College Hockey Update:  In Cincinnati today, North Dakota proved to once again be too much on the ice for an opposing team to handle, as they closed out the game on cruise control, headed straight for Tampa, Florida, and the Frozen Four.  In a blistering first period that saw North Dakota put 24 shots on goal, Michigan goalie Steve Racine was up to the task — until there was one minute left in the period and Drake Cagguila drove one in for the 1-0 North Dakota lead into the break.  Six minutes into the second, J.T. Compher scored for Michigan to tie it at one apiece.  And with only a minute left in the period, Luke Johnson scored for North Dakota to give them the 2-1 lead into the break.  In the third period the alarms went off for both teams, and after a frenetic start to the period, J.T. Compher started the scoring out by evening the score at two apiece nine minutes into the period, converting a power play.

But North Dakota responded just three minutes later when Rhett Gardner deflected a Paul Ladue shot off of Michigan goalie Steve Racine’s glove, breaking the tie, and then just a minute and fifteen seconds later Coltyn Sanderson scored again to give North Dakota a 4-2 lead. Michigan added an extra attacker with two minutes left, but only twenty seconds later, Paul Ladue found the empty net and gave North Dakota the final score of 5-2.  This outcome is not an upset in our pool as 22 entries picked North Dakota to win this game, more than any other team picked in this game.  North Dakota advances to the Frozen Four on Thursday, April 7th, where they will face the winner of tomorrow’s game between Denver and Ferris State.

Denver Crushes Boston University

In the late game in St. Paul, MN., Denver scored early, often, and at will against a hapless Boston University team that seemed to have some difficulty just skating on the ice.  While the first half of the first period seemed fairly even, the wheels started to come loose on the BU caboose with about six minutes left in the first when Blake Hillman put Denver on the board with a 1-0 lead.  BU had trouble doing very simple, basic things, like getting a pass from one player to another — and Denver wasn’t even pressuring BU when this was happening.  We don’t see a lot of games like this one, and that’s a very good thing.  With BU’s mistakes all over the ice, it was just two minutes later that Dylan added one to make it 2-0 Denver, and they took that lead into the break.  In the third the fun continued for the Pioneers, as Will Butcher scored on a power play goal only twenty-four seconds into the period, and three minutes later Matt Marcinew scored to make it 4-0 for Denver.  With four minutes left in the second, Evan Janssen scored to make it 5-0, Denver.  That was just the second period, mind you.  The third opened up and Charlie McAvoy decided to pour some gas on the smoldering embers that were everywhere around the BU players with a nasty hit that brought on a major five minute penalty, and BU helped out by committing another penalty and skating their three against Denver’s five.

At this point Denver was probably not trying to be abusive, but hey, enough jingling of your loose change in your hands is bound to send a quarter into a storm grate, and sure enough, Will Butcher slammed one home to make it 6-0 for Denver.  BU started to get some traction right about the time the guys from Denver were probably distracted, arguing over whether or not to have anchovies on the pizza tonight, and Danny O’Regan actually made a pretty nice goal from the left side, over the top of a sliding defender, and behind the goalie, shaving close to the post, to make it 6-1.  But a minute later Denver must have decided on that anchovy issue, and Trevor Moore zipped one in to make it a 7-1 game.  With fifteen seconds left, and Denver not exactly worried about losing the game, Mike Moran scored the final BU goal of the season, and the game ended 7-2 for Denver.  What a way to end a positively strange year for the BU Terriers, who managed to beat some pretty good teams, managed to lose to some teams having terrible seasons, and unable to get over obstacles and secure wins against some very good teams.  Denver, on the other hand, continued on the winning ways of its second half turnaround, although they should expect a much more serious game tomorrow than what they saw today.  This game is a minor upset in our pool as 27 entries had picked Boston University to win this game.  Denver advanced to play Ferris State tomorrow in St. Paul at 2:00pm Pacific Time on ESPNU.

Overtime Win For UMass-Lowell Over Yale

In a tight game by closely matched UMass-Lowell and Yale, it was Michael Fallon who got Lowell on the board first with his goal only four minutes into the first period. Frank DiChiara tied the score at 1-1 with about five minutes remaining in the first, and the teams went into the break tied at one.  Yale had a slim 9-8 shot advantage in the first.  A busy second period was highlighted by good goaltending, and with about five minutes left, Andy Hitchcock got one past Lowell goalie Kevin Boyle to give Yale the 2-1 lead, which they took into the break.  Lowell had a slim 12-11 shot advantage in the second.  Six minutes into the third Lowell’s Joe Gambardella scored to tie it at two apiece, where it stood at the end of regulation, despited Yale’s 16 shots on goal to Lowell’s ten.  In OT Yale took the first shot, and Boyle was there to defend again; but Joe Gambardella took the second and final shot of the game about two minutes into the period to give Lowell the 3-2 win.  This game is not an upset in our pool, as 25 entries had picked Lowell to win.  Lowell advances to play Quinnipiac tomorrow in Albany, NY, at 4:30pm Pacific Time on ESPNU.

That’s all for now.  Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

— Tom