To everyone that came out to the Ground Round last night...thanks for making the show so much fun. There were a LOT of Beaver fans in attendance. The archive of the show is up here

One of those at the Ground Round last night was John Schwartz. He's the head photographer in the BSU Photo Services office.

Here's his website

John has even been a contributor to this website. I asked John to get me a picture for the main site graphic at the top of every page. I told him what I needed, and he got it for me the first game of that next weekend!

John...thanks again for that.

Also, a thanks to Tom Serratore. He's been VERY busy this week dealing with travel arrangements and preparing the team for the game. I appreciate his time last night too!

The team leaves at 3pm today on an NCAA charter flight to Grand Rapids. More info on that tonight!

There will be a big bash on "Sports in the Round" tonight. We will go from 5p-8p instead of the ussual 6p-8p.

Tom Serratore will join us, as will several former National Champions for the Beavers:

Neil Holmstrom – 79, Bryan Grand – 68,69,70, Eric Monsrud – 94,95 will join us, as will Bob Fitzgerald, who was an player on the undefeated team of 1983-1984.

There will also be several former players form the D-1 era;

Brendan Cook from Nottingham, England
Luke Erickson from the Alaska Aces
Jean Guy Gervais from the Winnepeg Police Department
and Andrew Murray from the Columbus Blue Jackets

They will all be on the 7pm central hour...the former National Champions and Tom Serratore will be on in the 6pm central hour.

If you're in Bemidji tonight, stop by the Ground Round for FREE appetizers (while they last) and 2-for-1 aps after that. Bucky the Beaver mascot will also be there for the kids...and I've heard that the BSU Dance Team may also be there tonight.

If you're from out of town, you can listen online by clicking "LISTEN NOW" at the top of the screen.

The bus has been canceled.

Good afternoon! I want to thank you for your continued interest and support of BSU Athletics and Beaver Hockey. Unfortunately we have not received enough interest in our fan bus to justify taking it to Grand Rapids. Many of you have told me you are going, but will be making your own travel plans. On behalf of Beaver Pride and BSU Hockey I would like to thank you for your efforts to support the team and making the trip to Michigan. The following information may be of use to you:

Hotel:

Amway Grand Plaza
800-253-3590
www.amwaygrand.com

The hotel offers a great location and a skywalk to the arena.

Tickets:

BSU Cashiers Office
218-755-2045
Session Passes-good for all games
$65/person
BSU will have tickets for sale until 2:45 p.m. CST Wed.

Thanks and GO BEAVERS!

Wray

Wray Wright
Beaver Pride Coordinator

I got this from Beaver Pride today

Beaver Pride has received numerous inquiries about a fan bus to Grand Rapids, MI to watch the Beavers play Notre Dame in the NCAA Regional Hockey Tournament.

Tentative cost per person of the fan bus will be $305. This includes the round trip bus ride, one (1) all session pass and assumes double occupancy of a hotel room. We need to know by 4 p.m. tomorrow (Tues.) if you are COMMITTED to going. The tentative schedule is:

1:30 a.m. (Sat) Depart from John Glas Parking lot
3:30 p.m. (Sat) Arrive in Grand Rapids
4:00 p.m. (Sat) Game 1 North Eastern vs. Cornell
7:30 p.m. (Sat) Game 2 BSU vs Notre Dame
10:30 p.m.???(Sat) Depart for hotel (Win or Lose)

A BSU Loss
7:00 a.m. (Sun) depart for Bemidji
9:00 p.m. (Sun) arrive in Bemidji

A BSU Win
Noon (Sun) check out from hotel (Please note: you are on your own from checkout til 6:30)
6:30 p.m. (Sun) Bus departs for game
7:00 p.m. (Sun) Bus arrives @ game
8:00 p.m. (Sun) BSU vs. ?????
11:00 p.m.?? (Sun) Bus departs for Bemidji
2:00 p.m.?? (Mon) Bus arrives in Bemidji

Due to situations beyond our control we do not have much time! I need to know, by tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4 p.m., if you are interested and the number of people in your group. If I do not have 50 commitments by then I need to cancel the bus and hotel, in addition to letting you know so you may make alternative plans. Please respond accordingly. Thanks for your continued interest and support of BSU Athletics!

Wray

Wray Wright
Beaver Pride Coordinator
Bemidji State University
1500 Birchmont Dr. NE #17
Bemidji, Mn 56601
218-755-2827 (office)

Tickets for the 2009 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Midwest Regional, scheduled for March 28-29, in Grand Rapids, Mich., are now on sale at the Bemidji State University Cashier's Office.

All-session tickets, which grant access to both March 28 semifinal games as well as the March 29 regional championship, are available for $65.

To order tickets, call Pam Papp in the BSU Cashier’s Office at (218) 755-3993.

There will be no will call window for BSU at Van Andel Arena, so tickets purchased from BSU must also be picked up at the Cashier's Office prior to the tournament.

In addition, tickets are available either online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. However, Ticket Master is not able to access tickets within the Bemidji State section (sections 106-107) and the addition of surcharges make the all-session passes $75.40 each.

For those planning to make the trip to Grand Rapids, a block of 25 rooms at the Amway Grand Hotel, which is located just two blocks from Van Andel Arena and is connected by skyway, are being held for Bemidji State fans for the rate of $100. Interested parties, should call (616) 774-2000 and designate themselves as "Bemidji State fans." Block reservations must be made by 5 p.m. Tuesday March 24. Room rates for reservations made after the 5 p.m. deadline move to $129.

2009 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship Midwest Regional Schedule
March 28, 2009
Semifinal 1 - 4:00 p.m. EST
Northeastern vs. Cornell

Semifinal 2 - 7:30 p.m. EST
Bemidji State vs. Notre Dame

March 29, 2009
Regional Championship - 8 p.m. EST

There is a LOT of confusion as to when BSU will play. TV said Friday at 6:30pm...now the NCAA is saying Saturday at 3pm!

It turns out that this was indeed a big mess. BSU will play the LATE game SATURDAY in Grand Rapids, MI. That's a 6:30pm start on SATURDAY!

Here's the bracket as I have it now...

Beaver Pride is starting the process of putting together a bus...I'll post more info when I hear about it.

Minneapolis
Miami vs. Denver
Cornell vs. Minnesota-Duluth

Grand Rapids
Bemidji State vs. Notre Dame
Princeton vs. Northeastern

Bridgeport
Air Force vs. Michigan
Vermont vs. Yale

Manchester
Ohio State vs. Boston University
New Hampshire vs. North Dakota

I should wait for USCHO to update this for real...but I think this is the final field of teams for the NCAA Tournament (with seeds).

1 Boston University
2 Notre Dame
3 Denver
4 Michigan
5 Yale
6t Northeastern
6 Minnesota-Duluth
8 North Dakota
9 Vermont
10 New Hampshire
11 Cornell
12 Princeton
13 Miami
14 Air Force
15 Ohio State
16 Bemidji State

To avoid a first round conference matchup, Notre Dame can't play Ohio State...so, might they switch BSU and Ohio State?

Minnesota Duluth is about to become the first team EVER to win the WCHA Final Five as the play-in game winner.

Duluth, with the their good play this week, was already in the NCAA tournament before the game. With the win, they get the WCHA automatic bid. Not bad for a team that had to go on the road and beat Colorado College in the WCHA first-round to even be close to the NCAA bubble!

Jason Moy at USCHO is MUCH smarter about this stuff than anyone else...PERIOD! Here's what he says going into the night games on Saturday (link)

The third place games are over with and it has resulted in this:

The elimination of both St. Lawrence and Minnesota from NCAA contention.

Princeton clinched its spot in the big dance with the tie this afternoon and now there is only one spot left.

That one spot will go to either Mass.-Lowell or Ohio State.

If Mass.-Lowell wins, it gets the spot, if it loses, Ohio State gets the spot.

It’s that simple right now heading into the evening games.

What does this mean for BSU? Not sure yet, but Boston University has pretty much wrapped up the #1 overall seed. Notre Dame will be the #2 seed. Would the NCAA send BSU to Minneapolis with Notre Dame? I doubt they would send Notre Dame to Grand Rapids (along with Michigan)...meaning they will either be out east (in the regional that DOES NOT include BU)...or they will be in Minneapolis. Notre Dame and Denver both have to fly...so it doesn't matter where they go. BSU can go to Minneapolis, and bus.

"Bracket integrity" says BSU to play BU out east...common sense says BSU to Minneapolis to play Notre Dame.

We'll see which happens tomorrow morning.