4- The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, April 3, 1995
Terriers blow out Maine for
first national title in 17 years
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By Barry Sollenberger
Daily Hockey Writer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - For Bos-
ton University, this season's trip to
the NCAA Championship game was
more enjoyable than last year's.
The Terriers handled Maine, 6-2,
Saturday at the Providence Civic Cen-
ter to capture the school's fourth na-
tional title and first since 1978. Lake
Superior State pounded BU, 9-1, in
last year's NCAA title game.
"I really believed that (we were)
treading water all season," Terrier
coach Jack Parker said, "to see if we
could get back and make up for what
happened last year."
BU outshot the Black Bears, 39-
23, and beat Maine for the first time in
five meetings this season between the
Hockey East rivals. The Black Bears
won two of those games and the other
two ended in ties.
"We lost to a great, great team
today," Maine coach Shawn Walsh
said. "I give them all of the credit in
the world."
The crucial point of Saturday's
game came just over five minutes into
the final period. The Black Bears had
cut a two-goal Terrier lead to one on
Jeff Tory's power play goal 31 sec-
onds into the last stanza.
But at the 14:37 mark, BU's Shawn
Bates hit Mike Sylvia on a two-on-
one and Sylvia's shot beat Maine
goalie Blair Allison glove side to push
the Terriers' lead to 4-2.
"They had too many second
chances," Walsh said. "When they
got that fourth goal, it was like a stake
through the heart."
The Black Bears weren't heard
from again after that. BU scored the
game's final three goals.
Allison was not the invincible
backstop he appeared to be Thursday
when he held Michigan, the nation's
No. 2 offensive team (behind the Ter-
riers), to three goals in 100-plus min-
utes.
Allison couldn't handle the BU
forward trio of Bates, Chris O'Sullivan
and Jacques Joubert. The three com-
bined for three goals and an assist on
the afternoon.
"(Allison's) a great goalie and you
can't take anything away from him,"
Joubert said. "But we've got a lot of
good scorers and if you get good
opportunities, you will eventually put
them in."
The Terriers took control in the
second period. BU outshot Maine,
19-1, during a 20-minute stretch from
the 6:24 mark of the opening period to
the 7:04 point of the second stanza.
The Terriers scored the game's first
three goals during that span and led,
3-1, at the second intermission.
"They shut us down and used our
mistakes to capitalize," Walsh said.
"They have a terrific defense and you
saw that today."
Special teams were pivotal. The
Black Bears owned the nation's third
best penalty-killing team going into
the game (.857) but allowed three
power play goals in four opportuni-
ties. BU also registered a shorthanded
goal while Maine was just one-of-
eight on the power play.
"We just couldn't break out,"
Black Bear defenseman Chris Imes
said. "Our power play's inability and
their power play (success) were keys
to the game."
DOUGIAKMANTER/Dairy
Maine goalie Blair Allison makes one of his 47 saves during the Black Bears' 4-3 win over Michigan Thursday.
Allson and Thrco set career
highs for saves i Maine win
By Barry Sollenberger
Daily Hockey Writer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -Marty Turco and Blair Allison
appeared in the lockerrooms after Maine's 4-3 triple-
overtime victory Thursday - as human beings.
On the ice, the 12,155 in attendance at the Providence
Civic Center must have wondered if the two goalies were,
indeed, mortals.
Michigan's Turco and Maine's Allison combined
for 99 saves in the longest game in NCAA Tournament
history. Both Turco (52) and Allison (47) set career-
highs for saves. But the crowd, and those who tried to
watch the game on ESPN (the third overtime was pre-
empted by golf), will remember the two goalies' per-
formances for another reason - their efforts in over-
time.
The two were nearly perfect in the extra sessions.
Allison made 19 saves and Turco stopped 23 of 24 shots
in two-plus periods.
Allison was unbeatable in overtime. The Wolverines
had numerous shots that appeared to be game-winners,
but that were deflected away by the junior netminder.
"My hat is off to him," Turco said. "He made a lot of
clutch saves on breakaways."
But things didn't start out so well for Allison or Maine.
The Wolverines began as if they intended to win by 10
goals. Michigan took a quick 2-0 lead just over four
minutes into the contest on goals by Kevin Hilton and
Matt Herr. It seemed as if the day would be fun and easy
for the Wolverines.
"It certainly looked that way when we jumped out to
a 2-0 lead," Mike Knuble said. "But we've seen that
before."
Allison grew stronger as the game went on, allowing
only one goal over the last 96:12.
In overtime, the puck must have seemed as if it were a
beach ball to Allison. He squashed countless Michigan
chances and also got some luck.
"I was pretty fortunate in the first overtime when
(Brendan) Morrison hit one off the post," Allison said.
He also made a glove-save of a Jason Botterill shot
early in the first overtime and he stopped John Madden on
a breakaway at 14:37 of the second extra stanza.
"When (Madden) came down, I just read the shot all
the way," Allison said. "I was just lucky to get a piece
of it."
The Wolverines got off a flurry of shots in front of the
goal less than 30 seconds later - the last scoring oppor-
tunities they'll have until next October. The second over-
time ended and Maine scored the game-winner just 28
seconds into the third extra period.
"They did beat me a few times," Turco said. "But there
also were some weird bounces that, unfortunately, didn't
go our way."
Turco matched Allison save for save for 100 minutes.
One of his biggest came late in the second overtime. At
4:40 of the period Turco dove and, in effect, stole the puck
from Jamie Thompson on a breakaway. It was his 50th
save of the game.
"A guy like (Thompson) could have won the game two
or three times," Black Bear coach Shawn Walsh said.
"Turco stopped him."
Turco finished the season ranked fourth nationally in.
both goals-against average (2.78) and in the NCAA in
goalie winning percentage (.809).
"(The Maine loss) was another big game for Turco,"
Berenson said. "He showed again that he was a top
Division-I goalie as a freshman."
DOUGLAS KANTER/Dail
Despite missing five games this season, Michigan's Mike Knubie managed to amass 38 goals, tops in the nation.
Knublelees wito title
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As fate would have it,
Michigan's Mike
Knuble wasn't even on the
ice when Dan Shermerhorn's goal
ended the Wolverines' season last
Thursday.
It was the wrong way for the
senior right wing to end his
collegiate career.
Before the season began, Knuble
fought long and hard with the
decision of whether he should
remain at Michigan for his senior
year or if he should turn pro.
He decided
to stay with the
Wolverines,
and finished
his four-year
career with
103 goals -
good for a
TOM fifth-place tie
SEELEY on Michigan's
Seel career goal
of Approval scoring list.
But despite
those numbers,
Knuble faces the dubious
distinction of being remembered as
part of another graduating class that
finished its Wolverine career
without winning a National
Championship.
Knuble began the year
unceremoniously. He suffered a
slight heart condition in the team's
first game and was forced to sit out
four games.
The team struggled in his
absence and was just 2-2 with
Knuble on the sidelines.
It took him a couple of games to
get his wind back once he rejoined
the team, but when he did hit his
stride, he spelled trouble for
opponents.
After Knuble returned, the
Wolverines finished the regular
season with a 25-4-1 record with
the right wing in the lineup (not
including a 4-3 loss to Miami
(Ohio) Nov. 18 that Knuble was
forced to sit out because of an
altercation the previous week), and
headed into the playoffs under a full
head of steam.
In the playoffs, Knuble threw off
his Michigan uniform and donned a
large red cape. Before Thursday's
season-ending loss to Maine,
Knuble was averaging 2.5 goals per
game in the playoffs and had
vaulted into the national lead in
goals scored with 37.
His Superman-like performances
carried the team. Without him, the
Wolverines had little chance of
advancing as far as they did in the
NCAA Tournament.
He recorded a hat trick in each
of Michigan's first-round CCHA
playoff victories over Ohio State,
and then scored a seemingly
impossible game-tying goal against
Lake State in the CCHA semifinals
with 0.4 seconds left on the clock.
Last weekend, he was named
Most Outstanding Player at the
NCAA West Regional in Madison
after scoring twice against
Wisconsin, including the game-
winner.
At this weekend's hockey final
four, the stage was set for Knuble to
lead the Wolverines to their first
national championship since 1964.
Maine's staunch defense kept
Knuble in check through the game's
first two periods, but when three
straight Black Bear goals put
Michigan's back to the wall, it was
a Knuble goal that tied the game
with just over five minutes
remaining.
Shermerhorn, however,
shattered Knuble's title dreams with
a goal 28 seconds into the third
overtime period .
"It's hard to comprehend that
you're never going to wear a
Michigan sweater again," he said
after the game. "One day you're a
freshman and it's your first day on
campus and the next day you're
playing in your last game."
When the game was over, many
tears were shed in the Michigan
lockerroom, but none by Knuble.
He sat in his locker, answered
reporters' questions and quietly got
dressed.
He couldn't believe it was over.
"It hasn't hit me quite yet," he
said. "But I'm sure it will in a day or
two when we don't have practice and
I don't see my teammates everyday."
Fittingly, Knuble was the last
one out of the Michigan lockerroom
Thursday.
This was his team.
This was supposed to be their
year.
He slowly walked out of the
arena into the cold drizzly night and
shut the door on his Wolverine
career.
Mike Knuble had a tremendous
season and an illustrious stay at
Michigan.
It just wasn't supposed to end
like this.
HOCKEY NOTEBOOK:
Holzinger takes Hobey Baker
By Barry Sollenberger
Daily Hockey Writer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - If you
haven't been in a coma the past six
months, Friday's announcement from
the Rhode Island Convention Center
should come as no surprise.
Bowling Green senior Brian
Holzinger won the 15th annual Hobey
Baker Award, given annually to col-
lege hockey's top player.
"This is a great honor and an unbe-
lievable feeling," Holzinger said.
"There are a lot of great players out
there - many as deserving or more
deserving of the award."
He beat out nine other Hobey
Baker finalists including Michigan's
Brendan Morrison. Maine
defenseman Chris Ines was runner-
up for the award, selected by the me-
dia and coaches.
"His 35 goals and 34 assists gives
an idea about what type of balance he
had in his game," Bowling Green
coach Buddy Powers said of
Holzinger. "He's not only an offen-
sive player; he plays well at his own
end of the rink and he plays well
without the puck."
Holzinger finished second in the
CCHA to Morrison in overall scoring
with 69 points. Morrison's 76 points
led the nation. In head-to-head com-
petition, the Wolverines swept three
from the Falcons and Morrison
outscored Holzinger, 5-3.
Hailing from Parma Ohin
The three forwards were the Ter-
riers' Shawn Bates and Chris
O'Sullivan and the Black Bears'
Dan Shermerhorn.
Kaj Linna of BU and Maine's
Imes were the defensemen and the
Black Bears' Blair Allison was the
goaltender.
THE LEADERS: Michigan finished
the season with the nation's leading
scorer, the top goal scorer and the top
assist man.
Morrison's 76 points was five
better than Vermont's Martin St.
Louis (71). Holzinger finished third
with 71 points. Morrison also led the
nation in assists (53) and assists per
game (1.37).
Mike Knuble led the NCAA in
both goals scored (38) and goals per
game (1.12) and he wasn't even a
Hobey Baker finalist.
The Michigan power play was the
best in the nation (.293) and the Wol-
verines finished second inIthe NCAA
in scoring (5.59 goals-per game).
Michigan scoring leaders
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