Feature stories
When New Hampshire scored with 0.1 seconds remaining to send its Northeast Regional opening game into overtime and then won it less than a minute into extra time, UNH eyes were all a-smiling. A sense of euphoria flooded over the Granite State. The flow of cosmic sadism that had tormented the Wildcats in recent NCAA … Read more
Setting the Alarm Timing is everything, especially in the playoff stretch, and teams — and for that matter, individual players — can’t always bring their A-games. Before Saturday, BU rookie Corey Trivino only had four goals, but in the NCAAs he’s potted two goals in two games, which includes one of two for the Terriers … Read more
Don’t Mess with the CHA The Beavers came into this NCAA tournament as the CHA playoff champions in the league’s second-to-last season, and Bemidji head coach Tom Serratore wants the conference to get respect come tourney time next year. “I’m hoping that we get our automatic bid next year,” said Serratore. “I think it would … Read more
Even Steven One of the main strengths of BU’s team is the even scoring across the four forward lines, and this game showed that as all four lines had at least one goal, including two from the fourth line. 11 players on the team had points in tonight’s game. “I like to say I have … Read more
When Nick Bonino scored Boston University’s first goal Saturday at 8:49 of the first period, no one in the building believed the game was over. Yet recent history might have suggested otherwise. After Saturday’s dominating 8-3 win over Ohio State, the Terriers have an astonishing 22-0-3 record in games in which the sophomore has scored … Read more
Perhaps it’s fitting that in the wildest, most unpredictable NCAA tournament in recent memory, one of the steadiest programs of the last several years reached its first Frozen Four. Under head coach Enrico Blasi, the Miami RedHawks have been transformed from an afterthought in the CCHA to a conference and national contender. Until Blasi took … Read more
Faceoff Artist When asked how they can improve their faceoff draws in Sunday’s Midwest Regional final, Cornell head coach Mike Schafer didn’t hesitate. “It’s really easy. We’re not going to have to play against Joe Vitale. We heard he was good coming into the game. He was unbelievable. He must have been near 90 percent … Read more
Perhaps it was Chris Sarandon who said it best, as Prince Humperdink in “The Princess Bride.” “There was a mighty duel. They ranged all over. They were both masters.” With top seed Michigan and homestanding Yale both eliminated on the first day of the 2009 NCAA East Regional, it would have been understandable had Saturday’s … Read more
The shot totals don’t seem that high, and the goal totals weren’t really all that low. Nonetheless, Brad Thiessen of Northeastern and Ben Scrivens of Cornell both were instrumental in dictating the outcome of their first round matchup in Grand Rapids, Mich. “I thought the billing the two goaltenders lived up to it. I thought … Read more
They came into their Northeast Regional semifinal game with similar streaks for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Trailing only Michigan, New Hampshire had earned its eighth straight berth to North Dakota’s seven. The two teams shared other similarities. On the plus side: some of the most highly skilled players in the country and a penchant for … Read more
Friday’s Facts Air Force finished with only 13 official shots on goal in its first-round upset, the fourth-lowest total in NCAA tournament history. The only service academy to ever play in the tourney, the Falcons got their first national tournament win on Friday. Upending Michigan may have felt catastrophic for the Maize & Blue, but … Read more
Minnesota Duluth’s incredible 5-4 overtime win Friday against Princeton defies easy categorization. For each team, the game’s script had elements both of the familiar and the fantastic. Winning games they weren’t supposed to was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who did that three times last weekend in the WCHA Final Five. UMD, the seventh-seeded team … Read more
Narrowest of Margins In Friday night’s West Regional action, Minnesota-Duluth scored an extra-attacker tying goal versus Princeton with just 0.8 seconds left in the game, before going on to win after more than 15 minutes of overtime. But New Hampshire eclipsed even that narrow margin, scoring with just 0.1 seconds left in the game. Of … Read more
Miami’s coaching staff apparently made the right choice in goaltenders. It was no foregone conclusion that Cody Reichard was going to be in net to earn all-regional honors and help the RedHawks claim their first trip to the Frozen Four this weekend at Mariucci Arena. In fact, after a week of competition in practice between … Read more
Following No. 4 Air Force’s 2-0 win over No. 1 Michigan, Falcons’ coach Frank Serratorre recalled seasons past when there was something lacking from his team. It was a large void, and, until Friday’s matchup with No. 1 Michigan in the opening game of the East Regional, it was impossible to know whether it was … Read more
If there’s one thing that defines the 2009 NCAA Tournament field, it’s new faces. With tournament regulars Boston College, Michigan State, Colorado College, Minnesota and Wisconsin all staying home this year, it opens the door for several teams whose players had never been to the NCAAs; Ohio State is back for the first time since … Read more
Jacques Lamoureux had been waiting for this game for two years. He’d seen Michigan before, of course. As a freshman at Northern Michigan, Lamoureux was on the ice for two games at Yost Arena in January 2007, helping the Wildcats earn a split against the Wolverines. However, it was after his season in Marquette was … Read more
If it wasn’t already abundantly clear from their shared histories how close Denver coach George Gwozdecky and Miami coach Enrico Blasi are, that story got another chapter in the makeshift media room at Mariucci Arena. First, Gwozdecky took his turn in emotionally describing his relationship with his former player and assistant coach. Then Blasi did … Read more
It’s easy to look at the box score and flush out that Minnesota-Duluth’s power play made the difference in its 5-4 overtime victory Friday over Princeton in the West Regional. The Bulldogs scored one of their two final-minute goals with the man advantage (actually a two-man advantage because goaltender Alex Stalock was on the bench) … Read more
Vermont’s opponent wasn’t at all a common one. The third-seeded Catamounts don’t play the East Regional’s No. 2 seed, Yale, regularly — not since UVM joined Hockey East prior to the 2005-06 season, anyway. Still, UVM coach Kevin Sneddon’s game plan strangled the Yale forecheckers, forcing them to play a game he knew his Catamounts … Read more