We’re eight minutes into the first period, and neither team has had a quality chance. There are definitely more Notre Dame fans here than there were on Thursday. Most of the Michigan fans went home, while North Dakota still has a respectable contingent, which is rooting for the Irish.

Notre Dame is on the first power play of the game. I think it’s critical for them to get the first goal.

We’re 30 minutes away from dropping the puck in Denver. Here are your lines for the final game of the 2007-2008 college hockey season:

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Visiting Team)
Forwards:
Thang–Ryan–Rankin
Kissel–Deeth–Van Guilder (starting)
Regan–Hanson–Minella
Ridderwall–White–Guentzel

Defense:
Cole–Lawson
Sheahan–Ruth (starting)
Blatchford–VeNard

Goal:
Pearce

Boston College Eagles (Home Team)
Forwards:
Gerbe–Gibbons–Smith
Price–Bertram–Gannon (starting)
Whitney–Greene–Ferriero
Kucharski–Lombardi–Orpik

Defense:
Aiello–Brennan
Filangieri–Kunes
Petrecki–Sneep (starting)

Goal:
Muse

WCHA crew in stripes.

Everybody’s got an opinion about which players here in Denver will forego the remainder of their college careers and turn pro. I’ve been doing an informal survey of my fellow journalists and some coaches, as well as throwing in my own opinion. Here’s what I came up with:

Gone:
TJ Oshie (North Dakota)
Andrew Kozek (North Dakota)
Taylor Chorney (North Dakota)
Ryan Duncan (North Dakota)
Nate Gerbe (BC)
Mark Mitera (Michigan)

Maybe:
Bill Sauer (Michigan)
Chris Summers (Michigan)
Ryan Thang (Notre Dame)
Benn Ferriero (BC)
Matt Watkins (North Dakota)
Chris VandeVelde (North Dakota)
Joe Finley (North Dakota)

Pure speculation. I’ll revisit this list come next September and see how close I and some of the other pundits were.

The skills competition still needs some work, but it’s getting there. I wish there were more emphasis on the players themselves and less on trying to make sure the audience was having “fun”. People I talked to were there for the competition and not the promotions and comments from the various people with mics. My unsolicited advice: interviews with the players and correctly announcing what was going on – good. Trying to get cheers going for East vs. West, left hand people vs. right hand people, kids spinning around on hockey sticks until they get dizzy, etc. – bad.

My hat’s off to St. Norbert’s Kyle Jones, who I had the pleasure of watching pitch back-to-back shutouts in the Division III Frozen Four in Lake Placid a couple of weeks ago. Jones, the Division III Player of the Year, had 25 career shutouts and posted a 1.08 GAA and a .950 save percentage this season.

Jones (#35 in the picture) was the only D-III player in the skills competition, and he proved he could play with the best, not allowing a single goal in any of the skills challenges.

I ran into his coach, Tim Coghlin, on Thursday night after the semifinals and he said to me, “Maybe three of the four teams tonight could have used Kyle Jones.”

No surprise that Keven Porter won the Hobey – he’s been the top choice for most of the season. But it would have been hard to fault the pick of the other two finalists. I can make a case for either Gerbe or Jones, as can most college hockey fans.

The choice of Will Bruce as the recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian must also have been a tough choice for the committee. The finalists all had wonderful credentials and the kids associated with this award continue to amaze me year in and year out in how they manage to balance a college workload, playing a demanding sport, and still have the time to selflessly devote themselves to helping others.

Friday was its usual mishmash of practices, events and awards. Some random observations:

A nice turnout as usual at the team practices. Both teams looked loose. The question on most people’s minds was why every player on the Fighting Irish wears a “7″ on the back of their practice jersey. Junior Luke Lucyk wore Number Seven his freshman and sophomore years, then left the team to return to junior hockey. Back at Notre Dame this season, he’s wearing Number 20. The meaning behind the “7″ is a tightly kept secret, known only to the team, so we’re left to venture some guesses:

Feel free to come up with your own. One thing I did notice is that Notre Dame’s Motto: “Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope” has seven words. Hmmm.

Any time you pick an NCAA field, there’ll be complaining from teams and fans who disagree with the selections or the seedings. This year was no exception, as Wisconsin and Notre Dame, a couple of teams that struggled down the stretch, got invites based on the objective system used by the NCAA Ice Hockey Committee. Unlike most other sports, the selection criteria in D-I hockey are written in stone, and never has the committee gone against the numbers.

And again this season, it looks like their decisions have been vindicated. Wisconsin made it to the regional finals, and Notre Dame, the last at-large team in the tournament and 13th seed overall, has made it to the championship game.

“We’ve been though a lot the second half of the season,” said Notre Dame defenseman Kyle Lawson. “It think it was good to get some redemption.”

Let’s hope this process, especially its transparency, continues.

Notre Dame continues it magical ride with a 5-4 overtime win over favored Michigan. At 5:44 of overtime, Dan Venard’s shot was stopped by Hogan, but he left a big rebound for Calle Ridderwall, who beat the Michigan goaltender low-stick.

The fourth line and third set of “D” come through for the Irish, who will play Boston College on Saturday for all the marbles.

Wow.

We’re going to overtime between Michigan and Notre Dame, tied 4-4. Shots on goal in regulation: 29-21 in favor of the Wolverines.

Next goal wins.

After being held to just seven shots on goal over a period and a half, Notre Dame broke through with a nifty goal by Kevin Deeth, who took a neat feed from Dan Kissel and came in all alone on Hogan, beating him stick side. That made it 4-3 Irish.

But with 5:21 to play, Michigan’s Craig Hagelin beat Pearce from in tight, banking a backhand off the goaltender’s skate.

We’re tied at 4-4 with five minutes to play.