The NCAA Comes Through Again

Hockey might not be the biggest game on the college campuses of America. But when it comes to thrills and spills, the NCAA Frozen Four almost always delivers.

It will be the Wisconsin Badgers against the Boston College Eagles for the 2006 national title. In today's semifinals, BC defeated North Dakota 6-5, and the Badgers advanced with a 5-2 win over Maine.

The Boston College win was likely not as satisfying as the 5-0 pasting of rival Boston University in the regional playdowns. But it featured their number-one guy at the top of his game. Chris Collins, a senior forward from Fairport, New York, scored a hat trick. Collins ranked third in the nation in scoring this season, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as top player in the NCAA. Analysts like to say that in a big game, your best players have to be your best players. Collins followed through on that cliche.

Wisconsin's best man is also playing his best. Goaltender Brian Elliot stopped 36 shots in a semifinal that was closer than the score indicates: Maine was trailing by just one goal with less than eight minutes left.

Wisconsin is riding a dream season. In February, the Badgers scored a 4-2 win over Ohio State at the Frozen Tundra Classic, a game played in front of 41,000 fans at Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers. A couple of weeks ago they survived a triple-overtime 1-0 win against Cornell. Now, as host of the Frozen Four in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has a chance to win the national title in front of its hometown fans.

The NCAA championship will be decided Saturday night. If it's on TV where you live, it's well worth skipping a night of NHL hockey for.