Roth: Pair skate different paths to Frozen Four

Matt Lane and Trevor Mingoia were careful not to jinx themselves.

Of course the thought of Boston University and Providence College meeting in the NCAA Division I men's hockey championship game on Saturday night at TD Boston Garden, an All-New England final that would pit the two Rochester players, friends and workout partners for summer bragging rights, has crossed their minds.

But in true take-it-one-game-at-a-time, don't-count-your-pucks-before-they're-in-the-net fashion, they know the most important game of any single-elimination tournament is the next game, not games that could be.

On Thursday, Lane's BU Terriers (27-7-5) face North Dakota (29-9-9) after Mingoia's Providence Friars (24-13-2) meet Nebraska Omaha (20-12-6) in the semifinals of the Frozen Four.

Lane, 21, of Greece and Mingoia, 23, of Fairport are junior forwards and key contributors for their teams, giving Rochester a proud presence on college hockey's biggest stage.

But other than getting both to say "That would be cool'' in regards to potentially skating against one another in the title game, they're focused on the task at hand and simply enjoying the moment.

"I'm excited,'' Lane said. "It's in the Garden, which is a home game for us. Just making it to the Frozen Four is a dream come true and obviously winning it would make it even better.''

BU, a storied program, has five national titles, the last coming in 2009. But this is Providence's first Frozen Four in 30 years. The last time a friar was this excited, he was on Robin Hood's team.

"The campus is buzzing,'' Mingoia said. "You're amped for any game, but now it's on such a big stage, the pinnacle of your level of hockey. To be one of four teams left in the country, you have to pick up your game and be as well prepared as you can possibly be. But it's a really exciting feeling right now.''

It's a feeling that comes to any athlete who is blessed with talent, sure, but is also willing to put the work in over the course of many years. Unlike football and basketball where the path to college and the professional ranks is pretty linear, hockey's path looks like a mouse maze.

Lane had a big brother, Phil, a second-round NHL draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes now with Portland of the American Hockey League, to light his path. Mingoia and Phil Lane played a lot of youth hockey with and against each other, and young Matt was right on their heels.

After starring on Greece Thunder's 27-0 high school state championship team in 2009 and heading to Ontario, Canada to play AAA midget hockey in Mississauga, Matt Lane landed a spot on the prestigious National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

He had three goals and four assists in six games as Team USA won gold at the U-18 World Juniors in 2012. He also earned an invitation to the first All-American Prospects Game at Buffalo's First Niagara Center.

Though Lane went undrafted in 2013, it was hardly a setback. He was part of the last recruiting class of legendary BU coach Jack Parker, a group that led the Terriers to first place in the Hockey East standings under David Quinn. And oh yeah, they got help from a freshman sensation named Jack Eichel, who will wind up as the first or second overall pick in June's NHL draft.

"We have only two seniors and all of our juniors are true juniors, so we're all young players in a sense,'' said Lane, who scored a goal in BU's 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth in the Northeast Region final and has 18 points (8-10) overall. "We pride ourselves on being the team leaders and the coaching transition has gone very smoothly.''

Mingoia's journey in hockey hasn't always been smooth, but like Lane, he possesses the passion and persistence required to gain the game's higher rungs.

After two seasons at Fairport High School, Mingoia played three seasons at the Berkshire School, which plays a high-end New England prep schedule. After a big year (39 points in 43 games) for Tri-City of the USHL, the country's top junior circuit in 2012-13, Mingoia became part of coach Nate Leaman's resurrection of the Providence program.

Leaman recruited Mingoia to Union College two years earlier, but left for the Providence job. Mingoia played a season under Union's new coaching staff, but things weren't ideal. Even though Union won last year's national title, Mingoia's decision to opt out for a year of junior hockey made him a better player and person, he said.

"I couldn't be happier with my decision,'' said Mingoia, who also had an older brother, Tyler, pave a path for him. "Going through the transfer process has given me a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I've gotten a lot more focused over the last couple years, really understanding what I want to do with my life — and that's to play hockey. I'm a big believer in that you've got to make the most of your opportunities.''

Mingoia is the Friars' fourth-leading scorer with 14 goals, 15 assists and 29 points. He had a goal and assist in a 7-5 win over top-seed Miami, Ohio in the East Region semis.

Lane and Mingoia praise their parents for all their support over their careers: Phil and Christine Lane; Marc and Lisa Mingoia, and stepmom Kerri.

"Support from parents is huge,'' Lane said. "But you definitely need that passion and commitment from a young age if you really want to do something in hockey.''

Matt Lane and Trevor Mingoia are doing something all right. The Frozen Four is about to heat up.

NCAA Frozen Four

Thursday: Providence (24-13-2) vs. Nebraska Omaha (20-12-6), 5 p.m.; Boston University (27-7-5) vs. North Dakota (29-9-9), 8:30 p.m. Both games on ESPN2.

Saturday: Championship game, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. Radio coverage on WHTK 1280-AM.