Three Things: Back On The Mountaintop

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March 19, 2017

There was once a time when Atlantic Hockey was essentially Air Force’s playground. They entered the league and promptly proved the separation between themselves and the rest of the conference, winning five banners in their first six seasons.

Then the rest of the league seemingly caught up to the Falcons, and the reputation of the conference changed to one built on parity. Even as RIT won back-to-back championships each of the past two seasons, they were a top four seed for only the first year, and the veritable demolition derby became about who plays hot at the right time and who can get the right puck luck.

Now, it’s their league once again, even if the league’s makeup is different. Air Force will represent Atlantic Hockey for a record sixth time, earning their way via a 2-1 victory over Robert Morris on Saturday night.

They now return to a national tournament where they’ve been competitive through the years. The Falcons are only 1-5 in NCAA play, but they’ve lost only one game by more than one goal with three of those defeats coming in overtime. In 2009, their epic double overtime loss to Vermont was in a Regional Final.

They’ll receive their assignment, likely as a #4 seed, today, and they’ll represent all 11 teams in the quest for national college hockey glory. Congratulations are in order to them.

A Different Era

At a surface level, Air Force winning the league gives the trophy back to a team that’s sustained success unlike any other program in any other conference. It’s easy to forget that the Falcons weren’t the top seed in the tournament, marking the fifth straight year where the top seed didn’t win the championship.

As our colleague Ed Trefzger noted after the championship game, new buildings, scholarships, and sustaining success in non-conference play is helping to make the league one of the toughest to win. That’s what will make this championship perhaps the most impressive for Air Force.

Atlantic Hockey will only have one team in the national tournament, but it comes with a different perspective. With all due respect to their teams, the WCHA will finish with teams further behind Atlantic Hockey in the Pairwise Rankings, meaning the league champion isn’t simply locked in as the lowest seed. It’s a small step forward, but it’s one that proves that this league is benefitting from looking inwards to improve.

The Next Challenge

Championship weekend is always a time for celebration. It gives all of us dramatic hockey played at a high level, and it’s the culmination of a season spent building to that moment. It sets the stage for our entry – set to include everyone, including those of us who cover the league – into the national tournament.

But the work isn’t done. This was a banner year for Atlantic Hockey, one built on new buildings, increased scholarships, and competitive success. As Air Force continues their season, there’s a next step for the conference as it enters its spiritual offseason. All of us will be paying attention, but it’s very much tinged with excitement.

There’s a frequently-used line used by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. After winning the Super Bowl, he always remarks that his team is four or five weeks behind the other teams in the postseason. So while we celebrate Air Force, remember that there are 10 other teams who are recommitting to taking what they just won. The cycle begins anew, and while it’ll be great to see what happens to the Falcons, it’s equally as exciting to think about what will happen as the future fast approaches.

Final predictions for the NCAA field of 16, and where each team will start

By Jayson Moy

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March 19, 2017

It’s time for the final Bracketology of the season. Here I will predict how I think the NCAA Ice Hockey Committee will think and what the bracket will look like when it is announced.

First here is my predicted bracket and then I’ll explain how I got there afterwards:

Midwest Regional (Cincinnati):
15 Ohio State vs. 2 Minnesota-Duluth
9 Penn State vs. 6 Western Michigan

West Regional (Fargo):
16 Michigan Tech vs. 1 Denver
10 North Dakota vs. 7 Boston University

East Regional (Providence):
14 Providence vs. 3 Harvard
12 Air Force vs. 8 Union

Northeast Regional (Manchester):
13 Notre Dame vs. 4 Minnesota
11 Cornell vs. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell

Here is the top 16 of the final PairWise Rankings (PWR), and the other autobids that are not in the Top 16:

1 Denver
2 Minnesota-Duluth
3 Harvard
4 Minnesota
5 Massachusetts-Lowell
6 Western Michigan
7 Boston University
8 Union
9 Penn State
10 North Dakota
11 Cornell
12 Air Force
13 Notre Dame
14t Providence
14t Ohio State
14t Boston College
26 Michigan Tech

Autobids:

Atlantic Hockey: Air Force
Big Ten: Penn State
ECAC Hockey: Harvard
Hockey East: Massachusetts-Lowell
NCHC: Minnesota-Duluth
WCHA: Michigan Tech

Step one

From the committee’s report, choose the 16 teams in the tournament.

We break ties in the PWR by looking at the individual comparisons among the tied teams, and add in any highest seeds left that are not currently in the top 16. The only team that is not is Michigan Tech.

From there, we can start looking at the ties and bubbles in a more detailed fashion.

The ties and bubbles consist of Providence, Ohio State and Boston College at 14.

We break all of our ties based upon the RPI.

Therefore, the 16 teams in the tournament, in rank order, are:

1 Denver
2 Minnesota-Duluth
3 Harvard
4 Minnesota
5 Massachusetts-Lowell
6 Western Michigan
7 Boston University
8 Union
9 Penn State
10 North Dakota
11 Cornell
12 Air Force
13 Notre Dame
14 Providence
15 Ohio State
16 Michigan Tech

Step two

Now it’s time to assign the seeds.

No. 1 seeds: Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Harvard, Minnesota

No. 2 seeds: Massachusetts-Lowell, Western Michigan, Boston University, Union

No. 3 seeds: Penn State, North Dakota, Cornell, Air Force

No. 4 seeds: Notre Dame, Providence, Ohio State, Michigan Tech

Step three

Place the No. 1 seeds in regionals.

No. 1 Denver is placed in the Midwest Regional in Cincinnati.
No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth is placed in the West Regional in Fargo.
No. 3 Harvard is placed in the East Regional in Providence.
No. 4 Minnesota is placed in the Northeast Regional in Manchester.

Step four

Now we place the other 12 teams so as to avoid intra-conference matchups if possible.

Begin by filling in each bracket by banding groups. Remember that teams are not assigned to the regional closest to their campus sites by ranking order within the banding (unless you are a host school, in which case you must be assigned to your home regional).

If this is the case, as it was last year, then the committee should seed so that the quarterfinals are seeded such that the four regional championships would be played by No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5.

So therefore:

No. 8 Union is placed in No. 1 Denver’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 7 Boston University is placed in No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 6 Western Michigan is placed in No. 3 Harvard’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell is placed in No. 4 Minnesota’s regional, the Northeast Regional.

No. 3 seeds

Our bracketing system has one regional containing seeds 1, 8, 9, and 16; another with 2, 7, 10 and 15; another with 3, 6, 11 and 14; and another with 4, 5, 12 and 13.

As a host school, we place North Dakota first.

No. 10 North Dakota is placed in No. 7 Boston University’s regional, the West Regional

No. 9 Penn State is placed in No. 8 Union’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 11 Cornell is placed in No. 6 Western Michigan’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 12 Air Force is placed in No. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell’s regional, the Northeast Regional.

No. 4 seeds

One more time, taking No. 16 vs. No. 1, No. 15 vs. No. 2, etc.

No. 16 Michigan Tech is sent to No. 1 Denver’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 15 Ohio State is sent to No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 14 Providence is sent to No. 3 Harvard’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 Notre Dame is sent to No. 4 Minnesota’s regional, the Northeast Regional.

The brackets as we have set them up:

Midwest Regional (Cincinnati):
16 Michigan Tech vs. 1 Denver
9 Penn State vs. 8 Union

West Regional (Fargo):
15 Ohio State vs. 2 Minnesota-Duluth
10 North Dakota vs. 7 Boston University

East Regional (Providence):
14 Providence vs. 3 Harvard
11 Cornell vs. 6 Western Michigan

Northeast Regional (Manchester):
13 Notre Dame vs. 4 Minnesota
12 Air Force vs. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell

Our first concern is avoiding intraconference matchups. We have none.

Now, we turn our attention to attendance.

We turn towards bringing eastern teams back towards the east and western teams towards the west.

Looking at the second and third bands, we want to bring Union east, Western Michigan to the west. How can we do this?

We swap the two teams.

Midwest Regional (Cincinnati):
16 Michigan Tech vs. 1 Denver
9 Penn State vs. 6 Western Michigan

West Regional (Fargo):
15 Ohio State vs. 2 Minnesota-Duluth
10 North Dakota vs. 7 Boston University

East Regional (Providence):
14 Providence vs. 3 Harvard
11 Cornell vs. 8 Union

Northeast Regional (Manchester):
13 Notre Dame vs. 4 Minnesota
12 Air Force vs. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell

But what we’ve done is create and All-ECAC matchup in Providence. So we should move Cornell to Manchester.

Midwest Regional (Cincinnati):
16 Michigan Tech vs. 1 Denver
9 Penn State vs. 6 Western Michigan

West Regional (Fargo):
15 Ohio State vs. 2 Minnesota-Duluth
10 North Dakota vs. 7 Boston University

East Regional (Providence):
14 Providence vs. 3 Harvard
12 Air Force vs. 8 Union

Northeast Regional (Manchester):
13 Notre Dame vs. 4 Minnesota
11 Cornell vs. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell

So that’s it, the bracket.

Or is it?

I am looking at the big old Ohio State playing in Ohio. That is too good to pass up from an attendance standpoint, especially when Fargo is sold out and Cincinnati might get more seats with Ohio State there.

I make a swap.

Midwest Regional (Cincinnati):
15 Ohio State vs. 2 Minnesota-Duluth
9 Penn State vs. 6 Western Michigan

West Regional (Fargo):
16 Michigan Tech vs. 1 Denver
10 North Dakota vs. 7 Boston University

East Regional (Providence):
14 Providence vs. 3 Harvard
12 Air Force vs. 8 Union

Northeast Regional (Manchester):
13 Notre Dame vs. 4 Minnesota
11 Cornell vs. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell

Take a look at BU and Union swapping. Is there a benefit there? Not in my eyes.

So that’s my bracket.

The conference breakdown:

Hockey East — 4
NCHC — 4
Big Ten — 3
ECAC Hockey — 3
Atlantic Hockey — 1
WCHA — 1

We’ll see how the committee does it tomorrow.

Three takeaways from Minnesota-Duluth’s 4-3 win against North Dakota

By Candace Horgan

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March 18, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS – Here are three takeaways from Minnesota-Duluth’s 4-3 victory over North Dakota in the NCHC championship game on Saturday:

Duluth owns five-on-five

When Brock Boeser scored on a power play at 10:57 of the first period during a stretch of multiple power plays, it seemed the floodgates might open for the Fighting Hawks, who were outplaying Minnesota-Duluth. The Hawks in fact finished the first period with a 16-4 shots on goal advantage, in part due to a five-on-three power play and an extended power play due to a five-minute major on Neal Pionk for charging on North Dakota goalie Cam Johnson.

However, while North Dakota ended up with three goals, all were on power plays; it was their inability to score five-on-five that doomed North Dakota, and is something it has struggled with all year, netting only two even-strength goals in five games against Duluth.

“We’re pretty good five-on-five,” deadpanned Minnesota Duluth coach Scott Sandelin when asked about that. “Certainly at the end it doesn’t matter how many, we’re winning hockey games. If you give up only a couple five-on-five goals or whatever they were, that tells you defensively we’ve done a pretty good job against them. Hunter had a couple shutouts against them too. They’re a good team. We’ve had some success this year against them for whatever reason.”

Duluth’s five-on-threes

In Friday’s game against Western Michigan, Minnesota-Duluth faced an early five-on-three penalty kill situation that could have put them in a hole. Against North Dakota on Saturday in the Frozen Faceoff, Duluth was again down five-on-three, this time late in the first after the Bulldogs got a five-minute major 52 seconds into a minor on Willie Raskob.

“It was a lot,” laughed Sandelin about the number of five-on-threes. “It felt like a lot more.”

“We knew we had to kill it,” said tournament MVP Alex Iafallo. “That’s just the way it was going. A lot of guys stepped up. We had how many shot blocks? Everybody on the kill did a heck of a job stepping up, blocking shots, getting pucks out.”

Duluth managed to kill that one off, as well as nearly two minutes of a five-on-three power play for North Dakota in the second period.

“It was nice to get out of it down only one goal for sure,” said Sandelin of the first period. “I think our guys did a hell of a job, from our goaltender all the way through our killers. That’s not an easy situation to be in certainly with their power play and some of the guys they have on there. I think it gave our team a huge lift. Those are big moments in a game, and obviously you saw the way we started the second. We finally had a good second period. We scored the three goals and made that hold up.”

However, the third five-on-three of the game for North Dakota for 47 seconds late in the third allowed Trevor Olson to tie the game 3-3. It seemed fitting that Duluth then got a five-on-three power play after that, which was when Joey Anderson scored the game-winner.

Duluth hangs a banner

After losing in the Frozen Faceoff final last year to St. Cloud State, and then losing the regular season title this year in the final month to Denver, Minnesota Duluth finally gets to hang a banner after taking the Frozen Faceoff. For a team that has a lot of senior leaders who bring key offensive contributions as well as leadership, getting that banner is special.

“It means a lot, not only for the seniors, but the whole team, the city of Duluth,” said Dominic Toninato. “It’s pretty special, and we came up just a little short last year, so obviously that was one of our goals to get back down here and have another chance at it and we were fortunately able to win it.”

Three takeaways from Penn State’s 2-1, double-OT win against Wisconsin

By USCHO Staff

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March 18, 2017

DETROIT - Here are three takeaways (and a bonus one) from Penn State’s 2-1 double-overtime victory against Wisconsinin the Big Ten final at Joe Louis Arena.

1. What a night for Penn State. ”I feel grateful to be a part of Penn State University,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said to the Joe Louis Arena crowd after the game, and he had reason to celebrate the program he helped build from scratch. Playing their third game in three nights – especially with Friday night’s game going to double-overtime – the Nittany Lions weren’t at their best but the team’s effort was nothing short of heroic on a night when strategy took a backseat to sheer will for each team. Just how off from its usual game was Penn State? The Nittany Lions were outshot for just the fourth time all year – and badly, 52-35 – but the team still was able to clinch its first-ever Big Ten title in the program’s fifth season at the Division I level. It’s been quite a rise for Gadowsky and the Nittany Lions, and the future looks bright, too. Freshman Liam Folkes scored both goals, including the breakaway winner, and he was one of eight first-year players to suit up in the game for Penn State.

2. One of those freshmen was tournament MVP Peyton Jones, and the netminder deserved nothing less thanks to a performance that had to turn heads. In double overtime alone he used his 6-4 frame to its full extension to make a pair of eye-popping pad saves, and he made a huge stop on Will Johnson all alone in front, too. He finished with 51 saves in the game, seven in the 6:43 of double OT. He was the best player on the ice for three days and saved Penn State a number of times, as a goaltender has to do to win a championship.

3. Wisconsin deserves credit, too. The hurt will be very real for the Badgers, as one would expect with the team mere inches away from winning the league and earning an NCAA tournament bid. But as bright as the future looks for Penn State, the same could be said in Madison. After back-to-back disappointing years, the Wisconsin program turned to alums Tony Granato, Don Granato and Mark Osiecki behind the bench. No one was quite sure what to expect in the first season, but the Badgers got better and better throughout the year and were a bounce or two away from the crown. Going 20-15-1 in the opening season of the Granato era showed the turnaround might be quicker than even the most optimistic observers expected.

4. OK, I’m cheating here a bit by going to a fourth thought, but a word has to be said about the end of college hockey at Joe Louis Arena. From the Great Lakes Invitational to the “Duel in the D” to its faithful hosting of the annual CCHA tournament, The Joe has been a major part of the college hockey landscape for decades. The venerable home of the Detroit Red Wings hosted two of the first four Big Ten tournaments and was sent out with a competitive conference tournament this time around. The Joe was never big on amenities, but that was fine, as the building rocked countless times for college hockey over the years and let thousands of players – from future pros to walk-on grinders – play on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

Field of 16 Set

By Jayson Moy

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March 18, 2017

The field of 16 is set:

Atlantic Hockey – Air Force

Big Ten – Minnesota, Penn State, Ohio State

ECAC Hockey – Harvard, Union, Cornell

Hockey East – Massachusetts-Lowell, Boston University, Notre Dame, Providence

NCHC – Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Western Michigan, North Dakota

WCHA – Michigan Tech

How will the brackets fall out?

I’ll have a prediction real soon!

Three takeaways from Air Force’s 2-1 victory over Robert Morris

By Ed Trefzger

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March 18, 2017

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Here are three takeaways from Air Force’s 2-1 win over Robert Morris in the Atlantic Hockey championship on Saturday.

1. The win for Air Force was a win by a family.

“Coaches always say that these are like my kids and we’re like family,” said Air Force coach Frank Serratore.

And that’s something that he really couldn’t say about the Falcons’ five league titles in their first six seasons in Atlantic Hockey.

“I knew my guys, but I didn’t know them like this group,” said Serratore, who explained that players stay at his house on the weekends, something he couldn’t do when he was raising his twin sons and two daughters.

“Now my kids are grown up and these guys have moved in with me. And for me, it’s almost like winning a championship with your kids. It’s really special.”

2. The loss for Robert Morris was a devastating loss for a family.

“We’re heartbroken. Devasted,” said Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley as he opened his postgame comments, seeing a season abruptly end that he said had been the most fun he’s had in his coaching career.

Schooley pointed to his team’s leadership as the reason why.

“It’s the character. It’s the glue. It’s the people,” he said.

Senior assistant captain Daniel Leavens summed up the personality of this year’s team with one word: “Family. It’s that simple.”

When captain Rob Mann was selected, and Leavens, along with fellow senior Ben Robillard and junior Alex Bontje, were named assistants, they decided that they wanted to build a close-knit culture with this team.

“We wanted to build a family this year,” Leavens said. “We wanted to have good people in the dressing room.

“I’ve played on a lot of teams over the years, and played with a lot of great guys. This team, this year from day one was a family.”

3. It’s not getting any easier to win the conference.

It’s almost become a mantra for folks in and around Atlantic Hockey that the conference is getting better every year. New buildings, a full complement of scholarships, and success in non-conference play has contributed to that.

After Friday’s loss, Canisius coach Dave Smith recounted the progress the league has made, from a time when moral victories and just getting there were considered success, to the present when success is expected.

Getting to Blue Cross Arena is not as easy as it was during Air Force’s early years in the conference, according to Serratore.

“It’s so much harder,” he said. “Before, we just knew we were going to get here. We had some quarterfinal opponents, where we knew we just weren’t going to lose.”

He pointed to the difficulty of making it through the on-campus rounds to advance to Rochester.

“Those games at home are the toughest games of the year,” said Serratore. “You don’t want to lose in the quarterfinals at home in front of your own fans. You don’t want your season to end.”

And going forward?

“It’s not going to get any easier.”

Three takeaways from Michigan Tech’s 3-2 overtime win over Bowling Green

By Jack Hittinger

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March 18, 2017

Here are my three takeaways (from afar) from Michigan Tech’s 3-2 victory over Bowling Green in the WCHA title game.

1. Instant classic

Maybe it’s cliche, but that’s the only way to describe this game. It was the first overtime game in the WCHA championship since North Dakota defeated Denver 3-2 in OT in 2001. Like that game, this one didn’t disappoint. Tech had a 2-0 lead going into the third period, but the Falcons made it a game with back-t0-back goals midway through the final frame. BG actually dominated the third period, outshooting Tech 11-2, and held the Huskies to without a shot on goal until there were 3:34 to play. However, Tech survived to take it into overtime, and from there it was an entertaining, back-and-forth game, with both teams getting chances to win. The Falcons nearly scored with seconds left in the first overtime period on three point-blank scores but Angus Redmond closed the door. That opened the door for Shane Hanna in the second overtime. Matt Roy found Hanna open with an outstanding outlet pass from blue-line to blue line. The defenseman buried it past Chris Nell for the win.

2. Grade A ‘Beef’

Redmond, the Huskies freshman goaltender, made 36 saves to help backstop Tech’s win. The two goals he gave up didn’t look great — the game-tying goal from Matt Pohlkamp, especially, he’ll want back after watching the video — but overall he made the saves he needed to get the win. The best might have been a glove save on Pohlkamp with eight minutes left in the first OT. If Redmond is playing like he was in the first two periods (and two overtimes), the Huskies will be a tough out for any potential No. 1 seed.

3. Home site playoffs a big win

This game is exactly what the WCHA had in mind when they decided to go to home sites for the first round of the playoffs this season — an engaged home crowd, packed to the rafters in a classic rink, on the edge of their seats with every play. Tech students camped out before the game and the line stretched all the way around the arena. Even BG brought a strong contingent of fans. Attendance was announced at 4,466. For comparison’s sake: 4,080 watched last year’s Final Five title game at a neutral site in Grand Rapids, Mich. Another comparison: Today’s Atlantic Hockey finals had a total of 650 fans watch Air Force beat Robert Morris in the finals. Say what you will about the WCHA, but from a “fan engagement” standpoint, moving the title game to home sites was a home run.

Three takeaways from Harvard’s 4-1 victory over Cornell

By JOHN LYONS

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March 18, 2017

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Here are three takeaways from Harvard’s 4-1 win over Cornell in the ECAC championship game.

1. Harvard demonstrates its depth

Depth is crucial for any team that wants to succeed, and Harvard is certainly deep, but it’s not just the strength of the Crimson’s third and fourth lines that makes the difference. Harvard has depth among its top scorers as well, and this weekend showed that.

Entering the contest, Harvard’s “second” line of Tyler Moy, Sean Malone and Luke Esposito was carrying the offense, but the Crimson’s top line of Ryan Donato, Alex Kerfoot and Lewis Zerter-Gossage got the job done against Cornell. Donato had a pair of power-play goals, in the first and third periods, to pace the Crimson to victory.

Even with Donato stealing the show, Moy, Esposito, and Malone still managed to record four points in the game, and the three combined on Esposito’s 19^th of the year in the second period, which wound up as the game winner.

Combined with their skating ability and strength on defense and in net, the top-to-bottom depth the Crimson boasts is the reason they were able to put up eight goals against two of the better defensive teams in the ECAC.

2. Big ice too much for the Big Red

Coming into the championship weekend, Cornell was the only team whose style of play didn’t seem to be helped by the Olympic-sized ice in Lake Placid. The Big Red was able to skate with Union on Friday night, but Saturday, the big ice played right into the hands of the Crimson, who took advantage.

Harvard used the extra space on the wing to carry the puck in to Cornell’s zone with little pressure, and once that offense gets set up, it’s hard to effectively defend them.

When the Big Red had offensive zone possession, they looked as good as Harvard, and two dazzling saves from Merrick Madsen and a clutch clearance of a loose puck in the crease by Clay Anderson changed a game that easily could have seen Cornell score two goals. But as soon as the Crimson picked up the puck, their speed on the large ice sheet was too much for Cornell.

Bound for the NCAA Tournament, Cornell isn’t finished yet, and a return to a typical college ice sheet makes the Big Red a team nobody wants to face.

3. A season of trophies

The Crimson are making a habit of winning trophies this year, and that experience, coupled with the skill they have, makes them a very legitimate contender for the national championship.

Harvard claimed the Ivy League championship, ECAC regular-season title and the Beanpot before taking home the Whitelaw Cup, which means they’ve won every trophy they were eligible to win this season. The team’s mix of dynamic offensive players and good skating defensemen, along with the play of Madsen, makes the Crimson a team nobody will want to face in the NCAA Tournament.

They also won their trophies in convincing fashion. They topped Boston University 6-3 to win the Beanpot, lost just four games all year in ECAC play, finished three points clear of Cornell in the Ivy league race, and won by identical 4-1 scores in Lake Placid. They are composed in pressure moments and it’s paid off so far. With one more trophy out there to win, the Crimson should be on the short list of contenders.

Three takeaways from UMass-Lowell’s 4-3 win over Boston College

By Site Administrator

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March 18, 2017

BOSTON – Saturday evening, No. 4 UMass-Lowell won its third Hockey East men’s championship in five years by defeating the No. 14 Boston College, 4-3, in the championship game at TD Garden. Here’s what you need to know about the game, and the implications it had.

1. Special teams won, but almost lost, the game for Lowell

With 20 combined penalty minutes between the two teams, and each team receiving four power plays, a significant portion of Saturday’s game was contested on the power play. Consequently, it played a huge role.

For Lowell, the power play netted the go-ahead goal, a John Edwardh tally following a BC turnover in the defensive zone. The River Hawks also held the Eagles to no shots in the Eagles’ one power play during the third period.

Yet, special teams almost got the River Hawks in trouble. In the first period, Austin Cangelosi scored a tying goal on the power play, changing the complexion of the game from a River Hawks onslaught to an even matchup.

BC’s second goal, scored shorthanded, also almost had a game- changing effect, similar to Ryan Fitzgerald’s shorthanded goal Friday night against Boston University. With the Eagles again down a goal, Graham McPhee tied the score for the Eagles, changing the game from a one-goal deficit to a tie score going into the locker room.

2. Lowell did more with its chances

The second period shot chart tells an interesting story. BC out-attempted Lowell, 25-18, but many of the River Hawks’ attempts came from around the crease, and the River Hawks were able to cash in on their chances, unlike BC, which was held scoreless.

The third period was even more pronounced, with BC out-attempting Lowell, 34-5. However, save for a fluke goal scored on a tough angle by Fitzgerald, Tyler Wall stood tall.

“(Wall) was outstanding today,” Lowell coach Norm Bazin said. “I don’t think you win a championship without a great goalie. He did an outstanding job.”

While BC ended up getting more shot attempts or the game (83-41), Lowell was able to capitalize on the shot attempts it had, and that’s what won it the game.

3. BC completed a month-and-a-half-long collapse

It is easy to lose why BC is in the position it is in relative to the NCAA Tournament, given BC’s dominant performance in the quarterfinal round against Vermont. The fact remains, however, that BC was No. 7 in the Pairwise on the morning of the Beanpot semifinal at the beginning of February. Now, after a catastrophic month of February, and a 3-6-2 record since the morning of the Beanpot semifinal, the Eagles will miss the tournament for the first time in eight years.

When asked about things that he would do differently to remedy the collapse in February, BC coach Jerry York’s antidote was simple:

“(I’d) win more games, probably.”

Three takeaways from Denver’s 3-1 win over Western Michigan

By Drew Claussen

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March 18, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 3-1 win over Western Michigan in the third-place game at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.

1. Denver is deep, and Saturday it showed a lot of grit. Western Michigan coach Andy Murray used the words “grit” and “tenacity” to describe the effort put forward by the Pioneers on Saturday, and he’s correct in that aspect. Denver, with its top four scorers and starting goaltender watching from the stands, didn’t light up the scoreboard, but it was able to control the pace of the game. Murray used a style of war to describe the ebb and flow game.

“The first World War was fought in trenches, you’d move ahead a couple of feet and then they’d drive you back and you’d move ahead a little bit more,” Murray said. “We needed a little bit more of the trench warfare mentality. We didn’t dig in enough in certain situations.”

2. Despite playing in only his 11th game of the season, senior Evan Cowley was sharp in net. Cowley made 28 saves Saturday afternoon, including 14 in the second period. He outperformed WMU’s Den Blacker, who only had 18 saves in the game, by a mile. The performance did not go unnoticed by teammate Mat VanVoorhis.

“Evan is a great goaltender, (for) a lot of teams in this country he’d probably be the No. 1 starter,” VanVoorhis said. “We’re very fortunate to have the depth that we do on the back end.”

Junior goaltender Tanner Jaillet, who is 24-5-4 this season, was a healthy scratch for Denver on Saturday. Senior Greg Ogard dressed and served as Cowley’s backup.

3. For the second straight game Western Michigan gave up a goal shortly after tying the score. Saturday it was Denver’s Liam Finlay scoring 68 seconds after Western Michigan’s Mike McKee tied it early in the second period. Finlay’s goal held up as the game-winner.

“Western was starting to take over the game there and they had the momentum,” Denver coach Jim Montgomery said after the game. “That transition goal Liam Finlay scored, I mean, he was recruited to be a dynamic offensive player, someone that can take you out of your seats, and I think you saw that every time he was on the ice tonight.”

Frozen Four Finals picks: March 18

By Nicole Haase

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March 18, 2017

No. 10 Gustavus Adolphus vs. No. 4 Norwich
Gustavus Adolphus has had a heck of a run this season and I’d like to see them walk away on a high note. They took Adrian to the wire. They may be gassed, but I think they’ve got one last bit in them. I pick them to win. Gustavus Adolphus 3-1

No. 1 Plattsburgh at No. 2 Adrian
I’ve been saying all season that I wouldn’t pick against Plattsburgh until they did something to prove I should, but I guess I have to backtrack here because I think Adrian might have what it takes to topple the giant. The Cardinals have had an easier time of it and will probably be less tired, but being at home and so close to history should help boost the Bulldogs. Adrian 5-4

Patty Kazmaier winner Desbiens: Coming to Wisconsin ‘a pretty good decision I made’

By Nicole Haase

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March 18, 2017

Ann-Renée Desbiens with the 2017 Patty Kazmaier Award. (Nicole Haase) — Wisconsin goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens poses with the 2017 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award (photo: Nicole Haase).

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Wisconsin senior goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens was named the 2017 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner Saturday, winning the award that is presented annually to the top player in women’s NCAA Division I hockey.

She is the third goaltender to win the award and the fifth player from Wisconsin. She joins Badgers legends Sara Bauer (2006), Jessie Vetter (2009), Meghan Duggan (2011) and Brianna Decker (2012). Vetter and Brown’s Ali Brewer are the only other netminders to have earned the honor.

Desbiens is a two-time first-team All-American and this was the second time she was named a Patty Kazmaier top-three finalist. She’s had a storied career in the net, one her coach, Mark Johnson, calls “mind-boggling” and says we may not ever see the likes of again.

On the ice, Desbiens’ successes at Wisconsin are numerous and off the ice, she’s excelled in the classroom. She has a 3.367 GPA, was a three-time WCHA All-Academic honoree, received early admission to the Integrated Masters of Accountancy degree program at UW and barring training for Team Canada, will spend the summer interning with Deloitte in Chicago.

It would have been difficult to exceed what Desbiens accomplished during the 2015-16 season. She set NCAA single-season records in GAA and save percentage. But in 2016-17, so far, she has improved upon her own previous marks. She is 29-1-4 with 17 shutouts, a 0.67 GAA and a .965 save percentage in 34 starts this season.

Desbiens shattered the NCAA shutout record with 55 career blank slates, 12 more than the previous NCAA record. In 121 games in a Badgers’ jersey, she is 99-13-19. Should the Badgers win the national championship on Sunday, she will tie Mercyhurst’s Hillary Pattenden (2009-12) and former Badger standout Alex Rigsby (2011-14) for second-most total victories.

Prior to the title game, she holds a career 0.89 GAA and a .955 save percentage. Both of those career marks would set new NCAA records.

That her final place in history is somewhat in flux is what Desbiens said makes it so hard for a goalie to win the Patty Kaz. No matter what happens to a skater during the regular season, their stat totals cannot go down. They do not ever lose points. But every period of every game is a chance for a goaltender’s numbers to rise. Though the award covers more than just statistics, they are the benchmark the committee uses to help understand how the finalists compare to each other.

Johnson, who has spent a lifetime around the sport of hockey, has never had the words to fully encompass the vastness of what Desbiens has accomplished. He compared her gaudy shutout numbers to a pitcher getting four or five no-hitters in a season.

Most players are happy to just get one in a career.

“You look at the history of women’s hockey — her numbers got her to where she won the award,” Johnson said. “She was No. 1 in, I think, all the categories the goaltenders have, and it’s nice that people recognized her. In the big picture, if you look at her whole body of work, with the shutouts and win resume, you don’t know if you’ll ever see it again.”

Desbiens was emotional in her acceptance speech and alternated between speaking in English and in French, especially when addressing her family. She thanked her parents for the sacrifices they made and gave credit to her older siblings, who forced their youngest sister into the net as a kid because they needed someone to shoot on.

She also thanked the young fans in Madison, with whom the gregarious goaltender has formed a special bond. Many of her smallest fans were in attendance at the ceremony to help Desbiens celebrate the win. She has embraced her part as role model and created a cadre of young fans devoted to her and the Badgers.

Desbiens was a late recruit to the NCAA and U.S. college hockey was not on the radar of folks from her part of Quebec. Johnson talked about the extreme leap of faith she had to take, leaving behind a family to move to a very different culture with a language barrier.

“There are a lot of things that had to fall in to place,” said Desbiens. “I wasn’t planning to come to the NCAA and then I ended up coming late. That was a pretty good decision I made, especially choosing Wisconsin.”

It’s been a season of overcoming hardships for Desbiens.

She had the spectre of her own prior season to live up to. She missed time for two different injuries. And now the Badgers finally won in a national semifinal, advancing to the national championship for the first time since 2012. But enduring those challenges, learning to accept them and ultimately prevailing have helped her to become a stronger person and player.

There’s a history of outstanding goalies at Wisconsin – it would take another column to enumerate what Vetter and Rigsby accomplished before Desbiens. She isn’t interested in comparing herself to them, just happy to add to the Badger legacy.

“Women’s hockey has progressed so much that it’s hard to compare past players with present players,” said Desbiens. “So I’m just happy with where I am at right now, what we’ve done as a team and that we get the chance to play (in the national championship game).”

Championship game picks, March 18

By Jack Hittinger

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March 18, 2017

Well, it’s been a weird season in the WCHA but we’re now down to the two finalists who everybody thought would be here before the season started. Of course, the season didn’t exactly play out that way — both Tech and BG struggled out the gate before finding their footing in time to make playoff runs at the end of the season.

The new WCHA format has made both teams play some extra games to get here, but it should be quite the doozy from a packed house in Houghton, Mich. One team goes to the NCAA tournament and another goes home. Here’s our picks:

Jack: I’m torn about this one. On the one hand, the Falcons are on a roll right now. On the other, the Huskies will have the full force of the craziness of MacInnes Arena behind it. Bowling Green is looking for its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1990, but my gut tells me they’re going to have to wait another year. Huskies 4-2

Sean: The Falcons are clicking at the right time and goalie Chris Nell is arguably the turnaround player of the year after a rough start to the season. Michigan Tech will have home ice behind them, but a low scoring game will end in Bowling Green’s favor. Falcons 2-1

East Regional, Providence, R.I.

West Regional, Fargo, N.D.

Northeast Regional, Manchester, N.H.

West Regional, Fargo, N.D., March 24-25

East Regional, Providence, R.I., March 24-25

Midwest Regional, Cincinnati, March 25-26

Northeast Regional, Manchester, N.H., March 25-26

Frozen Four, Chicago, April 6 and 8

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