Gophers draw BC as No. 3 seed

Jim Mone, Associated Press

Alex Kangas will try to continue his hot play this weekend vs. Boston College.

The men's hockey teams will face off in Worcester, Mass., on Saturday, their 27th meeting but first since December 2002.

By ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ, Star Tribune

Last update: March 24, 2008 - 12:24 AM

Nathan Gerbe, Jerry York, the DCU Center, Worcester, Mass.

Those were the names and places running through the thoughts of Gophers coach Don Lucia and his players Sunday after the pairings were announced for the 16-team NCAA men's hockey tournament.

The NCAA selection committee made the Gophers (19-16-9) a No. 3 seed and sent them to the Northeast Regional. They will play No. 2 seed Boston College on Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.

Their game will be the second semifinal of the day in the regional, following No. 4 seed Air Force against top seed Miami (Ohio). The winners will play Sunday for a spot in the Frozen Four.

"BC is a good team, and the tournament is in their backyard," Lucia said. "We are not the most talented team, but it's not the best-of-seven series and we're capable of beating anyone in one game."

Especially lately. The Gophers won four games in a row, three in overtime, to reach the championship game in the WCHA Final Five on Saturday. Denver beat them 2-1 in that game, but Minnesota freshman goalie Alex Kangas was named tournament MVP.

"He gives us a chance in every game," Lucia said.

Boston College will be a formidable foe. The Eagles (21-11-8), who finished fourth in Hockey East but won the conference tournament, have played in the past two national title games, losing 3-1 to Michigan State last season and 2-1 to Wisconsin two years ago.

Gerbe, a 5-5 junior forward, is BC's top player and one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. He had 28 goals and 29 assists for 57 points -- 23 more than Blake Wheeler, the Gophers' top scorer.

York is the winningest active coach in college hockey and second overall to Ron Mason, with a career record of 799-515-84 in 35 years. BC is 14-10-2 all-time against the Gophers, including 4-4 in the NCAA tournament. But the two teams have not met since Dec. 28, 2002, when Minnesota won 2-1 in overtime in the Dodge Holiday Classic at Mariucci Arena.

The DCU Center, a 45-minute drive from Boston, is the home of the Worcester Sharks, an American Hockey League team. It has a smaller NHL-size sheet, not an Olympic-sized sheet like Mariucci.

"I'm happy we are playing Saturday and Sunday, and happy it's a small sheet [of ice]. We are more suited to that," Lucia said.

Now the Gophers just have to find a way to score a few goals. This season, they scored only one goal 13 times; they were shut out once.

"We just have to keep trying," Lucia said. "We cannot sprinkle any magic dust."

A record six WCHA teams made the NCAA field. Denver (26-13-1) received the automatic bid for their victory Saturday. Receiving at-large bids besides the Gophers were North Dakota (26-10-4), one of the four No. 1 seeds; regular-season conference champion Colorado College (28-11-1); St. Cloud State (19-15-5); and Wisconsin (15-16-7).

On the surface, it appears odd the Badgers made it and Minnesota State Mankato (19-16-4) did not. The Mavericks were 2-1-1 vs. Wisconsin and tied for fourth in the WCHA while the Badgers were sixth. But as the NCAA's computer crunched all the numbers, Wisconsin came out slightly ahead in the comparisons.

Both teams lost in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, with the Mavericks losing at home to the Gophers.

"That's the system in place, and it's a pretty good system," Lucia said. "It seems like the two losses to [Nebraska-Omaha] kept them out. And, if they had beaten us [in the playoffs], they would have gotten in. I feel bad for Minnesota State."