Forward Bobby Trivigno, right, watches UMass coach Greg Carvel lift the NCAA championship trophy on Saturday (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — Bobby Trivigno missed the NCAA championship game two years ago. He didn’t miss when he took a shot in the third period Saturday night.
Trivigno scored the goal that capped off UMass’ 5-0 victory against St. Cloud State in the NCAA championship game at PPG Paints Arena.
Adding that to his two assists in Thursday’s semifinals, including the play that set up Garrett Wait’s overtime goal, Trivigno was named the Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player.
“It’s crazy. It’s literally unbelievable,” Trivigno said with a piece of the net tucked into a national champions hat. “We earned this win for sure. I’m just so happy to be part of it.”
Trivigno was suspended for the 2019 championship game after an unpenalized hit was reviewed by the NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey committee, which hands out supplemental discipline in the national tournament.
He hit Denver’s Jake Durflinger in the side of the head with his right arm in front of the UMass bench with 3:11 left in the third period of a game the Minutemen won in overtime. The punishment came the next day.
“Just where I was two years ago to now as far as emotionally is worlds of difference,” Trivigno said. “And I’m just so grateful I got to play, be part of this amazing team, program, amazing school. I’m grateful for everything.”
There wasn’t a chance for an answer last season because the NCAA tournament was canceled at the start of the pandemic. The opportunity was well-taken this week.
In overtime on Thursday, Trivigno circled behind the net and threaded a pass through the top of the crease to Wait at the back door for the putaway.
On Saturday, Trivigno ripped a shot from the left side high past St. Cloud State’s David Hrenak six minutes into the third period for the 11th goal of his junior season.
It was the cherry on top of an epic turnaround story.
“I’m so proud that we could bring it back home to UMass,” Trivigno said.
UMass goalie Filip Lindberg makes one of 25 saves in Saturday’s victory against St. Cloud State (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — Eight days before Saturday’s NCAA Frozen Four national championship game, Filip Lindberg got the news that he wouldn’t be allowed to play in Thursday’s national semifinal.
The national championship game was also up in the air, pending COVID tests this past week.
The goalie who had amassed a 9-1-4 record as the primary starter for Massachusetts this season – with a stellar 1.33 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage – was devastated to find out he would be quarantined due to contact tracing.
“I mean, honestly the day I found out, that was probably the worst day I’ve had,” said Lindberg. “That was a nightmare.”
Sidelined in a hotel room near campus back in Amherst, Mass. – as were freshman goalie Henry Graham and forwards Carson Gicewicz and Jerry Harding – a nervous Lindberg had to watch his teammates from a 500-mile distance.
“It was something else, just sitting back and watching the guys play when you want to be there and you want to help the team and you want to be a part of that, and there’s literally nothing you can do, just watch,” Lindberg said.
Matt Murray, who started Thursday and made 36 saves in the Minutemen’s 3-2 semifinal victory against Minnesota Duluth, was asked after that game about the news that UMass could be getting his fellow goalies back. He said that he was “happy to get the band back together.”
Lindberg was elated at Murray’s performance.
“‘Mur’ played unreal on Thursday,” said Lindberg. “We push each other every day out there, every day at practice. And he’s a big part of our success, too. And he’s a good guy and he keeps pushing me every day at practice.
It wasn’t until just after Thursday night’s overtime win that UMass coach Greg Carvel was told that Lindberg could be available to play in Saturday’s national championship game.
Lindberg, Graham and Gicewicz were all cleared to travel and were passengers in a caravan that made the eight-hour drive on Friday.
While riding in the car to Pittsburgh – at about 2 p.m. and after a six-hour nap – Lindberg found out that he was going to start on Saturday night.
“I was ready to play no matter what,” Lindberg said. “I rested a lot in the hotel. … So I’m happy I got the chance to play even though the circumstances were kind of weird.”
The first shot attempt Lindberg faced on Saturday night – from former Finnish junior teammate Veeti Miettinen – seemed to elude the UMass goalie. And as the puck rang loudly off the crossbar, gasps could be heard from the pandemic-limited crowd of 3,963 in the arena.
That near miss may have cast doubts to some spectators as to whether starting the Espoo native had been the right decision.
But if there were doubts about whether Lindberg should have gotten the nod, there were no doubts for his coach.
And, as Carvel explained, there had been none all season.
“Filip came to me the end of last year and told me he needed to play more,” said Carvel. “I got really angry. And I said, ‘Be better. You need to be a lot better if you want to play every game.’
“And he did. And he did it because he got mentally tougher. That’s all he needed. He had all the tools. But he needed to get mentally tougher. And this week is a great example of it.”
There was a challenge to Lindberg’s mental — and physical — toughness even in Saturday’s game.
Early in the first period, it seemed as if Murray might be called upon again when St. Cloud State’s Nick Perbix made a move toward the net. UMass defenseman Aaron Bohlinger checked Perbix, rode him into the crease and caused both players to topple over Lindberg, the net sent flying.
“To have to miss a semifinal, to not be able to skate most days, come in and get absolutely railroaded a couple minutes into the game — and he hurt his ankle on that play,” Carvel said. “But he was so good this year because of his mental toughness. That was the problem in the past.”
That transformed Lindberg into a goalie who didn’t lose after mid-January.
Previously, Lindberg lacked consistency, said his coach.
“He was very inconsistent and to me it was because he was — mentally he would get … anxious,” said Carvel. “But he dealt with that. And he found a way to fight through it. And, boy, was he good [tonight].”
Lindberg stopped all 25 shots he faced, including a third-period goalmouth flurry by the Huskies with about five minutes left to keep St. Cloud off the scoreboard.
It was the second straight shutout in the national championship game, but in 2019, it was UMass that felt the sting of a 3-0 loss in Hunter Shepard’s goose-egg performance for Minnesota Duluth.
Saturday, it was Lindberg’s turn to write Frozen Four history.
“I said this plenty of times,” said Carvel. “I think he’s the unwritten story of college hockey this year.”
UMass’ Philip Lagunov scores a short-handed goal for a 3-0 lead against St. Cloud State on Saturday (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — Goals have not been easy to come by for Philip Lagunov in his senior season at UMass.
But a short-handed dangle and finish Saturday in the second period of the NCAA championship game gave him a highlight moment and a big contribution to the Minutemen’s first national title.
Lagunov’s goal five minutes into the second period was a backbreaker to St. Cloud State’s hopes at a rally from a two-goal deficit.
The Minutemen kept pouring it on for a 5-0 victory but Lagunov’s goal for a 3-0 advantage was critical for its timing and its style.
As for remembering it? Let’s just say Lagunov’s puck-handling skills were better than his recollection.
Lagunov caught up to the puck just outside the St. Cloud State logo in the neutral zone of the PPG Paints Arena ice and had Huskies defender Nick Perbix tracking back at the middle of the blue line.
After entering the zone and seeing Perbix coming at him to dislodge the puck, Lagunov hit the brakes and eluded the St. Cloud player’s attempted right-shoulder check. The puck went between Perbix’s stick and skates, and Lagunov collected it again on the other side, at the inside of the right circle.
That wasn’t the only nice move the senior center had in his toolkit. The right-handed shooter made a slight fake on his forehand and went to his backhand as backchecking St. Cloud State forward Nolan Walker missed a poke at the puck from behind.
Lagunov’s backhand shot squeezed under goaltender David Hrenak’s left arm and bounced over the goal line for the first short-handed goal allowed by the Huskies since Feb. 21, 2020.
“The guy was diving down toward me,” Lagunov said. “I used my space to try to beat him.”
UMass’ fifth short-handed goal of the season tied for second behind Boston College’s eight. Lagunov was the fifth Minutemen player to score on the penalty kill, joining Carson Gicewicz, Bobby Trivigno, Zac Jones and Oliver Chau.
“We tried to make a zone-entry play that was a tough play,” St. Cloud State coach Brett Larson said. “And then a one-on-one type situation where we got a little overaggressive on it. And I thought that was the turning point of the game when they went up 3-0.”
Lagunov scored in two of his first three games of the season but his only other score before Saturday was against Northeastern in a Hockey East quarterfinal victory on March 14.
A turning-point goal was a big contribution Saturday.
“It’s surreal,” Lagunov said. “Having it in the senior year, it’s an unbelievable experience.”
St. Cloud State’s Nolan Walker takes the ice before the NCAA championship game Saturday (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — There was an example to follow on the other bench for St. Cloud State on Saturday.
The Huskies were shut out by UMass in their first appearance in the national championship game, just like the Minutemen were blanked by Minnesota Duluth in 2019, their first time in the final game of the season.
St. Cloud State coach Brett Larson made the connection in a somber locker room after the game.
“UMass was standing on our blue line two years ago with a similar loss and used it as fuel,” he said. “I think the taste for our guys of getting this far — this is the farthest the Husky hockey team has been. They did something special in 33 years of the program, just getting to this game.”
St. Cloud State fell into a 2-0 hole after the first period but didn’t feel like it was out of things. A short-handed goal by Philip Lagunov put UMass ahead by three en route to a 5-0 victory at PPG Paints Arena.
“I think we were just gripping it a little tight and weren’t able to quite execute plays when we got the puck early,” Larson said. “We had the jump. We had the work. But we were just gripping a little tight and forcing things.”
After the final horn, the Huskies gathered around their net as UMass celebrated. Senior center and alternate captain Kevin Fitzgerald said he was proud of the group.
“We’re like one family and we just care together,” forward Veeti Miettinen said. “That was kind of season-ending for us.”
PITTSBURGH — Photos from UMass’ 5-0 victory against St. Cloud State in the 2021 Men’s Frozen Four championship game at PPG Paints Arena.
UMass vs. St. Cloud State in the 2021 NCAA Men's Frozen Four championship game
1 of 78
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
UMass celebrates its first-ever national title last April in Pittsburgh (photo: Jim Rosvold).
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
10 Apr 21: The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen play against the St. Cloud State University Huskies in the national championship game of the 2021 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
UMass’ Reed Lebster (13) celebrates his first-period goal against St. Cloud State (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — Special teams helped UMass double its lead in the second period of the 2021 national championship game and the Minutemen lead St. Cloud State, 4-0, with 20 minutes standing between the them and their first national championship.
Philip Lagunov scored short-handed at 5:10 and Matthew Kessel scored on the power play at 13:50 to put a stranglehold on the game.
Lagunov’s goal was highlight reel material. Picking up a loose puck on the penalty kill at the defensive blue line, Lagunov accelerated up the right wing. When Nick Perbix went for an open-ice hit and missed, Lagunov was alone on netminder David Hrenak and stuffed a shot under the armpit for a 3-0 lead.
After killing the remainder of that penalty and another midway through the period, UMass went to the power play at 12:35 when St. Cloud State was whistled for too many men.
The UMass power play was a clinic in passing and finally Oliver Chau moved the puck back to Kessel who launched it top shelf for the 4-0 advantage.
Massachusetts played opportunistic hockey in the opening period. Though St. Cloud controlled the period territorially, the Huskies mustered just three shots on goal, though that didn’t include Veeti Miettinen’s shot off the post just 90 seconds into the game.
As things settled in for the Minutemen, they found ways to capitalize on mistakes.
As St. Cloud State was looking to attack in the UMass zone, defenseman Ty Farmer grabbed a loose puck and hit Aaron Bohlinger with an outlet pass. While Bohlinger was likely to be in alone, two St. Cloud defensemen collided, allowing Ryan Sullivan to jump in the play for a 2-on-0. Working the give-and-go, Bohlinger buried his first collegiate goal at 7:26 for the 1-0 lead.
After UMass killed the period’s only penalty, it was able to extend the lead late. Cal Kiefiuk picked off Sam Hentges clearing pass along the left board, curled below the goal line and fired a goal-mouth pass that Reed Lebster buried at 18:56 for a 2-0 advantage.
Aaron Bohlinger scores UMass’ first goal of the national championship game past St. Cloud State’s David Hrenak (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — UMass played opportunistic hockey in the opening period of the 2021 national championship game, scoring twice on turnovers to lead St. Cloud State, 2-0, through 20 minutes.
Though St. Cloud controlled the period territorially, the Huskies mustered just three shots on goal, though that didn’t include Veeti Miettinen’s shot off the post just 90 seconds into the game.
As things settled in for the Minutemen, they found ways to capitalize on mistakes.
As St. Cloud State was looking to attack in the UMass zone, defenseman Ty Farmer grabbed a loose puck and hit Aaron Bohlinger with an outlet pass. While Bohlinger was likely to be in alone, two St. Cloud defensemen collided, allowing Ryan Sullivan to jump in the play for a 2-on-0. Working the give-and-go, Bohlinger buried his first collegiate goal at 7:26 for the 1-0 lead.
After UMass killed the period’s only penalty, it was able to extend the lead late. Cal Kiefiuk picked off Sam Hentges clearing pass along the left board, curling below the goal line and fired a goal-mouth pass that Reed Lebster buried at 18:56 for a 2-0 advantage.
In a period where shots on goal were at a premium, UMass held a 7-3 advantage.
UMass forward Eric Faith works in front of the Minnesota Duluth net in Thursday’s Frozen Four semifinal game (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — There’s a moment in every hockey season that every player and coach remembers well.
Maybe it’s a great weekend against a rival. A rally in a game you didn’t think you had any part winning. Maybe it’s as simple as a certain player scoring a goal.
But for teams that advance to a national title game, typically those moments come somewhere along the road in the postseason.
For both teams in Saturday’s championship game, the special moment of the postseason certainly came on Thursday in the national semifinals.
St. Cloud State relied on a picture-perfect redirect in the closing seconds of regulation to defeat Minnesota State. And for UMass, it was an overtime game-winner by Garrett Wait that sent the Minutemen to the title game for the second consecutive Frozen Four.
What was striking about both, however, was that it appeared that each took these signature moments in stride, understanding that the biggest victory is still, hopefully, to come.
“I probably celebrated more than anyone,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “That’s not right, but you can tell it’s pretty steely with the kids. Mission one accomplished.
“It’s important [to stay even keeled]. We talked about it this week with the players and some returning players from two years ago. They felt the same. We scored a goal in a game but we didn’t win anything. We didn’t win a championship. We earned the right to play again.”
Certainly the challenge in front of UMass, and likewise in front of St. Cloud State, is significant. Both teams look to win their first Division I men’s hockey national championship in school history. And when you begin measuring these two teams up against one another, you’ll find there are probably more similarities than differences.
Both teams like to play a heavy game. Not necessarily a smash-mouth style of hockey with massive open-ice checks that get the crowd to their feet. Rather, a game where you lean on your opponent enough to make the simple plays more complex. That’s also a style that typically can wear down opponents.
St. Cloud State coach Brett Larson admits his team likes that style of hockey but also acknowledges that UMass won’t make it easy.
“I think it’s going to be two teams with a very similar game plan,” said Larson. “You saw where [UMass] scored most of their goals [on Thursday]. That was within 2 feet of the net. You can tell that they’re driven to get there. They’re driven offensively to get to the net.
“You can also see how active their [defensemen] are on the forecheck. They’re a pressure team and a team that takes pucks to the dirty area really quick.”
Larson mentioning the defense may be a bit telling. The reality is that may be where these two teams separate themselves. While St. Cloud State will play a more passive neutral-zone game, hoping to capitalize on its opponent’s mistakes, UMass isn’t afraid to activate a defensive corps that has 26 goals among those in Thursday’s lineup.
That ability to skate in layers for UMass could be beneficial. And certainly the depth with which the Minutemen play — Carvel took pride after Thursday’s win in pointing out that his team was able to roll four lines through the third period and overtime while Minnesota Duluth shortened its bench — can be beneficial.
But when we look at depth at the forward position, you may have to give the nod to St. Cloud State. Of late, its fourth line has been dominant, particularly center Will Hammer who has scored two goals in the NCAA Tournament and, winning nearly 65 percent of his draws in the NCAA tournament, entered the Frozen Four as the top faceoff center.
Carvel knows that the depth St. Cloud has at forward combined with the opportunistic nature of the Huskies offense will be a challenge.
“They play kind of a trap a lot of the game in the neutral zone,” said Carvel. “That’s the one thing we need to prepare our players for. You don’t see that a lot in teams. Usually the teams are coming pretty aggressively at you.
“They’re playing a style that’s kind of sit back, let you make mistakes and counter. We haven’t seen that a lot so we’ll have to be ready for it or we’ll pay the price in transition offense.”
The major storyline of the week at this Frozen Four has been the absence of UMass players due to COVID protocols. Three of those players — including top goaltender Filip Lindberg and top goal scorer Carson Gicewicz — were announced after Thursday’s game to be traveling to Pittsburgh on Friday in hopes of rejoining their team.
Because of ongoing protocols, Carvel said that he still hasn’t seen the players, which also include third-string goaltender Henry Graham. To be eligible for Saturday’s championship game, they individually will have to be tested on that morning and return a negative result.
Good news, but there still remains some uncertainty for Carvel.
“I believe they are here,” said Carvel. “But until I see them, I won’t make any [lineup] decisions.”
UMass celebrates Zac Jones’ first-period goal against Minnesota Duluth on Thursday (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — Coach Greg Carvel filed away a lesson two years ago when UMass played in the national championship game.
On the Friday between Frozen Four games, less is more.
In Buffalo, N.Y., the Minutemen had a busy schedule planned throughout the day before they played Minnesota Duluth for the title, from practice in the early afternoon to the Hobey Baker Award ceremony for Cale Makar at night.
“We felt like we were a tired team going into the championship game last time,” Carvel said.
With that in mind, this Friday at the Frozen Four was intentionally calm for UMass ahead of Saturday’s game against St. Cloud State at PPG Paints Arena.
The same breakthrough NCAA title is on the line but the Minutemen are approaching it with a different lens.
UMass was ground down by Minnesota Duluth in the last championship game and has made a point about growing and evolving to be ready this time. The same goes for off the ice.
“That experience was really critical,” Carvel said. “You’ve heard it many, many times, NHL teams that have to lose in the Stanley Cup finals before they come back and win it. I think it’s similar for us.”
The Minutemen also won the late semifinal game in overtime in 2019, leading to a late night before the busy Friday. This year’s victory against Minnesota Duluth was a taxing one, forward Anthony Del Gaizo said.
“We’re all beat up. We’re all sore,” said Del Gaizo, who scored the tying goal in the third period. “We’re all getting those extra hours of sleep and getting those ice bags on us.”
The day of rest was a sign to Del Gaizo that Carvel trusts the players to take care of themselves physically and get prepared in their own ways.
“He knows that we’re all men on this team and we’re all going to take care of our bodies individually,” Del Gaizo said. “There’s not as much stress on having to do everything as a team, monitored. He knows that we’re going to do our job individually. I think that’s great.”
There has been a shift in mentality with UMass over the last two years. Going through the Frozen Four once makes the next opportunity easier to navigate.
“The first time you get here, it’s fun, it’s exciting, you’ve never done it before,” Carvel said. “The second time you’re more on a mission. The first time you learn lessons. And we learned a big lesson, that we ran around on this day (in 2019).”
St. Cloud State’s Will Hammer takes a faceoff in Thursday’s Frozen Four game against Minnesota State (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — It’s not always easy to pause and appreciate the components of a run to the NCAA title game in the moment.
There’s a lot of work left for St. Cloud State to earn its first national championship Saturday against UMass. But when asked to step back and look around at what he and the Huskies have done in getting to the last game of the season, senior center Will Hammer could smile.
“It’s been incredible,” he said Friday. “It’s been a great journey. It’s not over yet. We’ve got one more.”
If Hammer has one more in him, it will make the contrast between his regular season and his postseason more remarkable.
Hammer’s goal off a Minnesota State defensive-zone turnover in Thursday’s 5-4 Huskies victory in the Frozen Four semifinals was his second of the postseason. He has one more goal in a six-game playoff run than he did in 24 games to that point.
His three goals for the season have matched his Huskies career high set in 2019-20. The St. Cloud, Minn., native played only four games over his first two seasons before gaining a larger role as a junior.
That wasn’t just given by coach Brett Larson.
“It was up to him to earn it,” he said. “I think everybody can see he’s earned it. And he’s done more than earn it. He’s turned into a key piece to our team night in and night out. To see him get on the score sheet and be rewarded for all his hard work is really just frosting on the cake. Because I know he takes pride in all the details and how hard he works. But it’s still nice to see a guy like that score a goal once in a while.”
Hammer also scored the go-ahead goal against Boston College to send St. Cloud State to the Frozen Four.
It has been an NCAA Tournament to remember for Hammer, who, Larson said, seems to make whoever’s playing with him have a better performance.
The Huskies have an underdog mindset going into the national championship game against UMass on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, Hammer said.
“We’ve made it to the playoffs a couple times and we’ve been that No. 1 seed,” Hammer said. “And I think it’s been a little different this year where we’ve had that underdog mentality and we’ve stuck with it. We’re going to keep going with it. I think that’s treated us well so far.”
And it’s different this year with Hammer clicking from the fourth line. He had a procedure earlier in his time at St. Cloud State to address an abnormally fast heartbeat and had to work his way into a deep lineup.
“It’s nice to see him playing the right way and it’s finally being rewarded,” St. Cloud State forward Kyler Kupka said.
The step back that Hammer took to briefly look at the big picture before the Huskies get back into the moment of competing for a championship included a nod to the difficulties this season has brought.
The Huskies used being left out of the preseason rankings as a motivator to prove everyone wrong.
“It’s been incredible, especially just with this weird year and how it’s been with COVID and where we started at the beginning of the year to where we are now,” Hammer said. “It’s kind of hard to wrap your head around it. But I’m proud of the guys. I’m proud of what we’ve done this far. We’re not finished.”
Boston College’s Matt Boldy tallied 11 goals and 31 points to lead Boston College in scoring during the 2020-21 season (photo: John Quackenbos).
Fourteen different schools have players honored as CCM/AHCA Hockey All-Americans for the 2020-21 season.
The nation’s top 24 college hockey players were announced tonight, and four schools led the way with three honorees: Boston College, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Three players had been recognized as All-Americans previously: Boston University defenseman David Farrance, North Dakota forward Jordan Kawaguchi and Minnesota State goalie Dryden McKay. All were First Team last year but only Farrance repeated on the First Team this year.
FIRST TEAM EAST
F: Matt Boldy, SO, Boston College
F: Bobby Trivigno, JR, Massachusetts
F: Odeen Tufto, SR, Quinnipiac
D: David Farrance, SR, Boston University
D: Brennan Kapcheck, SR, American International
G: Spencer Knight, SO, Boston College
FIRST TEAM WEST
F: Cole Caufield, SO, Wisconsin
F: Shane Pinto, SO, North Dakota
F: Sampo Ranta, JR, Minnesota
D: Ronnie Attard, SO, Western Michigan
D: Cam York, SO, Michigan
G: Jack LaFontaine, SR, Minnesota
SECOND TEAM EAST
F: Colin Bilek, JR, Army West Point
F: Will Calverley, JR, Rochester Institute of Technology
F: Jonny Evans, JR, Connecticut
D: Drew Helleson, SO, Boston College
D: Zac Jones, SO, Massachusetts
G: Trevin Kozlowski, SR, Army West Point
SECOND TEAM WEST
F: Dylan Holloway, SO, Wisconsin
F: Jordan Kawaguchi, SR, North Dakota
F: Linus Weissbach, SR, Wisconsin
D: Matt Kiersted, SR, North Dakota
D: Jackson LaCombe, SO, Minnesota
G: Dryden McKay, JR, Minnesota State
2021 Hobey Baker winner Cole Caufield shoots against Michigan in a Wisconsin home game in November 2020 (photo: Tom Lynn/Wisconsin Athletic Communications).
PITTSBURGH – Wisconsin forward Cole Caufield was named the 2021 recipient of the Hobey Baker Award in a virtual award ceremony on Friday.
Caufield beat out Minnesota State junior goaltender Dryden McKay and North Dakota sophomore forward Shane Pinto. The three Hobey Hat Trick finalists were selected from an initial list of 10 candidates by the 30-member selection committee and online fan balloting.
“Obviously it means a lot to me and to my team back in Wisconsin,” said Caufield during the broadcast. “It was something I was working for all season. I couldn’t be more thankful.”
Caufield led the nation in scoring this season with 30 goals and 22 assists in 31 games, a 1.68 points per game average.
Twenty-four goals came after Caufield’s return from the World Junior Championship in January where he won a gold medal with Team USA.
Caufield recorded 15 multiple point games in his final 18 contests and unloaded 165 shots on goal this season, averaging 5.3 shots per game. Both numbers led the nation.
He became the first Big Ten player in the eight seasons of the league to win back-to-back scoring titles and was the unanimous Big Ten player of the year this season. His two hat tricks in the 2020-21 campaign made him the first Badger to do so since Brad Englehart in the 1996-97 season.
In his freshman year, Caufield had 19 goals and 36 points. Despite speculation he might turn pro after his rookie campaign, he instead opted for a second season with the Badgers.
In 2019, Caufield was drafted 15th overall in the NHL draft by the Montreal Canadiens, and signed a pro contract with the team after the Badgers were eliminated from the 2021 NCAA tournament by Bemidji State in the first round.
Caufield was unable to attend Friday’s ceremony live as he was playing in his first professional game with the AHL Laval Rocket in a 7 p.m. EDT contest against the Toronto Marlies but had recorded comments on the broadcast. Caufield is expected to speak to members of the media about the Hobey Baker Award at 10 p.m. EDT.
His former teammates and coach Tony Granato were watching the online ceremony from the Wisconsin campus.
Before attending Wisconsin, the Stevens Point, Wis., native shattered USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program goal-scoring records for a single season (72, besting Auston Matthews’ 55) and career (126, eclipsing Phil Kessel’s 104).
Caufield joins 2010 winner Blake Geoffrion as the only Wisconsin players to win the Hobey Baker Award. In 40 games, Geoffrion had 28 goals and 22 assists that season. The 2009-10 Badgers were runners-up to Boston College in the NCAA Frozen Four in Detroit.
Freshman Thomas Bordeleau led Michigan in scoring with a 30-point effort during the 2020-21 season (photo: Jonathan Knight).
Michigan freshman forward Thomas Bordeleau has been named the recipient of the 2021 Tim Taylor Award, given annually to the best first-year player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey.
He is the second Wolverine player to win this award, following Kyle Connor in 2016.
The award is voted on by the nation’s assistant coaches and is named for the former Yale University and U.S. Olympic Team head coach.
A native of Terrebonne, Quebec, Bordeleau led Michigan in scoring with eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points in 24 games and had a plus-minus rating of plus-17 as well. He had three game-winning goals and earned Big Ten freshman of the year honors and was named Second Team All-Big Ten.
A 2020 draft pick of the San Jose Sharks (second round, 38th overall), Bordeleau follows in the footsteps of his father (Sebastian) and grandfather (Paulin) who both played in the NHL. Prior to Michigan, Bordeleau spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Tim Taylor, for whom the award is named, spent 28 seasons at Yale and became the school’s winningest head coach as he collected 337 victories. His tenure spanned from 1976-2006, while taking two years on leave to coach the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team as an assistant coach in 1984 and as the head coach in 1994.
Taylor was captain of the Harvard men’s hockey team before he graduated in 1963. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, serving as an assistant coach on the Crimson staff under Ralph “Cooney” Weiland and Bill Cleary before beginning his time with the Bulldogs in New Haven, Conn.
Union senior Josh Kosack had compiled six goals and 16 points in 95 games prior to the 2020-21 season being cancelled (photo: Amanda Lopez).
Union senior forward Josh Kosack has been named the winner of the 2020-21 Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award.
The award was established by the HCA in honor of former Army player Derek Hines, who was a “consummate team player and team builder.” Hines played at Army from 1999 to 2003 and was a four-year letter-winner as well as a co-captain his senior season. He was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 1, 2005 in Afghanistan.
Kosack, whose season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has excelled on and off the ice for four years in Schenectady. A finalist for the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award, he has combined hockey and volunteer work to help those around him.
“I had the honor of getting to know Josh through his recruiting process in 2015,” Union coach Rick Bennett said in a statement. “Since then, I have admired his dedication to become one of the finest student-athletes in our program’s history. During his four years at Union, Josh has excelled in academics and thrived in leadership on and off the ice. His selfless acts of community service are exemplary.
“Through his work ethic and humility in all he does, he has earned the respect of professors, athletic administration, coaches and peers.”
Two years ago, a chance encounter with a teenage fan at an away game inspired Kosack to create “Kozi’s Kids,” an initiative that gives local Schenectady children a chance to experience a college hockey game – many for the first time.
Through the program, which utilizes unused game tickets and concession vouchers from Union players, Kosack arranges for transportation to a Union men’s hockey game, gives children a tour of the locker room before the game, and also answers questions from the children about life as a college student and a student-athlete. The nature of Kozi’s Kids changed dramatically this year due to the pandemic, but that did not stop Kosack from giving back to the community in different ways.
Without hockey games to bring local children to this season, he singlehandedly raised more than $5,000 to purchase Christmas presents for Schenectady children this holiday season. And in the same week that his team received word that its 2020-21 season was canceled, Josh delivered more than 100 coats to a local Schenectady charity as part of a drive he initiated on campus.
Kosack is the first Union player and fourth player from the ECAC Hockey to win the award since its inception.
The 2020 winner was AIC senior forward Jared Pike.
Mike Richter Award winner Jack LaFontaine backstopped the Gophers to a Big Ten tournament title this season (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Minnesota goalie Jack LaFontaine was announced Friday as the 2021 Mike Richter Award winner as the top goaltender in Division I men’s hockey.
The Mississauga, Ontario, native set new Minnesota single-season records for save percentage (.934) and goals against average (1.79) while his five shutouts this year rank tied for the third most in a season by a Gopher. Among regular NCAA goaltenders this year, the Carolina Hurricanes prospect ranked first in wins, tied for first in save percentage, tied for second in shutouts, third in saves (717) and third in goals against average. In 16 games against nationally ranked opponents, he boasted an 11-5-0 record.
LaFontaine is the first Gopher to win the Mike Richter Award in the honor’s seven-year history.
This season LaFontaine was also named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year, a First Team All-Big Ten selection and the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten tournament in 2020-21 while also earning recognition as a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Saint Mary’s senior captain Delaney Wolf accepts the Hockey Humanitarian Award from Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation executive director Matt Patrick (photo: Deb Nahrgang, Saint Mary’s University).
PITTSBURGH — Saint Mary’s senior captain Delaney Wolf is the 2021 recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award.
The announcement was made during the virtual Friday Night at the Frozen Four awards ceremony.
The Bismarck, North Dakota, native was recognized for a long list of volunteer activities, which includes volunteering with the Humane Society, tutoring students, teaching elementary Spanish immersion students, serving at local senior living communities and working with a local warming center for the homeless.
Wolf has accomplished all of this while carrying a 4.0 GPA as a double major in biochemistry and Spanish and as a four-year defenseman for the Cardinals.
In preparing her acceptance speech, Wolf said she wanted to encourage others to volunteer and serve.
“Being involved with your community is what makes your community special and what makes it kind of feel like a home,” Wolf said. “Building those connections with people is especially important. And so by serving others, it’s a way to give back and build connections. And to grow as people from that.”
Wolf is the 10th woman and eighth Division III recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award, now in its 26th year.
“Each season, it is exciting to learn about many exceptional student-athletes who are committed to volunteerism,” said Matt Patrick, executive director of the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation. “Delaney’s academic and athletic achievements, leadership and long-term community focus are remarkable. We are delighted that she is this year’s recipient.”
The Hockey Humanitarian Award is accompanied by a $2,500 donation to a charity or non-profit of the recipient’s choice. Wolf selected the Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota for the Winona (Minnesota) Community Warming Center where she has served.
“I started going there my sophomore year, and I’ve met some pretty cool people. I got to know a lot of the regulars pretty well, and I know there’s a lot of stigma around homelessness,” Wolf said. “And a lot of the time, a lot of blame is placed on people who are affected by it.
“It’s really kind of amazing what the warming center does because it gives them somewhere where they feel safe and secure and know they can find somewhere warm to sleep, without having to worry about getting stopped by the police or getting mugged in an alley or something like that.”
Wolf readily admits that it wasn’t easy to serve at the warming center at first.
“I’m not going to lie,” Wolf said. “The first time I went I was nervous cause I was a young college-age girl and the majority of the guests there are middle-aged to older men who looked pretty rough because they don’t have the best living conditions. So knowing that, I was very on high alert, but once I got to know them, it was more like, ‘They’re just people too.'”
Saint Mary’s women’s hockey coach Sarah Murray said that while they had high expectations because it was Wolf’s second year as a finalist for the award, they were still “blown away by it.”
“As soon as we got the news, we called her right away,” Murray said. “And then there was just silence on the other end of the phone for a little bit, because I don’t think she could believe it either.”
Murray said that she has been asked how the culture at Saint Mary’s has shaped Delaney.
“Delaney came in the way she is,” Murray said. “She came in with the selflessness, the wanting to serve others like that. That had nothing to do with us. That was all her bringing that with her.
“She brings everyone along with her. People see what she does and they want to do the same thing, or even she brings them to the actual event and has them volunteer with her. They just look up to her leadership and just how she does things.”
Wolf’s advice to other student-athletes who would like to find a way to serve?
“Just start — because it’s hard to do it the first time. Because you don’t know what you’re doing or you don’t know anybody who’s going,” said Wolf.
“Bring a friend. Do something that you’ve never done before, because once you do it the first time, you know what to expect and it’ll be easy to go the second time. And hopefully you can find something that you can fall in love with.”
Maine coach Red Gendron died Friday at age 63 (photo: University of Maine).
The University of Maine released a statement Friday announcing that head men’s hockey coach Dennis “Red” Gendron experienced a medical condition Friday afternoon and has died. He was 63.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by Red’s sudden death,” says Maine president Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “He was a force in UMaine Athletics and in the legacy of our men’s ice hockey program. We mourn his passing and remember his many contributions to the generations of players he mentored and to the program that lit up Black Bear Nation and the state of Maine. Our thoughts are with his wife Janet, daughters Katelyn and Allison, his coaching staff and players. They have our support and respect for their privacy during this difficult time.”
“Words cannot express our deep sadness from the tragic, sudden loss of Red Gendron,” says Maine director of athletics Ken Ralph. “Our community and the entire UMaine Athletics family mourn the loss of Coach Gendron and we ask you all to keep him, his family, his friends, and our hockey staff and student-athletes in your thoughts through this agonizing time.”
“College hockey lost an absolute giant in the game today,” said Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf. “Red was a coach, mentor, colleague and friend to so many. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his team.”
In eight seasons as Black Bears head coach, Gendron compiled a 103-137-32 record. Gendron succeeded Tim Whitehead as head coach in 2013.
Before being named the head coach of the Black Bears, Gendron was associate head coach at Yale, which won the 2013 NCAA Division I National Championship. Prior to Gendron’s two seasons at Yale, from 2005-11, he was an assistant coach at Massachusetts.
Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Chris Peters of Hockey Sense with Chris Peters and Todd Milewski, USCHO.com editor emeritus and writer for the Wisconsin State Journal and madison.com.
In a free-flowing conversation, they wrap up Thursday night’s Frozen Four semifinal games between St. Cloud State and Minnesota State and between UMass and Minnesota Duluth and look ahead at the Minutemen-Huskies final on Saturday.
Jordan Kawaguchi returned for his senior season with North Dakota and led the Fighting Hawks in scoring with 36 points in 2020-21 (photo: Russell Hons).
North Dakota forward Jordan Kawaguchi has been selected as the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award winner.
The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I men’s hockey coaches, national hockey media, and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I men’s hockey.
Kawaguchi is the first student-athlete from North Dakota to win the award.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, community, character, and competition.
“My career as a student-athlete has molded me into becoming a leader on and off the ice, as well as in the community,” said Kawaguchi, who led the Fighting Hawks in scoring for the third consecutive year, in a news release. “As I go through the people I have met and the relationships I have built, it’s truly something special and something I will lean on in the future. Coming back for my senior year was the best decision I have made. It’s incredible to think how many positive things have come out of it. While I believe everyone has room to grow, I hope I set a good example for those in Grand Forks and have positively affected the community. That being said, I am humbled and honored to have won the Senior CLASS Award.”
In his first year at North Dakota, Kawaguchi quickly made his presence known with five goals and 14 assists. His stellar performance during the second half of the season resulted in being a co-recipient of North Dakota’s most improved player award. Kawaguchi continued his rise as a sophomore, leading the Fighting Hawks in goals, assists, and total points. Finishing second in the country in total points with 15 goals and 30 assists, he earned national recognition in his junior season. Kawaguchi, a consensus All-America first team selection, was named the USCHO.com national player of the year, NCHC forward of the year, and a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist.
Electing to return for his senior year, Kawaguchi earned his second consecutive All-NCHC first team selection and captained North Dakota to a 22-6-1 record. He led the Fighting Hawks with 36 points, tallying 10 goals and 26 assists.
“You would have to go long and far to find student-athletes who have made the type of impact throughout the course of their careers that Jordan Kawaguchi has,” said Fighting Hawks coach Brad Berry. “He made an impact and put his fingerprints on the program. He showed our younger group how to be a North Dakota hockey player every day. Jordan added to the tradition and left the program in a better place. He is mindful and thoughtful of others before himself, which is what a great leader is.”
Kawaguchi prides himself on his academics and community involvement, as well. He passed up multiple NHL free agent offers to graduate with his marketing degree. While at North Dakota, Kawaguchi has been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Through his involvement with the organization, he has volunteered at food drives, pen pal programs, and Halloween bashes. Kawaguchi has also spent time volunteering with Special Olympics in Grand Forks.
Once UND’s season concluded, Kawaguchi signed a free-agent NHL contract with the Dallas Stars.
“Jordan Kawaguchi has excelled in all facets of being a student-athlete at the University of North Dakota,” said Erik Miner, executive director of the Senior CLASS Award. “He has displayed tremendous character through his achievements in the classroom, in the community, and on the ice. We congratulate Jordan Kawaguchi and the University of North Dakota for winning this award.”
2020-21 Senior CLASS Award Men’s Hockey First Team All-Americans
Nick Jenny, Robert Morris
Jordan Kawaguchi, North Dakota
Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota
Brannon McManus, Minnesota
Scott Reedy, Minnesota
2020-21 Senior CLASS Award Men’s Hockey Second Team All-Americans
Kevin Fitzgerald, St. Cloud State
Matt Hellickson, Notre Dame
Alex Limoges, Penn State
Zach Solow, Northeastern
Odeen Tufto, Quinnipiac
UMass’ Garrett Wait tips in a pass from Bobby Trivigno in overtime against Minnesota Duluth (photo: Jim Rosvold).
PITTSBURGH — Massachusetts forward Garrett Wait talked after Thursday’s national semifinal game against Minnesota Duluth about “big boy pants.”
The expression refers to extra skating sessions that UMass players go through after practices throughout the season in the hopes of further conditioning the team.
That conditioning paid off for the Minutemen, and Wait in particular, as the transfer from Minnesota buried a pass from linemate Bobby Trivigno at 14:30 in overtime to give UMass a 3-2 victory over Minnesota Duluth.
The win advances UMass to the national championship game for the second consecutive Frozen Four where they will take on St. Cloud State, a 5-4 winner over Minnesota State on Thursday.
Despite being dominated at times over the first two periods and parts of the third, UMass ended up having more left in the tank down the stretch, particularly in overtime. UMass was outshot 21-11 over the first two periods and outscored 2-1.
But after Anthony Del Gaizo tied the game at 8:25 of the third, UMass dominated the extra frame, holding a 13-2 advantage in shots.
“Duluth is the best team we’ve played this year,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “They play a heavy style that we’re not used to playing against.
“After the second period I urged the players to realize it’s going to take more. And I thought the kids did a great job in the third period.”
Down the stretch of regulation and into the overtime, UMass continued to roll four lines while Minnesota Duluth shortened its bench.
“The one thing about this team is that they know what makes them good,” Carvel said. “And when they smell blood in the water, they all take it up a notch. I’m looking at the bench in overtime and the next line up, every time they were well rested.”
Coming into Thursday’s game, the dominant story line was not the players on the ice but those missing from the UMass lineup. The Minutemen had four players in COVID protocol after single a positive player test last Friday. That included starting goaltender Filip Lindberg and top goal scorer Carson Gicewicz.
That thrust Matt Murray into the starting role in net for the first time since Jan. 18 and also elevated Anthony Del Gaizo to the top line alongside Oliver Chau and Jake Gaudet.
Both players impacted the game. Murray stopped 36 of the 38 shots he saw, while Del Gaizo scored the tying goal.
After the game, Carvel announced that both Lindberg and Gicewicz, along with third-string goaltender Henry Graham, will fly to Pittsburgh on Friday and be available for the national championship game.
Minnesota Duluth took a 2-1 lead into the third period on the only goal of the middle frame off the stick of Cole Koepke. It came on a scramble in front of the UMass net. Murray lost his goal stick as Koepke first attempted to shoot. That shot was blocked by the UMass defense but Koepke’s second attempt went high blocker side for the 2-1 lead.
Prior to Thursday, Minnesota Duluth was 10-1-1 when leading after two periods and had been dominant in this tournament in recent years when taking a lead.
But Del Gaizo, who entered Thursday with just a single goal, put himself in great position to bury a rebound when both Josh Lopina and Trivigno each had whacks at the puck.
“Well, the thing I’ve learned about Anthony is that he rises in the NCAA Tournament,” Carvel said. “He scored two years ago our first goal against Harvard, really broke the dam.
“And he was the guy to go up and take the place of Gicewicz, because Anthony’s played as heavy as anybody. We know he’ll go to the net. We know he’ll finish hits. We know he’ll be a pest to play against.”
After a stalemate early between these two defense-first clubs, UMass opened the scoring in the first on the power play when Minnesota Duluth’s Tanner Laderoute was whistled for holding at 14:57.
It didn’t take long for the Minutemen to score as offensively-talented defenseman Zac Jones fired home his ninth goal of the season from the left point as Gaudet set a great screen in front of Zach Stejskal (25 saves).
Laderoute atoned for the penalty just minutes later when he outmuscled UMass defenseman Aaron Bohlinger for a loose puck in the crease, tucking it past Murray.
When UMass and St. Cloud State face off in Saturday’s championship game, a first-time champion will be crowned. More significantly, though, for the first time since 2017, it won’t be Minnesota Duluth that is hoisting the trophy. Certainly a bittersweet moment for coach Scott Sandelin and his club, but even he admitted what this team has accomplished in the last five seasons — four straight Frozen Four appearances and two national titles — is quite significant.
“We fought some of the odds and got back here,” said Sandelin. “I told them to be proud of the accomplishment. It’s a very difficult thing to do. Sometimes the highs are unbelievable and the lows are really low. But you can learn from every and use it as motivation to get back here next year.”
