At the football-crazed University of Notre Dame, the hockey players aren't used to being the big men on campus.

But the Irish hockey team is set to make its first Frozen Four appearance tonight -- and the team will do so with a bit of a Western Pennsylvania accent.

Center Christian Hanson and right winger Christiaan Minella, both former Peters Township High School students, and forward/defenseman Stewart Carlin, a former Hempfield Area High School student, have all contributed to Notre Dame's drive to a Frozen Four appearance this season, the first in the program's 40-year history.

All three left the Pittsburgh area at some point during their high school years to play junior hockey.

The Irish (26-15-4) will play top-ranked Michigan (33-5-4), a Central Collegiate Hockey Association rival, at 9 tonight in a national semifinal at the Pepsi Center in Denver, televised on ESPN2. The winner will play the winner of the North Dakota-Boston College semifinal Saturday in the national championship game, also in Denver.

"It's awesome," said Minella, who helped lead Peters Township to two state high school championships. "You grow up watching the Frozen Four on TV, and you see the North Dakotas and the Minnesotas, and they're there all the time.

"I never thought I'd have a chance to play in it. It's just an honor and it's really exciting to be able to have an opportunity to play at such a high level in front of so many people."

Notre Dame qualified for the NCAA tournament this season for only the third time, so the rush of having a hockey powerhouse is somewhat of a novelty in South Bend. The program has made significant improvement the past three seasons under coach Jeff Jackson. He led Lake Superior State to national titles in 1992 and '94.

"Just walking around campus, you have people come up to you to wish you good luck," said Hanson, whose dad, Dave, is one of the famed Hanson Brothers of the movie "Slapshot." "It's nice to be able to be a part of a winning team and see the smiles on people's faces. It's exciting to be able to represent the university, and to have all that support is a great feeling."

"It's hard to describe," said Carlin, who attended Hempfield as a freshman before moving to the Detroit area to play junior hockey and attend high school.

"It's funny, when I was playing juniors, my parents always asked me where I wanted to go, and I always said I wanted to go to Notre Dame and be a part of a team that makes it to the Frozen Four.

"And now we're actually doing it. It's just surreal. It's a dream that came through for me."

That Notre Dame would be invited to the 16-team NCAA tournament was no sure thing. The Irish entered the West regional in Colorado Springs as the No. 4 seed in that four-team region and needed to pull two upsets -- knocking off New Hampshire and defending champion Michigan State -- just to advance. They became the first No. 4 seed to play in the national semifinals.

"We got up there as a No. 4 seed, but I don't think anybody in this locker room saw ourselves as a No. 4 seed." said Hanson, whose family still lives in Peters.

"Once we got up there and got the feeling during the first few minutes of the game that, 'We can play with this team,' we knew we could beat anyone.

"Against Michigan State, we came together a little more slowly, but, after we got into the game and relaxed, we said, 'Why not us?' So we played our game and won."

Hanson was a big part of that, as he was named to the all-regional team after scoring three goals and adding an assist two weeks ago during the 7-3 win against top seed New Hampshire and the 3-1 upset of No. 2 seed Michigan State.

He was assisted by Carlin on one of his goals against New Hampshire.

"It was definitely a fun weekend," Hansen said.

"My line played so well. If you look at the three goals I scored, they all were the result of great play by my wingers. I had the easiest job -- putting the puck in the net."

But his play in Colorado Springs was just a continuation of what Hanson has done all season for Notre Dame. He ranks third on the team with 13 goals and is tied for seventh with 22 points. He has won 60.6 percent of his faceoffs this season and was trusted all season long with taking key draws.

"He's been solid all year long but he's really helped us out the last few weeks, and it couldn't have come at a better time," Minella said.

"He's playing very good hockey and has had a tremendous impact on our success of late. We just want him to keep playing the way he has."

Minella's family has moved to the Denver area since his graduation from Peters Township, but he and Hanson have known each other and been close friends since Hanson moved to Peters while in grade school.

They along with Carlin became three of the eight Pittsburgh area players to have skated for the Irish in recent years.Today

• Game 1: North Dakota (28-10-4) vs. Boston College (23-11-8), 6 p.m. TV: ESPN2.

• Game 2: Michigan (33-5-4) vs. Notre Dame (26-15-4), 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2.