Tim Kennedy – Michigan State
Justin Abdelkader – Michigan State
Nathan Gerbe – Boston College
Tyler Howells – Michigan State
Brian Boyle – Boston College
Jeff Lerg – Michigan State
MVP: Justin Abdelkader
Loose As A Goose
Coaches often call hockey a game of inches, but Saturday’s contest was clearly a game of minutes.
“If I can keep my fingers crossed about anything,” said Rick Comley, “it would be to get through the first five minutes. Honest to God.”
Talk about the answer to a prayer. The Michigan State head coach, loose during Friday’s post-practice press conference, expressed some understandable concern about the first few minutes of the title game against Boston College after the Spartans allowed two goals within the first four minutes of play in Thursday’s 4-2 semifinal win over Maine.
Saturday, not only did the Spartans hold the Eagles scoreless in those first five minutes, but they held BC to no shots on net for a little longer than that.
Chris Lawrence can’t believe that he just won the national championship. (photo: Skip Strandberg)
While that stat alone might indicate that the play was all in BC’s end, the Eagles took control of the game from the opening faceoff, forcing the Spartans to defend in their own end for the first full minute.
“In the first period, they made us play their game,” said Comley. “They’re too fast for us. Then it became kind of our style.”
The key difference between the start of Thursday’s game and this contest was the play of the Spartan defense in front of goaltender Jeff Lerg, right from the start of the game.
In particular, senior defenseman Tyler Howells was in exactly the right place at exactly the right times — at the 30-second and minute marks, to be specific — to prevent a repeat of the beginning of the Spartans’ semifinal performance.
In the first instance, Howells poke-checked the puck away from an Eagle close to the left post; in the second, he picked up a dangerous rebound in front of the MSU crease and sent it well out of harm’s way.
The Spartan defense had plenty of chances to shine through the rest of the period, especially during Chris Snavely’s two minutes at 9:46. At one point, Eagle Joe Rooney had Lerg dead to rights but missed an open net — leaving the puck in the perfect position for Ben Smith to score on the rebound from the opposite side of the crease. But Howells tied up Smith enough to force a turnover, and blueliner Brando Gentile cleared.
Defenseman Daniel Vukovic and forward Chris Mueller were also outstanding on that first BC power play, blocking shots and clearing loose pucks with Eagle-frustrating precision.
“I thought Vukovic has come a million miles,” said Comley. “Tyler Howells, I thought, was really good. I was really proud of Ethan Graham, how he got better, finally, as the game went on.”
Comley said that before the game, he asked only one thing of his players.
“I told the guys, ‘Give me one thing. Give me five minutes of 0-0 hockey, just so that we don’t have to chase them.’ They’re so good, they’re so very, very good.
“We couldn’t play two periods like that. We would not survive.”
While Comley knew that getting through those opening moments and forcing the Eagles to play Spartan hockey was essential to even having a chance of winning the game, MSU captain Chris Lawrence offered an alternative theory for the Spartans’ ability to keep it close.
“We probably had the loosest practice in the history of hockey Friday,” said Lawrence. “Coach told us to go out and have fun, but that’s the way our team is, though. If our team’s uptight, that’s when I’m worried.”
The Spartans were so loose before the title game that, as they were walking the arena to begin their warm-ups, Lawrence called out the long-time Lansing State Journal beat writer, Neil Koepke, by name as he passed the press area.
He did so again when he left the building. “Hello there, Mr. Koepke!” he cried, faking a Brooklyn accent. “Mr. Neil Koepke!”
“That’s the way our team is,” said Lawrence. “We have so much fun.”
Lawrence admitted to crying before the game, when it hit him that this may be his last game ever in organized hockey. Even that emotional moment wasn’t sacred.
“When I was crying before the game, Bryan Lerg goes, ‘Hey, you going to use a stick tonight?’ Ten minutes before the game and I forgot to tape my stick. I said, ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea.’
“It’s the way the guys are. We’re goofy. You have to have a thick skin to play on our team, because we give each other a lot of grief. It’s all in good fun. Guys love each other.
“It’s a true love we have for each other. I’m just so proud of these guys and so proud of Coach and our whole East Lansing and Spartan family.”
Championship Game – Third Period
0:00: Twenty minutes to go. Maybe.
0:00: Miscellaneous factoid: BC is 23-1 when leading after two periods this season.
1:10: A great chance by the Spartans has the crowd buzzing. Kennedy puts one through the crease behind Schneider. Right after, Abdelkader goes to the box for interference.
3:39: BC with a couple of good chances, but after some discussion Matt Greene heads to the penalty box for running into Lerg.
4:41: Lerg with the save of the game, a beauty glove stop off a shorthanded two-on-one for BC.
5:39: BC back to full strength, still leading 1-0.
7:51: Things getting chippy with battles all over the ice. Offsetting penalties result to Kucharski (BC) and Graham (State). We’ll skate 4×4.
9:47: BC’s Tim Filangieri is called for a hook.
9:53: Right off the faceoff, Boyle pinches and Tim Kennedy gets around him, walks in and beats Schneider short side. We’re tied at One.
13:01: The O-Word is starting to make its way around the pressbox. Also, we’re being told that Boyle is now being credited with the first BC goal. Have to check the replay on that one.
16:49: It’s not overtime yet, but the teams are playing like it is.
19:42: Spartans score! A turnover leads to a 3-on-1 for Michigan State. Abdelkader hits the post, but the Spartans maintain possession, and Kennedy finds Abdelkader, who makes the most of his second chance, deflecting the pass past Schneider at the far post. Boyle breaks a stick over his own head. 2-1 Michigan State.
19:58: Mueller seals the deal with an empty net score. Michigan State is on the ice celebrating, but there’s still 1.7 seconds to go. Equipment all over the place. Confusion ensues.
20:00: Jerry York comes off the bench and signals them to run the clock down. Game over. Spartans are champs!
20:01: And USCHO has the ad up for Michigan State merch. Have at it.
Second Period – Eagles and Spartans
3:34: BC gets its second power play of the game when Abdelkader hooks Benn Ferriero in front of the Spartan net. The Eagles’ power play is clicking at 35% over the last 13 games.
5:00: Another State hooking call – Crowder goes off. 5×3 for BC.
6:14: Lerg comes up huge on Ben Smith, who was all alone in front.
6:50: BC draws first blood on the power play. Brock Bradford gets to a lose puck that squirted out from the corner and lifts a wrist shot that Lerg gets a piece of, but not enough. 1-0 Boston College.
8:38: BC’s Tim Filangieri goes to the sin bin for interference. Michigan State gets it’s second power play of the game. The Spartans have a success rate of 18.9% this season.
10:31: Schneider makes a huge poke save to keep the Spartans off the board, but Boyle goes off for a trip. A short 5×3 for Michigan State.
12:31: Back to even strength.
12:58: And just like that, the Spartans g back on the power play. Carl Sneep with a slash. A TV timeout gives both coaches a chance to set up their special teams.
15:04: A great chance by Chris Mueller just after the power play expired is thwarted by Schneider.
16:32: Michigan State’s Dan Vukovic lays a big check on BC’s Matt Greene, but it’s Vukovic that gets the worst of it, getting stunned momentarily and leaving a pool of blood on the ice. We’ve got a play stoppage as things are cleaned up.
16:32: They just announced the attendance: 19,432 – a new record for a championship game.
17:03: Lerg stones Joe Rooney on a partial breakaway to keep things 1-0 BC.
20:00: And that does it for the second period. SOG for the period was 12-6 in favor of Michigan State, but the lone goal went to BC.
All the Marbles
I’ll be liveblogging the finals from the pressbox high atop the Scottrade Center. As with the semifinals, there will be a separate blog post for each period. Reload to see updates as each period progresses.
Here are the line charts:
Michigan State Forwards:
Kennedy-Abdelkader-Crowder
Lerg-Mueller-McKenzie (starters)
Schepke-Sucharski-Sprague
Lawrence-McClellan (Michigan State using an extra defenseman)
Michigan State Defense:
Graham-Dunne
Gentile-Snavely
Howells-Vukovic (starters)
Ratchuk
Michigan State Goal:
Lerg
Boston College Forwards:
Gerbe-Smith-Bradford
Rooney-Bertram-Ferriero
Price-Greene-Gannon (starters)
Kucharski-Lombardi-Orpik
Boston College Defense:
Boyle-Brennan
Filangieri-Motherwell (starters)
O”hanley-Sneep
Boston College Goal:
Schneider
0:00: It’s on.
4:46: Not many whistles, but no good scoring chances, either. Just one SOG so far.
9:46: The tempo favors Michigan State so far, but the Spartans take an interference penalty (Snavely).
11:46: Nice job on the PK by the Spartans and we’re back to even strength.
14:57: best chance so far for either squad. BC’s brock Bradford goes hard to the net, and after a scramble, Lerg gets his stick on the goal line, stopping a sliding puck that got under him. A review confirms no goal.
17:34: Now it’s the Eagles’ turn to take a penalty – Bertram for holding the stick.
17:51: A shorthanded chance by BC ends with a pushing and shoving in front of the Spartan net. Gerbe (BC) and Graham (State) go off.
19:27: Schnieder with a big glove save to keep things scoreless.
20:00: The first period is in the books. Shots in favor of BC 13-6, but the play was much closer than that.
I’ll be back in a new blog post with second period action.
Bradford Goal Has BC Up After Two Periods
Thanks to a Brock Bradford power-play goal, Boston College is clinging to a 1-0 lead over Michigan State heading into the third period of the national championship game.
The goal came at 6:50 of the second period when Nathan Gerbe battled two defenders in the corner and forced a turnover to Bradford’s stick. The sophomore winger fired a quick shot that surprised Michigan State goaltender Jeff Lerg, hitting off his shoulder on the way to the top corner.
The goal is the only blemish in what has been an entertaining goaltending battle between Lerg and BC netminder Cory Schneider. Each has been forced to make some stellar saves, most coming on the power play. Michigan State is 0-for-4 with the man advantage while the Eagles are 1-for-3.
In the opening period, BC held a 13-6 advantage in shots, and the 5-foot-6 Lerg made a number of diving stops including a highlight-reel save with five minutes remaining. After Matt Greene put a low shot on net, it appeared Pat Gannon had a wide-open net on which to score. Lerg, though, reached behind with his goal stick and picked Gannon’s shot off the goal line.
His counterpart, Schneider, was forced to make just six stops in the first but was the busier of the two goaltenders in the second. During a Spartan power play at the midway point of the frame, Schneider made an incredible kick save and then stopped back-to-back-to-back shots during a mad scramble in front with five minutes remaining.
A hush came over the record crowd of 19,432 with 4:28 remaining when Michigan State’s Daniel Vukovic lay motionless after a collision with BC’s Matt Greene. Though the ice was covered in blood underneath Vukovic’s face, he was able to leave under his own power.
Should BC hold onto the lead, it will capture its third national championship and second in seven seasons. Michigan State is looking for its third national title and first since 1986.
The Long Run
How the Eagles win:
- Keep doing what they’ve been doing. The Long Run is now at 13 games, the longest under coach Jerry York. Over that span, BC has outscored its opponents 61-23. “We’ve had some bounces,” York said. “Maybe just good Karma going on.”
“Around Beanpot time, we decided to look in the mirror and change a few things starting with how we approach practice and how we mentally approached games,” said senior Brian Boyle. “…with this win streak, we need to put the past behind us and move on from here.”
“Once we started winning games, we found a lot of confidence and consistency,” said junior Mike Brenna. “That’s played a big part in this run.”
- Keep the game in the middle of the ice – don’t let get into a physical contest with Michigan State along the boards and in the corners.
- Use their speed – the Rooney empty net goal was example of how BC’s speed kills.
- Learn from last year’s loss to Wisconsin. “I think (the players) really learned a lot from it,” said York. “Not specifically the X’s and O’s of the game but how to handle yourself under that type of situation. That is our Super Bowl; that is our World Series. It’s something you can’t teach, you can’t practice.”
Sending A Message
Michigan State goaltender Jeff Lerg is probably sick of seeing the word “diminutive” next to his name. “National Champion” has a much better ring.
The sophomore netminder outplayed four of college hockey’s best goaltenders in this tournament, including two Hobey Baker finalists. Squaring off against Boston University (John Curry), Notre Dame (Dave Brown), Maine (Ben Bishop) and Boston College (Cory Schneider), Lerg allowed just five goals in four NCAA tournament games.
Jeff Lerg making one of his 13 saves in the first period of the championship game. (photo: Skip Strandberg)
“Along the way, we’ve played some top goalies,” Lerg said. “In every game, I wanted to send a message and try to outplay them to the best of my ability.”
“We’re not going to win this without him,” said Michigan State coach Rick Comley. “You cannot imagine what an inspiration this kid is.”
Lerg’s battle with asthma has been well documented, but can’t be underestimated.
“He can only do drills for so long because he can’t breathe anymore,” said Comley. “He has to stop and collect himself, he uses the breathing machine, he respects being able to just breathe every day.”
Lerg acknowledges he has had a lot to overcome.
“This is what I’ve waited for my whole life,” Lerg said. “I’ve been too small for every level of hockey, I’ve been turned down by schools along the way, all of a sudden, they didn’t want to talk to me anymore. I’m really fortunate that Coach Comley gave me this opportunity.”
“He’s the heart and soul of this team,” said Spartan captain Chris Lawrence. “I can’t say enough about what he means to us.”
“There’s not enough good things you can say about him,” said Comley. “He’s a 4.0 student. In our locker room, we’re down 1-0 and he’s laughing. (Hockey) is a game to him and he loves the game.”
Lerg believed his team would win, and made the saves, some of them spectacular, to make it happen.
“It’s indescribable,” he said. “I’ve been dreaming about winning a championship ever since my dad laced on my first pair of skates. I’ve grown up watching the Michigan State team with players like Ryan Miller who never had this opportunity to win a national championship. It’s pretty special.”
This is Spartaaaaaa!
A few of the 300 ways Michigan State can win:
- Be physical. Negate the Eagle’s speed with size and intensity. “We can’t try to play BC’s game,” said Spartan coach Rick Comley. “We just have to go out and be who we are…We’re not as quick as they are, and I think they score better than we do, but that doesn’t mean that they’re better than we are, overall as a team. We just have to be very, very careful to maximize what’s become our style of play.”
“We’ve known all year that when we play physical, we’re at our best,” said State captain Chris Lawrence. “The more we hit, the better we play, it seems like. Coach always says that when we’re hitting and blocking shots, he can tell we’re into the game.”
- Withstand an initial onslaught. BC has been getting up on opponents early during their now-13 game winning streak. “If I can keep my fingers crossed about anything, it would be to get through the first five minutes,” Comley said. “Honest to God. They’re a big challenge and we have great respect for them, but we have to be ourselves.”
- Get a big game from Jeff Lerg. It’s expected that BC will outshoot Michigan State, so the Spartans are going to need Lerg to be sharp. He was in the Midwest Regional, making 44 saves on 46 shots and being named MVP. On Thursday, he again shined, stopping 29 of 31 shots and holding the Black Bears scoreless over the final 56 minutes of the contest.
Countdown
It’s about four hours to game time and the USCHO crew is getting ready to head over to the rink. It’s only about a four block walk to the Scottrade Center, albeit through unseasonably cold weather here in St. Louis.
We were Glad to get an invitation to a party last night hosted by my friend Joe, who covers hockey in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pretty amazing since he lives in New York. Tune in later for reasons why Michigan State, a 3:2 underdog according to the gurus in Vegas, will win this thing. And why it won’t.
Kill Or Be Killed
The simple fact of penalty killing is that even when you’re at your best, a good effort can beat you.
North Dakota players knew what was coming Thursday night and executed accordingly, they said. Still, Boston College scored three times with the man advantage and ended the Sioux’s season.
“That’s how special teams is sometimes,” Sioux defenseman Taylor Chorney said. “You never know with that.”
The penalty kill is a chancy affair, particularly when the stakes are high (photo: Skip Strandberg).
It wasn’t the only cause for a 6-4 loss in the national semifinals at Scottrade Center, but it was a primary one because of the significance of the goals.
Boston College replied to North Dakota goals with a power-play score twice in the first two periods, never letting the Sioux get comfortable with a lead.
And Nathan Gerbe’s late-third-period goal gave the Eagles the lead for good, making the Eagles 3-for-7 on the power play.
“BC played great,” North Dakota senior captain Chris Porter said. “We knew what to expect coming into the game. The coaches had us prepared. We knew exactly what we were faced with. They executed what they wanted to do real well.”
Porter, playing his WCHA-record 175th consecutive game, was in the penalty box three times Thursday. On the first, BC’s Dan Bertram evened the game at 1-1. Porter was on the ice for the other two Eagles power-play goals.
“We weren’t surprised in any way,” he said. “I guess you’ve got to give some credit to them. They played a great game. Penalty kill, power play was a difference in the game. They won that battle, and I guess that’s the reason they won the game.”
Jonathan Toews, Brian Lee and Taylor Chorney also were on the penalty kill for two BC goals, partially a function of how much time they spend on the ice.
All are members of both the Sioux power play and penalty kill, and with 14 power plays between the teams Thursday, they were called on to play a significant number of minutes.
“I think what caused problems for our penalty kill tonight was fatigue,” North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol said. “At least twice tonight, we took two minor penalties in a row. That has a way of wearing down your penalty kill. Penalty killing is hard work. You have to have energy, you have to play with some speed and quickness. When you lack a little bit of energy, it’s advantage to the power play.”
The Sioux didn’t help themselves on occasion, Hakstol said.
The UND coach, who made his third Frozen Four appearance in three years in the job, pointed to two or three times his team failed to get the puck deep into the Eagles zone. That, he said, resulted in UND penalties in its defensive zone.
A pair of third-period penalties cost the Sioux. Porter was called for charging with 6:11 remaining and the Sioux down 3-2. North Dakota sophomore T.J. Oshie scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game, but just 25 seconds later, Joe Finley went to the penalty box.
It took Gerbe and the Eagles only seven seconds to take the lead again.
“We didn’t have a bad penalty kill,” Oshie said. “They were just moving the puck well and taking what we weren’t taking away. If we were doing good on the points, they made good plays in hitting the low guys. We keyed on their guy in the middle because they wanted to run the box and one. We shut him down, they gave it to the point and they got a good shot. They took what we gave them, and it’s really unfortunate that we lost the special teams battle tonight.”
UND allowed three power-play goals for the third time this season, and allowed two or more for the 12th time.
But the outing didn’t match how the Sioux got to the Frozen Four. They had killed 61 of 67 penalties (91 percent) in their last 12 games entering Thursday.
“They did a good job of making plays down low,” Chorney said of the Eagles. “The way we play our penalty kill, if people are getting shots through then things start to break down a little bit. I think that had something to do with it. They weren’t afraid to shoot the puck.
“You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They had the same five guys out there pretty much the entire two minutes, and those are five skilled players. We had a couple chances where we could have gotten the puck out of the zone, and those things come back to bite you in the butt. I give a lot of credit to their power play.”
The North Dakota loss means the WCHA won’t have a team in the national championship game for the first time in eight years, and the league won’t win the title for the first time in six years.
The Sioux have been to three straight Frozen Fours, but they have been to the championship game only once — a loss to Denver in 2005.
“There was a lot of emotion in the locker room, especially out of our seniors,” Oshie said. “They’ve battled, they’ve been great leaders. They definitely deserved a national championship. They deserved to win tonight, and it’s real unfortunate that we couldn’t get them that.”
Friday Notebook: Michigan State
So, you’re playing for a national championship for the first time in 20 years, and the eyes of the college hockey world are on you, and you’re the first team from your league to make it this far since 1998. What are you going to do?
If you’re the Michigan State Spartans, you’re going to laugh.
There was an awful lot of fun going on Friday during and after MSU’s practice. The Spartans were playful and were very, very loose — coaches as well as players.
Head coach Rick Comley opened the post-practice press conference with this quip: “Well, I’m working on a five-star sudoku. It’s taking me a while. It’s probably going to take me until six o’clock tomorrow night.”
The goofiness was also contagious among captain Chris Lawrence, top scorer Tim Kennedy and junior Jeff Dunne. Some examples:
• “It’s an act.” — Lawrence’s deadpan about what Jeff Lerg goes through to play with asthma.
• “He’s actually the young guy tomorrow night.” — Lawrence on Comley’s coaching longevity, and his age relative to BC head coach Jerry York.
• “Make sure you write that down.” Comley in response, to the reporter who asked about Comley’s coaching longevity.
• “That’s a fine, by the way. I’m involved with the American Lung Association and you can donate five dollars to that.” — Comley’s response when a reporter’s cell phone went off during Q&A.
• “If I can keep my fingers crossed about anything, it would be to get through the first five minutes. Honest to God.” — Comley on playing BC in the title game.
In practice, when freshman goaltender Bobby Jarosz stoned Chris Mueller in a drill — the same Chris Mueller who had the unassisted goal that began MSU’s comeback against Maine yesterday — Mueller yelled something that can’t be repeated here, then skated back to line up with the other shooters and promptly fell on his backside, all four limbs in the air, turtle-like.
Instead of looking like a player in an NHL rink under the glaring spotlights of the national media, Mueller looked like a kid on a pond in West Seneca, N.Y., basking in what little sunlight a Buffalo winter provides.
“We’re enjoying it,” said Comley. “I think it’s very important to enjoy it today, and tonight we’ll start to watch videos and prepare, but today there’s lots of activities going on, and we’re thrilled to be in the championship game. We know the challenge that lays before us, but gosh, what a great opportunity, and we’re going to give it everything we have.”
Nuts to You
Even when discussing something completely serious — Jeff Lerg’s asthma and allergy to nuts — there was no avoiding the mirth.
Jeff Lerg (r.) stretches out for a puck Friday at the Scottrade Center (photo: Melissa Wade).
Lawrence told the story of a pre-game meal in Albany last season, when Lerg was served a salad that contained nuts. “The coach didn’t know about it. He came over to our table and somebody said to him, ‘Did you hear about Jeff?’ He said, ‘If you guys are kidding with me, I swear, none of you are going to play.'”
Kennedy, Lerg’s road roommate for two seasons, was sincerely serious about Lerg — at first. “I marvel at everything that kid does, on and off the ice. He’s just an exceptional kid, he does everything 100 percent, and he’s a complete athlete.”
Then the subject of nuts came up again. “He’s allergic to nuts, any kind of nuts,” said Kennedy, whose composure broke the moment he uttered the phrase. “You know, walnuts, right?” he asked between giggles.
“Last year, Steve Mnich’s mom made him a cake, and there were walnuts in there we’ll say, and Jeff took one bite and his throat closed up, and he had to get this shot. He can’t give it to himself, because he doesn’t like needles too much, so every time he has to have one, he has to look the other way, and I just stick it in his leg.”
The thought of Kennedy giving Lerg a shot made even the press corps laugh.
No Pressure
It’s been nine years since a CCHA team has contended for a national title, and the last time a team from this league has made a trip to the Frozen Four was in 2003. While the Spartans are certainly playing for the pride of the Green and White, they are aware of how their presence impacts their league.
“I mean, the WCHA’s been on a great run,” said Comley. “Like I’ve told you, we have four teams in our league, that I thought are legitimate teams that can be playing in this game, but everything’s got to go right at the right time. There’s just no guarantees.
“I had a lot of calls from coaches [saying] let’s not only get a team there, [but] let’s get a team in the championship game and do our best to win one.
“In recruiting, obviously, that’s an element that’s out there all the time. Unfortunately, it happens, so we’re glad we have a team in the championship game.”
This is the fifth time that a team from the state of Michigan has played a team from Massachusetts for the NCAA championship. The score: Michigan 5, Massachusetts 0.
A Hard Act to Follow
Comley, in his fifth season at MSU, is still the new guy on the block, and it’s hard to please the Spartan faithful.
“We had a pep rally, locally here yesterday, and the [MSU] president introduced me as a new member of the Spartan family,” said Comley. “I’ve been there five years. Five years is pretty good, but that just tells you the kind of culture the Big Ten schools are in. It takes a while.
“That’s the last question I had in East Lansing before I left: How does it feel to be good enough now? Today it feels good. Ask me tomorrow.”
Comley succeeded Ron Mason as the Spartan skipper when Mason left coaching after 23 years to become the school’s athletic director. At first, Comley considered leaving Northern Michigan — where he had built the hockey program from scratch — for MSU to aid Mason in the front office. But Mason had other ideas.
“I actually was going to Michigan State as an administrator,” said Comley. “When we met a couple times when he was considering giving up coaching and become the AD, his comfort zone was a certain person at another school in the Midwest that he would have liked to have gone with him [to coach], and then he talked to me. I had agreed basically to go as his associate.
“About a month later, once I already decided to do that, he calls and said, ‘What about coaching?’ I said, ‘Well, hold it here.’ He said, ‘You can do whatever you want, but I want you to come and coach.'”
It was the second time that Comley took a position recently vacated by Mason. In 1973, Comley took over at Lake Superior State, when Mason left for MSU.
Matching the Eagles
While difference in style between eastern and western teams has become increasingly negligible in recent years, the Spartans are keenly aware of the differences between the ways in which BC and MSU play.
The prevailing wisdom in the MSU camp is that Michigan State has to think about Michigan State.
“Number one, we can’t try to play BC’s game,” said Comley. “We just have to go out and be who we are. Now, what that does and how it impacts the game, we’ll see. But if we try to get outside what our comfort zone is, we can be in a lot of trouble.
“We’re not as quick as they are, and I think they score better than we do, but that doesn’t mean that they’re better than we are, overall as a team. We just have to be very, very careful to maximize what’s become our style of play.”
Lawrence said that the Spartans know that to be competitive, they have to play the body. “We’ve known all year that when we play physical, we’re at our best; the more we hit, the better we play, it seems like. Coach always says that when we’re hitting and blocking shots, he can tell we’re into the game.
“On the other hand, North Dakota’s a big, physical team, and BC got … close to 50 shots on them. But we can’t look at that either. We have to come out and play physical. That’s been our focus for the past two months.”
The Best for Last
Lawrence isn’t the kind of high-profile captain who got a lot of ink this season. The senior from Havertown, Pa., had just one goal and six assists this season, and more often faced the press post-game to explain a loss. Unlike many other senior captains who have faced the press in the Frozen Four, Lawrence’s departure doesn’t guarantee him a ticket to professional hockey.
Through the NCAA tournament, the articulate forward has handled his role as captain with grace and ease. Today, one day before playing what may be the last game of the highest level of hockey he’ll ever play, Lawrence tried to put the impending end in perspective.
“We skate tomorrow morning, but it’s kind of more of a pre-game skate type of thing, so today was the official last practice, so it was pretty cool. Guys were giving me some grief about it. It’s hard to imagine, because it’s been part of my life for 20-some years now, playing hockey and stuff, so it’s kind of weird that today was my last practice probably ever with an organized team.
“But it is what it is. I’m glad there was an official last practice. I was happy as can be to be out there. Like Coach said, this is the best time of year to be practicing, going out for a national championship game. You want to be practicing today, so it’s a pretty cool feeling.”
He also took a parting shot at junior forward Zak McClellan.
“I was in a weird situation last night. I had just turned 25, and I was playing against a guy who is a whole year older than me in college hockey, which doesn’t happen too often. I always get grief about my age.
“I don’t get as much as Zak because compared to Zak — Zak looks like he’s about 40, but when I shave, I can cut down a few years off my age.”
Loose.
Best Quotes So Far
My favorite quotes so far:
“Well, I’m working on a five-star sudoku. It’s taking me a while. It’s probably going to take me until six o’clock tomorrow night.”
– Michigan State coach Rick Comley’s opening remark in Friday’s press conference.
“I didn’t think when I was riding the pine in Junior B hockey that I’d ever be nominated for the Hobey Baker award.”
– Air Force’s Eric Ehn
Call Me a Curmudgeon
They just finished up with the Hobey and Humanitarian presentations to a pair of worthy winners in Ryan Duncan and Kristin Savard. But as someone who has been to these things since the early 90s, I’m not sure that the new and improved way of presenting the awards is better.
Let’s start with the Hobey. In the “good old days” the award was presented in a large room (banquet hall, convention hall, etc.). Only the winner was there, and was brought out once the announcement was made. The main appeal to this process was that it was free to the public, and more intimate than the current method, which is to give it out in the middle of an 18,000 seat area that’s a quarter full with people who pay $10 to see it (as well as the Skills Competition).
I think the idea of the Hobey Hat Trick is a great one, and recognizes three players rather than one. It also maintains the suspense, since under the old method the winner, his coach, his SID, etc. were notified ahead of time to make sure that he was there. Word often leaked out.
So I would advocate keeping that element and frankly dumping the rest. For example, the TV broadcast of the event is available exclusively on ESPNU, which reaches only a fraction of the audience that ESPN does. One of the funniest lines of the night came from David Brown’s mom, who, on camera said that the rest of the family was frantically trying to find a sports bar that would carry the event since, “We don’t get this channel where we live.”
But I wouldn’t care as much if the show had a different format. There was too much banter with the player’s parents, girlfriends, etc. and the humor was forced and made some of the participants look almost uncomfortable. This used to be a fairly serious event, geared more for the people in attendance than a casual TV audience. Let’s keep it that way.
The Humanitarian Award used to be presented before the Hobey Baker in the same setting. Now it is presented after, to make sure it doesn’t run long and delay the Hobey’s TV slot. And there is no suspense with this one – USCHO.com got the press release on the winner five hours before the ceremony. The winner used to be kept a secret until minutes before the presentation. Why did this change? It’s an important, national award and needs to be treated that way.
OK. I’m done complaining. The Skills Competition is a great addition, and the players and fans are having a blast. Nice job, NCAA.
The Defense Never Rests
They are an overlooked group at times, the Boston College defense.
Very quietly the defensive corps of the Boston College Eagles has steadily improved despite injuries and additions to its regulars. Since mid-February they have been solid in almost every area and that success has brought this team once again to the cusp of a national title.
“At they beginning of the season, I think we tried to do too much. I know I was certainly guilty of that,” said sophomore Brett Motherwell as the team gathered for breakfast Friday morning. “Now we’re doing the little things. Gapping up, picking up sticks, playing the body. We’re succeeding because of those things.”
According to those on the blue line, a lot of credit goes to assistant coach Greg Brown. Brown will regularly cut up game film of NHL defensemen doing things he’d like to see his kids do, and he shows it to them very concretely.
“He is very good at showing you what he wants you to do, and doesn’t waste time showing you what not to do,” said Motherwell. “That helps us focus on proper technique, and it has helped.”
Looking every bit as young and fit as any of his players, Brown was quick to deflect any credit that came his way as he lounged in his dark red and gold Boston College track suit. As he was as a player, Brown feels the success comes from everyone’s hard work and attention to detail.
“I get ideas from Jerry (York) and Mike Brennan, who is our defensive leader,” said Brown following BC’s 6-4 win over North Dakota in the national semifinal. “It is really a group effort. Our defensemen could not play as well as they do if the forwards were not playing the way they need to. Having [goaltender] Cory Schneider behind us is also a huge key. He gives the D’s a lot of confidence to be aggressive.”
That aggressiveness can be seen in a guy like Brennan, who will often size up an even-man rush and look to jump out of his lane if the attackers crisscross so he can lay a big hit. It is play like Tim Filangieri’s block of a shot in the third period where he had to charge out and then dive to prevent a scoring chance.
“Defense is such a team game,” said Brown. “The key is when guys know their roles, and we certainly have been able to establish that with this group. Brian Boyle was moved back there because of injuries, but he has stayed there because he adds a presence. Peter Harrold was like that, a presence, a force. He adds leadership, and he has filled the role we need him to fill as well as expected.”
The aforementioned Brennan is a huge cog in this wheel. A few years ago, York was on Long Island looking at two defensemen, needing one. Both played a similar hard-nosed defensive style and had some offensive instincts. York asked long time area coach Henry Lazar who he should take, Brennan or the other one (who I’ll respect and keep nameless but mention that he also briefly played Division I).
Lazar said he liked both, but Brennan would be his captain one day; the other he wasn’t sure would finish school.
That prophecy turned out to be 100% correct. Brennan, now an alternate captain, is spoken of by BC coaches as someone who has grown into a great leader by carefully watching the great leaders with whom he shared a dressing room his first two years. Guys with names like Gionta, Eaves, Shannon, Harrold, and Alberts all had influences on the sponge-like persona of Brennan.
It shows in Brennan now. Once a happy-go-lucky kid (which hasn’t entirely changed), he now carries an edge in his game and a carries himself like a leader. Among the last to leave the dressing room, Brennan works the postgame room like a politician. He usually checks in with everyone, says “nice game” or “how you feeling?” to teammates after games. Part Tony Soprano and part Tony Danza, his charisma does not go unnoticed by those who follow this team.
Brennan got clipped by North Dakota’s T.J. Oshie in the game Thursday night, and was cut across the chin for what was predicted would be four stitches. Seeing him after the game in a crowd with Boyle, Filangieri, Schneider, and Joe Rooney, Brennan showed the cut to the group and said, “Do you believe they want me to get stitches? Me? I’ve cut myself worse shaving.”
It was a nice moment between teammates, but underneath it was Brennan saying “This is nothing, boys; I’m ready for Saturday.”
Brennan’s emergence has boosted a young defense that includes rookie Carl Sneep, who has matured after a slow start. Sneep came to BC on a tip from a former York captain at Bowling green, Ty Aigner. Coaching at Brainerd High School in Brainerd, Minn., (great golfing country), Aigner told York the kid was worth a chance, and he was right.
Sneep’s physical presence has helped clear the slot, win battles on walls, and he makes a good first pass out. You can see Brown’s offensive skills starting to emerge in Sneep as his confidence with the puck and ability to move it quickly and intelligently have improved.
Heading into the finals, Brennan feels that this unit is tight.
“We’re so focused, and that is because of one thing,” Brennan said, holding up one finger like Curly did to Mitch in “City Slickers.” “That is communication. We talk a lot as a group, especially on the ice, and Cory has been great at improving his vocal presence behind us. It gives us an extra pair of eyes.”
Tim Filangieri agrees.
“This team talks on the ice like a good team does,” said the sophomore defenseman who was the number-one defenseman on the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL when they won a league title in 2004. “When you have that level of communication, your job is easier.”
Brennan laughed when discussing the defense as an offensive unit.
“Look around here,” he said as he pointed out the array of offensive players milling around the lobby waiting for breakfast. “Rooney, Gerbe, Bradford, Bertram, Smith, Ferriero, and when he’s up front, Boyle. You’re telling me I have to score? Honestly, our job is to prevent Cory from second shots and screens, and to get the puck to those guys crisply and with speed and support. I think as the season has gone on, we have improved on that.”
Brown and his partner in crime Mike Cavanaugh will dissect the video of Michigan State, especially the ’09 line of Justin Abdelkader, Tim Crowder, and Tim Kennedy. Brown will discuss the offensive tendencies of MSU with his D-corps.
“We’ll show them a bit,” said Brown. “However, as in any game, we’ll ask them to read and react to what is in front of them. So many variables can happen on the rush or during offensive zone play. The credit goes to the players because they have been asked to be good listeners and then to go out and improve and execute and they have. Guys like Brennan and Boyle have pushed this group to be better and they responded.”
Brown, a defenseman by trade, has been able to bond with his D’s and push them because he did what he is asking them to do. From his days as a player at BC to his pro, international, and Olympic experience, he has proven that he can translate his message to his guys, from one defenseman to his corps of them, and for that credit can be given to York. When Ron Rolston left BC to take over the USNDTP, York hired a defenseman to replace him, and the move has paid off.
For a team known for its offensive stars, keep your eyes on its back line. On this team, the defense never rests.
Notebook: Boston College-North Dakota
East Meets West
Although North Dakota and Boston College are approximately 1700 miles apart, the two teams are building quite a rivalry. As part of a four-year agreement, the Eagles and Sioux will face off once against next year each regular season.
More importantly, though, the teams have a knack for meeting each other in the NCAA tournament, when everything is at stake.
“When you meet teams in big games, that’s how you build rivalries,” said Dan Bertram, and he couldn’t have said it any better. Just take a look at the meetings between BC and North Dakota in the NCAAs:
April 6, 2007 (Frozen Four, St. Louis) BC 6,UND 4
April 6, 2006 (Frozen Four, Milwaukee) BC 6, UND 5
March 28, 2005 (Northeast Regional, Worcester) UND 6, BC 3
April 7, 2001 (Championship Game, Albany) BC 3, UND 2
April 8, 2000 (Championship Game, Providence) UND 4, BC 2
March 28, 1999 (Midwest Regional, Madison) BC 3, UND 1
March 18, 1965 (Frozen Four, Providence) BC 4, UND 3
March 14, 1963 (Frozen Four, Chestnut Hill) UND 8, BC 2
“We’ve played six times in the last [eight] years in the national tournament and four of those times were in the Frozen Four,” said York. “It’s hard to have rivalries outside of your league, but when you play as many times as we have, and have had as many classic games [you really do build rivalries].”
Easy for York to say: his Eagles are now 5-3 all-time in the NCAA tournament against the Sioux.
It’s Gotta Be Some Kind of Record
Most expected that this would be a high-scoring game, but with the score knotted 2-2 late in the third period, it seemed like the two very evenly-matched squads might play deep into the night.
Their respective offenses disagreed, as the teams combined for a six-goal eruption in the final seven minutes. The flurry left most shaking their heads, but for a pair of teams with the speed and skill of Boston College and North Dakota, it was just a matter of time before the goals starting coming in bunches.
“Just a lot of good plays by both teams,” explained York.
Added sophomore defenseman Brett Motherwell, “After Smith scored that goal, the floodgates opened and it was all or nothing. I kind of thought Gerbe’s goal would be the end. What was it? Two? Three more goals? It was like ‘Geez, what next?'”
Déjà Vu All Over Again
When North Dakota’s Chris Porter tallied an extra-attacker goal in the final minute, ghosts of past Boston College-North Dakota Frozen Four games instantly sprung to mind.
In the 2001 national championship, North Dakota scored two extra-attacker goals in the final minutes of the third period to force overtime. But that’s not all. On this date just one year ago, with the Eagles clinging to a two-goal lead in the final minute, the Sioux’s Brian Lee scored an extra-attacker goal to crank up the heat in the last seconds. Unfortunately for North Dakota, Boston College was victorious in all three contests.
Bertram Sees Sioux, Goalies See Red
BC’s Dan Bertram must have something against North Dakota. The junior forward has only recorded three career multiple-goal games, and two of them have come against the Sioux. On October 29, 2004, Bertram popped a pair in a 5-3 win. Thursday evening, however, marked the first time in Bertram’s career that he had a two-goal game without the help of an empty-netter. He tallied two critical power-play goals, both of which erased a North Dakota lead.
Making a Case
OK, I’m an Atlantic Hockey guy – I cover the league for USCHO.com and do radio for RIT – but even if I wasn’t, I’d be rooting for Eric Ehn to win the Hobey Baker Award.
Not that I don’t think the other two finalists don’t deserve to win, on the contrary I can make a strong case for each. And here I go:
- Why David Brown will win: He’s the lone senior of the group, and was his team’s MVP, leading the Irish to their first ever CCHA regular season and playoff titles. Named CCHA player of the year, Brown finished with amazing numbers: a 1.58 GAA and a .931 save percentage. He is also active in the community, doing charity work with children in the South Bend area.
- Why Ryan Duncan will win: He led the nation in power play goals ans was fourth overall in scoring with 57 points. Named WCHA player of the year, he was also named to the WCHA All-Academic team.
Ehn’s intangibles are what many think give him the strongest chance – his commitment to the military and his leadership abilities. But the Hobey Baker award is usually about what happens on the ice, and there is where I will make my case.
Ehn plays in Atlantic Hockey, not a major conference. Some say that inflates his point production (64 points including 24 goals). I say look at what Ehn’s done against some “major” teams.
- 10/6/06: Scored the Falcons’ only goal in a 2-1 loss at Colorado College
- 10/14/06: Figured in three of Air Force’s four goals with two goals and an assist in an 8-4 loss at Alaska
- 11/24/06: Scored the Falcons’ only goal in a 2-1 loss at Denver
Minnesota held him scoreless, but according to Air Force coach Frank Serratore, Ehn was heavily shadowed and still made contributions by winning faceoffs (63% on the season) and killing penalties.
Much has been made of the parallel between Ehn, and Hobey Baker, a military pilot. But even if you just looked at the numbers, Ehn would not be a surprising choice.
And I will be pulling for him.
