The NCAA News - News and Features

April 7, 1997

Fighting Sioux rally to grab I hockey title

North Dakota overcame a 2-0 deficit with five second-period goals and held off Boston U., 6-4, to win the 50th annual Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship March 29 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

David Hoogsteen scored twice for the Fighting Sioux, including a breakaway goal from an errant clear that eluded Terriers goaltender Michel Larocque and knotted the score at 2-2 in the second stanza. Hoogsteen also scored North Dakota's fifth goal with just seconds left in the pivotal period after Boston U. had cut the Fighting Sioux's lead to 4-3.

Matt Henderson also scored twice and gave the Fighting Sioux the lead both times. Henderson's first goal was a short-handed goal in which he faked a shot to his left before beating Larocque to the net for a 3-2 edge.

Boston U. countered quickly with a power-play goal by Chris Kelleher before Henderson gave North Dakota the lead for good with a shot that beat Larocque stick-side.

After Hoogsteen's second goal, Boston U. crept to within one again at 5-4 when Jon Coleman converted a rebound with under a minute to play in the game, but North Dakota's Adam Calder scored an empty-netter down the stretch to ice the contest.

"We thought even though we were down, 2-0, we were getting opportunities," North Dakota head coach Dean Blais said. "After the first period, I just told them to stay with the game. Five goals in one period -- we've done it before -- but I never thought we'd do it in a national-championship game."

"I was obviously disappointed in our disintegration in the second period," Boston U. coach Jack Parker said. "We looked like we were in pretty good shape after the first period, but we were not playing up to our capabilities.

"We made some turnovers and lost our composure against a team that can jump on opportunities like those."

The title was North Dakota's sixth overall and first since 1987. The Fighting Sioux finished 31-10-2 while Boston U. completed a 26-9-6 campaign.

North Dakota's earned its trip to the championship game with a 6-2 semifinal conquest of Colorado College (25-15-4), last year's runner-up. Kevin Hoogsteen and Jason Blake each scored in a 33-second span to give the Fighting Sioux a 3-0 first-period lead. David Hoogsteen then teamed with Henderson for goals just 43 seconds apart in the second period to pad a 3-2 advantage.

The victory was North Dakota's fourth in six games against Colorado College this year.

Boston U. faced a daunting task in advancing to the final, having to fight past defending champion and heavily favored Michigan. But the Terriers held the Wolverines scoreless during five power-play opportunities and did not allow Michigan its second goal until under a minute remained in the game in posting a 3-2 victory.

The Terriers scored three unanswered goals in the second period, including Tommi Degerman's power-play goal from short range that eluded Wolverines' goaltender Marty Turco.

Michigan (35-4-4), top-ranked for all but one week of the campaign, was held to a season-low 20 shots on goal.

SEMIFINALS

North Dak. 6, Colorado Col. 2

Colorado Col. 1 1 0 -- 2

North Dak. 3 3 0 -- 6

First period: North Dak. -- Adam Calder (Matt Henderson, Mark Pivetz), 4:55; North Dak. -- Kevin Hoogsteen (Jay Panzer), 7:14; North Dak. -- Jason Blake (unassisted), 7:47; Colorado Col. -- Eric Rud (unassisted), 12:06. Penalties: North Dak. -- Peter Armbrust (roughing), 10:04; Colorado Col. -- Dan Peters (high-sticking), 12:57; Colorado Col. -- Bobby Needham (boarding), 17:00.

Second period: Colorado Col. -- Toby Petersen (unassisted), 2:04; North Dak. -- Henderson (Dane Litke), 3:58; North Dak. -- Dave Hoogsteen (Blake, Ian Kallay), 4:41; North Dak. -- Jesse Bull (unassisted), 12:32. Penalties: Colorado Col. -- Paul Johnson (cross-checking), 5:51; Colorado Col. -- Darren Clark (roughing), 17:10; North Dak. -- Mitch Vig (holding), 17:10.

Third period: Penalties: North Dak. -- Bull (hooking), 12:22.

Shots on goal: Colorado Col. 8-6-11 -- 25; North Dak. 16-15-10 -- 41. Saves: Colorado Col. -- Judd Lambert 32, Todd Gustin 3; North Dak. -- Aaron Schweitzer 23. Total penalties: Colorado Col. -- 4 for 8 min.; North Dak. -- 3 for 6 min. Attendance: 17,212.

Boston U. 3, Michigan 2

Boston U. 0 3 0 -- 3

Michigan 1 0 1 -- 2

First period: Michigan -- Warren Luhning (Mike Legg, John Madden), 14:00. Penalties: Boston U. -- Jeff Kealty (roughing), 5:56; Boston U. -- Bill Pierce (checking from behind, served by Peter Donatelli), 16:43; Boston U. -- Pierce (game misconduct), 16:43.

Second period: Boston U. -- Greg Quebec (Dan LaCouture), 7:59; Boston U. -- Chris Heron (Shawn Bates, Tom Poti), 13:30; Boston U. -- Tommi Degerman (Chris Drury, Poti), 16:21 (pp). Penalties: Boston U. -- Dan Ronan (interference), 9:34; Michigan -- Bobby Hayes (hooking), 14:41.

Third period: Michigan -- Brendan Morrison (Madden, Luhning), 19:03. Penalties: Boston U. -- Albie O'Connell (hooking), 3:37; Michigan -- Madden (hooking), 6:20; Boston U. -- O'Connell (cross-checking), 10:22.

Shots on goal: Boston U. 6-11-4 -- 21; Michigan 6-5-9 -- 20. Saves: Boston U. -- Michel Larocque 18; Michigan -- Marty Turco 18. Total penalties: Boston U. -- 6 for 23 min.; Michigan -- 2 for 4 min. Attendance: 17,375.

CHAMPIONSHIP

North Dak. 6, Boston U. 4

Boston U. -- 2 -- 1 -- 1 -- 4

North Dak. -- 0 -- 5 -- 1 -- 6

First period: Boston U. -- Peter Donatelli (Tom Poti), 8:44; Boston U. -- Chris Drury (Poti, Albie O'Connell), 15:08 (pp). Penalties: North Dak. -- Jesse Bull (hooking), 2:12; Boston U. -- Bill Pierce (interference), 4:47; Boston U. -- Chris Kelleher (interference), 9:40; North Dak. -- Matt Henderson (elbowing), 13:34.

Second period: North Dak. -- Curtis Murphy (Jay Panzer, Henderson), 7:06; North Dak. -- David Hoogsteen (unassisted), 8:38; North Dak. -- Henderson (unassisted), 12:35 (sh); Boston U. -- Kelleher (unassisted), 13:56 (pp); North Dak. -- Henderson (Adam Calder, Dane Litke), 15:49 (pp); North Dak. -- Hoogsteen (Murphy), 19:54. Penalties: Boston U. -- Greg Quebec (interference), 3:01; North Dak. -- Murphy (tripping), 11:44; North Dak. -- Mark Pivetz (interference), 13:12; Boston U. -- Matt Wright (interference), 15:02.

Third period: Boston U. -- Jon Coleman (Kelleher, Mike Sylvia), 19:24; North Dak. -- Calder (unassisted), 19:47 (en). Penalties: Boston U. -- Sylvia (cross-checking), 8:02; North Dak. -- Mitch Vig (holding), 11:44; North Dak. -- Henderson (interference), 17:09.

Shots on goal: Boston U. 11-10-8 -- 29; North Dak. 10-16-4 -- 30. Saves: Boston U. -- Michel Larocque 24; North Dak. -- Aaron Schweitzer 25. Total penalties: Boston U. -- 5 for 10 min.; North Dak. -- 6 for 12 min. Attendance: 17,537.