Ice and the Sunshine State

University of Minnesota logo

Property of U of Minnesota

In a state that's best known for its sun and
oranges, one city in Florida will be engraved
in Boston College, Union College, Ferris 
State University and the  U. of Minnesota
men's hockey teams memory for a life time.

Tampa Bay, Florida was host to the 2012
Frozen Four Championship at the Tampa 
Bay Times Forum home to the 2004 NHL
Stanley Cup Champs, the Tampa Bay
Lightning. This marked the first Frozen

Ferris State Logo
Courtesy of Ferris state

Four held past the Mason Dixon line. You
didn't have to tell all Florida natives about
college hockey as many of them decked
out in college hockey apparel.

In a state not known for hockey, hosting the
Frozen Four was an introduction to college
hockey. Many fans were familiar with the Tampa
Bay Lightning, but not college hockey. This
tournament would introduce fans to the fantastic
world of college hockey.

Usually the night before the Frozen Four begins,
the colleges meet in a snazzy hotel ballroom and
toast the beginning of the tournament. This time
the colleges toasted the start of the tournament on a
yacht overlooking a breathtaking sunset on the Gulf
of Mexico.

The Hobey Baker award which is usually presented
inside the  arena was presented at nearby MacDill Air

Boston College Logo
Property of BC

Force Base in honor of Hobey Baker who was a World
War One pilot after his stand-out college career at
Princeton University.  Tampa showed the college hockey
players hospitality with a twist which was better than the
southern sweet tea they serve in the sunshine state.

There was one lone Florida native playing
in the tournament for Union College, Shayne

Gostisbehere.  What a homecoming for the
Union defenseman. Boston College would
go on to defeat Farris State to win the right
to be called 2012 Frozen Four Champions.

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