Hi, My Name Is ... Danny Biega

Every Tuesday, FanHouse profiles the top NHL prospects playing college hockey.

There aren't many players in college hockey who haven't been eligible for the NHL Draft yet. Even most kids who go straight to college hockey out of high school -- bypassing a year or two of junior hockey -- are old enough to be drafted before they start college.

One of the exceptions to this general rule is Harvard freshman defenseman Danny Biega. The blue-liner should be a second- or third-round pick this summer, and he has only helped himself with a steady first season for the Crimson.

Biega -- who has two older brothers, Alex (NHL rights: Buffalo) and Michael (undrafted), also playing for Harvard -- scored two goals during a weekend sweep of Princeton to start the ECAC playoffs. The Crimson, who finished tied for ninth in the final league standings, won 4-2 Friday (thanks to four third-period goals) and 3-0 Saturday to move into a quarterfinal series at Cornell this weekend.

While first-round pick Louis Leblanc (Montreal) gets a lot of publicity, the rebuilding Crimson have plenty of promising young players. Alex Killorn (Tampa Bay), Alex Fallstrom (Boston), and Conor Morrison (undrafted) are all underclassmen who are producing for Harvard, and the future is certainly bright for head coach Ted Donato.

Danny Biega only has five goals and eight points, but he's played in 30 games and continues to get better. The Montreal native got caught in a controversy earlier in the year, as a hit on Brown's Jesse Fratkin led to Biega getting suspended for a game while Fratkin got some 40 stitches to his face.

Biega ranked 31st among North American skaters in Central Scouting's midterm rankings, and if he continues to play well, he may move up the final chart and cement his early-round status this summer. Biega isn't terribly big, listed as six feet tall, but he plays with an edge and can contribute offensively.

Other college players on the Central Scouting midterm list include Notre Dame freshman Riley Sheahan (fifth), Tyler Pitlick of Minnesota State, Mankato (21st), and Wisconsin freshman defenseman John Ramage (187th).

Other Players to Watch

Two wins over Michigan Tech -- 5-1 Friday and 3-2 Saturday -- gave North Dakota home-ice advantage for the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. Sophomore Jason Gregoire (N.Y. Islanders) scored twice Saturday as the Fighting Sioux rallied from a 2-0 deficit. Gregoire added a goal and an assist in Friday's win, while freshman Danny Kristo (Montreal) had a three-point weekend.

Wisconsin clinched second in the WCHA with a 3-2 win over Minnesota Friday night. Freshman Craig Smith (Nashville) scored twice, including the game-winner with less than five minutes to play. Minnesota won 6-1 Sunday, thanks to two goals by senior co-captain Tony Lucia (San Jose).

After picking up two assists in a 5-2 win Friday, Michigan forward Louie Caporusso (Ottawa) helped close out Lake Superior State (Mich.) with a hat trick in Saturday's 6-0 triumph. The Wolverines move on to face rival Michigan State this weekend in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinals.

New Hampshire clinched the Hockey East regular-season title Friday night, thanks to a three-goal comeback against Boston College. The Wildcats rallied from 3-0 down to gain a 3-3 tie and the point they needed to clinch. Defenseman Blake Kessel (N.Y. Islanders) got the equalizer with 3:55 to play. Boston College won Saturday's rematch 3-2 on Paul Carey's (Colorado) game-winner early in the third period.

The first NCAA hockey tournaments begin this week. In Division III men's hockey, the 11-team field begins play with three first-round games Wednesday night. The Frozen Four is March 19 and 20 in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Division I women's tournament is an eight-team event that starts with quarterfinal games at campus sites Saturday. Their Frozen Four is March 19 and 21 in Minneapolis. The women's Division III tournament features seven teams, and it plays down to a Frozen Four starting March 19, hosted by top seed and defending champion Amherst (Mass.). Pairings are below.

NCAA Division III Men's Tournament
First Round - Wednesday
Curry (Mass.) at Elmira (N.Y.)
St. Thomas (Minn.) at Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.)
Adrian (Mich.) at St. Norbert (Wis.)
Quarterfinals - Saturday
Curry/Elmira winner at Norwich (Vt.)
Plattsburgh (N.Y.) at Middlebury (Vt.)
Bowdoin (Maine) at Oswego (N.Y.)
St. Thomas/Gustavus winner vs. Adrian/St. Norbert winner (site TBA)

NCAA Division I Women's Tournament
Quarterfinals - Saturday
No. 8 Boston University at No. 1 Mercyhurst (Pa.)
No. 7 New Hampshire at No. 2 Minnesota Duluth
No. 6 Clarkson (N.Y.) at No. 3 Minnesota
No. 5 Cornell at No. 4 Harvard

NCAA Division III Women's Tournament
Quarterfinals - Saturday
No. 1 Amherst (Mass.) - bye
No. 7 Trinity (Conn.) at No. 2 Elmira (N.Y.)
No. 6 Norwich (Vt.) at No. 3 Plattsburgh (N.Y.)
No. 5 Wisconsin-River Falls at No. 4 Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.)