DENVER BEATS MICHIGAN IN OT THRILLER

In the first semifinal game of the Frozen Four in Boston, Denver and Michigan battled every step of the way.  Brett Stapley got Denver on the board when he scored eleven minutes into the first, to make it 1-0, the score going into the first break.  Denver’s play in the neutral zone was effective at limiting Michigan’s high powered players, and as a result, Denver had a 7-4 shot advantage in the first.  This would be a recurring theme in this game, and it continued in the second period, but Michigan was opportunistic and scored four minutes into the second, to tie it at one apiece.  The two skated the next sixteen minutes to a scoreless stalemate, and it was tied at one going into the second break.  Denver did seem to have the momentum in most of the period, outshooting Michigan 9-5.  The Denver momentum continued in the third, and a Cameron Wright goal six minutes into the period extended the Denver lead to 2-1.  But Michigan again responded, this time only three minutes later, to tie it up at 2-2.  While the Denver momentum continued, so did Michigan’s ability to stand up to it and hold Denver off, and the next eleven minutes went scoreless, sending the game to OT.  Michigan had the momentum and put on a new level of pressure in OT.  Denver fought to stay in the game, and the two teams were knotted in shots at seven apiece.  Michigan attempted to transition into offense fifteen minutes into overtime but didn’t secure the puck as two players seemed to hold off for each other.  A breakdown.  Seems in this OT it would have to come down to a mistake, and here was a big and bad one.  Denver picked it up, a couple of passes, and a Carter Savoie shot attempt followed by an own-rebound shot, and the game was over.  Didn’t seem over possible ten seconds earlier, but that’s how this one ended, Denver winning 4-3.  Denver advanced to play Mankato State in the NCAA Frozen Four Championship game today at 5:00PM Pacific Time on ESPN2.  This outcome was something of an upset in our pool, as only ten participants picked Denver, compared to thirteen who picked Michigan.  Six picked Minnesota-Duluth, three for St. Cloud State, and one for Michigan Tech.

MANKATO DOMINATES MINNESOTA

Minnesota scored first about halfway through the opening period, and held on to take the 1-0 lead into the first break.  That was a really good accomplishment, considering that they were out-shot 11-4 in the first.  But Benton Maass tied it up for Mankato seven minutes into the second, and then Reggie Lutz gave Mankato the 2-1 lead when he scored seven minutes later, in a period in which Mankato again had the momentum and held a lesser shots advantage of 10-7.  In the third Mankato’s domination continued, and Ondrej Pavel scored to give Mankato their insurance goal and 3-1 lead only two minutes into the frame.  With seven minutes left in the period David Silye score the nail-in-the-coffin goal, extending the Mankato lead to 4-1.  The with a minute left in the game, Brendan Furry scored into an empty net to make the final 5-1, Mankato State.  This is the second year in a row that Mankato State has sent Minnesota packing for home.  Mankato State advanced to play Denver in the NCAA Frozen Four Championship game today at 5:00PM Pacific Time on ESPN2. The outcome of this game was not an upset, as fourteen participants picked Mankato, compared to nine who picked Minnesota.  Four picked Western Michigan, three picked Massachusetts, two for North Dakota, and one for Northeastern.

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

— Tom