College Hockey Update: This provides a (very late) look at the tournament games that brought us to this point; this page provides the two games played on Sunday, March 31st.

BOSTON COLLEGE SURVIVES QUINNIPIAC ASSAULT

College Hockey Update: Boston College and Quinnipiac played a fast-paced first period with solid defensive play to a scoreless tie, with BC out-shooting Quinnipiac 15-10. Then came the second. The defending national champion Quinnipiac Bobcats made it clear they wanted to go back for more, as they netted a power play goal a minute into the period, and then a full-strength goal thirty-three seconds later, for the 2-0 lead. But Boston College responded quickly when Ryan Leonard scored a power play goal trim the deficit to 2-1. We aren’t close to finished here. Nine minutes later Andre Gasseau lit up the board again for BC, and it was tied at two apiece. Four minutes later another Quinnipiac goal put them up again, at 3-2. But two minutes later Ryan Leonard found the net on another power play goal, and tied it up at three apiece, the score going into the second break. Quinnipiac out-shot BC 12-9 in a wildly entertaining second period. Whew! The third played out as a more defensive period, and Aram Minnetian gave BC the 4-3 lead with only five minutes left to play. Quinnipiac ended up out-shooting BC 7-4 in the third, culminating in a power play goal for the Bobcats with sixteen seconds left, tying it at 4-4 and forcing overtime. In OT Boston College came out with driving energy, out-shot Quinnipiac 4-1, and Jack Malone scored only three minutes into the period to get BC the 5-4 OT win. BC advanced to the Frozen Four to play the winner of the Michigan vs. Michigan State game to be played later in the day.

The outcome of this game is not an upset in our pool as 31 entrants picked BC to win it vs. only 2 who picked Quinnipiac; 5 picked Wisconsin, and three picked Michigan Tech.

ANOTHER BIG MICHIGAN THIRD PERIOD BURIES MICHIGAN STATE

College Hockey Update: Michigan gave up an early power play goal to Michigan State six minutes into an evenly played first period of the Maryland Heights (St. Louis), MO. Regional Final, and went into the first break down 1-0. Michigan managed a slight edge in shots on goal, 13-11. The second period played in a strikingly similar way to the first with shots on goal even at 11 apiece, but — Ethan Edwards got Michigan on the scoreboard six minutes into the period to tie it up at 1-1, the score going into the second break. Then came the third. Marshall Warren scored six minutes into the period to put Michigan up 2-1, but Michigan State scored another power play goal four minutes later to tie it at two apiece. Here we go: Michigan then scored on goals by Dylan Duke, with seven minutes left, Gavin Brindley, twelve seconds later, and Dylan Duke again (assist by Gavin Brindley), with two minutes remaining, to make it 5-2, the final score, and to make for a very entertaining third period. Michigan advanced to play Boston College in the Frozen Four.

The outcome of this game is an upset in our pool, as 15 entrants picked Michigan State to win it vs. only 6 who picked Michigan; 20 picked North Dakota.

FROZEN FOUR GAME RECAPS ARE NEXT

AS OF THE TIME OF THIS POSTING, the NCAA Hockey Championship game between Boston College and Denver HAS BEEN DECIDED. Recaps of the three Frozen Four Games will be posted tomorrow.

That’s all for now.

Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

— Tom