Just when it looked like their dream was about to become a chilly nightmare for the fourth time in as many years, Krys Kolanos delivered Boston College what his coach would later call “Our Father Shot.”
Carrying a two-goal lead into the final minutes of their fourth consecutive Frozen Four, it appeared the Eagles had fallen victim to the same affliction — and team — that had plagued them in previous years, squandering the lead to the Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota in the final minute of Saturday night’s national championship game in Albany, N.Y.
However, 4:43 into overtime, Kolanos, a sophomore forward, immortalized himself in the history of the Heights.
Taking a pass from linemate Chuck Kobasew and breaking into the North Dakota zone, Kolanos skated to the right face-off circle before cutting in front of the North Dakota crease, avoiding sprawling goalie Karl Goehring and sweeping the puck into the empty net, avenging last year’s title game setback and bringing the title to Chestnut Hill.
In Boston, as the players celebrated on the Pepsi Arena ice, BC students partied in the campus streets. The ceremonies continued yesterday, as about 3,900 “SuperFans” commemorated the champs at a Conte Forum celebration 52 years in the making.
“Boston has finally got a national champion,” said Mayor Thomas Menino. “What a year they have had: the Hockey East, the Frozen Four and the National Championship.”
Menino and Gov. Paul Cellucci were both presented with personalized jerseys by the Eagles, and in one of his final acts as governor, Cellucci declared yesterday “Boston College Eagles Hockey Day” in Massachusetts.
Cellucci, a 1970 and 1973 graduate of BC, praised the team for its determination, perseverance and good sportsmanship, saying the team “kept fighting until they attained the national championship for Boston College.”
A big part of the Eagles’ success this season came because of its strong senior class, according to Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo. The members of the class, which won a school record 117 games over four years and reached the national title game three times, also hold 12 individual school records, including all-time leading goal scorer, captain Brian Gionta, and winningest goaltender, Scott Clemmensen.
“There may be a senior class in the future who will accomplish some of the things you did,” DeFilippo told the seniors yesterday, “but there’ll never be a senior class that will do what you did.”
Head coach Jerry York, touted by DeFilippo as “the best hockey coach in America,” titled Kolanos’ goal the “Our Father Shot” after seeing Gionta speaking with Doug Flutie following the championship game. Flutie, a former BC quarterback, defeated the University of Miami in 1984 with a pass that has since been known simply as “the Hail Mary.”
“In this past year, we have perhaps the best collection of players to ever wear the BC sweater,” said York, who himself played for the Eagles in the mid-1960s. “I’m very proud of the journey from September. They’ve represented a world-class university in a world-class manner.”
World Boxing Association heavyweight champion and Chelsea native Johnny Ruiz was also on hand to commemorate the team, and York said the situation BC faced Saturday night was similar to when Ruiz got up off the mat to defeat Evander Holyfield, an experience he conveyed to the team last week.
“We were in a very similar situation, with North Dakota scoring two late goals and our team rallying,” York said.
The team’s captains thanked the fans, first verbally and then by raising their sticks in the air, a tradition symbolic of a BC victory.
“The feeling right now is really indescribable,” said alternate captain Mike Lephart. “We’ve had an unbelievable run, and I guess it’s just setting in right now.”
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