Inside College Hockey | 2003 Northeast Regional Preview

March 27, 2003
NCAA Tournament
Northeast Regional Preview | Worcester, Mass.

NCAA Tournament Coverage

Friday, March 28

4 p.m. EST: No. 2 Boston University vs. No. 3 Harvard

7:30 p.m. EST: No. 1 New Hampshire vs. No. 4 St. Cloud State

Saturday, March 29

8 p.m. EST: Regional Final

HOT TOPIC

For the first time ever, 16 teams will play in the NCAA Tournament's first round. Yet everyone following the Northeast Regional seems eager to talk about the second.

A Regional Final game between New Hampshire and Boston University, should the top two seeds advance, would be a rematch of the Hockey East Tournament final, which UNH won, 1-0 in overtime. For BU, which faces Harvard for the third time this year in the first round, it could make for a very familiar bracket.

"In some ways, it's a good draw for us, because we know the teams and we don't have to waste time tracking down tapes and all that,'' head coach Jack Parker told the Herald. "We're all familiar with each other. On the other hand, in a national tournament you'd like to see it mixed up a little bit. Playing (all local) teams is not really what you want. But from a coaching standpoint, I guess it's good.''

The potential second-round rematch was unavoidable given the criteria set forth by the NCAA selection committee. And while it might not make everyone happy, if the game two weeks ago was any indication, it will make for great hockey.

BACK STORY

Be sure of this: the NCAA committee will take a long, hard look at its selection criteria this spring and summer.

St. Cloud's inclusion in the field will lead to changes in the future. But even though the Huskies are two games over .500, right now they're just two games away from the Frozen Four – just like everyone else. The selection controversy will likely slip into the background while those games are played, and will resurface on a conference table in the off-season.

ON A ROLL

New Hampshire enters on a five-game winning streak and a 10-game unbeaten streak (7-0-3). The Wildcats have scored 4.4 goals per game in the unbeaten string, and held opponents to one goal three times and no goals once.

Individually, Harvard's Dominic Moore has carried the Crimson of late. Moore's 28 points in the last 12 games are the most of any player in the country in that time.

MR. CLUTCH

How many proven big-game goalies are there in this year's NCAA Tournament?

If you're stumbling to come up with names, you wouldn't be alone. Part of the reason: Boston University's Sean Fields won so many tournaments this year, there weren't many more to go around. Fields firmly earned his "big-game" status in the Beanpot, and added to it with back-to-back impressive games in the Hockey East semifinals and championship. Another "Mr. Clutch" in the Northeast is BU's Justin Maiser – making this a team you really don't want to face in a close game.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE

Your best bet to catch the out-of-town games will probably be Jillians, on Grove Street.

SOMETHING TO PROVE

Craig Dahl won't apologize for his St. Cloud team being in the NCAA Tournament – nor should he. But Dahl has a great opportunity to turn around a frustrating season, and put the Huskies' past playoff failures behind them. They're healthy entering Friday night's game, skating with a full lineup for only the fourth time all year. And they're loaded with seniors who have been to the tourney three times, only to lose in their first game. Forget the Northeast Regional – nobody in the tournament has as much to prove as Dahl and the Huskies.

ONE TO WATCH

Harvard's got six players with at least 26 points – BU, by contrast, as two. But keep an eye on the sixth of that Crimson group, Tyler Kolarik. A heart-and-soul type at right wing, he came back from a separated shoulder to post a goal and an assist in the ECAC championship game against Cornell.

SATURDAY STORYLINE?

There's a reason, as mentioned above, that the prospect of a BU-UNH final is on everyone's lips in Worcester: it's the most appealing matchup. They split the four games they've played this year, 2-2-0, with UNH goaltender Mike Ayers pitching shutouts in each of the last two games. If they get a chance to decide the series, a bid to Buffalo will be on the line.