The 2011 Frozen Four NCAA Division 1 Project

We at Third String Goalie were in attendance at this weekend's 2011 NCAA Frozen Four Men's Ice Hockey Championships at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. While there we attempted to document each and every Division 1 team we could possibly find, eventually numbering 45 different schools with dozens of varieties within those 45 colleges and universities.

It was a fun and fantastic project as we got to meet dozens of people from all over the country, everyone united in their love of hockey and spirit of fun. A big thanks to all of you who took the time to pose and chat!

To see a gallery of the jerseys, please visit this link.

Special mention must be given to the fan wearing the St. Norbert College jersey, this year's Division III Men's Ice Hockey Champions.

Another fan was ahead of the curve by sporting a Penn State jersey before their impending move to Division 1 and the subsequent creation of the Big Ten Hockey Conference.

One thing always remains the same though. Fans of Wisconsin will wear anything and everything as long as it's red and white and has any sort of Badger logo on it of any kind without the slightest regard if the men's or women's team did or did not actually wear it. Game worn, authentic, replica, expensive and well made, cheap and shoddily constructed, fashion jersey or whatever, Wisconsin fans have no minimum standards. It might be a positive attribute or a knock against them, but either way, if it has even the most remote connection to Bucky Badger, you will see it at a Wisconsin game.

Aside from the numerous college team jerseys we documented, there were also a number of NHL, international, junior, high school jerseys seen, but you can always, always count on the Charlestown Chiefs making an appearance.

While some teams have their usual legions of fans, other teams have support from higher places, North Dakota in particular...

Fighting Santa

Fighting Elvis

Still others simply appear to be there to make a fashion statement, no matter which teams are playing. Or perhaps they were just there for the beer!

Despite lacking the support of such luminaries as Santa Claus and Elvis, the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs came out on top, giving their fans an alternative to the jersey, something fans of all the vanquished teams wish they could purchase, the humble t-shirt.

Regardless of which team you support or what you choose to wear, be certain that your interpid reporter from Third String Goalie was hard at work bringing you the stories you need to know, regardless of the personal sacrifices we had to make and hardships we had endure on your behalf.