Frozen Four match-ups set

    At the beginning of the year it was a goal that just about every team set out to achieve: win their way to Lake Placid. After a long season, four teams accomplished that goal. #1 Norwich University, #2 Oswego State, #3 St. Norbert and #5 Plattsburgh each punched their ticket to Lake Placid after winning their respective NCAA quarterfinal round game.

    In the only game featuring teams from the West division, St. Norbert defeated #7 Gustavus Adolphus, 3-1, at the Cornerstone Community Center in De Pere, Wis. St. Norbert's Shane Wheeler tallied a goal and an assist in front of a home crowd of 1,717 on Saturday night. The Green Knights put the game away with an empty net goal by Brandon Longley with a minute remaining. James Leathers scored the lone goal for Gustavus Adolphus.

    Meanwhile in Middlebury, Vt., Plattsburgh upset Middlebury in overtime to return to the Frozen Four after a one year absense. Plattsburgh's Jared Docking scored the game-winning goal 3:19 into overtime to send the Cardinals to Lake Placid. The win avenged an earlier loss to Middlebury this season when the Panthers defeated the Cardinals, 5-3, on Tuesday, Feb 2. Trailing 2-1 in the third period, Middlebury's Jak Knelman tied the game with a power-play goal with 7:01 remaining. Plattsburgh's Kyle Taylor added two assists in the victory.

    Half of the Frozen Four field belong to SUNYAC teams as Oswego State also punched its ticket to the NCAA semi-final after thrashing #6 Bowdoin College, 9-2, at the Campus Center Ice Arena. Neil Musselwhite scored four goals and added an assist while Hank Van Boxmeer scored two goals and added two assists for the Lakers, who finished a perfect 17-0-0 at home this season. Oswego State scored five goals in the second period to break open a one goal game. The win was the Lakers' first ever against the Polar Bears (1-3-0). The Lakers improved to 2-0 at the Campus Center Ice Arena when hosting an NCAA quarterfinal game.

    Perhaps the most exciting game on Saturday night took place at Kreitzberg Arena in Northfield, Vt. Norwich's Pier-Oliver Cotnoir scored 2:12 into overtime to push the Cadets past visiting #9 Elmira College in front of 1,721 fans. Norwich tied the game with just 48 seconds remaining in the third period to send the game into overtime. With the net empty in their end, Norwich's Steven Schroeder put the puck past Elmira goalie Casey Tuttle (37 saves), sending the Cadet fans into a frenzy. Norwich outshot Elmira 39-13. Elmira's Kevin Willer scored the Soaring Eagles lone goal at 7:21 of the first period.

    The Frozen Four begins on Friday, March 19 with the semi-final round. Plattsburgh will play Norwich for the third time this season when they meet at Herb Brooks Arena. The two teams officially tied in the championship game of the Primelink Shootout back on Nov. 28, but Norwich took the title in the shoot out, winning 4-3 in 10 rounds. The Cadets defeated the Cardinals, 4-1, on Jan. 5.

    The second semi-final round features Oswego State and St. Norbert. The Lakers have not been to the Frozen Four since winning the national championship in 2007. The last time St. Norbert appeared in the Frozen Four was when they won the national championship in 2008. The two teams met last season in the St. Norbert Thanksgiving Tournament with the Lakers winning 4-3.

-Mike Kraft