Posted by: Feldman
To answer the question in the headline, Union and Ferris State do. They've already earned their places in the Frozen Four, set for April 5 and 7 in Tampa, Fla. They will play each other in one somewhat-unlikely national semifinal, while the other national semifinal will feature two powerhouse programs. It just hasn't yet been determined which powerhouses will fill those spots.
We'll know in a matter of hours, as Minnesota and North Dakota face off at 4:30 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center in the West Region final. Minnesota Duluth and Boston College meet at 7 p.m. in the Northeast Region final in Worcester, Mass. Both of those games are on ESPNU (channel 402 with Charter Cable in Rochester area) and ESPN3.com.
A couple of quick thoughts on today's Minnesota-UND game: 1. Watch out for Kyle Rau. The Gophers freshman always seems to come up big in big games. 2. Watch North Dakota's second line, of Mark MacMillan, Carter Rowney and Michael Parks. If UND has any chance to win this game, it has to get production out of that group.
We're just more than 4 hours from puck drop for the UND-Minnesota game, so if you're in the need of some time-killing activities, here are links to some articles about today's game and how the rivals got here:
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STAR TRIBUNE: Gophers 7, BU 3
STAR TRIBUNE COMMENTARY: Gophers looking forward to rematch with rival
STAR TRIBUNE COMMENTARY: UND's Kristo is all the way back
STAR TRIBUNE: Gophers seniors enjoying the ride
STAR TRIBUNE: Gophers vs. UND in NCAA play (chart)
PIONEER PRESS: Gophers stop BU, set up rematch
PIONEER PRESS: Fighting Sioux name, logo out of sight, not out of mind
PIONEER PRESS: Lucia can handle pressure of coaching at Minnesota
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GRAND FORKS HERALD: No name, no problem for UND
GRAND FORKS HERALD: UND-WMU notebook
GRAND FORKS HERALD: UND goes as its goalie goes
GRAND FORKS HERALD: UND keeps focus on ice, not jerseys
INSIDECOLLEGEHOCKEY.com: Old foes to meet again
USCHO.com: Gophers show scoring depth
COLLEGEHOCKEYNEWS.com: North Dakota survives physical battle
COLLEGEHOCKEYNEWS.com: Minnesota stays hot on Saturday nights
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UMD
DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE: UMD rallies after Maine's hot start
INSIDECOLLEGEHOCKEY.com: Defending champs, perennial power to meet today
BOSTON.com: UMD sends Maine packing
BOSTON.com: BC holds off Air Force
