There will be a new national champion. <\/p>\n
For that matter, there will be an entirely fresh Frozen Four.<\/p>\n
The top overall seed, Boston College, surgically dismantled the defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on Sunday, capitalizing on opportunities to earn a 4-0 victory and capture the Northeast Regional title at the DCU Center.<\/p>\n
The Eagles, getting back to the Frozen Four after a year hiatus, will join Minnesota, making its first appearance since 2005, as well as first-time participants Union and Ferris State at the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla., beginning April 5. BC will meet Minnesota will meet in the second semifinal.<\/p>\n
“I’m so excited to go to Frozen Fours; it never gets old,” said BC coach Jerry York. “To go to Tampa and bring your club, who you play is secondary at this point.”<\/p>\n
The Eagles advanced to their 23rd Frozen Four and 10th under York by not allowing a single goal in the regional tournament. The team played with a near-perfect team defense that was bailed out on its rare mistakes by goaltender and regional Most Outstanding Player Parker Milner.<\/p>\n
BC now rides a 17-game winning streak and in that span has allowed just 20 goals. When asked what is going on right now, BC captain and defenseman Tommy Cross had a simple answer.<\/p>\n
“This guy is going on,” said Cross, pointing to Milner. “Parker is playing unbelievable right now. He’s making the routine saves and there are a couple of saves [each game] he has no business making.”<\/p>\n
Sunday’s save in that class came early in the third period when BC already led, 3-0. Milner stopped former junior teammate J.T. Brown on a breakaway, getting his blocker on the puck as he was falling backwards.<\/p>\n
“I’d like to say I remember his moves, but I don’t,” joked Milner.<\/p>\n
The Eagles got to that 3-0 lead with quick strikes and a little luck.<\/p>\n
After a scoreless first period, BC struck twice in 1:26 to grab a two-goal lead. Pat Mullane started the scoring when he crashed the net and while doing so, pushed a rebound past Minnesota-Duluth goaltender Kenny Reiter (20 saves) at 4:01 of the second.<\/p>\n
After a quick Duluth rush towards the BC net, the Eagles counterattacked and struck again. Bill Arnold scored his 16th goal of the year and first of the postseason finishing a Steven Whitney feed.<\/p>\n
“That play started with Barry Almeida on the forecheck,” said Arnold. “He got in there and got on the ‘D.’ Stevie picked up the puck and made a pass to me out front.<\/p>\n
“When he gets me the puck there, I have to make sure I put it home.”<\/p>\n
The quick outburst marked the second time in as many nights that the Bulldogs found themselves in a 2-0 hole. On Saturday, Minnesota-Duluth mustered a wild comeback scoring the game’s final five goals versus Maine.<\/p>\n
But facing this Boston College team a night later, that uphill battle was significantly steeper.<\/p>\n
“They got a couple of quick goals that put us back on our heels,” said UMD coach Scott Sandelin. “It’s tough to play catch-up. Sooner or later, it really does bite you.”<\/p>\n
BC continued to limit the Bulldogs offensively, allowing just seven grade ‘A’ shots on goal in the first two periods.<\/p>\n
Early in the third, the BC lead grew to three on a fluke play. Defenseman Patrick Wey attempted to keep a puck in at the half boards and looped a puck towards goal. It hit Reiter in the shoulder on its way down and bounced in back of him, giving the Eagles a three-goal cushion with 18:47 remaining.<\/p>\n
Even four Duluth power plays, including a 41-second 5-on-3 advantage, wasn’t enough to solve Milner and the BC defense.<\/p>\n
When rookie Johnny Gaudreau buried a breakaway tally with 8:13 left, the partisan BC crowd could begin celebrating and booking their flights for an encore performance of Spring Break, this time in sunny Tampa.<\/p>\n
The Eagles will be in search of their third national title in five years and fifth overall for the program.<\/p>\n
“We’re extremely excited and look forward to going down to Tampa,” said York. “I told the guys to enjoy this game tonight, though.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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