Vermont Coach Kevin Sneddon has led the Catamounts to their first Frozen Four since 1996 - Vermont faces Boston University on Thursday in a national semifinal.

Sneddon, who won a national championship at Harvard in 1989 (Sneddon's teammate was current Crimson Coach Ted Donato), is only Vermont's fourth coach in 45 seasons.

Sneddon took over the program in 2003, three years after the school administration suspended the second half of the season in the wake of a hazing scandal.

More than nine years later, Vermont faces BU, coached by Jack Parker. Parker, a BU alum, leads the Terriers to their first Frozen Four since 1997.

"He loves to talk about how he's a Boston-grown guy and how he's been a part of Boston University practically forever," BU's Matt Gilroy told the Boston Herald. "He's always talking about how he grew up here, how he went to high school here, how much he loves the Sox and the Pats. You never have to wonder where Coach Parker came from."

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Going through the morning's Google alerts, I stumbled upon the personal blog of former Northeastern goalie Brad Thiessen, "In The Crease With Thiess."

Thiessen is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Why would Thiessen choose to go to a team with Marc Andre-Fleury and former Boston University goalie John Curry in its system? Thiessen explains the decision:

"Everyone seems to ask why go there, they have Fleury and former BU goalie John Curry. My response would be to say no team is going to sign a goalie with no NHL experience and say that they are going to be their #1 starter in the NHL. There is going to be competition at every level, nothing is going to be handed to you. In saying that Pittsburgh was the team that to me would give me the best opportunity to play in the American League and develop as a goalie. I'm extremely excited and look forward to the challenge."

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