Nothing routine about semifinal foe

The U welcomes a break from the familiarity of two WCHA rivals as it takes on Mercyhurst at the Frozen Four in Boston.

By CHRIS MILLER, Star Tribune

Last update: March 20, 2009 - 12:47 AM

Boston doesn't seem like the right place.

Despite a distinct Midwestern flavor, however, the NCAA Frozen Four women's tournament is on the East Coast this weekend. The Gophers, Wisconsin and Minnesota Duluth -- who have combined to win all eight NCAA hockey championships -- are in the field after a season of tangling with each other, along with upstart Mercyhurst.

That requires a lot of travel and hassles for three teams who only two weeks ago were jousting in the WCHA tournament in Minneapolis, right?

"Actually, I'd rather go out east -- now it feels like a national tournament, traveling somewhere else," said Gophers coach Brad Frost, whose team won the WCHA regular-season title before losing to Wisconsin in the tournament championship. "When we had the national tournament in 2006 when our [current] seniors played in it, it was right across the street at Mariucci Arena. Not that it wasn't a great experience, but we didn't get to travel for it so it almost felt like just another game. So to be able to travel to a great city like Boston is a lot of fun."

Similarly, the Gophers seem happy to face Mercyhurst tonight in the semifinals, while UMD and Wisconsin meet in the other game on the campus of Boston University.

"It's a good thing to go into a game, against Mercyhurst, with no mindset from previous games and previous scores," winger Emily West said. "Wisconsin and UMD ... they tend to bring out the best -- and worst -- in us. The feeling is mutual. The rivalry is definitely apparent.

"Their [semifinal] game against each other, I don't know," she said, laughing. "I can't cheer for either one."

Said Frost: "Us, Wisconsin, Duluth, we just know each other so well, because we play each other four, five, six times a year, so to get the opportunity to play against somebody we haven't played is nice."

Truth be told, UMD and Wisconsin provide the bulk of the Gophers' competition. After being upset in the season opener by Robert Morris, the Gophers went 32-3-3. The three losses and three ties were to either Wisconsin or UMD.

"We're very similar teams," Gophers co-captain Melanie Gagnon said. "The biggest difference between the three is UMD plays more of a European style. They have European players, and they're not as structured, where Wisconsin and us are very system-based. We do the rotation properly and stuff, while UMD throws everything at you, so they're a little tougher to play."

The Gophers won national titles in 2004 and 2005, so none of their current players has a national championship, despite being recruited with great expectations.

"There have been eight classes that I've gone through," said Gagnon, a senior defenseman, "and I can look back at every single name and remember a funny story or a memory that we've all connected in a certain way. That's pretty neat that I've made more than 100 friends in four years.

"But obviously you come here knowing about the tradition. We want the title. But we know we can't sit back and watch. We've got to go in focusing on Mercyhurst before we even think about that championship."

Said West: "We have a chance to do something great here, and we're going to do everything we can to do it."