The Cream Rises

In tonight's Western Regional final, the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux knocked off WCHA regular season and WCHA playoff champions the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers 3-2 in OT. The Sioux played better and better as the game went on, and began to take the play to the Gophers. They then took over in overtime and won, fittingly, on a goal by blue-collar captain Chris Porter.

Watching both teams this season, I have noticed trends in how their players celebrate goals:

Minnesota: Score goal, "pop" the big "M" on the jersey (is there a more annoying gesture in college hockey than the jersey pop?), then showboat to the crowd.

North Dakota: Score goal, look to teammates on ice to give acknowledgement, then skate to bench to slap gloves with other teammates.

One program has a reputation as being full of talent but soft, the other is known as blue-collar and hard-working. You can tell from the goal celebrations which is which.

Harder work in tonight's game took one of them to St. Louis for the Frozen Four.