'92 Lakers unducted into LSSU Hall of Fame

By Michael David/LSSU Beat Writer

Last weekend the members of the 1992 NCAA National Championship team were inducted into the Lake Superior State University Hall of Fame. The '92 Lakers defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 5-3 in the Frozen Four final to take the NCAA crown back to Sault Ste. Marie. Pictured, are members of the team playing in a Alumni game against other Lakers from the past. Skating for the 'champs', were the likes of Mark Astley, John Hendry, Sandy Moger, Rob Valicevic, Brad Willner, Jim Peters, Mike Smith, and Dan Angelleli. Also returning for the ceremony, were head coach Jeff Jackson and assistant coach Paul Pooley. Laker netminder Darrin Madeley was also in attendance, but did not arrive in time to participate in the game. I did have a chance to speak with him, though, and he's still one of the nicest guys in hockey.

BC muzzles Ferris State in NCAA championship game

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

As the old saying goes, 'all good things must come to an end.'

For Ferris State, their magical run fell just shy of grabbing the championship, losing 4-1 to perrenial powerhouse Boston College in the national title game on Saturday.

The Golden Eagles wealth of talent and experience was prevalent from the onset, as they took advantage of a defensive breakdown at the Bulldogs' end to go up 1-0 just 3:18 into the contest.

Sophomore forward Garrett Thompson would return the favor shortly thereafter, going to his backhand to bang home Andy Huff's rebound on BC netminder Parker Milner from just outside the crease. In addition to Huff, linemate Travis Ouellette was also credited with a helper, giving him his 15th of the campign.

At the midway point of the frame, Boston College reclaimed the lead on a power-play marker from Paul Carey. The scoring play began when Pat Mullane dished the puck off to Brian Dumoulin, who then sent a crossing pass from the right faceoff circle over to Carey at the point for a one-timer.

Following a quiet second period of play for both sides, another turnover in Ferris State's defensive zone allowed for the Golden Eagles to strike again. Lighting the lamp this time was freshman Johnny Gaudreau, who split two defenders en route to beating Bulldogs' goaltender Taylor Nelson with a backhanded shot above the blocker pad.

With 1:03 remaining, Steven Whitney added an empty-netter for Boston College to help secure the team's third national championship in the last five years.

Nelson finished his college career with 33 saves, 27 of which came in the final two periods alone. At the oppsotie end, Milner tallied 27 stops.

"What a year," said Nelson. "I'm extremely proud of every individual in that locker room. All season long, we sacrificed for one another and bled for one another. And, as far as what it means to the program, I think in our minds, it's made history."

Despite the loss, senior defenseman Chad Billins and junior forward Kyle Bonis both earned a spot on the 2012 Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.

Ferris State closes out the 2011-2012 season with a record of 26-12-5, which ties them for the second-most wins in school history.

'Dawgs dismantle Union, headed to finals

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

Every dog has his day, and for Ferris State, that day is Saturday as the Bulldogs faceoff against Boston College for the national championship following last night's 3-1 victory over Union.

It wasn't all fun and games for Ferris State (26-11-5 overall) from the get-go however, as the Dutchmen grabbed the initial lead with eight minutes remaining in the first on a five-hole shot by Daniel Carr.

In the ensuing period, the Bulldogs began to march back with a power-play marker by senior forward Aaron Schmit.

Ferris State sealed the deal in the final stanza, producing a pair of goals just four minutes apart. Junior Kyle Bonis, who had assisted on Schmit's earlier tally, scored the game-winner at the 15:17 mark by bouncing in a rebound off defenseman Brett Wysopal's initial shot.

"There was a lot of nerves out there, especially early on in the game," said Wysopal. "Pucks were jumping off everyone’s sticks. On the goal, it just got wrapped around the goal pretty hard, saw him in front the net. It wasn’t a very good shot, just got him in the right spot. I was praying that it wasn’t out of reach for Bonis and luckily it wasn’t and he buried it."

Looking for the equalizer, Union pulled netminder Troy Gosenick late in the game, but Schmit put those plans to rest by lighting the lamp with 55 seconds left in regulation.

Grosenick finished the game with 34 saves, compared to Taylor Nelson's 27.

The national championship game from the Times-Forum in Tampa, Florida can be seen on ESPN2 at 7 pm.

Ferris State advances to Frozen Four

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

For the first time in school history, Ferris State is headed to the Frozen Four, thanks to a 2-1 victory over Cornell in the Midwest Regional on Saturday.

The contest remained scoreless until 11 seconds into the third period, when sophomore forward Garrett Thompson put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0 with their 5-on-4 advantage set to expire. The play started with linemate Jordie Johnston skating up ice before blasting a shot that fell wide of Big Reds' netminder Andy Iles. From there, Matthew Kirzinger scooped-up the puck and fed an open Thompson in front of the net.

Shortly thereafter, Dustin Mowrey evened-up the score for Cornell following a costly turnover by the Bulldogs.

With under seven minutes left in regulation, sophomore Andy Huff gained control of the puck in the neutral zone and hurried into the Reds' defensive zone alongside Johnston to create a 2-on-1 scoring opportunity. Huff sent a pass over to Johnston, who went top shelf on Iles to notch his team-high 20th goal of the campaign.

The Bulldogs went 1-5 while on the man-advantage, while killing off all six of Cornell's power-play opportunities.

Senior goaltender Taylor Nelson racked-up 22 saves to Iles' 19.

In Friday's opening round of tournament action, Ferris State earned a 2-1 decision over Denver, with goals coming courtesy of Johnston and freshman Simon Denis.

The Bulldogs (25-11-5 overall) are set to face Union (26-7-7) in the NCAA semi-finals on Thursday, April 5 at the Times-Forum in Tampa, Fla. The game can be seen on both ESPNU and ESPN3 at 4:30 pm.

Grand Rapids tabbed for 2013 regional

Courtesy of the NCAA

The NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee has selected the four regional sites for the 2013 Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship.

The four sites and regionals, being held between March 29-31, include: East Regional in Providence, R.I.; Northeast Regional in Manchester, N.H.; Midwest Regional in Toledo, Ohio; and the West Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Brown will serve as hosts for the East Regional and New Hampshire will host the Northeast Regional. Bowling Green will host the Midwest Regional and Michigan will host the West Regional.

"The committee has placed an emphasis in the regional rounds on neutral-site buildings with NHL-size ice surfaces," said Sean Frazier, chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee and associate athletic director at Wisconsin. "All of these facilities meet those standards, and we feel the arenas and hosts will be able to provide a tremendous championship opportunity for the student-athletes."

The 2013 Men's Frozen Four will be held in Pittsburgh at the Consol Energy Center, April 11 and 13. The 2012 championship will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., April 5 and 7.

Michigan falls one game short

By Bob Miller / Michigan Beat Writer

In the end, it just wasn't meant to be for Michigan in this year's Frozen Four final.

Maybe, it was that they were spent physically and emotionally from their upset win in the semifinal over North Dakota.

Maybe, in the end, Minnesota-Duluth was simply the better team.

If that were the case, they were better by just a little since it took sudden death overtime for the Bulldogs to win their first-ever national championship over a Michigan team that gamely held on even beyond regulation time.

The 3-2 final score, achieved by Minnesota-Duluth just over three minutes into overtime, gives a hint at the intensity of the nearly 64 minutes of hockey in the final.

For Michigan, the obvious emotion was the disappointment. For the record, Michigan was led offensively for the second straight game by Ben Winnett and defesively by the goaltending of Shawn Hunwick, but the Wolverine's own words describe it the story best.

"Tough loss," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. "I think looking at the big picture, St. Paul did a great job in hosting this, and the University of Minnesota. Everything was first class. This is a great hockey environment, and great attendance and great crowd. These players had a chance to play in a real special event, and I think obviously Minnesota Duluth is a proud champion. They should be. It's the first time they've won a national championship and good for them. They were the better team. Even though the game ended in overtime, it was a tough I didn't think our team really got to play their best hockey this weekend, for one reason or another. I don't know what it was. But it's a tough loss. Shawn Hunwick was terrific. He gave us a chance and it wasn't to be. The overtimes, you never know what happens."

Michigan assistant captain Louie Caporusso lauded his teammates, saying, "they've all been unbelievable, unbelievable all year. Look at a guy like Scooter (Vaughan) who stepped up and played an important role all year. And Ben Winnett had a great weekend. If it wasn't for him, I don't know if we would have been in the final game. Played unbelievable. Guys go unnoticed. A guy like Matt Rust goes unnoticed. Those guys win championships. They're in the shadows, unsung heros. They played unbelievable."

"I thought we had a strong defensive effort, faceoff goal, and a power play," said Hunwick. "Where Johnny makes a good play and the puck goes right back to the guy, a little bit of bad luck and there at the end in overtime, anything can happen. But it was a strong defensive effort. And we gave up 37 shots. But I thought the team played really well."

Caporusso summed up the whole experience.

"We all know Michigan hockey, we don't let up, usually we're the more dominant team," said an emotional Caporusso "We take pride in the cycle, keeping the puck in their zone and putting pressure on them. I don't think we had that for a sustained amount of time this weekend. But, I think on the other hand we played well defensively, everyone filing out to the net, branching out.

So just for whatever reason, it didn't click this weekend, but hopefully these guys will get it next time."

Wolverines downed in OT, 3-2

By Bob Miller/Michigan Beat Writer

The Michigan Wolverines' NCAA title hopes ended in heartbreaking fashion Saturday night as Minnesota-Duluth took a 3-2 win in overtime on a goal by Kyle Schmidt.

The title is the first for the Bulldogs.

Full story to follow ...

Michigan/Minnesota-Duluth: Line Charts

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Forwards
Carl Hagelin-Louie Caporusso-Chris Brown
Scooter Vaughan-Kevin Lynch-A.J. Treais
Ben Winnett-Matt Rust-Luke Glendening
Luke Moffatt-Jeff Rohrkemper-Derek DeBlois

Defense
Jon Merrill-Chad Langlais
Kevin Clare-Greg Pateryn
Lee Moffie-Mac Bennett

Goaltenders
Shawn Hunwick
Bryan Hogan

MINNESOTA-DULUTH BULLDOGS

Forwards
Mike Connolly-Jack Connolly-Justin Fontaine
Kyle Schmidt-Travis Oleksuk-J.T. Brown
Mike Seidel-Jake Hendrickson-Joe Basaraba
Keegan Flaherty-Max Tardy-David Grun

Defensemen
Justin Faulk-Mike Montgomery
Wade Bergman-Brady Lamb
Drew Olson-Trent Palm

Goaltenders
Kenny Reiter
Aaron Crandall

Michigan, Hunwick blank Fighting Sioux

By Bob Miller/Michigan Beat Writer

Shawn Hunwick pitched a shutout for Michigan just when they needed it most. The Wolverines' dimunutive netminder faced a barrage of 40 shots from top-seeded and top-ranked North Dakota in Thursday night's Frozen Four semifinal game and emerged unscathed. Hunwick's perfection led Michigan to a 2-0 win over the Fighting Sioux and a berth in Saturday's national championship final against Minnesota-Duluth.

Playing the underdog role perfectly as well, Michigan managed an early goal by senior forward Ben Winnett and then held on until Scooter Vaughan's empty-netter clinched the contest late in the third period.

"Well, if we could have planned a road game like this, this is how you'd plan it," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. "Just go to the first goal. It was huge against this team. You hate to play from behind against them, and especially if they got two. The one thing that we didn't plan was taking as many penalties as we took against their power play, and I thought we were lucky, and obviously or goalie has to be our best penalty killer.

"But our team hung on. And who would have thought that the first goal of the game would be the deciding goal. But you never know. You watch the earlier game, and there were, what, five goals scored in the first period. And this game you saw one goal scored in 59 minutes. So, it was that kind of a game. You never know. Our team is used to playing in close games, and I thought we were on our heels. We had to play in our own zone a lot. Everybody paid the price, and here we are."

Hunwick's solid goaltending has become a staple in Michigan's playoff success, both in CCHA conference playoff and NCAA tournament play. "I was pretty confident tonight," Hunwick said. "I think I'd rather be in a game like that than, you know, getting 15 checks against. Those are tough games. But when they keep coming at you, you gotta be ready. And our team did a great job tonight, and I felt like I was seeing it pretty well, like I said earlier. And it was a lot of fun."

Saturday's national championship final game sets up as a battle between offense and defense if you analyze the path Michigan and Minnesota-Duluth have followed to their final destination in St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

Michigan has ridden Hunwick's goaltending and solid team defensive play with timely scoring to the final. Minnesota-Duluth has used a potent offense, especially on the power play, to punch their ticket to the championship game.

"We'll refocus tonight," said Berenson, already preparing for the championship game. "I want them to enjoy it at least for a couple of hours and then we'll start thinking about tomorrow. And, we'll have tomorrow to think about Saturday, obviously.

"But this team right now, they're easy to coach. They're all on the same page. They're in sync. I don't know if they're surprised to be here, but they earned it in St. Louis and then again, they found a way to earn it tonight. And, they had to pay the price. So, we'll figure it out. But, they'll be ready."

Wolverines gearing up for North Dakota

By Matt Mackinder/MiCHO Managing Editor

The Michigan Wolverines are ready for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

The two teams' Frozen Four semifinal goes down tomorrow night in Minneapolis and Michigan head coach Red Berenson has his squad ready to play two more games this season.

"It is interesting that this senior class played their first ever college game in this building (Xcel Energy Center)," said Berenson. "We are proud to be here and we want to put our best foot forward in this tournament. Our program has been in this tournament since I have been here 11 times, only getting to the championship twice."

As for playing in front of a hostile crowd, the Wolverines know what they're in for against North Dakota.

"North Dakota is going to have a lot of fans here, but we’re not concerned about the rink or who is coming, we are just concerned with how we are going to play," senior forward Louie Caporusso said. "We have played in these types of atmospheres before where the other team is bringing a lot of noise. I don’t think it has affected us before. We like playing on the road, so if it’s a hostile atmosphere, so be it."

The seniors played against Boston College in Minneapolis in the season-opening game of the 2007-2008 season and have come full circle by playing the last games of their careers this weekend.

"Our freshman year was a different story (and) I don’t think anyone really knew what our team was going to do that year with 12 freshmen," senior forward Matt Rust said. "That was pretty much considered Kevin Porter’s team. I think starting off the season with a senior class that we have had, being such a tight-knit group that we are, I think we had one goal in mind and that was getting here, but none of us are truly satisfied with just getting here. My freshman year, there is still a bitter taste in my mouth just coming so close and losing in overtime, but other than the team, there really isn’t anything different."

Senior captain Carl Hagelin has led the Wolverines since September and plans on doing more of that against the Sioux.

"We all want to be here, so it doesn’t matter where we play," Hagelin said. "We just focus on our task and our task is to win that game tomorrow. Every guy on the team is excited. We don’t know if we will have more fans than them or not, but we will just go out and play our game."

Michigan heading back to Frozen Four

by Bob Miller / Michigan Beat Writer

Exactly eight days after laying a huge pre-Easter egg against Western Michigan in the CCHA playoff semifinals, Michigan played arguably the best game of their season, defeating Colorado College, 2-1, in the NCAA West Regional final in St. Louis.

The win earned the Wolverines a berth in the Frozen Four semifinals on April 7 in St. Paul, Minnesota, against the winner of Sunday's NCAA regional tussle between Denver and North Dakota.

Despite the slim one-goal margin, Michigan play dominantly offensively and nearly completely shut down Colorado College's freshman phenom, Jaden Schwartz.

"Obviously this was great, but this was about our team and the University of Michigan," said Red Berenson, referring to his NHL playing and coaching days in St. Louis. "My history is really irrelevant in terms of this building. We just wanted to get through the first game. For Colorado College to score like they did last night against arguably the best team in college hockey, might have put the fear of God in our team and made us play better out of respect. It's a good win for Michigan.

"I think we were prepared tonight. I talked to Coach (Billy) Powers and he looked at video and did a good job preparing our penalty killers. When they did get shots Shawn (Hunwick) was there. As much as we survived it, I thought we did a much better job on the PK than we did last time we played them over the Christmas break.

"I can't tell you that we tried to play any differently than we normally play, but I can tell you that I wasn't the only one to watch the game. All the players watched it on television back in the hotel and when you watch a game like that you really get a sense of respect for a team that you may not have gotten otherwise. The way that team went was just remarkable. I will say that when you score that many goals on one night, you can't buy one the next night and that's what happened tonight."

Scooter Vaughan (pictured), who showed his flexibility in a number of roles during the game, opened the scoring for Michigan barely two minutes into the game. Defenseman Lee Moffie had the other Wolverine goal to build a 2-0 lead.

Michigan then played strongly on offense, defense and special teams, narrowly failing to convert numerous scoring chances.

"It was a 2 on 4," said Vaughan, starting to describe his opening goal. "I really didn't notice it was that way. I knew my man was a little flat-footed. I just used my speed and got by him and got a good shot off above his glove.

"We knew that (Colorado College) are a good team. The line of the Schwartz brothers and Shultz we knew we had to shut them down and get on the boards. We got on them early and we had some great goalkeeping."

Shawn Hunwick provided that goaltending, holding the Tigers off the board until late in the third period, including the duration of a key penalty kill in the game's closing moments.

"I think they did have a few pretty good shots early on, but this is an opportunity to play for the Frozen Four," Hunwick pointed out. "I think I made a couple good saves. It's pretty easy to stay in the game when you're playing to go to the Frozen Four. They didn't really get anything going too much until they got into the power play. Once they got into the power play, I really had to be sharp."

"I say it all the time; I'm still shell-shocked," continued Hunwick. "I can't believe I'm playing hockey for Michigan. I'm so happy that Coach (Berenson) gave me the opportunity to come here and play for Michigan. To go back to the Frozen Four twice is something that my brother (Matt, who played defense for Michigan) was never able to do, even once, which is nice for me, but I'll give him a call tonight and remind him of that. I got texts tonight from guys who've played in the past. We're just happy that we can go back not only for us, but for our program and future players. It's a great tool for recruiting; I can't wait to be there."

Hunwick WILL be there on April 7 with the rest of his Wolverine teammates.

photo courtesy University of Michigan Athletics

Adrian off to Division III Frozen Four

Adrian Press Release

The Arrington Ice Arena was very quiet after 20 minutes of play last Saturday night.

Adrian saw themselves down 2-0 to Elmira College in a NCAA quarterfinal game after the Soaring Eagles scored twice on the nation's best penalty kill unit.

What happened next will be talked about in the community for a long time.

The Bulldogs staged a comeback for the ages with five straight goals, all at even strength, and propelled themselves into the NCAA Division III Frozen Four with a 5-3 win.

"We knew that we were playing well other than on the penalty kill in the first period," said senior forward Sam Kuzyk. "The shot total was in favor of us and we were out-playing them 5-on-5. We got a couple of greasy goals in front and the floodgates opened. It was a special moment to win on home ice in my final game at Arrington Ice Arena."

Kuzyk rose to the occasion scoring twice against Elmira. He netted a goal at 7:55 of the second period for his ninth of the season on a play where he had to fight for a rebound and smacked the puck past Elmira goaltender Darren MacDonald on Adrian's 17th shot on goal.

Linemate and fellow senior Brad Houston tied the game at 2-2 with his 14th of the season at 10:14. He also got a rebound and backhanded it after a Shawn Courtney blast off a faceoff led to the rebound.

The Bulldogs were just getting started as Shawn Skelly got into the act at 15:55 with a one-timer between the circles that went under MacDonald for his 100th career goal and 19th of the season. Eric Miller had an assist on the go-ahead goal, which was also his 200th career point.

Adrian suffocated Elmira in the first 1:23 of the third period and built their lead to 5-2. Kuzyk's second of the night at 1:07 came from Quinn Waller and Mike Dahlinger as Waller's blast off the boards came right to Kuzyk on the left pipe.

Joel Workman scored his eighth of the season just 16 seconds later off a rebound from Kyle Gallinger from the right point.

The Bulldogs had five goals in 10 shots on goal during the barrage.

Brock Sawyer got his second goal of the evening at 2:21 to make things a little interesting on a 4-on-4 situation.

Adrian closed things out as Elmira pulled MacDonald with 1:10 left, but could not threat the back of the net.

Adrian outshot Elmira, 29-23, on the night with four coming on a power play that went 0-for-5.

The Soaring Eagles finish the season at 17-7-4, while Adrian improves to 24-3-1.

Adrian will face Oswego State in the NCAA semifinals on Mar. 25 at 3:30 p.m. from Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. The two teams played last season with the Lakers winning 5-2 on Jan. 8, 2010, in Oswego. The Lakers were ranked No. 1 in the country at the time.

Boston College - National Champions

Photo by Karl Henkel / MiCHO

BC Eagles capture fourth national title

By Tom Balog / Live at the Frozen Four

It was a battle of David vs. David at Ford Field on Saturday night.

Two college hockey giants in Wisconsin and Boston College went toe to toe and in the end, it was the BC Eagles hoisting their fourth National Championship trophy.

Senior center Ben Smith rifled a power-play shot from between the rings and beat Scott Gudmandson five-hole at 12:37 of the opening period to give the BC Eagles a 1-0 lead. Brothers Steven and Joe Whitney were credited with the assists.

"It takes a full 60 minutes effort," said Smith. "I think we proved we could play at that level and it showed in our success"

Wisconsin battled back and outshot BC, 9-6, in the second period and it looked like the third period would be close.

Looks can be deceiving though as Boston College turned their game up again.

The 1-0 score held until 1:38 of the third when Cam Atkinson (pictured) came flying down the wing and let a backhander fly. It beat Gudmandson in the five-hole again for the sophomore’s 28th marker of the year and two-goal Eagle lead.

Just over two minutes later the Eagles added more insurance in the form of a Chris Krieder goal. Kreider tipped a Jimmy Hayes pass into the stick side to make it a 3-0 contest.

Atkinson added another nail in the Badger coffin at 7:20, beating the UW defense and Gudmandson through the five-hole for his second goal of the evening.

Matt Price added an empty-netter and that was more than enough to give the Eagles their second title in three years.

"We had a great journey," said Hobey Baker winner Blake Geoffrion. "Obviously right now we're pretty disappointed in our play today and they're a better team on the ice. We'll go back and reflect on the past couple of days here and look back on it and we should be proud of ourselves."

John Muse finished with 20 saves for the Eagles for his second shutout of the year and is also 8-0 in NCAA playoff games.

"I thought our club played very sound," said BC head coach Jerry York. "Johnny Muse was clearly on top of his game tonight. This is three championships in a row for Hockey East and I feel very excited about this championship."

Gudmandson made 21 stops on the other end in a losing effort.

All-Tournament Team
F- Boston College, Cam Atkinson
F- Boston College, Ben Smith
F- Boston College, Joe Whitney
D- Wisconsin, Brendan Smith
D- Boston College, Brian Dumoulin
G- Boston College, John Muse

Most Outstanding Player- Boston College, Ben Smith

Ice Chips…

- Boston College holds the edge in the all-time series with Wisconsin, 12-9-0.

- BC has as many wins in three days in Ford Field as the Detroit Lions have had in the last two seasons.

- Saturday’s game set a new world indoor hockey attendance record with 37,592 fans jammed into Ford Field.

- This was BC’s fourth trip to the championship game in five years and tenth overall.

- Saturday’s game was the third time Wisconsin played for the National Championship in Detroit. They won the title in 1977 by beating Michigan, 6-5, in overtime at Olympia Stadium. Then in 1990 they took down Colgate, 7-3, at Joe Louis Arena.

- BC head coach Jerry York now has four national titles. One at Bowling Green in 1984 and three with the Eagles in 2001, 2008 and 2010.

- RIT fans were still in full force, chanting RIT during breaks throughout the game.

Photo by Karl Henkel / MiCHO

West tops East, 10-6, in Skills Challenge

By Karl Henkel/At the Frozen Four

Detroit -- The State of Michigan had six representatives — including Wayne State women’s coach Jim Fetter — that participated in the NCAA Skills Competition at Ford Field Friday night.

The West won, 10-6, thanks in part to former Wayne State goaltender Lindsey Park’s victory in the rapid shot competition, which consisted of eight shots fired in succession at the goaltender.

“She showed why she’s one of our better goaltenders,” Fetter said of Park. “Just looking at the smile on her face, it’s a great way to finish her career at the collegiate level. Just seeing the smile on her face is what it’s all about.”

Park said just participating was enough for her.

“It was a lot of fun and it’s a great thing for women’s hockey to come and compete on a stage like this,” she said. “We don’t necessarily always get the recognition. I think it’s nice for even young girls and boys to see the talent that’s coming through women’s hockey.”

Other Michigan participants, all on the West squad, included Nick Sucharski (Michigan State), Zac MacVoy (Lake Superior State) and Pat Inglis (Lake Superior State). Tom Newton (Michigan State) also coached the West team.

After the teams split the puck control relay, the East took both points in the fastest skater event and then took two of three in the hardest shot contest. Thanks to Park, the West took all three in the rapid shot, then swept the accuracy shot before outscoring the East, 2-1, in the shootout.

Pictures by Karl Henkel/MiCHO

Three in-state players All-American

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Three players from Michigan-based schools were named AHCA All-Americans this evening at the Frozen Four.

Northern Michigan forward Mark Olver was a First Team honoree for the West side, while NMU teammate Erik Gustafsson and Michigan State's Jeff Petry were named the Second Team defensemen for the West.

All three gave up their final year of NCAA eligibility and signed NHL contracts recently - Olver with Colorado, Gustafsson with Philadelphia and Petry with Edmonton.

Wisconsin's Geoffrion wins Hobey Baker

Compiled by MiCHO Staff /At the Frozen Four

Certainly the family bloodlines don’t hurt, but Blake Geoffrion has established himself as one of the nation’s premiere players.

The tri-captain of the Wisconsin Badgers is a complete player.

Utilized in all situations, Geoffrion skates a regular shift, receives ample special teams time on both power play and penalty killing, takes key faceoffs (where he is a remarkable 60 percent on faceoffs) and has an amazing shooting percentage of 23 percent.

Geoffrion was named MVP of the West Regional and has 27 goals and 21 assists in 38 games ranking second in the nation in goal scoring while tied for first in the country with 14 power play goals.

Finishing second in the WCHA scoring race and topping the conference in goals and power play goals, he was selected as a First Team all-star.

And the family bloodlines? His dad Danny, granddad Bernie “Boom Boom” and his great grandpa Howie Morenz all played for the Montreal Canadiens. Boom Boom and Howie are both enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and have nine Stanley Cups between them.

Geoffrion is a consumer science major and spends time off the ice visiting UW Children’s Hospital, has been a mentor to a cancer patient and is a peer leader lending assistance to UW students.

Geoffrion, a Brentwood, Tenn., native, is a second round draft pick of Nashville.

Photo of Geoffrion with Hobey Baker Award committee chair Gary Haugan courtesy Dave Reginek

Colgate's Cox wins Hockey Humanitarian

Compiled by MiCHO Staff / at the Frozen Four

Colgate co-captain Ethan Fox was named the 15th recipient of the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award at Ford Field on Friday Evening.

The senior from Richmond, BC, began giving back to the community the moment he arrived at Colgate, becoming the team’s leader when it comes to community and charitable events.

He has helped raise over $14,000 in cash and donated items for local and national charities; in 2007-2008 alone, he raised $25,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Last November, his annual (combined) canned goods and toy drive netted its best result yet, raising over 1,000 in non-perishable food items, 150 toys (donated to the Interfaith Holiday Project) and $650 in cash.

"Without our fans, these events wouldn't be possible," said Cox, deflecting praise. "It speaks volumes on the local community that we can gather around a common cause and help the less fortunate during the holidays."

Photo courtesy Colgate Athletics

Wisconsin-BC pre-game notes

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

The Series – Boston College vs. Wisconsin

· Boston College holds the edge in the all-time series with Wisconsin, owning a record of 11-9-0. UW and BC have met in NCAA tournament games three times previously. Boston College defeated Wisconsin, 4-1, on March 25, 2000, in the second round in Minneapolis, while the Badgers defeated BC in the semifinals in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on March 20, 1990, 2-1, on the way to the 1990 NCAA title. Wisconsin also defeated BC in the 2006 NCAA Championship Game, 2-1, on April 8, 2006 in Milwaukee.

Boston College

· Boston College is making its fourth trip to the NCAA National Championship game in the last five years. In their most recent trip, the Eagles defeated Notre Dame, 2-1, to capture the school’s third national title. Overall, this is Boston College’s 10th appearance in the Men’s Frozen Four Championship game.

· BC head coach Jerry York is making his seventh trip to the NCAA Championship game and sixth during his tenure at Boston College. York won his first NCAA title in 1984, as he guided Bowling Green to the school’s only national championship. While at Boston College, York has earned two national championships, his first in 2001 and again in 2008. York owns a 3-4 record in championship games.

Wisconsin

· This marks the third time the Badgers will play for a National Championship in the city of Detroit. UW won the 1977 NCAA title at Olympia Stadium, beating Michigan, 6-5, in overtime. The Badgers also earned the NCAA Championship in 1990, taking down Colgate, 7-3, at Joe Louis Arena.

· The Badgers are appearing in the national title game for the ninth time in school history and the second time in the last four years. Wisconsin’s last trip to the Championship game was a successful one, as the Badgers took down Boston College, 2-1, in the 2006 NCAA title game held in Milwaukee.

· Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves is making his second appearance in the NCAA title game in just his ninth season behind the Badgers bench. Eaves was victorious in his only other trip to the championship game, beating Boston College, 2-1, during the 2006 title game.

· With five assists in Thursday’s semifinal win over RIT, Wisconsin junior Brendan Smith tied the Frozen Four record for helpers in a single game. The record is also held by Bob Poffenroth, a member of the 1969-70 Badgers squad. Poffenroth tallied five assists in a 6-5 victory over Michigan Tech in the third-place game.

Wisconsin press conference tidbits

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Wisconsin just met the press.

Some highlights:

Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves on whom his sons are rooting for and how Jerry York was bummed when he chose to play at Wisconsin:

“Well I’m going to use Patrick’s response, which I think is brilliant. He said in this situation they’re kind of in a win-win situation because they are going to win no matter what happens. Either their alma mater is going to win or their dad is going to win. I think that’s a great answer but it’s tough to remember back that far. I was 17 years old and I remember that my last two choices were between Michigan and Wisconsin. And I came to Wisconsin in the springtime and didn’t have a chance to see a game in the rink but I just fell in love with the campus and that’s where I felt the most comfortable in my heart. I went with that feeling."

Junior defenseman Brendan Smith on where he was during the Wisconsin championship game in 2006:

“I was already committed and I remember Earl’s goal but the one that really sticks in my mind was Tom Gilbert’s goal and all I said was ‘I want to be like that guy’ so Tommy Gilbert is a guy that I have always wanted to imitate. You watch him playing in the pros now, but after scoring that goal he was the guy I wanted to be. That’s what I remember.”

Junior goaltender Scott Gudmandson on handling pressure of playing goaltender throughout the season to get the national championship:

“I think I have handled it pretty well. I have been satisfied with how my season has gone so far. Obviously, my goal is to win a national championship and I’ll have that chance tomorrow night. I think I have played well and shown my ability throughout the year. I also have to give a lot of credit to the guys in front of me. We have a great defensive core, great forwards and I think that takes a lot of pressure off of me and leaves me a little room for error.”


Sophomore forward Derek Stepan on key moments throughout the season that helped get the team to this point:

“There were a bunch of turning points throughout the year. Some teams can get into a slump, but we had the Camp Randall Classic and the holiday tournament to get us amped back up again. Those were good turning points, but there were a bunch of them that helped us and got us going again.”

Stepan on what he can give to his team about defending Chris Kreider after playing with him at the New York Rangers camp and on the U.S. World Junior team:

“I was talking to Ryan Gardiner and Jake McDonagh about that today. If you give him a little space, you better turn around and skate hard because he can boogie. Chris is a strong forward. He can skate and shoots the puck well. The key is to get him before he gets going. We’re going to need great back pressure so that the defense can have good gaps and we’re going to have to try to shut him down as fast as we can.”

Eaves on the growth of the program back to where Wisconsin wants it to be:

“Well this is its eighth year. We came in and if you had a plan, you would hope that by the fourth year you would be competing for a national championship and that happened the first time around. I like the teams that we had but the only problem we had was that we were perpetually young. Now we have grown and we are an upperclassmen team since that championship team. There’s no college coach that would tell you different that that is a big, big factor. So we have a good group of young men, upperclassmen team talent, maturity, good goal-tending and when those things come together, they give you a chance to compete for a national championship. There’s not a magic formula. There really isn’t. We have been able to work this thought process we’ve had as a coaching staff and its brought us back here.”