Another Dog day in St. Paul: Minnesota Duluth wins second national title
Minnesota Duluth defeated Notre Dame 2-1 for the 2018 national championship (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Minnesota Duluth defeated Notre Dame 2-1 for the 2018 national championship (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin depended on leadership from captain Karson Kuhlman during periods of learning and in times of difficulty.
Kobe Roth suffered a fractured tibia in the first period Saturday, but linemates Jade Miller and Billy Exell added captain Karson Kuhlman to the mix and contributed a goal.
“We haven’t been able to find that third goal, for whatever reason,” Duluth coach Scott Sandelin said. “I was hoping tonight would be [the night].”
For most of the national championship game, the Irish struggled to simply get the puck into the offensive zone.
The Bulldogs won all four of their NCAA tournament games by one goal, including the last three by 2-1 scores.
In five postseason games before Saturday’s national championship, the Irish had managed to find a way to win one-goal games in spite of being dead even with opponents in third-period scoring.
Minnesota Duluth and Notre Dame get set for the Frozen Four championship game (photo: Jim Rosvold).
It’s the Team of Destiny versus the Cardiac Kids for the 2018 national title on Saturday (photo: Melissa Wade).
Things got off to a rocky start for the Bulldogs, but the seniors provided a steady hand.
Senior Jordan Gross has transformed himself from an offensive defenseman to a legitimate two-way defender.
Minnesota Duluth plays Ohio State, while Michigan plays Notre Dame in the national semifinals (photo: Jim Rosvold).