NHL Boston College

The diminutive Nathan Gerbe, who led Boston College to the NCAA men's hockey title last month, has signed a contract with the Buffalo Sabres. He will forego his final year of eligibility at Boston College to turn pro. He was a fifth-round pick of the Sabres in 2005.

Gerbe led the nation in scoring this past season with 68 points (35 goals, 33 assists), and he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the nation's top player. That award was won by Michigan senior Kevin Porter, who has moved on to the Phoenix Coyotes organization.

Gerbe is only five-foot-six, but his playmaking ability is second-to-none, and he is more than willing to go in the tough areas. It's never easy for a smaller player to have great success in the NHL, but he doesn't have to look past Boston College to find one who has.

New Jersey's Brian Gionta (five-foot-seven) had a wonderful four-year career at BC, and he has scored 95 goals in the three years since the lockout.

One night after upsetting top-seed New Hampshire in the West Regional, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish made history.

A 3-1 win over Michigan State sent Notre Dame to the NCAA Frozen Four April 10 in Denver. The Irish are the first fourth-seed to win a regional and make the Frozen Four since the NCAA expanded the field to 16 teams. Notre Dame is joined in the Frozen Four by top national seed Michigan. The Wolverines slugged out a 2-0 win over Clarkson in Albany, N.Y., to win the East Regional. Goaltender Billy Sauer, a Colorado draft pick, pitched the shutout and allowed just one goal in two games at Albany. The two CCHA rivals will meet in one national semifinal April 10.

The other big story Saturday was Wisconsin. College hockey fans were largely stunned and upset when the sub-.500 Badgers made the NCAA field, and the fans who don't understand the rules (teams hosting a regional must play in that regional if they make the tournament) thought the NCAA placed Wisconsin in Madison to make more money.

The conspiracy theorists and detractors only fueled the underdog Badgers, who scored four third-period goals and rolled past WCHA playoff champion Denver 6-2 in the Midwest Regional. Wisconsin will battle another WCHA rival, North Dakota, in the regional final Sunday. The Fighting Sioux were outshot by fourth-seed Princeton, but won the game 5-1. 2007 Hobey Baker winner Ryan Duncan picked up a hat trick in the game.

In the Northeast Regional, top-seed Miami survived Air Force in overtime, 3-2. Justin Mercier scored an unassisted goal to give the RedHawks the victory. They face Boston College in the regional final. The Eagles never trailed in beating Minnesota 5-2.

Sunday's schedule (all times Eastern)
Northeast Regional (Worcester, MA)
Boston College vs Miami, 4:30pm

Midwest Regional (Madison, WI)
Wisconsin vs North Dakota, 7pm