NCAA Frozen Four Tournament Preview
EAST REGIONALS – CINCINNATI, OHIO
(1) Union College Dutchmen vs. (4) University of Vermont Catamounts (Mar. 28 – 2 p.m., ESPNU/WatchESPN)
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The Dutchmen make their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, having reached the Frozen Four in 2012, so Union is a team that knows what it takes to win at the highest level, having now won three straight ECAC championships.
Union only has one NHL prospect on its squad, but he could well be considered The Flying Dutchman. Philadelphia draft pick Shayne Gostisbehere had a strong season, posting a team-high plus-25 while contributing 29 points from the blue-line to form a strong duo with senior Mat Bodie. Freshman Mike Vecchione is one to watch, too, while senior Daniel Carr led the charge with 45 points.
In goal, Colin Stevens was exceptional for Union, leading the conference with a .931 save percentage and six shutouts, to go along with a 24-4-2 record. He also hasn’t given up more than two goals in a game since Feb. 15 against Colgate, with three shutouts mixed in.
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Meanwhile, Vermont makes its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. For a program boasting alumni like Martin St. Louis, Tim Thomas, Patrick Sharp, and John LeClair, it’s surprising the Catamounts have yet to win a national title.
The current Catamounts squad is led by its experience, as five of the team’s top seven scorers are either juniors or seniors, including Florida Panthers prospect Connor Brickley and the team’s leading scorer, senior forward Chris McCarthy.
Mike Santaguida and Brody Hoffman split time pretty equally in the Vermont goal, though Hoffman has been their guy of late, as he hasn’t allowed more than three goals in a game in 18 games this season.
(2) Quinnipiac University Bobcats vs. (3) Providence College Friars (Mar. 28 – 5:30 p.m., ESPNU/WatchESPN)
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After falling to chief rival Yale in last year’s Frozen Four semifinal, then watching the Bulldogs win it all for the first time in school history, the Quinnipiac Bobcats will likely come into this year’s NCAA Tournament with a sour taste in their mouths wanting to get even while Yale watches from the sidelines.
Freshman Sam Anas led the Bobcats in goals (22) and points (43), while seniors Kellen Jones and Connor Jones (an Edmonton Oilers prospect) also made valuable contributions. Kellen led the team with four shorthanded goals, while Connor had four game-winning goals.
Meanwhile, NHL prospects Matthew Peca (Tampa Bay) and Jordan Samuels-Thomas (Winnipeg) provided strong secondary scoring for the Bobcats, who had 15 players with 10 or more points.
In net, sophomore Michael Garteig just takes care of business and wins. He tied Union’s Colin Stevens for the ECAC lead with 24 wins and six shutouts, and led the conference with a 1.89 goals-against average.
On the other side, the Friars are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001, and they’re a bit of a top-heavy squad.
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Providence’s offensive arsenal revolves around Ross Mauermann, who led the team in goals (19), points (34), power-play goals (five), power-play points (eight), game-winning goals (five), and also posted a plus-21 rating.
The Friars have a trio of Calgary Flames prospects who also make significant contributions; sophomore Mark Jankowski was third in team scoring with 24 points, while John Gilmour led all Friars defensemen in scoring with 18 points.
The third Calgary prospect is goaltender Jon Gillies, who has played for Team USA in the last two World Junior Hockey Championships. Gillies had a solid season for the Friars, posting a .929 save percentage with three shutouts and a 2.20 goals-against average in 32 games.