The Wisconsin Badgers are my head's pick to win the NCAA Division 1 Hockey Men's Championship at Detroit's Ford Field.
The road to the Frozen Four is always a slugfest, and NCAA Division 1 Hockey is as open to upset this season as the Men’s Basketball Tournament.
To boot, this year’s Frozen Four will be played in Detroit, Michigan with the Championship game being played at the NFL’s Ford Field. A daring leap for a tournament looking to gain a foothold in the saturated American TV market.
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association sports two #1 seeds in Denver & Wisconsin, a #2 in North Dakota, and a #3 in St Cloud State.
The Pioneers & Badgers top off a couple of average 4-team fields at the East & West Regionals respectively. (For a preview of the DU Pioneers and the East Regional go here.)
North Dakota was unlucky to land in the toughest region in the tournament. Those Fighting Sioux will face off against a very capable Yale squad for the chance to play the winner of Boston College-Alaska in the Northeast Regional.
That path is probably too much for ND, and my money is on Boston College to brave the turgid Northeast waters. The Eagles will be playing what amounts to home games in Worcester, Massachusetts in their first two games. The 4-seed Alaska Nanooks are a dangerous squad, but won’t be able to match their regular season intensity so far away from home.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Badgers have a fairly benign-looking path to the Frozen Four. All they need to do to win the West Regional is dispatch two of three scrappy underdogs. Trouble is, Wisconsin has had issues with consistently bringing their ‘A’ game this season. They are one of the most talented teams in the tournament, but it only takes one bad game against Vermont, St Cloud State, or the other Wildcats of Northern Michigan.
For the DU Pioneers’ sake, just hope that Wisconsin slips up early.
Otherwise, with a head full of hockey steam, Wisconsin will roll straight to the Championship Game… and right over Denver along the way. If the two teams do make it to the National Semifinal in Detroit, the Badgers will have a near home-ice advantage. Just enough to improve upon their 2-0-1 record versus the Pioneers this year.
That leaves us with the Midwest Regional, headlined by Miami of Ohio. The Redhawks are stacked with offensive talent for sure. Like DU, their ranks are loaded with goal-scorers. Also like the Pioneers, the Redhawks are very much capable of orchestrating their own undoing with undisciplined defense and a pass-happy offense.
Miami will start off against Alabama-Huntsville in what amounts to a warm-up for the Midwest Final. But that regional final will be played against either Michigan or Bemidji State. Michigan closed their season on a sour note, but are capable of beating any team in this tournament. BSU has moved up from occasional Cinderella to tournament mainstay, and the Beavers are an upset-special in waiting.
My picks:
Frozen Four – Michigan vs Boston College & Wisconsin vs University of Denver
National Championship – University of Denver defeats Boston College 4-3
Yeah, I know I said that Wisconsin would roll over Denver in the Frozen Four. So why did I pick the Pioneers to beat the Badgers and move on to the National Championship?
‘Cause I’m a DU fan, spluh.
I don’t bet money on sports for exactly this reason: it’s much more enjoyable to pick with the heart than with the head. Go Pioneers!
(Live coverage of NCAA Division 1 Hockey Tournament games are available on ESPNU in HD.)
