Bemidji State (20-16-1) finished No. 9 in the final USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine men’s college poll. That’s the Beavers’ highest finish ever in the 14-year history of the poll.

 BSU lost to Miami (Ohio) 4-1 in the Frozen Four semifinals.

NCAA champion Boston University was the unanimous No. 1 pick. BU scored two goals in the last minute and then beat Ohio 4-3 in overtime.

Miami was No. 2 in the final rankings, Vermont, the other team in the Frozen Four was No. 3.

Minnesota Duluth was No. 8, North Dakota No. 13 in the final ratings.

MAVS SIGN TWO

Minnesota State Mankato signed two more players with good size. One of them is forward Eriah Hayes, a 6-3, 210-pound frorward for Waterloo of the USHL. He is from LaCrescent, Minn. He had 27 goals and 18 assists for 45 pionts in 59 game for Waterloo.

Defenseman Tyler Elbrecht, 6-5, 225, also signed with the Mavers. He played for St. Louis in the NAHL and had two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 41 games.

URBAN PLAINS CENTER PUSHING D-1 TEAM

Stories coming out of Fargo say the Urban Plains Center submitted the same plan to North Dakota State and Minnesota State Moorhead to start a Division I program in men’s and women’s hockey.

The plan, reportedly, includes Dean Blais being the coach of the men’s hockey team. Blais coached the Sioux in the WCHA for 10 years.

Interesting stuff. Part of the plan hinges on the new program, whether at NDSU or MSU Moorhead being admitted to the WCHA.

TWO MORE EARLY EXITS

Junior goalie Alex Stalock of Minnesota Duluth signed with San Jose of the NH last week. Stalock, 21, was a fourth round pick of the Sharks in the 2005 NHL draft.

Sophomore defenseman Evan Oberg of UMD has signed with Vancouver as a free agent.

With these two Bulldogs, the number of players leaving early is up to nine:

Player                 College              Pos.   Yr    NHL team

Richard Bachman  Colorado Col.    G       so.   Dallas Stars 

Tyler Bozak            Denver              F       so.   Tor. M’ Leafs  

Paul Crowder  Alaska Anchorage   F        jr.   NY  Rangers

Trevor Bruess Minn. State              F       jr.   Wash. Caps

Brian Connelly, CC                            D      jr.    Chi. B’hawks

Jamie McBain, Wis.                          D      jr.     Carolina

Evan Oberg, UMD                           D      so.     Van. Canucks

Alex Stalock, UMD                           G     jr.      S.Jose Sharks

Ryan Stoa, Gophers                          F     jr.     Colorado Avs

STOA SEVENTH ALL-AMERICAN SINCE ‘01

Ryan Stoa is the seventh Gophers player to be named a first team All-American in the nine years.

Stoa was named to the American Hockey Coaches Association’s All-American team during the Frozen Four.

The list of other recent All-Americans from the U:

2001: Jordan Leopold

2002:  Leopold and John Pohl

2004: Keith Ballard

2006: Ryan Potulny

2007: Alex Goligoski

Stoa also was named a first-team All-American by College Hockey News and Inside College Hockey.

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