March 13, 2006
Ten NCAA Pairings We'd Like to See

• Wisconsin vs. Maine – Because we'd be humming the Bud Song to ourselves for weeks afterwards, and that's a good thing.

• Michigan State vs. Dartmouth – Just for the moment or two of stunned silence when MSU fans start their "go green, go white" chant and everyone tries to figure out which team they're supporting.

• Harvard sent to the Green Bay Regional – Would Mark Mazzoleni invite the club over for a post-game get together?

• Minnesota vs. Cornell – This way, if the Gophers beat the Big Red handily, Mike Schafer could save that "you won't believe how many injuries we have" excuse he alluded to last week for another occasion.

• Holy Cross vs. Harvard – Who could resist the allure of the tournament's longest surname (the Crusaders' Pierre Napert-Frenette) squaring off against its shortest (the Crimson's Kevin Du)?

• Miami, Boston U., Cornell and Wisconsin in the Frozen Four – Pack three red t-shirts for Milwaukee and you'll be able to talk your way in to any alumni party or post-game reception in the city.

• Nebraska-Omaha vs. Colorado College – We'd actually rather not see this, but the novelty two fifth-place teams playing in the NCAAs might be worth a look.

• Bemidji State vs. Minnesota – Any hockey player who has ever lost some chiclets would look longingly at these two buck-toothed mascots.

• Boston College, Boston University and Harvard in the Frozen Four – Minnesota still wins the title, claiming both the national championship and the Beanpot.

• Bemidji State vs. Holy Cross – No disrespect to the Beavers or Crusaders, but we want to see all the cool stuff we're told will happen when hell freezes over.