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.

2011 Frozen Four Championship Game Report

Yesterday the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and the Michigan Wolverines faced off for the 2011 NCAA National Championship Game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Michigan was seeking to extend it's record with a tenth national title, while the Bulldogs were trying to win their first, but with the aid of a partisan Minnesota crowd, with the Bulldogs just 150 miles from their home rink plus the addition of all the Twin Cities locals adopting the in-state Bulldogs of the WCHA as their team for the weekend.

After a ceremonial puck drop by Minnesota native and NCAA champion Neal Broten, the game was underway.

Michigan thought they had scored first 4:20 into the game, but a review confirmed that the whistle had blown before the puck was jammed into the net after being covered by Bulldogs goaltender Kenny Reiter.

Three penalties were called in the first period, including Ben Winnett for Michigan being called for interference at 5:46.

Jack Connolly nearly scored for Duluth on the ensuing power play when he loudly rang one off the pipe behind Shawn Hunwick in goal for the Wolverines.

Both goalies were playing well at either end, with Duluth holding the edge in shots.

Finally, Michigan broke though on a shot just after a faceoff at 14:42 when Winnett scored his fifth of the season using a Bulldog as a screen to get one by Reiter.

Hunwick was solid through the rest of the period to keep Duluth off the scoreboard despite holding a 12-8 edge in shots on goal.

There was some rough play and hard hits in the first period, particularly by the Bulldogs.

Michigan lead 1-0 after 1 and had only lost once all season when scoring first, however UMD had come from behind after to win four times this season when trailing after one.

The Bulldogs came out strong in the second period, scoring early after a shot from the point was deflected and popped up into the air, hit a Michigan defender and Travis Olensuk put the puck past Hunwick to tie it at just 1:39.

Perhaps the save of the game occurred at 8:23 of the period when Matt Rust of Michigan had a wide open shot at Reiter from the left faceoff circle. Reiter got a healthy piece of the puck, but it had enough force to bounce up into the air and over his shoulder. Trent Palm of the Bulldogs saw the puck heading for danger and deftly batted the puck out of harm's way, saving a sure goal for Michigan, an amazing play which ESPN failed to adequately recognize.

Despite that criticism of ESPN, they did do an excellent job of capturing the spirit in the event, often showing the bands and rabid fans on both sides to give the viewers a taste of the atmosphere in the arena, something NBC failed miserably to do at the 2010 Olympic hockey games in Vancouver.

The parade to the penalty box continued, as eight penalties were called in the second period, including a hooking call on Mac Bennett at 9:09.

Max Tardy converted for Duluth to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game when he got the rebound off of his own shot for his first goal of the season from Mike Seidel.

The Bulldogs continued to look for a chance to extend their lead, but Hunwick was strong in goal for the Wolverines as they killed off a pair of UMD power plays.

Michigan had their chances too, with nine shots on goal of their own.

Despite the edge in play for Duluth, Michigan surprised the crowd with a goal at 17:46 from Jeff Rohrkemper past Reiter, who was again screened on the play similar to the first Wolverines goal.

The goal energized Michigan who looked to be on the verge of another goal prior to the end of the period, but Duluth avoided giving up another one before the break, despite several good chances for the Wolverines.

Duluth carried the play for the first 7 minutes of the third as they tried to regain the advantage.

After the teams traded penalties and were playing four on four, Mike Connolly found a seam and walked in for a clear shot on goal, which Hunwick snared to keep the game tied at 2 at the 10:25 mark.

Kevin Lynch was called for boarding at 11:32, the 9th power play of the game.

During the power play, Duluth's Mike Connolly shot a backhander which got through Hunwick and slowly slithered toward the line. Just as it was about to give UMD the lead, defenseman Greg Pateryn, acting on instincts alone, cleared it off the line to preserve the tie for Michigan at 12:25, nearly equalling Palm's amazing save for UMD.

Reiter then had to make a stellar save on a shorthanded chance for the Wolverines later during the same powerplay, and once again the puck bounced high into the air, but fortunately for Duluth, bounced away from the goal rather than towards it this time.

The pace continued a a high rate with both teams getting their chances. With the number of TV timeouts, even the refs needed to take a breather late in the third period.

Both goaltenders continued their strong play as the game continued.

The officials began to put their whistles away, as there were no more penalties called for the remainder of the game as regulation came to an end with the score tied 2-2 and Duluth holding a 36-23 lead in shots on goal.

Within the first minute of overtime, Justin Faulk tried to win it with a shot at the short side after weaving through practically the entire Wolverines team.

At 2:30, Mike Connolly intercepted a horrible Michigan clearing attempt right into the center of the Wolverines zone only to have the defense collapse on him, preventing a shot on goal.

The repeated icing calls against Michigan meant their players had to remain out on the ice for an extended period, while the UMD were able to get some fresh legs out on the ice. Finally as Duluth cycled the puck, Oleksuk circled behind the Michigan net and sent a backhander through the crease to Kyle Schmidt, who buried it for the championship winning goal for the Bulldogs at 3:22 of overtime.

Schmidt then broke into one of the most glorious goal celebrations you will ever see, racing down the ice with his arms in the air, deftly avoiding all his teammates, until he reached the far blueline, where he laid down on his back and began making snowangels as he slid the rest of the way to the far end of the ice with the remainder of his team in hot pursuit!

Once they caught up with Schmidt, the celebration was on, while he lay on the ice for an extended period of time letting the moment sink in.

After some interviews with ESPN, the chaotic trophy presentation was held and team captain Mike Montgomery began the tradition of passing the trophy from teammate to teammate, which included goaltender Reiter.

Following the game, the celebration spilled out onto West 7th Street.

Today's video highlight is Schmidt's game winning goal in overtime and his exuberant goal celebration.

Next are highlights from the ESPN broadcast of the championship final.

2001-02 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Jordan Leopold jersey

Tonight the University of Michigan Wolverines take on the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in the 2011 NCAA championship final in an attempt to extend their record number of NCAA championships to ten. On the other side, Duluth is seeking it's first ever championship, having only reached the finals once before, a memorable four overtime loss in 1984, which still ranks as the longest championship final in N CAA history.

The championship was inaugurated in 1948, which went to Michigan over Dartmouth 8-4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado where it was held for the first ten years before it began to be held in a new location each year.

The first location other than Colorado Springs to host the tournament, and the first time the NCAA championship was held in Minnesota was at historic Williams (later Mariucci) Arena on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis in 1958. Denver won the first of their seven championships, which is tied for second to Michigan's nine.

In 1966 the championship returned to Williams Arena where Michigan State won their first championship 6-1 over Clarkson. It was the third consecutive year when the championship was won by a team from Michigan, following Michigan and Michigan Tech.

Two years later the championship returned to Minnesota as Denver won again in 1968 when they shut out North Dakota 4-0 in Duluth, the first time it hosted the finals.

It would be 13 years before Minnesota would host the championship when it was once again in Duluth. Wisconsin defeated their rivals Minnesota 6-3 at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, the Bulldogs longtime home more commonly known as "The DECC" (pronounced "The Deck").

This brings us to 1989 when this weekend's host St. Paul, Minnesota first entered the picture when Harvard sent the home fans away disappointed when they defeated Minnesota 4-3 in overtime, often called one of the best games ever played. The game was held at the St. Paul Civic Center, which was opened in 1973 as home to the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association.

On the occasion of the 2011 Frozen Four being held in St. Paul, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame has a display at this years tournament, which features jerseys from the various clubs who have won the championship in St. Paul. Sharp-eyed readers will recognize that each jersey is not from the specific season of the teams which won the championship, as the styles do vary in some cases from what was worn during each club's championship season.

Just two years later the Civic Center again played host to one of the all time classic finals in 1991. Northern Michigan and Boston University staged an epic final. Northern Michigan came back from being behind 3-0 to led big in the third period only to have BU, whose top line consisted of future NHLer's Shawn McEachern, Tony Amonte and Keith Tkachuk, come storming back with goal after goal after goal in the final eight minutes, including one with just 39 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 7. Both teams failed to score as overtime stretched on, including multiple shots off the pipes for both teams, when finally Darryl Plandowski scored in the third overtime to end the emotionally exhausting game and win the championship for Northern Michigan. BU coach Jack Parker summed it up afterwards. "That wasn't a hockey game out there tonight. That was something different."

As thrilling as the 1991 final was, the championships return to St. Paul was the opposite, as Lake Superior State University destroyed Boston University 9-1 in the last game hosted by the Civic Center, which was demolished to make way for the Xcel Energy Center, which was built as part of the effort to return NHL hockey to Minnesota in 2000 in the form of the Minnesota Wild.

The 2002 final in St. Paul was a wild affair indeed, as the hometown University of Minnesota returned to the top of the heap for the first time since 1979 in front of 19,000 rabid fans when they scored a last minute goal with an empty net to force overtime. Grant Potulny, the only player on the team from outside of Minnesota, caused an eruption of biblical proportions with his championship winning goal in overtime to give Minnesota the victory.

This year is the second time the Xcel Energy Center has hosted the final and the eight time it has been decided in Minnesota.

Today's featured jersey is a 2001-02 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Jordan Leopold jersey as worn during the 2002 Frozen Four held in St. Paul, Minnesota. Leopold was also the recipient of that season's Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top college player in the United States.

This jersey also features the WCHA conference logo on the lower back hem and the 2002 Frozen Four tournament patch on the upper right chest.

The University of Minnesota is also the host school of this years Frozen Four.

2011 Frozen Four Semifinals

We attended the semifinals of the 2011 Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minnesota yesterday and wanted to share some of the action and color of the event.

The first game had the University of Minnesota-Duluth if the WCHA going up against Notre Dame from the CCHA.

The Xcel Energy Center was converted from it's usual NHL set up, most evidenced by the removal of the NHL logo banners, which were replaced by banners commemorating the NCAA champions over time.

Additionally, the Wild logo at center ice was replaced by the Frozen Four tournament logo.

The game looked to be a track meet in the first period as the teams were able to score at will. Notre Dame took an early lead and Duluth was able to respond. The Fighting Irish went back into the lead but Duluth scored the next two goals and the first period ended 3-2 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Duluth extended their lead with a goal in the second period and Notre Dame made it tense with a shorthanded goal two minutes into the third period, only the Bulldogs held on to advance to the championship game on Saturday.

Duluth was actually outshot by a wide margin, 34-21, but Kenny Reiter in goal for Duluth kept the Irish off the board as they pumped 15 shots on goal in the third period as they fought to tie the game. Duluth's power play proved to be the difference, converting of 3 of 6 chances, one of which was a text book cross-ice pass Mike Connolly converted into a gaping Fighting Irish net.

The evening game featured the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, also of the WCHA, against the University of Michigan Wolverines of the CCHA.

Quite simply, the story of this game was Michigan goaltender Shawn Hunwick.

Michigan scored first when a shot went off the post and bounced straight back into the slot. The fortunate Ben Winnett tried to control the puck, but it went off his stick toward the North Dakota goal, where it hit a defenseman and bounced right back to him. Given a second chance, he made the most of it, skating to his right around the cluster of bodies in front of the net and fired the puck past Fighting Sioux goaltender Aaron Dell, who was caught sitting in the crease, unable to respond.

No one in the 19,139 in attendance would have ever believed that would have been the end of the scoring in a game with the high powered Fighting Sioux, but Hunwick turned away wave after wave of Fighting Sioux shots.

Many of the Sioux shots went wide, Matt Frattin's wide open shot midway through the first period from the slot following a turnover in particular.

Later, Jason Gregoire of the Sioux tried to tie the game on his own with an electrifying rush, Hunwick jammed his foot against the post as Gregoire tried to slam the puck into the far side of the goal, stoning the best North Dakota chance of the game.

On another occasion, he deftly poke checked the puck as Brad Malone tried a similar move.

The Wolverines were badly outshot for the game 40-20, but spoiled the evening for the many Fighting Sioux fans in attendance, who were anticipating an all western final. Michigan sealed the victory with an empty net goal in the last minute for the final 2-0 score.

Check back on Monday for an amazing Frozen Four jersey gallery you won't want to miss. It's really going to be something special.