Beavers Complete Cinderella Run to Washington

When organizers were imagining the teams that might head to Washington for the Frozen Four, I don't think they had some of the teams that will be skating at Verizon Center in two weeks in mind.

With one four seed in Miami having advanced Saturday, Bemidji State - out of the four-team CHA - routed Cornell 4-1 to win just their second NCAA tournament game - one that sends them to their first-ever Frozen Four. The Beavers become the lowest ranked team ever to advance, being the 16th ranked-team - out of 16 - heading into the tournament.

With all the upsets and the Beavers shocking the Midwest's top seed Notre Dame out of the tournament Saturday with a convincing win, still, most expected ECAC power Cornell to move on to Washington out of the Midwest region against the Cinderella squad. But instead the end result was like eight of the other 11 games this weekend with the lower seed grabbing a victory.

Now, it's Bemidji State heading to Washington for what is the 5PM game on Thursday, April 9 against the other four seed alive in the tournament, Miami of Ohio for the right to play in the title game.

The only team to avoid the upset bug this weekend was the East's top seed of Boston University, but New Hampshire gave them all they could handle in their backyard of Manchester. The Wildcats dominated play at times against the Terriers, but could not get the go-ahead goal despite dominating play for most of the second and third periods, and the Terriers came up with a clutch goal late to seal their trip to D.C.

A late penalty on UNH to negate a late BU scoring chance turned into the Terriers' ticket to Washington, as they scored with just :14.4 left in regulation to move on to a semifinal date with Hockey East rival Vermont in the late game on April 9.

Boston University, the top seeded team overall in the tournament, now will be surrounded by a three seed in Vermont (and a team that needed overtime to dispatch four seed Air Force Saturday), and Miami and Bemidji State, the lowest seeds out of the West and Midwest, respectively. Hockey East slots two teams in the Frozen Four, the CCHA one in the RedHawks, and the Beavers are out of the tiny CHA that has just four clubs.

So, now, fans know the four teams that will be heading to Washington for the Frozen Four, and it could be interesting display to see which Cinderella club will face a Hockey East club for the championship on April 11. And three of four teams that no one expected to still be skating in April.