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March 17, 2009

4 upstarts reach NCAA hockey semifinals

First-time hockey champ to be crowned in Placid Saturday

LAKE PLACID — Could this be the dawning of a new era in NCAA Division III Men's ice hockey?

None of the old guard will be on hand in Lake Placid this weekend when the title will be up for grabs. Middlebury, Plattsburgh State, Norwich, Elmira, St. Norbert . . . they've all fallen by the wayside, making way for four teams with virtually no history in the Final Four.

Giant-killer Neumann College, which took down top-rated Plattsburgh State last Saturday, and Wisconsin-Stout have never been this far before while Hobart College and Gustavus Adolphus have reached the semifinals just once. Gustavus's last appearance at the Final Four was in 1982 when the Gusties lost to Herb Hammond's Plattsburgh State Cardinals in the semifinals at Lowell.

The action begins at 4 p.m. Friday with sixth-ranked Hobart College facing off against Neumann College for the fifth time this season. The second game pairs the University of Wisconsin-Stout and Gustavus Adolphus College at 7:30 p.m.

With a 25-win season, sixth-ranked Hobart College reached the semifinals for the second time by beating Amherst 2-1 in overtime last weekend.

Neumann College travels to the Olympic Center after upsetting top-ranked Plattsburgh State 5-4 in overtime. The Knights, riding a seven-game winning streak, will be making their first appearance in the semifinals.

Wisconsin-Stout comes to Lake Placid after defeating St. Scholastica 2-1, scoring in the last 37 seconds of the game. The win in the quarterfinals gives the Blue Devils a 10-game winning streak and a 15-game unbeaten string. The team has been dubbed the Comeback Kids for overcoming more than 10 third-period deficits this season.

The Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties enter the semifinals after a 2-0 upset over Wisconsin-Superior, number-one seed in the Western Region.

Prior to Saturday's championship game, ORDA and Plattsburgh State University will host the 2009 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship Fan Fest at the Olympic Center from 2-4 p.m. just outside the Box Office entrance. Bring friends and family to this free event and enjoy live music featuring the Zambonis, games, food vendors and the Whiteface Mountain Prize Cube!

Saturday's championship game will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports Network. The semifinals on Friday may be seen on a NCAA live web-cast by visiting www.ncaa.com.

All tickets for the 2009 NCAA DIII Men's Ice Hockey Championships are currently on sale through the Olympic Center Box. Box Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Box Office may be reached by calling 523-3330. Tickets are also available on-line.

Ticket prices are $15 per person per game and $25 per person for the whole weekend. Group tickets are available for $12 per person per game or $18 per person for the weekend. Show a Whiteface lift ticket from Friday, March 20 or Saturday, March 21 and receive the group discount on your ticket.

For more information log on to the event website at www.orda.org.



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