Nathan Gerbe continued his tear through the 2008 Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, propelling Boston College to the national title on the strength of five goals and three assists in the Frozen Four.

The Eagles ended Notre Dame’s dream run, 4-1, in the championship game. It was Notre Dame’s first title-game appearance – the Irish were the first No. 4 seed to reach the championship game.

After a scoreless first period, Gerbe put Boston College on the board twice in the second stanza. The Eagles scored again before Notre Dame’s Kyle Lawson answered to make the score 3-1 going into the final period.

Gerbe, named the most outstanding player of the tournament, also contributed to the final goal of the game with a momentum-changing between-the-legs assist to teammate Ben Smith, who sent the puck airborne over Notre Dame goaltender Jordan Pearce’s shoulder.

The final score came after a lengthy review of what was initially called a goal by Notre Dame’s Lawson. Replay officials ruled Lawson had kicked the puck into the net, an illegal score.

Lawson said he didn’t even see the puck on the controversial play.

“I felt the puck hit my skate and then they went to the replay. I didn’t know what the review was going to be,” he said. “It was a tough break for us, especially for them to get that fluky fourth goal that just about put us away. It was tough call, but that’s just the way things go sometimes.”

Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said the disallowed goal – followed just 35 seconds later by a fourth strike by the Eagles – was a turning point for his players, who went from believing they were within one goal to down three in a matter of seconds.

“I thought we had something going at that time, and I thought we were doing a much better job with the puck,” he said. “It was a turning point in the game, no question about that, and we’ve had that happen to us at least 10 or 12 times in the second half of the season: Disallowed goals, video replay goals, goals that probably shouldn’t have been goals that were allowed to be goals.”

Boston College coach Jerry York, who earlier this season won his 800^th game, tipped his hat to the Irish.

“Notre Dame and Jeff Jackson remind me a lot of our team in 1998. We were just starting to pick up the pieces and all of a sudden, we’re in the Frozen Four playing the University of Michigan,” York said. “That got us over the hump and back at the national level. Notre Dame is at that point now; they’ve reached the national championship game. They’re going to be one of those brand-name schools in hockey.”

Semifinals

Notre Dame 5, Michigan 4

Notre Dame    3          0          1          1—5

Michigan         0          2          2          0—4

First period: ND – Calle Ridderwall (Justin White), 5:00; Mark Van Guilder (Ryan Thang, Brock Sheahan), 5:42; Thang 19:25.

Penalties: ND – Sheahan (interference). M – Ben Winnett (hooking), Louis Caporusso (hooking).

Second period: M – Chad Kolarik (Kevin Porter, Bryan Hogan), 8:48; Matt Rust (Aaron Palushaj, Carl Hagelin), 9:03.

Penalties: ND – Kyle Lawson (slashing), Dan VeNard (holding). M – Mark Mitera (roughing).

Third period: ND – Kevin Deeth (Dan Kissel, Ian Cole), 11:30. M – Kolarik (Max Pacioretty, Palushaj), 2:16; Hagelin (Rust, Palushaj), 14:39.

Penalties: ND – Team (too many players), Deeth (hooking).

Overtime: ND – Ridderwall (VeNard, White), 5:44.

Goalkeeper saves: Jordan Pearce (Notre Dame) 29. Billy Sauer (Michigan) 6, Bryan Hogan (Michigan) 18.

Boston College 6, North Dakota 1

Boston College           4          2          0—6

North Dakota              0          0          1—1

First period: BC – Anrew Orpik (Kyle Kucharski), 7:08; Nathan Gerbe, 13:14; Gerbe (Brian Gibbons, Carl Sneep), 15:13; Dan Bertram (Pat Gannon), 19:45.

Penalties: BC – Kucharski (hooking), Gannon (tripping), Bertram (roughting), Matt Price (roughing), Mike Brennan (unsportsmanlike conduct). ND – Darcy Zajac (slashing), Matt Watkins (roughing), Joe Finley (roughing), Rylan Kaip (unsportsmanlike conduct).

Second period: BC – Gerbe (Ben Smith, Bertram), 6:37; Smith (Gerbe, Brian Gibbons), 11:58.

Penalties: BC – Nick Petrecki (interference), Price (roughing), Andrew Orpik (roughing), Anthony Aiello (roughing). ND – Robbie Bina (obstruction-hooking),  T.J. Oshie (charging), Kyle Radke (roughing), Kaip (obstruction-hooking).

Third period: ND – Jake Marto (Watkins), 18:44.

Penalties: BC – Carl Sneep (high sticking), Petrecki (boarding). ND – Radke (hooking).

Goalkeeper saves: John Muse (BC) 29. J.P Lamoureux (ND) 21.

Championship game

Boston College 4, Notre Dame 1

Boston College           0          3          1—4

Notre Dame    0          1          0—1

First period: No scoring

Penalties: BC—Kyle Kucharski (holding the stick); Matt Greene (cross checking); Anthony Aiello (tripping). ND—Brock Sheahan (roughing).

Second period:  BC—Nathan Gerbe (Brian Gibbons, Ben Smith), 2:23; Gerbe (Smith, Dan Bertram), 5:37; Joe Whitney (Gerbe, Benn Ferriero), 8:11. ND—Kevin Deeth (Kyle Lawson, Ian Cole).

Penalties: BC—Andrew Orpik (slashing); Kucharski (holding). ND—Ryan Thang (interference); Dan VeNard (cross-checking); Dan Kissel (tripping); VeNard (high sticking).

Third period: BC—Smith (Gerbe, Gibbons), 5:31.

Penalties: BC—Nick Petrecki (elbowing), Matt Price (obstruction-tripping); Greene (hooking).

Goalkeeper saves: John Muse (Boston College) 20. Jordan Pearce (Notre Dame) 19.