The Boston University Terriers were not there, but the University of Minnesota and the University of New Hampshire still faced off for NCAA hockey supremacy at this weekend’s Frozen Four in Buffalo, N.Y.
Minnesota captured its second consecutive national championship Saturday, becoming the first team to win back-to-back titles in 31 years.
The last team to do it?
The Terriers, in 1971 and 1972. The championship was also Minnesota’s fifth, moving the Gophers one ahead of BU on the all-time list.
The team that left the Icedogs on the doorstep Hockey East rival University of New Hampshire did advance to Buffalo, but fell just short of the ultimate prize.
After the Wildcats hung even with the Golden Gophers for two periods, Minnesota freshman Thomas Vanek opened the floodgates on New Hampshire goalie Michael Ayers 8:14 into the third. Ayers, who shut out the Terriers in the last three meetings between the teams, including the Hockey East Championship game and the NCAA Regional Final, was unable to stop the Minnesota onslaught.
Vanek broke in on Ayers’ stick side, but held onto the puck longer than the junior goalie expected, causing him to slide across the crease as the Austrian slid it past the helpless Wildcat and into the back of the net. The goal put Minnesota ahead 2-1, and proved to be the game-winner. Vanek also had the game-winning goal in overtime in the semifinal against the University of Michigan, and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Minnesota followed with two more goals in the next 5:20 to gain a 4-1 lead. Barry Tallackson closed the scoring with his second goal an empty-netter for the 5-1 victory, and the team rushed sophomore goalie Travis Weber in celebration as time expired.
‘I grew up playing with a lot of those guys,’ said BU sophomore forward and Minnesota native Justin Maiser, who was also recruited by the University of Minnesota. ‘It was nice to see them out there winning it. But unfortunately, it wasn’t us.’
The loss left a bitter taste in the mouths of the New Hampshire players and coach Dick Umile the Wildcats are still looking for their first-ever national title.
The championship match-up was set up on Thursday with a pair of 3-2 games in the semifinals. In the early game, Northeast Regional Champion New Hampshire knocked off standout goalie Dave LeNeveau and the East Champs, Cornell University. It took Vanek’s overtime goal for the Western Champion Gophers to defeat Midwest Regional Champ Michigan in the late game.
Next year, the Frozen Four comes to the FleetCenter in Boston, as Minnesota will try to cap off the first NCAA hockey three-peat since Michigan did it in 1951-53, while the Terriers will try to win their first in nine years.
‘We’ll be there,’ Maiser said optimistically, though he added a bit of realism. ‘Hopefully.’