Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey To Meet Boston College In NCAA First Round
3/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 19, 2000
Click here to see the complete bracket!
A limited number of tickets for the NCAA West Regional are available at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office starting at 10 a.m. Monday. Tickets are also available through the Minnesota Ticket Office at 800-U-GOPHER. Ticket packages for both days of the regional are $50 each. No single-game tickets are available.
Michigan State's men's hockey team, the CCHA Tournament champion and owners of a 27-10-4 overall record, is seeded fifth in the West Region in the 2000 NCAA Ice Hockey Championship and will face No. 4 Boston College in Minneapolis on Friday at 9:30 p.m. EST. The winner of that game advances to meet No. 1 Wisconsin on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. EST. Each of the West Region games is at Mariucci Arena on the Minnesota campus.
Michigan State is making its 20th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, fifth-best among all schools. The Spartans have made the tournament 17 of the last 19 years and each of the last seven, the seventh-longest streak in tournament history and second-longest active streak. Head coach Ron Mason is making his 20th NCAA Tournament appearance as a head coach, an NCAA record.
The Spartans enter the tournament with a five-game winning streak (tied for second among teams in the field behind St. Lawrence at eight games) and a seven-game unbeaten streak (third behind Maine at 12 games and St. Lawrence at eight games). MSU is 9-1-2 in its last 12 games and last night defeated Nebraska Omaha, 6-0, in the most lopsided championship game in CCHA Tournament history.
Michigan State last faced Boston College (26-11-1 on the year) on Oct. 25, 1996, when this year's seniors were freshmen. The Eagles won that game, 4-3, in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Both teams reached the NCAA Frozen Four last season. Boston College fell to Maine, 2-1, last night in the Hockey East championship game. MSU is 7-1-0 against the Eagles in NCAA Tournament action, most recently meeting in the 1989 quarterfinals. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 14-4-1.
The Spartans met Wisconsin Nov. 26, 1999, in the College Hockey Showcase and the Badgers claimed a 5-1 victory in Munn Ice Arena. Wisconsin, ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season with a 31-8-1 record, won the WCHA regular-season title but lost to North Dakota in the conference championship game. Wisconsin beat MSU in the first round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament, the only time they have met in the NCAAs. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 41-36-2.
Two teams from the CCHA received bids, as Michigan is the fifth seed in the East Region and will play No. 4 Colgate Saturday in Albany, N.Y.
QUOTES
Head coach Ron Mason: "I thought our league was looked down upon this year. The CCHA didn't get nearly the respect that we deserved, and that was the case all season with the RPI. With all these new teams and new leagues starting, it's about time to take a look at the RPI. We are going to have to look at the numbers and see what it is that kept the CCHA from having a team ranked near the top. I think it is because of the depth in our league and how we beat up on each other all year. I think the top team in our league should always be in the top five in the country. ... The bracket we are in is the toughest bracket in the whole tournament, but you have to play those teams to get where you want to be. In our case, we are playing very, very well right now. I like the way we are playing. BC is a real challenge, but so are we. BC has got to be looking at this bracket and thinking, `They just won their conference championship and are going to be tough to beat.' ... Boston College probably underachieved this year. They were picked to be number one in the nation in the preseason, but they've had kind of an up and down year. When they are on their game they are very, very good. They have great players and on paper they are probably the best team in college hockey. They have a lot of talent. ... Wisconsin has been number one pretty much all year. They handled us pretty easily here in our building, so we know how good they are. ... The biggest challenge is adjusting to the big ice surface (200' x 100' as opposed to 200' x 85' regulation). Of course, Boston College will have to adjust to that as well, but it's a difficult thing to do.
Senior center and Hobey Baker finalist Shawn Horcoff (check out Shawn Horcoff's web site at www.msuspartans.com/shawnhorcoff: "We obviously have one of the toughest, if not the toughest bracket in the tournament. Come tournament time you have to play the best teams, and we are going to have a chance to do that. ... For two teams in this league, which is so tough, to get five seeds is a little surprising. Hopefully we can go into the tournament and prove people wrong."
Senior defenseman Brad Hodgins: "You are going to have to play the best teams to get where you want to go. It's obviously a tough bracket, but we will just have to come out and play our best. ... We haven't played Boston College since my freshman year and I don't know a whole lot about them. I know a few of the names, like (Brian) Gionta, and I know they have been to the Frozen Four each of the last two years. They are clearly a very good team. ... The way we are playing right now we feel like we are ready for this kind of challenge. We've won five in a row and dominated every aspect in each of those games. We're definitely happy to be playing this well at this time of year."
Senior defenseman Mike Weaver: "I think we got a tough bracket, but I'm glad it's a tough bracket. We're going to have to earn our way through the NCAAs, and that's a good way to start. ... I don't know much about Boston College, but I know they are really quick and a very skilled team. Everyone in their league is quick. That's one reason it will be important for us to adjust to the bigger ice surface. ... I know against Wisconsin I had one of my worst games of the year, so it would be nice to get another shot at them. The pucks weren't bouncing our way that night. That would be a great rematch."
Freshman goaltender Ryan Miller: "Everything is clicking for us right now. We're playing some of our best hockey of the season. ... BC is a heck of a hockey team, and we are going to have to step it up against them. I don't know a whole lot about them because we don't get a chance to see any of their games, but from what I've heard they've got a very good team. Players like Gionta, (Jeff) Farkas and (Mike) Mottau are obviously elite players. (Scott) Clemmensen is a proven playoff goalie. I remember watching him take them to the championship game his freshman year."
