The NCAA News - News and Features

March 30, 1998

Middlebury first III school to take four consecutive hockey titles

With an enrollment of slightly more than 2,000 students, Middlebury is one of the smaller NCAA member schools.

In NCAA men's ice hockey, however, Middlebury is a giant.

Filip Jirousek and Nickolai Bobrov each tallied goals, and the goaltending duo of Francois Bourbeau and Chris Farion combined to stymie Wisconsin-Stevens Point as Middlebury won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship March 21 at Plattsburgh State.

Middlebury held off the Pointers, 2-1, to become the first Division III school and only the second NCAA school in any division to claim four consecutive ice hockey titles.

Bemidji State claimed four consecutive Division II crowns, winning titles in 1984 and from 1993 through 1995 (there was no Division II championship from 1985 through 1992).

Middlebury, 24-2-2 for the season, capped a 25-game unbeaten streak (23-0-2) in winning the title. The Panthers defeated Augsburg, 5-2, to advance to the final. They never have lost a game in NCAA championship competition (16-0 record).

Wisconsin-Stevens Point (23-11), which defeated host Plattsburgh State, 8-2, to advance to the championship game, finished second for the second time.

Plattsburgh State exploded for six first-period goals and held off Augsburg, 9-5, in the third-place game.

"All the players on the team have worked so hard, not only this year but over the last four years," said Middlebury coach Bill Beaney. "You don't win championships without having a strong foundation of caring for each other and having players who have character."

As they did in three of four championship games, Middlebury netted the game's first goal as Jirousek beat Pointers goaltender Bobby Gorman 13 minutes into the opening period. The Panthers outshot the Pointers, 20-7, in the first period and 45-23 for the game.

Bobrov scored what proved to be the championship-winning goal slightly more than halfway through the second period when he banged in a rebound for his third championship goal.

"All year, coach Beaney has been telling me to pick up the trash so to speak, get the rebounds and that's what I did," Bobrov said. "I just saw the rebound and I put it in."

Wisconsin-Stevens Point crept within a goal at 17:01 of the second period as David Boehm beat Farion to keep the Pointers' hopes alive.

But Wisconsin-Stevens Point could not net the equalizer, as Bourbeau turned back the remainder of the Pointers' shots to secure the title.

"They're a great hockey team and they are going to be great champions for the fourth time," said Pointers coach Joe Baldarotta. "We knew coming in here that they were great champions and that we were going to have to do some things differently than we are normally used to doing in the defensive zone and on the forecheck."

Eric Seidel, Joe Russo and Mike Daoust each tallied in a 1:55 span late in opening period of the third-place game to break a 3-3 tie and propel the Plattsburgh State (26-8-1) past Augsburg (21-8-4).

Seidel scored two goals and assisted on four others to equal the championship record for points in a game (six) and lead the Cardinal attack. Plattsburgh State fired 45 shots on goal, including 25 in the first-period onslaught.

Seidel was the championship's leading scorer, registering 11 points (five goals and six assists) in four games.

SEMIFINALS

Middlebury 5, Augsburg 2

Augsburg -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- 2

Middlebury -- 2 -- 2 -- 1 -- 5

First period: Middlebury--Mark Spence (Ben Barnett, John Giannacopoulos), 10:15 (pp); Middlebury--Spence (Curt Goldman, Giannacopoulos), 18:55 (pp). Penalties: Augsburg--Kris Arro (slashing), 4:09; Augsburg--Steve LaMere (interference), 9:47; Middlebury--Nickolai Bobrov (cross-checking), 13:41; Augsburg--Ryan McIntosh (interference), 18:24.

Second period: Augsburg--Chris McLeod (John Bramer, Martin Hlinka), 9:57; Middlebury--Emil Jattne (Matt Skoglund, Francois Gravel), 14:39; Middlebury--Cam Petke (David Bracken, Jattne), 19:59. Penalties: Middlebury--Giannacopoulos (delay of game), 1:07; Middlebury--Ryan Goldman (hooking), 6:41; Augsburg--Todd Cary (holding the stick), 7:03; Middlebury--Bracken (interference), 7:53; Middlebury--Skoglund (cross-checking), 16:50.

Third period: Augsburg--Bramer (Cary), 3:26; Middlebury--Giannacopoulos (R. Goldman, C. Goldman), 10:48. Penalties: Augsburg--Pat Griswold (slashing), 6:35; Augsburg--Bramer (hitting after the whistle), 9:06; Middlebury--Scott Goldman (hitting after the whistle), 9:06.

Shots on goal: Augsburg -- 1-9-7 -- 17; Middlebury -- 17-15-8 -- 40. Saves: Augsburg -- McIntosh 35; Middlebury -- Chris Farion 15. Penalties: Middlebury -- 6 for 12 min.; Augsburg -- 6 for 12 min.

Wis.-Stevens Point 8, Plattsburgh St. 2

Wis.-Stevens Point -- 2 -- 3 -- 3 -- 8

Plattsburgh St. -- 0 -- 2 -- 0 -- 2

First period: Wis.-Stevens Point--Ryan Maxson (Casey Howard, Marco Capizzano), 1:22; Wis.-Stevens Point--Mikhail Salienko (Will Nichol, Derek Toninato), 14:39 (pp). Penalties: Plattsburgh St.--Mark Ferullo (misconduct), 0:38; Wis.-Stevens Point--Mike Slobodnik (hooking), 4:30; Wis.-Stevens Point--Slobodnik (roughing), 10:57; Plattsburgh St.--Joe Russo (roughing), 10:57; Plattsburgh St.--Russo (hooking), 14:10; Wis.-Stevens Point--David Boehm (cross-checking), 17:54.

Second period: Wis.-Stevens Point--Maxson (Howard, Capizzano), 2:01; Plattsburgh St.--Eric Silverman (Matt Warren, Eric Seidel), 5:41 (pp); Plattsburgh St.--Steve Moffat (Tracey Belanger, Jason Desloover), 7:18 (pp); Wis.-Stevens Point--Slobodnik (Toninato, Salienko),