My first NCAA Frozen Four was in Washington, D.C. in 2009. I was a casual fan of men's Division I college hockey, which meant I had absolutely no idea what a Bemidji State was, nor that it was in fact nicknamed the Beavers.
But after watching the school's unexpected run through the bracket, I learned the name of Matt Read, now playing with the Philadelphia Flyers; and I came to understand that Joel Otto, one of the greatest shutdown defensive forwards of the last 40 years, was also a former Beaver. I knew these players, and hence had an entry point to the programs.