The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- March 29, 1999

Middlebury extends ice hockey dominance with 5-0 triumph

Middlebury added to its supremacy in Division III ice hockey by claiming an unprecedented fifth consecutive title at Norwich March 20.

Nickolai Bobrov and Ben Barnett scored two goals apiece and Jon Marsh turned back all 12 Wisconsin-Superior shots as the Panthers blanked the Yellowjackets, 5-0.

The victory enabled Middlebury to become the first NCAA team to win five consecutive titles and also the first Division III program to win five titles. The Panthers, who dropped their first game of the tournament, a 4-2 decision at St. Norbert on March 12, reeled off three consecutive wins to improve their championship record to 19-1. Middlebury defeated Rochester Institute of Technology, 9-3, in semifinal action.

"Of the five championships, this one is probably the most satisfying," said Middlebury coach Bill Beaney. "We went through a rough stretch early in the season, but we improved as the season went on. I couldn't be prouder of a group of young men."

Wisconsin-Superior (22-8-3), which defeated host Norwich, 4-2, in the semifinals, finished runner-up for the second time in three years and third time overall.

Norwich (27-2-2), which served as host for the first time, defeated Rochester Institute of Technology (26-3-2), 9-3, in the third-place game.

Middlebury secured its place among the NCAA elite as Bobrov and Barnett each registered goals in both the first and second periods.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead as Bobrov and John Giannacopoulos combined to set up Barnett for a power-play goal from the left point with seven minutes, 47 seconds remaining in the first period. Bobrov, who scored the championship-winning goal in the Panthers' 2-1 victory over Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1998, struck again less than five minutes later for a 2-0 advantage. Bobrov and Barnett broke the game open with two more goals in the first 6:34 of the second period. Jack Kennedy closed out the scoring with 57 seconds left in the period.

Middlebury outshot the Yellowjackets, 10-3, in the second period and 32-12 overall.

"It's been such a roller-coaster of a season and it's been an unbelievable ride. I can't believe this feeling," said Bobrov, who assisted on two Panthers goals in the championship game.

Staked to a five-goal lead, Marsh turned back all five third-period shots by the Yellowjackets to record the first shutout in the championship game since the Panthers blanked Fredonia State, 1-0, in 1995.

"No one was going to beat them tonight," said Wisconsin-Superior coach Steve Nelson. "They showed why they're such great champions."

In the third-place game, Aaron Phelan scored three goals as Norwich tallied six power-play goals to defeat Rochester Institute of Technology.

CHAMPIONSHIP SUMMARY

First round: At St. Norbert: St. Norbert 4, Middlebury 2; Middlebury 6, St. Norbert 3; Middlebury 2, St. Norbert 0 (minigame) (Middlebury advances). At Rochester Inst.: Rochester Inst. 7, Amherst 2; Rochester Inst. 6, Amherst 2 (Rochester Inst. advances). At Wis.-Superior: Wis.-Superior 5, St. Thomas (Minn.) 5; Wis.-Superior 4, St. Thomas (Minn.) 3 (Wis.-Superior advances). At Norwich: Norwich 4, Plattsburgh St. 4; Norwich 3, Plattsburgh 2 (Norwich advances).

Semifinals and final (March 19-20 at Norwich): Middlebury (19-5-1) vs. Rochester Inst. (26-1-2); Wis.-Superior (21-7-3) vs. Norwich

SEMIFINALS

Middlebury 9, Rochester Inst. 3

Middlebury 2 6 1--9

Rochester Inst. 1 2 0--3

First period: M -- David Bracken (Matt Skoglund), 9:17 (sh); M -- Jeff Anastasio (Scott Goldman, Grayson Fertig), 10:37; R -- Matt Garver (Patrick Staerker), 15:29. Penalties: M -- Anastasio (high-sticking), 8:09; R -- Peter Constantine (roughing), 12:03; R -- Jerry Galway (hooking), 16:57.

Second period: R -- Derrick Hahn (Kyle Edwards, Jon Day), 2:24; M -- Curt Goldman (S. Goldman, Nickolai Bobrov), 4:45; M -- Ross Sealfon (S. Goldman, Bobrov), 6:53 (sh); R -- Lamer Payed (Hahn, Day), 9:49 (pp); M -- Sealfon (C. Goldman, Ben Barnett), 11:55 (pp); M -- Sealfon (Skoglund), 12:55; M -- C. Goldman (Bobrov, Barnett), 16:04; M -- C. Goldman (S. Goldman, Scot Curtin), 18:55. Penalties: R -- Mike Gargiles (boarding), 2:42; M -- Bench (too many men), 5:35; M -- S. Goldman (interference), 7:38; M -- Sealfon (playing w/broken stick), 8:12; R -- Adam Driscoll (boarding), 10:48; R -- Constantine (cross-checking), 14:34; R -- Wesley Blevins (cross-checking), 17:12; M -- Skoglund (slashing), 19:36.

Third period: M -- Andrew Campbell (Jason Mikula, Curtin) 13:15 (pp). Penalties: R -- Day (boarding), 2:47; M -- Bobrov (charging), 6:23; M -- Bracken (charging), 8:20; R -- Day (interference), 9:49; R -- Galway (cross-checking), 13:07; M -- Curtin (holding the stick), 13:42; R -- Gargiles (boarding), 14:25; R -- Gargiles (charging), 16:30; R -- Peter Bournazakis (roughing), 18:38.

Shots on goal: Middlebury 14-19-8 -- 41; Rochester Inst. 7-6-8 -- 21. Saves: M -- Jon Marsh 18; R -- Jamie Morris 32. Penalties: M -- 8 for 16 min.; R -- 12 for 24 min.

Wis.-Superior 4, Norwich 2

Wis.-Superior 1 3 0--4

Norwich 2 0 0--2

First period: N -- Bryce Herperger (Curt Healey, Keith Aucoin), 9:10 (pp); N -- Herperger (Marc Bellemare, Aucoin), 11:31 (pp); W -- Steve Wiggins (Kevin Paschal), 18:48 (pp). Penalties: W -- Kris Wilson (holding the stick), 2:31; N -- Healey (charging), 3:14; W -- Wilson (roughing), 7:44; W -- Tim Walsh (hitting from behind, game misconduct), 10:52; N -- Jason Mone (interference), 16:50; N -- Casey Beaulac (hitting after whistle), 19:14; W -- Scott Wagner (hitting after whistle), 19:14; W -- Mike Stewart (cross-checking), 19:55.

Second period: W -- Wiggins (Bryan Grycan, Jeff Glowa), 15:03 (pp); W -- Wiggins (Wagner, Paschal), 17:09; W -- Wilson (Chris Chelios, Grycan), 18:04. Penalties: N -- Aaron Phelan (holding the stick), 2:35; W -- Randy Barker (holding), 5:17; W -- Glowa (cross-checking), 7:24; N -- Aucoin (hitting from behind), 13:35; N -- Bench (too many men), 14:07.

Third period: No scoring. Penalties: N -- Jim Nagle (hooking), 5:34; N -- Warren Ayers (elbowing), 8:32; N -- Keith Maurice (tripping), 12:22; W -- Melan Tomaka (hitting after whistle), 13:09; W -- Clint Johnson (tripping), 16:37.

Shots on goal: Wis.-Superior 10-13-3 -- 26; Norwich 11-16-9 -- 36. Saves: W -- Keith Bartholomeus 34; N -- Nate Eusko 22. Penalties: W -- 9 for 21 min.; N -- 9 for 18 min.

THIRD PLACE

Norwich 9, Rochester Inst. 2

Norwich 3 1 5--9

Rochester Inst. 0 2 0--2

First period: N -- Marc Bellemare (Greg Ducluzeau, Keith Aucoin), 7:27 (pp); N -- Curt Healey (Bellemare, Bryce Herperger), 11:13; N -- Aucoin (Healey, Bellemare), 14:32 (pp). Penalties: N -- Greg Ducluzeau (interference), :58; R -- Michael Gargiles (holding the stick), 6:54; R -- Wesley Blevins (slashing), 7:17; R -- Gargiles (charging), 13:19; N -- Jim Nagle (hitting after whistle), 13:19; R -- Jeff Ozminkowski (interference), 14:19; R -- Steve Fukes (roughing), 15:10; N -- Herperger (roughing), 15:10; R -- McAllister King (slashing), 16:36; N -- Casey Beaulac (slashing), 15:36; N -- Ducluzeau (elbowing), 17:41; N -- Healey (hooking),18:27; N -- Bellemare (high-sticking) 19:38.

Second period: R -- Derrick Hahn (Pat Staerker), 1:17 (pp); R -- Jonathan Day (Hahn, Kyle Edwards), 1:23; N -- Aaron Phelan (Mike Ludwar, Nagle), 4:06 (pp). Penalties: R -- Adam Driscoll (interference), 3:00; R -- King (slashing), 4:22; R -- Hahn (cross-checking), 5:13; R -- Day (misconduct), 5:13; N -- Ducluzeau (tripping), 6:36; R -- Matt Garver (hitting from behind), 7:41; N -- Matt Moran (spearing, game misconduct), 10:03; R -- Peter Bournazakis (holding), 17:39; R -- Peter Constantine (interference), 18:32.

Third period: N -- Phelan (Beaulac, Rob Jackson), 2:20; N -- Healey (Aucoin, Herperger), 6:23 (pp); N -- Nagle (Aucoin), 7:55 (sh); N -- Phelan (Ducluzeau, Jackson), 19:36 (pp); N -- Shane Combres (Jason Mone), 19:56 (pp). Penalties: N -- Jason Lumsden (holding), 3:27; R -- Gargiles (interference), 6:15; N -- Phelan (interference), 7:05; R -- Blevins (interference), 8:39; N -- Ducluzeau (interference), 10:20; R -- Constantine (roughing), 13:01; N -- Phelan (roughing), 13:01; R -- Bournazakis (misconduct), 14:24; N -- Lumsden (misconduct), 14:24; R -- Constantine (elbowing), 15:36; R -- Scott Jones (charging), 19:11; R -- Fukes (hitting after whistle), 19:11; R -- Brian Wenzel (hitting after whistle, misconduct), 19:36.

Shots on goal: Norwich: 13-14-14 -- 41; Rochester Inst. 10-8-6 -- 24. Saves: N -- Nate Eusko 22; R -- Jeff Ozminkowski 32. Penalties: N -- 13 for 39 min.; R -- 22 for 68 min.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Middlebury 5, Wis.-Superior 0

Wis.-Superior 0 0 0--0

Middlebury 2 3 0--5

First period: M -- Ben Barnett (Nickolai Bobrov, John Giannacopoulos), 12:13 (pp); M -- Bobrov (Curt Goldman, Barnett), 17:04 (pp). Penalties: M -- Matt Skoglund (interference), 8:14; W -- Chad Matushak (hooking), 11:02; M -- Jeff Anastasio (interference), 12:19; W -- Kris Wilson (roughing), 16:32.

Second period: M -- Barnett (Bobrov), 1:05; M -- Bobrov (Scott Goldman), 6:34; M -- Jack Kennedy (S. Goldman, Giannacopoulos), 19:03. Penalties: W -- Chris Chelios (holding), 2:55; M -- Barnett (interference), 8:24; W -- Eric Pitoscia (elbowing), 10:12; W -- Chad Matushak (interference), 15:24; W -- Jeff Glowa (slashing), 16:32.

Third period: No scoring. Penalties: W -- Phil Pitoscia (interference, misconduct), :19; W -- Wilson (roughing), 5:02; W -- Glowa (roughing), 6:19; M -- S. Goldman (elbowing), 7:50; W -- Scott Wagner (slashing), 9:54; M -- Grayson Fertig (roughing), 9:54; W -- Glowa (roughing), 10:38; W -- Wilson (elbowing), 13:03; W -- Mike Stewart (slashing), 14:16; W -- Randy Barker (slashing), 18:06; W -- Todd Drouin (slashing), 19:31.

Shots on goal: Wis.-Superior 4-3-5 -- 12; Middlebury 7-10-15 -- 32. Saves: W -- Keith Bartholomeus 6, Tom Pink 21; M -- Jon Marsh 12. Penalties: W -- 5 for 10 min.; M -- 15 for 38 min.