Sunday, April 11, 2010

BC topples Wisco

Well, the team that came into the Frozen Four the quietest certainly left the loudest as Boston College claimed the national championship with a 5-0 drubbing of Wisconsin.

RIT was the Cinderella story. Miami had the tear-jerking story. Wisconsin had the Hobey. BC? Well, the Eagles were steady all season and put a literal stamp on the old cliche, "playing your best hockey at the end of the year." That may be boring for sportswriters and casual observers, but it sure got the job done.

The Eagles were really the first team to shut down the Badgers' offense all year, not only shutting them out but limiting to just 20 shots on goal and blocking 17 shots. Wisconsin was shut out twice earlier this season but had 28 shots against Duluth and 37 against St. Cloud State in the Final Five semifinals.

The championship teetered on a play in the second period when Badgers forward Michael Davies had a clear breakaway. Just when he was set to fire, the puck bounced over his stick and he never got the shot off. A goal there would have tied the game 1-1.

As much as Wisconsin looked out of sync much of the night, BC deserves credit for causing that disruption, playing an impressive game at both ends of the rink.

Eagles coach Jerry York has built quite the dynasty. This was BC's second title in three years and third since 2001. It was also the Eagles' sixth appearance in the national-title game since 2000.

Some good stories on the winners can be found here. More solid coverage from the losing locker room can be found here.

Well, that's the end of the college hockey season. But that's not the end of it for PucKato. There will still be more coverage on the blog in the offseason, including updates on some locals still playing in the junior league playoffs. So keep checking back.

2 comments:

alex said...

shane what do you know of this mcinnis kid commiting here?

Nation said...

This kid looks like he can put the puck in the net. This looks like a great commitment for the Mavs.