College Hockey Update: Boston College got on the board right away in a fairly evenly played first period of the late Frozen Four semifinal game, and took the 1-0 lead into the first break. Michigan managed a slight 9-6 shots advantage, but Will Smith came from the backside with a quick shot (assist by Gabe Perreault) that snuck in under the bar only a minute into the game for the early 1-0 lead. The two teams stalemated the next nineteen minutes.

After twelve more minutes of stalemated, fairly even play in the second, BC sort of cut loose when Will Smith struck again (assist by Gabe Perreault again), this time from behind the net, and off the skate of a Michigan defender and into the net for the 2-0 lead. Only a minute later it was Cutter Gauthier who forced a turnover, picked up the puck, and drove to the net, firing in a shot past the Michigan goalie for the 3-0 lead. BC had a slight shots advantage of 8-6 in the period.

Only five minutes into the third Gabe Perreault picked off a neutral zone pass, flew into the Michigan zone, hooked around the net and slid the puck in with a wrap-around shot to extend the BC lead to 4-0. Michigan did a lot to make a game of it, out-shooting BC 17-8 in the period (over half of Michigan’s shots came in the third), but a stout defensive effort by BC kept Michigan off the board and BC took the 4-0 win. BC advanced to play Denver for the national championship.

The outcome of this game is not an upset in our pool as 24 entrants picked BC to win it vs. only 3 who picked Michigan; 6 picked North Dakota, 5 picked Michigan State, 1 picked Michigan Tech, 1 picked Quinnipiac, and 1 picked Wisconsin.

That’s all for now.

Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

— Tom