ST. LOUIS – Ben Bishop is the unwitting center of attention at the NCAA Frozen Four.

The University of Maine’s sophomore goaltender grew up in the St. Louis suburb of Des Peres, which made him a hot commodity for the throng of media that gathered Wednesday at the Scottrade Center.

Even so, sportswriters and sportscasters had only one brief shot at the 6-foot-7 standout.

While Bishop tried to downplay the opportunity to play in his home area, he got a little of help deflecting some of the media crush. While players usually are available for one-on-one interviews after the obligatory sit-down press conference that is conducted after each team’s practice at the Frozen Four, Bishop was the only UMaine player not made available to the media for one-on-one interviews.

Bishop has been the catalyst during the Black Bears’ NCAA Tournament success thus far, allowing only two goals in UMaine’s victories at the East Regional in Rochester, N.Y.

“It’s convenient that it’s in St. Louis and I grew up here, but the real reason we’re here is to win a national championship,” said Bishop, who said he didn’t expect any additional pressure – from the media or otherwise. “It’s not going to bother me,” he said.

Bishop’s father, Ben Jr., also spent much of Wednesday afternoon doing interviews with media from across the country. He is enjoying this rare opportunity.

“It’s exciting, because we’ve known it was going to be here for the last four years,” the elder Bishop said. “This is a dream come true for all of us.”

While he admitted there is some nervousness, he said UMaine’s penchant for overcoming difficult situations and winning key games has been good preparation.

“Watching Maine hockey, I’ve gotten over that,” Bishop Jr. said. “One thing about Maine is that Maine is awfully resilient. Every time you count them out, they’re right back there.”

Dad fostered Bishop’s growth

Bishop’s appearance with UMaine in the Frozen Four has accentuated the high level of hockey being played in and around St. Louis.

He played three seasons at Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis before heading off to play one season each for the St. Louis AAA Amateur Blues Midget Majors and the Texas Tornado of the North American Hockey League.

“I played at an outdoor rink out in Kirkwood but as I got older, the hockey grew and got better,” Bishop said. “The [St. Louis] Blues alumni did a great job of developing the hockey out here. The guys I played with, there’s quite a few of them are playing Division I hockey right now, so the talent’s getting better and better each year out here.”

Bishop credited his father, Ben Bishop Jr., with providing him with a strong hockey foundation. He introduced his son to skating at age 4 and held Blues season tickets.

“He’s been behind me the whole way, waking up at 5 a.m. and getting me dressed when I was a little kid and taking me to those outdoor practices when it was 5 below [zero],” said the younger Bishop, whose favorite goalie growing up was the Blues’ Curtis Joseph.

Pass the pasta, please

Sportswriters, never known to pass up a good meal, also asked Bishop for his thoughts on the best food to be had in the Greater St. Louis area. His choice was any of several Italian restaurants located on “The Hill,” a section of South St. Louis.

Baseball greats Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees and Joe Garagiola of the St. Louis Cardinals both grew up in the mostly Italian-American neighborhood.