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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Upsets rule as Spartans glide to third national title
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A record crowd saw Michigan State use teamwork to break a stalemate with Boston College in the final seconds of the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. The Spartans scored twice in the last 18.9 seconds to win the championship, 3-1.
A Frozen Four record crowd of 19,432 saw the action at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on April 7.
None of the top four seeds advanced to the finals. Michigan State, not widely regarded as a Frozen Four contender at the start of the tournament, was not expected to make it past a second-round match-up with heavily favored and second-seeded Notre Dame, but the Spartans engineered a 2-1 upset.
Michigan State coach Rick Comley said his players earned the respect that comes with the national championship.
“We know we’re not fancy, and we know we’re not picked by anybody to win anything,” Comley said. “But this great group of kids deserves this more than you can possibly imagine. One thing these kids have always wanted is to be proud to be a Spartan. They’ve wanted so badly to walk around with their heads high, and now they’re going home with a national championship. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The teams were evenly matched, and neither could score in the first period. The Eagles broke the ice when senior Brian Boyle took advantage of a power-play situation and beat Spartans goaltender Jeff Lerg with 13:10 to go in the second period.
Early in the third, Lerg denied Boyle a second goal on a two-on-one break. The save kept the Spartans within one, and Lerg reacted by pumping his glove in the air. The often-underestimated 5-foot-6-inch asthmatic said he had worked on his speed in practice every day.
“I was pretty fired up when I made the save,” Lerg said. “We played with a lot of emotion. I don’t usually show that much emotion after a save.”
In the third period, Michigan State used a power play to tie the score with just under 10 minutes to go. As the final seconds wound down and overtime loomed, Michigan State’s Justin Albdekader scored the game-winner with 18.9 seconds to go. Teammate Chris Mueller followed with an empty-net goal with 1.2 seconds left, assuring Michigan State its third national championship and first since 1986.
Boston College lost in the championship game for the second consecutive year after falling to Wisconsin in 2006. Coach Jerry York kept the loss in perspective.
“When we sign up to play sports, there’s going to be a winner and a loser,” York said. “There are no guarantees in this business, and our kids are mature enough to understand that.”
The loss snapped the Eagles’ 13- game winning streak. They last won the championship in 2001.
Abdelkader was named the most outstanding player. He was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Lerg, Tim Kennedy and Tyler Howells. Boston College sophomore Nathan Gerbe and Boyle also received the honor.
First round
Minnesota 4, Air Force 3; North Dakota 8, Michigan 5; Boston College 4, St. Lawrence 1; Miami (Ohio) 2, New Hampshire 2; Massachusetts 1, Clarkson 0 (ot); Maine 4, St. Cloud St. 1; Michigan St. 5, Boston U. 1; Notre Dame 3, Ala.-Huntsville 2 (2ot).
Second round
Michigan St. 2, Notre Dame 1; Maine 3, Massachusetts 1; Boston College 4, Miami (Ohio) 0; North Dakota 3, Minnesota 2 (ot).
Semifinals
Michigan St. 4, Maine 2
Michigan St. 1 1 2 — 4
Maine 2 0 0 — 2
First period: M — Keith Johnson (Josh Soares, Michel Leveille), 0:23; M — Soares (Travis Ramsey, Johnson) 3:24; MS — Chris Mueller (unassisted), 7:25.
Penalties: MS — Tim Kennedy (cross checking), Jim McKenzie (slashing). M — Leveille (tripping), Soares (checking from behind), Ramsey (slashing).
Second period: MS — Chris Snavely (Justin Abdelkade, Kennedy), 16:32.
Penalties: M — Brent Shepheard (slashing).
Third period: MS — Nick Sucharski (Matt Schepke, Jay Sprague), 5:11; MS — McKenzie (Mueller), 9:46.
Penalties: MS — Ethan Graham (tripping).
Saves: Michigan St. (Jeff Lerg) 29; Maine (Ben Bishop) 29.
Boston College 6, North Dakota 4
Boston College 1 1 4 — 6
North Dakota 1 1 2 — 4
First period: ND — Chris Porter (Brian Lee, Chris VandeVelde), 10:28; BC — Dan Bertram (Ben Smith, Brian O’Hanley), 15:41.
Penalties: BC — Smith (tripping), Bertram (hooking). ND — Robbie Bina (cross checking), Porter (charging), VandeVelde (high sticking).
Second period: ND — Jonathan Toews (T.J. Oshie, Taylor Chorney), 3:15; BC — Bertram (Carl Sneep, Nathan Gerbe) 15:21.
Penalties: BC — Team (too many on ice), Mike Brennan (interference), Brock Bradford (holding). ND — Porter (interference), Fabian (hooking).
Third period: BC — Smith (Gerge, Brett Motherwell), 13:00; ND — Oshie (unassisted) 15:22; BC — Gerbe (Bradford, Motherwell), 15:54; BC — Joe Rooney (unassisted), 19:10; ND — Porter (Oshie, Chorney), 19:43; BC — Gerbe (unassisted), 19:54.
Penalties: BC — Motherwell (holding), Brennan (holding). ND — Porter (charging), Bina (elbowing).
Saves: Boston College (Cory Schneider) 25. North Dakota (Philippe Lamoureux) 39.
Championship game
Michigan St. 3, Boston College 1
Michigan St. 0 0 3 — 3
Boston College 0 1 0 — 1
First period: No scoring.
Penalties: MS — Chris Snagely (interference), Ethan Graham (unsportsmanlike conduct). BC — Dan Bertram (holding the stick), Nathan Gerbe (unsportsmanlike conduct).
Second period: BC — Brian Boyle (Brock Bradford), 6:50.
Penalties: MS — Justin Abdelkader (hooking), Tim Crowder (hooking). BC — Tim Filangieri (interference), Boyle (tripping), Carl Sneep (slashing).
Third period: MS— Tim Kennedy (Abdelkader), 9:53; MS — Abdelkader (Kennedy, Tyler Howells), 19:41; MS — Chris Mueller (Jim McKenzie, Daniel Vukovic) 19:58.
Penalties: MS — Abdelkader (interference), Ethan Graham (roughing). BC — Matt Greene (goaltender checking), Kyle Kucharski (slashing), Filangieri (hooking).
Saves: Michigan St. (Jeff Lerg) 29. Boston College (Cory Schneider) 26.
A Frozen Four record crowd of 19,432 saw the action at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on April 7.
None of the top four seeds advanced to the finals. Michigan State, not widely regarded as a Frozen Four contender at the start of the tournament, was not expected to make it past a second-round match-up with heavily favored and second-seeded Notre Dame, but the Spartans engineered a 2-1 upset.
Michigan State coach Rick Comley said his players earned the respect that comes with the national championship.
“We know we’re not fancy, and we know we’re not picked by anybody to win anything,” Comley said. “But this great group of kids deserves this more than you can possibly imagine. One thing these kids have always wanted is to be proud to be a Spartan. They’ve wanted so badly to walk around with their heads high, and now they’re going home with a national championship. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The teams were evenly matched, and neither could score in the first period. The Eagles broke the ice when senior Brian Boyle took advantage of a power-play situation and beat Spartans goaltender Jeff Lerg with 13:10 to go in the second period.
Early in the third, Lerg denied Boyle a second goal on a two-on-one break. The save kept the Spartans within one, and Lerg reacted by pumping his glove in the air. The often-underestimated 5-foot-6-inch asthmatic said he had worked on his speed in practice every day.
“I was pretty fired up when I made the save,” Lerg said. “We played with a lot of emotion. I don’t usually show that much emotion after a save.”
In the third period, Michigan State used a power play to tie the score with just under 10 minutes to go. As the final seconds wound down and overtime loomed, Michigan State’s Justin Albdekader scored the game-winner with 18.9 seconds to go. Teammate Chris Mueller followed with an empty-net goal with 1.2 seconds left, assuring Michigan State its third national championship and first since 1986.
Boston College lost in the championship game for the second consecutive year after falling to Wisconsin in 2006. Coach Jerry York kept the loss in perspective.
“When we sign up to play sports, there’s going to be a winner and a loser,” York said. “There are no guarantees in this business, and our kids are mature enough to understand that.”
The loss snapped the Eagles’ 13- game winning streak. They last won the championship in 2001.
Abdelkader was named the most outstanding player. He was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Lerg, Tim Kennedy and Tyler Howells. Boston College sophomore Nathan Gerbe and Boyle also received the honor.
First round
Minnesota 4, Air Force 3; North Dakota 8, Michigan 5; Boston College 4, St. Lawrence 1; Miami (Ohio) 2, New Hampshire 2; Massachusetts 1, Clarkson 0 (ot); Maine 4, St. Cloud St. 1; Michigan St. 5, Boston U. 1; Notre Dame 3, Ala.-Huntsville 2 (2ot).
Second round
Michigan St. 2, Notre Dame 1; Maine 3, Massachusetts 1; Boston College 4, Miami (Ohio) 0; North Dakota 3, Minnesota 2 (ot).
Semifinals
Michigan St. 4, Maine 2
Michigan St. 1 1 2 — 4
Maine 2 0 0 — 2
First period: M — Keith Johnson (Josh Soares, Michel Leveille), 0:23; M — Soares (Travis Ramsey, Johnson) 3:24; MS — Chris Mueller (unassisted), 7:25.
Penalties: MS — Tim Kennedy (cross checking), Jim McKenzie (slashing). M — Leveille (tripping), Soares (checking from behind), Ramsey (slashing).
Second period: MS — Chris Snavely (Justin Abdelkade, Kennedy), 16:32.
Penalties: M — Brent Shepheard (slashing).
Third period: MS — Nick Sucharski (Matt Schepke, Jay Sprague), 5:11; MS — McKenzie (Mueller), 9:46.
Penalties: MS — Ethan Graham (tripping).
Saves: Michigan St. (Jeff Lerg) 29; Maine (Ben Bishop) 29.
Boston College 6, North Dakota 4
Boston College 1 1 4 — 6
North Dakota 1 1 2 — 4
First period: ND — Chris Porter (Brian Lee, Chris VandeVelde), 10:28; BC — Dan Bertram (Ben Smith, Brian O’Hanley), 15:41.
Penalties: BC — Smith (tripping), Bertram (hooking). ND — Robbie Bina (cross checking), Porter (charging), VandeVelde (high sticking).
Second period: ND — Jonathan Toews (T.J. Oshie, Taylor Chorney), 3:15; BC — Bertram (Carl Sneep, Nathan Gerbe) 15:21.
Penalties: BC — Team (too many on ice), Mike Brennan (interference), Brock Bradford (holding). ND — Porter (interference), Fabian (hooking).
Third period: BC — Smith (Gerge, Brett Motherwell), 13:00; ND — Oshie (unassisted) 15:22; BC — Gerbe (Bradford, Motherwell), 15:54; BC — Joe Rooney (unassisted), 19:10; ND — Porter (Oshie, Chorney), 19:43; BC — Gerbe (unassisted), 19:54.
Penalties: BC — Motherwell (holding), Brennan (holding). ND — Porter (charging), Bina (elbowing).
Saves: Boston College (Cory Schneider) 25. North Dakota (Philippe Lamoureux) 39.
Championship game
Michigan St. 3, Boston College 1
Michigan St. 0 0 3 — 3
Boston College 0 1 0 — 1
First period: No scoring.
Penalties: MS — Chris Snagely (interference), Ethan Graham (unsportsmanlike conduct). BC — Dan Bertram (holding the stick), Nathan Gerbe (unsportsmanlike conduct).
Second period: BC — Brian Boyle (Brock Bradford), 6:50.
Penalties: MS — Justin Abdelkader (hooking), Tim Crowder (hooking). BC — Tim Filangieri (interference), Boyle (tripping), Carl Sneep (slashing).
Third period: MS— Tim Kennedy (Abdelkader), 9:53; MS — Abdelkader (Kennedy, Tyler Howells), 19:41; MS — Chris Mueller (Jim McKenzie, Daniel Vukovic) 19:58.
Penalties: MS — Abdelkader (interference), Ethan Graham (roughing). BC — Matt Greene (goaltender checking), Kyle Kucharski (slashing), Filangieri (hooking).
Saves: Michigan St. (Jeff Lerg) 29. Boston College (Cory Schneider) 26.
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