverines 3-2 in overtime for the national championship. The season finale was a classic and very emotional for both teams. It was definitely one of the most memorable college hockey games I ever attended.

Here are highlights from the game including interviews from UMD players Justin Faulk (who was my favorite player of the tournament), Jack "Peroxide Jesus" Connolly, and Kyle Schmidt (who scored the GWG):









Also, to find out why Schmidt was the only Bulldog not to bleach his hair click here.

Frozen Four 2011: Day 1

Semifinal Thursday is one of my favorite days of the year, and this year's ST was a great one. There were two barnburners where the team that controlled the play five-on-five lost. In Game 1, The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-3 behind three power-play goals, while killing all five of Notre Dame's power-play opportunities (recap). The second game was another close affair, but was a low scoring games.  After Michigan scored a goal midway through the first frame, they held on for dear life before sealing the game with an empty netter late in regulation to win 2-0. The star of Game 2 was definitely Wolverine goaltender Shawn Hurwick, who stopped all forty Sioux shots (recap). Who thought UMD and Michigan would be in the championship game?

In Game 1, the game got off to a blazing start as each team netted five goals in the first period. Both goaltenders, Kenny Reiter and Mike Johnson, seemed very jittery at first, but both settled in as the game went on. The theme of the game was special teams with UMD's PP and PK running on all cylinders (sound familiar Union fans?), while Notre Dame scored their third goal while killing a penalty. The FCC line had a good game, including Jack "Peroxide Jesus" Connolly scoring the game-winning goal. I was also once again impressed with UMD freshman defenseman Justin Faulk (he has some nice flow as well).

In the night cap, the Fighting Sioux had many great chances but either missed the net or didn't pull the trigger. But, you have to give a lot of credit to Hurwick and the Wolverine defense. The Wolverines were just opportunistic and played well defensively. It was a pretty big upset as many thought UND was the favorite to win the championship, and Michigan was just lucky to be there. The great Sioux fans were incredibly disappointed after the loss.

Personally, while it's nice to see UMD win and make it to the national championship game, it still hurts to see it. Seeing them win just makes me feel that it could have been Union. But, UMD has been excellent this post-season and deserves to be here. I also think the Dutchmen would have been over-matched by teams like North Dakota and Michigan. The ECAC still has a lot to prove to the WCHA and CCHA teams.

Each game had a great atmosphere. In the first game the UMD fans brought the energy, while large North Dakota crowd in Game 2 brought a ton of energy and fanaticism until the later half of the third period when they got nervous and quited down. The Xcel Energy Center was very full, especially in Game 2, which was evident by the crowded lower concourse. The food was also pretty good (cheesesteak and meatball hoagie).

I saw a grand total of four Union fans at the rink, which was pretty cool, and talked to two of them while waiting to buy a Frozen Four 2011 t-shirt. The t-shirt I bought was really cool because it had the logos of each team that made the NCAA Tournament on the back. It was pretty awesome to see Union's logo on Frozen Four t-shirts!

I also enjoyed Little Herb Brooks' appearance in Game 2 (click here if you don't know who he is), along with the overall Frozen Four atmosphere. It's a lot of fun seeing all the different jerseys and so many college hockey fans. Off the top of my head, the only ECAC jerseys I saw people wearing were RPI and Clarkson. I also saw: RIT, Lake Superior State, Nebraska-Omaha, Boston College, New Hampshire, and just a few others. It seemed that everyone was wearing a North Dakota jersey.

Tomorrow we will be going to Opening Day for the Minnesota Twins at Target Stadium. I've never been to an Opening Day so it should be a fun experience. I'm not too interested in the game. I just want to check out the new stadium and see if the food is good.

Anyways, here are some pictures I took today:



Frozen Four logo on the ground of Xcel Energy Center



Mother-Daughter Union fans, the Leckerlings, enjoy a girls weekend at the Frozen Four 



The view from Section 113, Row 26, Seat 10





Final Score: UMD 4, Notre Dame 3



Had to take a picture of the tournament bracket hanging in the rink



Final Score: Michigan 2, North Dakota 0



Can you see North Dakota's Santa Claus and Elvis?!



Union is in the Frozen Four program! Here's a picture of Lane Caffaro '09



Two of our semifinal tickets


Here's video I took of the last few seconds of the UMD-Notre Dame game:

Union's Season Ends With 2-0 Loss To UMD In NCAA Tourney

Well, that's it. The best season in the history of Union College hockey is over. Last night in their first NCAA Tournament game they fell to The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 2-0. I guess the belief that western teams are better than eastern teams was proven once again last night.

While I thought Union skated with the Bulldogs and received the better of the chances while playing 5-on-5, UMD was excellent in the "small" parts of the game; the parts of the game that make the difference between winning and losing. The three most noticeable "small" areas of the game where Union got extremely outplayed were faceoffs, winning battles, and SPECIAL TEAMS! I had a bad feeling after the first period. Union failed to score on four PP's and UMD scored on their first opportunity. Their inability to score on early chances (Kelly Zajac's chance about 30 seconds into the game come to mind) and UMD scoring so quickly on their first PP, was the turning point of the game.

Isn't it a little ironic that all week everyone was talking about Union's power-play and UMD's FCC line, and the Dutchmen went 0-for-9 on the PP and the FCC line accumulated just one point (Fontaine's PPG, neither of the Connolly's had a point). Instead the story was UMD's special teams and goaltender Kenny Reiter.

Nobody talked about UMD's power-play all week and I think that gave them some motivation. They ran a very good PP and controlled the puck well. UMD scored both of their goals on the man advantage and scored them at very crucial times: their first chance in the first period and first chance of the third period.

The Bulldog penalty kill killed off all nine of Union's man advantages and did so with relative ease. From what I saw, UMD packed in their box very well and didn't allow Union's shooter in the slot (Wayne Simpson and Daniel Carr) to have any room. UMD also did a great job of causing havoc in the neutral zone, which made it difficult for Union to pick up speed and make crisp passes when breaking out of their zone and attacking the Bulldog zone. Another thing that made the Bulldogs so successful was their ability to block shots and keep their bodies and sticks in the passing and shooting lanes. Reiter played a very good game. He was very good controlling rebounds and made the big save when called upon.

On the other end, Keith Kinkaid played well. I though he kept Union in the game in the third period, making some tremendous saves in the final period.

Even though Union won the faceoff battle (36-33), I thought they didn't do a great job and for the most part couldn't win the faceoff when they really needed it. UMD's second goal came right off of a Union faceoff loss. I really thought Union missed Stephane Boileau in that aspect of the game. It was tough talking to him in between periods knowing that the team really needed him and he wasn't on the ice.

While the end of the season was an extremely disappointing one with three consecutive losses, I am still extremely proud of our guys. This year is just another step to becoming a national power. We've improved and reached a goal each of the past four years: first ECAC top four finish (2008), first ECAC playoff series victory (2009), first ECAC Final Four and Championship game appearance (2010), and first NCAA Tournament appearance (2011). So, the next step is to win our first NCAA Tournament game (and score a goal... ouch I know), and with all the guys we return next season, that is a realistic goal.

It's going to be a long and interesting off season. I'll have posts to sum up the season and preview the off season later in the week hopefully before I head to St. Paul for the Frozen Four.

Keep your heads up guys! We were all (in one way or another) a part of something special.

For more on the game check out:
USCHO (with videos from the post-game press conference)
Union Athletics
Ken Schott's Blog
Times Union
Duluth News Tribune
College Hockey News
INCH
Daily Gazette's Photo Gallery

Union Plays Minnesota-Duluth in First NCAA D-1 Tourney Appearance

Well, here we are. The moment has finally come where Union College is playing in the NCAA Division 1 Hockey Tournament. The Dutchmen have played in the Division III tourney a few times back in the 1980s. It's pretty surreal to be here, but we can't just take in the sights and sounds. We can't just be happy to be here; we want to win. That's exactly what Coach Leaman and Brock Matheson said today after practice in Bridgeport.

The first task at hand is The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (22-10-6), who is the #9 seed in the tournament. This is the second time in three years that the Bulldogs have received an NCAA Tourney berth. They finished fourth in the very tough WCHA this season with a league record of 15-8-5. In the most recent polls, UMD was ranked 11th by USCHO and 12th by USA Today. They did spend some time as #1 team in the country earlier in the season. UMD is coached by Scott Sandelin, the 2003-04 recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award for D-1 Coach of the Year. He has led the Bulldogs to three consecutive 22 win seasons.

Union and UMD have met seven times all-time. The Bulldogs hold a 6-0-1 advantage in the series with the last game coming on November 22, 2003 in Schenectady (Coach Leaman's first season at Union). They are also 5-1-0 vs. Yale and 3-0-0 against Air Force all-time.

The two teams also have four common opponents: Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Clarkson, and Minnesota. Union is 1-0-0 vs. UAA, while UMD is 2-0-0; Union is 0-1-0 vs. Bemidji, while UMD is 1-1-1; both teams are 2-0-0 vs. Clarkson; and Union is 1-0-0 vs. Minnesota, while UMD is 1-1-2.

UMD is tied for 13th overall in the nation in team offense (3.39 goals per game), 21st in overall team defense (2.63 goals per game), 12th in power-play percentage (21.93%), and tied for 30th in penalty killing (81.7%). They are also the 14th most penalized team in the nation, averaging 14.82 minutes per game.

Players To Watch:

Minnesota-Duluth
Jack Connolly (#12): the junior assistant captain is the smallest player on the Bulldogs roster at 5'8" and 175lbs., but is probably the best player on the team. He is a Hobey Baker finalist and is a two time All-WCHA First Team selection, while also being on the WCHA All-Academic team. INCH also named him the WCHA Player of the Year. He leads all Bulldogs with 39 assists (second in the nation) and 55 points (tied for fourth in the nation). His 28 assists was most in WCHA play, and his 55 points was second most in league play behind North Dakota's Matt Frattin. Connolly has only been held without a point six times this season, and only once since January 14. He's going to be tough to stop.

Mike Connolly (#22): Mike is also a junior assistant captain and All-WCHA First Team selection, and plays on the same line with Jack Connolly, but they are not related. He leads the team with 26 goals, three shorthanded goals and 53 penalty minutes, and is third with 49 points. Mike has been on fire of late having scored 13 goals in his past 13 games. He is also big in the playoffs, leading all Bulldog scorers with eight goals and 18 points in post-season play. His 19 goals in WCHA play is third most in the conference.

Justin Fontaine

Justin Fontaine (#37): the senior winger is the third piece of the FCC line. Fontaine is second on the team with 20 goals, 32 assists, and 52 points (tied for seventh in the nation). He also leads the team with 10 power-play goals and a +25 rating. Fontaine was named to the All-WCHA Second Team for the third consecutive year. He is currently riding an eight-game scoring streak.

Justin Faulk (#25): the newly 19-year old freshman has been a major asset on the UMD blueline this season. He leads all all Bulldog defenders with eight goals, 19 assists, and 27 points. Faulk's six PPG's are also tied for second on the team. He is the nation's third highest scoring freshman defenseman and leads all freshman defenders in goals. Faulk was named to the All-WCHA Third Team and All-Rookie team.

Travis Oleksuk (#11): the junior forward is fifth on the team in scoring with 13 goals, 18 assists, and 31 points. But, the stat that stands out for Oleksuk is his team-leading seven game-winning goals (the closest player to him has 3 GWG). This game is going to be a barn-burner, so look out for Oleksuk late in regulation or perhaps overtime.

Union
Keith Kinkaid: Keith didn't have his best performances in the Colgate series. Maybe he was nervous, or maybe the talks of him leaving early to go to the NHL got to him. Either way, he has to be on the top of his game if Union is going to win. A hot goalie can take you all the way to the national championship game.

Wayne Simpson: Personally, Union has to capitalize on the power-play if they want any chance to win. Wayne (9 PPG) is one of Union's big three snipers on the PP, and he will have to produce. Union is 13-2-0 when the younger Simpson scores a goal. Also, I heard he's had a great week of practice. Wayne scored three goals in the Colgate series.

Justin Pallos & Andrew Buote: I'm basically going to say the same thing as I did for the Colgate series here. Pally and Bootsie are two of Union's best defensive forwards and I bet they'll have to handle the FCC line for a good part of the game. Hopefully, Pally is strong enough and Bootsie is fast enough to keep up with these guys. They will also play a major role in stopping UMD's power-play unit, which Coach Leaman called underrated. I think it would be interesting to have Prezie-Zaj-Hatch match up against the FCC line. Yes, they score a lot, but they also have two of the ECAC's top defensive forwards (Presizniuk and Zajac). Plus, Prezie is big, Hatch is fast, and Zaj is very smart in the defensive zone. It's just a thought.

Jeremy Welsh

Jeremy Welsh: During the playoffs your best players need to step up. Welshie is one of Union's top forwards and he needs to step up, along with the rest of his line (Josh Jooris and Daniel Carr) who was shut down for the most part against Colgate. Welsh has been on a bit of a cold streak lately accumulating just one goal and two assists in his past seven games. He is also seven shots away from breaking Mario Valery-Trabucoo's '10 record for most shots in a season.

Kelly Zajac: Zaj is following in the footsteps of his older brothers Travis and Darcy by becoming the third of the Zajac children to play in the NCAA tourney. He has the chance to break a few Union records this weekend: three points away from tying Mario Valery-Trabucco '10 for points in a season (45), one game-winning goal away from breaking Scot Seney's '03 record for most GWG in a season, and one assist away from breaking Joel Beal's '02 record for most assists in a season.

Keys To The Game
For Union: 1) Limit the FCC line any way possible. They were three of the top four scorers in a very tough WCHA this year. 2) Don't be nervous. Yes, this is their first ever tournament appearance, but you have to play like veterans and not let your emotions take over. The team also has to be over the loss to Colgate. Good thing they're 6-2-0 this season coming off a loss. 3) You have to capitalize on the power-play. Union has the top ranked PP in the country and they have to prove it. They are 23-5-3 this season when scoring a PP goal. On the other side of the puck, they have to be solid on the penalty kill. Union is 14-2-4 when keeping the opposition scoreless on the PP.

For UMD: 1) The FCC line must produce like they have all year. They have scored a ton in the WCHA this season and theoretically should produce the same result against the ECAC. 2) Stay out of the penalty box. The Bulldogs have been one of the most penalized teams in the country, but if they want to win they have to keep Union's prolific PP off the ice. 3) Use your experience to your advantage. Many of the Bulldogs have been to the tourney twice.

Other stats to keep an eye on: 1) Both teams are very successful when scoring first. Union is 18-4-3, while UMD is 16-3-2. So, who ever scores the first goal has a good chance of winning the game. 2) Union is very good on Friday, while the Bulldogs are just ok. Union is 14-2-1, while UMD is 9-6-2.

As you can see, this is going to be one heck of a game!

For more check out:
USCHO
INCH
College Hockey News
Ken Schott's Podcast
College Hockey Inc.
Times Union (Mark McGuire)
Connecticut Post
Union Athletics --> with Cover-It-Live
UMD Bulldogs.com
Quotes From UMD Press Conference
Jack Connolly Blog
Sounds From Bridgeport (USCHO)
Rink And Run
Runnin' With The Dogs
The Ciskie Blog

The Maroon Loon

The Maroon Loon is one of the most beloved college hockey mascots of all-time. He is the former mascot of the UMD Bulldogs, even though he is a skating chicken. He is famous for his ridiculous antics including skating on stilts and shooting water guns at opposing fans. The Loon sounds like a truly awesome college hockey mascot... reminds me a little of the Philly Phanatic.

To know more about the history of the Maroon Loon click here.

The Loon also has a UMD hockey blog dedicated to him (click here).

Here are two videos courtesy of the Maroon Loon himself. You can see how fun the Loon was and take a look at UMD Hockey history:

Videos: UMD Hockey Fan

Let's just hope Justin doesn't ever run into this hard core UMD Bulldog fan:

Ten Questions With Bruce Ciskie

Bruce Ciskie

I assume that pretty much every Union fan doesn't know much about our upcoming opponent, The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. The same can be said for the Bulldog fans, so I agreed to have a back-and-forth Q&A with Bruce Ciskie, who is the UMD Hockey radio play-by-play announcer. He also is the sports director of Duluth's Red Rock Radio runs The Ciskie Blog. I'd like to thank to Mr. Ciskie for doing this and for answering the questions honestly and clearly.

So, here are my ten questions with Bruce Ciskie.

1. Tell us about yourself. What is your connection to UMD Hockey?
I've been the radio play-by-play announcer since the 2005-2006 season. Before that, my wife and I became season-ticket holders in 2002, and now my wife and son go to all the home games, along with road games when the kid's hockey schedule permits.

I actually left the job during the 2008-2009 season when the station that was carrying the games eliminated my position and didn't allow me to finish the season. As a result, this is actually the first time I've gotten to call a UMD game in the NCAA Tournament.

2. Tell us about The University of Minnesota-Duluth? Where is Duluth, Minnesota, what's it like, etc.?
Duluth, Minnesota, is on the western tip of Lake Superior. It's known as a shipping port and is a huge tourist town during the summer, largely centered around Lake Superior. It's home to one of the bigger marathons in the country, Grandma's Marathon, which runs every year on the third Saturday in June. UMD has over 11,000 students and has been around since 1947.

From a sports standpoint, UMD has been dominated lately by its football and hockey programs. Football won Division II national titles in 2008 and 2010, while women's hockey has five NCAA titles out of the 11 handed out. The men's hockey program has been around for 67 years, but has been to just one Frozen Four since the mid-1980s.

3. In short, how did UMD's season go? Was it good? Bad? Up and down?, etc.
UMD's season has gone well. They were No. 1 in the polls for a time, and they stayed in the upper half of the WCHA for the entire season. There was a bit of a dry spell down the stretch, but they played well in series against Nebraska-Omaha and St. Cloud State to get to the Final Five and clinch an NCAA Tournament spot.

Mike Connolly

4. Who is UMD's best player?
Some would say it's Jack Connolly, and it's hard to argue with that when you consider he's an All-American, one of the league's top point producers, and a Hobey Baker finalist. However, Mike Connolly is on the ice in virtually every key situation imaginable. He has a goal-scoring touch, an unbelievable competitive fire, and a nose for the puck. You won't find anyone in the country as tenacious without the puck as Mike Connolly.

By the way, they're not related, in case anyone is wondering. Jack is from Duluth and Mike from Calgary.

5. Tell us about UMD's defensive corps.
UMD was hit with the mid-season departure of former Chicago first-rounder Dylan Olsen, who was going to be academically ineligible for the second half of the season. An injury to junior Brady Lamb made them quite thin for a time in February. They're better now, with senior captain Mike Montgomery and freshman sensation Justin Faulk (2010 second-round pick by Carolina) taking most of the big minutes. Lamb and sophomore Wade Bergman will see plenty of ice time. Sophomore Drew Olson needs to be more consistent, but he's been better while paired with fifth-year senior Trent Palm.

6. Who else should Union fans look out for on the ice? (maybe someone who's not on the FCC line)
Junior center Travis Oleksuk and freshman wing J.T. Brown have been very good together. Brown was one of the better rookies in the WCHA, and really impressed with his consistency. Another guy worth looking out for is sophomore center Jake Hendrickson, who has been playing very well over the last six weeks or so.

7. What is UMD's goaltending situation like (looks like 2 goalies got good amount of time)? Are the goaltenders any good?
Kenny Reiter has been getting the ball, so to speak, for a while now. The fourth-year junior was great in the playoffs for UMD last year, but seemed to struggle in the Final Five loss to Bemidji State Thursday. I'll freely admit I don't know much about goaltending, but it seems that Reiter's the best option because of his athleticism.

8. What type of team is UMD? Are they fast? Physical? Offensive? Defensive?, etc.
UMD likes to skate. They're at their best when they play aggressive and in the faces of opponents. There is an issue with this team in muck-and-grind type games, where teams take the action to the wall and try to win the little battles. UMD can get impatient sometimes, though they were generally improved in that area this year.

9. How are the UMD special teams?
They're dangerous on the power play, but in a hockey world where calls tend to get evened out over the course of a game, it might not be best for UMD to spend a lot of time on the power play, as it also means a lot of PK time. UMD is best when rolling four lines and playing five-on-five. The PK is probably better than the numbers might suggest, but I'd still rather take my chances in a five-on-five game.

10. Tell us about UMD hockey fans? Will they travel to Bridgeport?
UMD has a loyal following, and there will be fans in Bridgeport. I don't expect it to be a large number, especially considering that the Frozen Four is in St. Paul. I'm guessing a lot of people are going to gather and watch the game back home, hoping their team can win twice in Connecticut. If UMD makes the Frozen Four, it could end up practically being a home event for them depending on how the field shakes out.

Well, there you have it! I feel I know a lot more about UMD now. Look for my response to Mr. Ciskie's questions on his blog later in the day.

Minnesota-Duluth Hockey Links

Just like every other Union fan, I don't know much about THE Minnesota-Duluth University Bulldogs. I think the only time I saw UMD play was in the 2004 Frozen Four in Boston, which was also when UMD star forward Junior Lessard won the Hobey Baker Award.

Anyways, I will be relying to gather as much info on the Bulldogs as I can from UMD hockey sites. Here's a list:

Jack Connolly Blog (click here)
Rink & Run (click here)
Runnin' With The Dogs (click here)
The Ciskie Blog (click here)
The College Hockey HighHorse (click here)
The Maroon Loon (click here)
USCHO Team Page (click here)
UMD Bulldogs.com (click here)
Duluth News Tribune (click here)

I'll add more if I find them.

Union Is Heading To Bridgeport!

Wow, this is pretty exciting! It's still pretty amazing that UNION COLLEGE is not only in the NCAA Tournament for the first time (in Division I history), but they are a #2 SEED! This is going to be one exciting week leading up to the weekend in Bridgeport. I'll do my best to keep all of you posted and informed on our upcoming opponents and other news.

Here is what the official bracket looks like:

East Regional (Bridgeport, Ct.)
No. 4 Air Force (20-11-6)* vs. No. 1 Yale (27-6-1)*
No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (22-10-6) vs. No. 2 Union (26-9-4)

West Regional (St. Louis)
No. 4 Colorado College (22-18-3)  vs. No. 1 Boston College (30-7-1)*
No. 3 Nebraska-Omaha (21-15-2) vs. No. 2 Michigan (26-10-4)

Midwest Regional (Green Bay)
No. 4 Rensselaer (20-12-5) vs. No. 1 North Dakota (30-8-3)*
No. 3 Western Michigan (19-12-10) vs. No. 2 Denver (24-11-5)

Northeast Regional (Manchester, N.H.)
No. 4 New Hampshire (21-10-6) vs. No. 1 Miami (23-9-6)*
No. 3 Notre Dame (23-13-5) vs. No. 2 Merrimack (25-9-4)

* automatic qualifiers
By conference: WCHA 5, CCHA 4, ECAC 3, Hockey East 3, Atlantic Hockey 1

Personally, I think this is the best case scenario for the Dutchmen. Any team you play in the NCAA Tournament is going to be tough opponent, so all the game are going to be difficult. But, if I had to pick a region to be in and a #1 seed to be in the same bracket with, I'd pick Bridgeport and Yale, respectively. Bridgeport is the closest of the four sites to Schenectady and Union has beaten Yale already this year. I also feel the Bulldogs are the weakest of the four #1 seeds, even though they had two convincing performances in the ECAC Final Four. I think Union has as good of a chance as any team in Bridgeport to make it to the Frozen Four.

But, Yale should not be our focus right now... it should be the other Bulldgos. That is THE University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. They also have a very good team and will be a very tough opponent. Their top line of Fontaine-J. Connolly-M. Connolly is supposed excellent and have put up big numbers. They also have a stud freshman defenseman in Justin Faulk. But after that it doesn't sound like they have too much. Their goaltender also doesn't seem to be anything special, and isn't on the same level as Keith Kinkaid. This is just what I've heard. I will do my best to find out everything on the Bulldogs throughout the week.

This is going to be a fun week... CAN'T WAIT!