BSU makes history.

This past weekend there was a whirlwind of excitement surrounding the NCAA Division one hockey tourney as the Bemidji State University Beavers qualified for the Frozen Four by beating a couple impressive highly favored foes. The flat bellied experts predicted that there was no way the Beavers could win and said that the Beavers would be a one and done team. The Beavers would have none of that and went along their merry way busting brackets and breaking the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s and Cornell Big Red heart’s. It was a story book ending to an incredible weekend of college hockey.

BSU fans Giddy

Much of this week I have spent a fair amount of talking to my friends from Bemidji State Nation about their team’s historic series of events. You can hear the excitement in their voices as they get ready for the upcoming Frozen Four. As a UND fan I know how exciting it can be leading up the Frozen Four as the four years prior my team was in the big dance on the big stage.

I can't blame the BSU fans for being giddy, this is an exciting time. I have to admit being from Bemidji and having attended BSU for two years and being a member of the 1992 BSU football team I am giddy as hell. I also lived in Bemidji I want to see the Beavers win it all. I have to admit that I am sick and tired of seeing the hockey pundits and ESPN be cheer for the big schools like BU, B.C. Notre Dame, and Michigan school’s (2x). I think it is time for another small school to win the whole thing that doesn’t reside in on the East Coast or Michigan. So the only thing that would top this magical run by BSU would be a NCAA title. Is it possible, yeah it is…

Historic Run

The BSU Beavers became the first 16 seed to make the Frozen Four. Three number one seeds went down to defeat and only one Boston University won both of their games. The other three number one seeds didn't even win their first game. Compare and contrast the two Cinderella team's wins; the Falcons scored two relatively quick goals against Michigan and then were very lucky they were able to hang on to their lead as Michigan was all over them in the third period but could not score a goal. You almost have to wonder if AFA had Plexiglas on the front of the net.

On the other hand the Beavers flat out dominated one very good hockey team and another defensive powerhouse for 6 periods of hockey. There wasn’t any score a couple of goals and then go into a defensive shell. It was attack and counter attack. So yeah it’s historic probably because it has never happened until this past weekend. The BSU plan was very simple get pucks deep and skate very hard for 30 second and get off the ice. So simply yet the opposition was unable to answer Serratore’s game plan.

Puck Daddy on BSU

Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy kind of sums up the significance of BSU making the big dance. This story is very similar to the 1980 Olympic victory, kind of David versus Goliath

Sometimes, it takes a miracle for hockey to receive mainstream sports attention. Like back in 1980, when a bunch of college kids from the U.S. shocked the Olympic world by defeating the Russians; or like in 2009, when a bunch of college kids from Bemidji State University upset Notre Dame and Cornell to qualify for the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four in Washington, DC next weekend.

Bemidji what now? The question is being asked around the sports world as the liberal arts university from northern Minnesota -- home to around 5,000 students -- enters the semifinals of college hockey's Div. I championship tournament for the first time, in what some are calling "the equivalent of Morehead State going to the Final Four."