Red, White & BU

The University of Miami RedHawks and the Boston University Terriers have advanced to the NCAA Championship game on Saturday night.

Miami eliminated Bemidji State earlier this evening by a 4-1 margin on the strength of a 3-point performance from Tommy Wingels (2G, 1A). Wingels scored the opening goal of the game at the 3:56 mark of the 1st period while on the power play and he also cemented the victory with an empty netter with just over two minutes left to play. The 2008, 6th round pick of the San Jose Sharks, Wingels is in his sophomore campaign with the RedHawks.

The RedHawks fired 37 shots on Bemidji State goalie Matt Dalton while Cody Reichard faced a total of 25 shots from the Beavers. The win has Miami playing in the national title game for the first time and, as coach Enrico Blasi told TPS on Tuesday, it's a chance for the first national title in any sport in the school's history as well.

In the late Thursday game, the Terriers and the Vermont Catamounts played cat and mouth with the lead. BU got out to a 2-0 start on goals from Colin Wilson and Jason Lawrence but by the middle of the second period Vermont would hold a 3-2 lead. A late period marker from Vinny Saponari sent the game to the third period all knotted up.

Vermont again regained the lead thanks to a Drew MacKenzie goal but Chris Higgins scored on a BU power play at 13:06 to even the game again.

Tonight's hero for BU was Colin Wilson who beat Rob Madore at 14:19 to put the Terriers ahead for the last time as they skated to a 5-4 win over their Hockey East rivals. Wilson (NSH, 1st round 2008) had 3 points on the night while Higgins (undrafted senior) had a goal and three helpers.
There will be lots of analysis of Saturday's match up between now and then but one thing I can tell you right here and now: With both BU and Miami sporting red and white sweaters, it's pretty much going to look like a Team Canada intersquad game.