There’s a little bit of everything in this year’s Frozen Four field, which gets underway Thursday night at TD Garden.
Omaha, which had not won an NCAA tournament game until this season, and Providence, making its first Frozen Four appearance in 30 years, face off in the first game, while perennial contenders North Dakota and Boston University clash in the nightcap.
Here’s what to look for as the NCAA comes to Boston to crown a national champion:
Omaha (20-12-6)
How they got here: The Mavericks finished third in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, behind Miami and North Dakota, both of whom went on to earn No. 1 seeds in the tournament. Omaha struggled toward the end of the season, losing to St. Cloud State in the quarterfinals of the NCHC tournament. Omaha was assigned the No. 2 seed in the Midwest and knocked off Harvard in the first round and RIT in the final to advance to the Frozen Four.
Stars: Goaltender Ryan Massa allowed just one goal over two games in the Midwest Regional. He recorded 40 saves in shutting out RIT, and the one goal he allowed was to Harvard’s Jimmy Vesey, the leading goal scorer in the nation and a Hobey Baker finalist. Sophomores Jake Guentzel and Austin Ortega have combined for 75 points. Ortega is the all-time leader in single season game-winning goals, with 11.
Unsung heroes: The underclassmen have been doing the bulk of the scoring, but senior captains Dominic Zombo, Brian O’Rourke, and James Polk have been credited for their leadership while leading a young lineup.
The man in charge: Omaha head coach Dean Blais (373-213-57) will be looking for his third national title, but his first with the Mavericks. Blais led North Dakota to the championship in 1997 and 2000.
Against Frozen Four teams: Omaha faced North Dakota four times this season, traveling on the road Thanksgiving weekend for a tie (Omaha won the shootout) and a 3-2 loss. The two would meet again in the last week of January, with each team winning once in overtime.
Frozen Four history: This is Omaha’s first trip to the Frozen Four
Providence (24-13-12)
How they got here: The Friars had a strong finish to the regular season to finish second in Hockey East, but lost to UNH in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Providence was seeded fourth in the East Regional and eliminated Miami in the semifinal and Denver in the final to reach the Frozen Four.
Stars: Jon Gillies posted a .921 save percentage and a 2.08 GAA in 37 games for the Friars. He was named the Hockey East goaltender of the month for December and was one of three finalists for the the conference’s player of the year award. Nick Saracino, Shane Luke, Trevor Mingoia and Noel Acciari have sparked the offense.
Unsung heroes: With much of the credit deservedly going to Gillies, the defensive unit for Providence has been overlooked. Kyle McKenzie, Anthony Florentino, and Jake Walman have all played a significant minutes.
The man in charge: Providence head coach Nate Leaman (215-185-54) is making his first appearance as a head coach in the Frozen Four. The former Harvard assistant is in his 12th season as a head coach, spending eight years at Union, and the last four in Providence.
Against Frozen Four teams: Providence faced North Dakota and Boston University twice on consecutive weekends in October. The Friars were winless in a trip out west, losing 6-1 on Oct. 24 and tying 3-3 the next night. The following weekend they split a home-and-home series with the Terriers.
Frozen Four history: This is Providence’s fourth trip to the Frozen Four, but first since 1985, when it lost to RPI, 2-1. The Friars have never won the national championship.
North Dakota (29-9-3)
How they got here: North Dakota finished first in the NCHC, but lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament to St. Cloud State, then dropped the third-place game to Denver. It still earned the No. 1 seed in the West regional, handily defeating Quinnipiac and St. Cloud State by the same score, 4-1.
Stars: All eyes will be on goaltender Zane McIntyre. The junior is a Hobey Baker finalist, and was the NCHC goaltender of the year. A 2010 draft pick of the Bruins, McIntyre is North Dakota’s all-time leader in career goals against average (2.08) and save percentage (.927).
Unsung heroes: Mark MacMillan was the conference’s defensive forward of the year, but his senior season was cut short after he was injured blocking a shot. Defenseman Nick Mattson was named the scholar-athlete of the year for the conference.
The man in charge: Dave Hakstol (289-142-43) is in his 11th season as head coach at North Dakota. He has led the team to seven Frozen Four appearances, but has not won a national championship as a head coach.
Against Frozen Four teams: North Dakota went 1-0-1 against the Providence. In four meetings against Omaha, it won twice, lost once, and tied, although Omaha won in a shootout.
Frozen Four history: This will be North Dakota’s 21st appearance in the Frozen Four. It has won seven NCAA titles, but none since 2000.
Boston University (27-7-5)
How they got here: Boston University rolled through the regular season, winning the Beanpot, the Hockey East regular season title, as well as the conference tournament. The Terriers were the No. 1 seed in the Northeast regional and survived an overtime thriller against Yale in the regional semifinal. They followed up with a 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth to reach the Frozen Four.
Stars: Freshman Jack Eichel has lived up to the hype, leading the NCAA in nearly every offensive category. He was named both the rookie of the year and player of the year for Hockey East, and is projected to be the No. 2 pick in this year’s NHL Draft.
Unsung heroes: It’s hard to peg someone who has 61 points as an unsung hero, but Evan Rodrigues has put up impressive numbers while being overshadowed by Eichel. Same goes for linemate Danny O’Regan. Both Rodrigues and O’Regan were named conference second team all-stars. Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was a first-team conference all-star.
The man in charge: BU hockey coach David Quinn (37-28-9) has turned the Terriers around in just his second season as head coach at his alma mater. He was selected coach of the year for Hockey East.
Against Frozen Four teams: The Terriers split a pair of games with Providence on Oct. 31-Nov. 1.
Frozen Four history: BU advanced to the Frozen Four for the 22nd time in the history of the program, the first since 2009. The Terriers have won five NCAA titles.
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