12~r- The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 7, 2000
North Dakota gets by Maine
PROVIDENCE (AP) - North Dakota had to
pick between the goaltender who set a school National champ
record for shutouts in the regular season and the
one who won all three playoff games after the Tomorrow
starter suffered a concussion. 7:30 p.m.
"I guess we chose the right one" coach Dean Providence
Blais said Thursday after Karl Goehring stopped Civic Cente,
30 shots to beat defending champion Maine 2-0 ESPN
and put North Dakota in the NCAA title game. (2) North Dakota (3
"He's been pretty much headache-free for
the last week. Based on that, and what he's 4 Boston l (
alone when he's 100 percent, he was the guy,'
Blais said. "But it was a tough decision goals-against average and se
because (backup Andy Kollar) has played so with seven shutouts. This wa
well." first shutout in the NCAA tou
TJie Fighting Sioux advanced to the Frozen "I think he could tell he w
IFotfr final on Saturday night, when they will Blais said. "And Andy co
play Boston College, which beat St. Lawrence They're the best of buddies"
4-2. Blais didn't tell his goalies
The leading goaltender in his conference dur- until the pregame meal on Th
ing he regular season, Goehring was hit by a "I didn't believe it until he t
iak during practice before the playoffs and said. "But I knew I had to be
'.hadngt played since March 12. Kollar won three Kevin Spiewak had a shor
K onsecutive games to help the Fighting Sioux Bryan Lundbohm scored on
reh the Frozen Four and run his record to I I- North Dakota, which will pl
2-1. title. Only Michigan has won
But for Thursday's opening semifinal, Blais hockey championships, with
picked Goehring, who led the Western Matt Yeats made 32 saves
Collegiate Hockey Association with a 1.95 lost for the first time in 14
agles advance tc
nal with 4-2 win
onship set
a_
0-8-5) vs.
29-11-1)
t a school record
as North Dakota's
urnament.
Mould be the guy,"
ngratulated Karl
s who would start
ursday morning.
old me," Goehring
ready to play."
t-handed goal and
a power play for
ay for its seventh
more NCAA ice
nine.
for Maine, which
games (12-1-1).,
Maine was 0-for-7 on power plays while giving
up a power-play goal and a short-handed one.
"It was the key to the game," coach Shawn
Walsh said. "We didn't capitalize."
The Black Bears missed the net twice from
close in over the final 90 seconds as they tried
desperately to come back.
Maine, which was without its leading scorer
because of a butt-ending penalty in the region-
als, failed in a bid to be the first school to win
consecutive NCAA ice hockey titles since
Boston University in 1971 and 1972. The 28
years between back-to-back titles is the longest
such streak in any NCAA sport.
After a scoreless first period, North Dakota
took the lead at 7:35 of the second. Lundbohm
coasted across the blue line and wristed it past
Yeats on the stick side.
Spiewak made it 2-0 when he fought his way
around on the left side and put the puck past
Yeats low on the glove side at 13:35 of the sec-
ond. With 2.27 left in the second, an apparent
North Dakota goal was waved off when the
replay official ruled that the whistle had blown.
Maine was not without chances. It had 5-on-
3 advantages in the first and third periods. But
the latter was cut short after 30 seconds when
Brendan Walsh was whistled for a takedown,
and the Black Bears couldn't score.
AP PHOTO
The Fighting Sioux denied Maine a chance for back-to-back
national championships with a 2-0 victory over the Black Bears.
I
2000 NCAA Ice Hockey Championship
PROVIDENCE - Individual awards
ill have to wait, because Jeff Farkas,
Aike Mottau and Brian Gionta had
jore important business last night.
The three Boston College stars - all
inalists for the Hobey Baker Award -
cored in the third period of the NCAA
ockey semifinals as the Eagles rallied
) beat St. Lawrence 4-2 and advance to
uie championship game.
"Good players play well in pressure
ituations," Boston College coach Jerry
'ork said. "They thrive in big games."
Scott Clemmensen stopped 26 shots
>r Boston College, which will play in
aturday night's title game against
4orth Dakota, a 2-0 winner over Maine
n the early semifinal. The Eagles
aven't won the championship since
949, the tournament's second year.
The ballots are already in for the
lobey Baker, which is awarded to col-
-ge hockey's top player on the Frozen
our off day on Friday. But the three
andidates showed why they're just the
econd trio of teammates in the award's
0-year history:
Mottau hit the post on a slap shot,
hen got the puck back at the middle of
he blue line and wristed it between the
egs of Saints goalie Derek Gustafson to
make it 2-2 with 16.56 left in the game
Farkas snapped the tie with an unas-
sisted goal with just 1.57 left, skating in
on Gustafson and beating him high on
the glove side.
Gionta added an empty-netter with
no time left.
"We're real proud of each other,"
Mottau said. "Brian and Jeff have made
me the player I am because I have to go
against them in practice. ... If one of
those guys wins (the Hobey Baker), I'll
be super excited for them."
Farkas said that despite competing
for the individual award, the three don't
compete among themselves.
But Gionta, whose 33 goals is two
more than Farkas and tops on the team,
is due for some ribbing about his
empty-netter.
"He's got two cheap ones in a row,
Farkas joked. "I'm never going to catch
him." .
Jason Windle and Charlie Daniels
scored for St. Lawrence. Gustafson
stopped 28 shots in the loss.w
"They've got some big-name players
and they've done it all year," St.
Lawrence coach Joe Marsh said.
"It's a great BC team with outstand-
ing talent."
1. ?Maine
East Regional
1 .liIne
4. Colgate
5. Michigan
5. Michigan
Championship Game
2. St. Law~rence
East Re-
2 St. Lxrence
3. Boston Univerir
3. Boston Univer tv
6. St. Cloud State
,iona,
.c
3. New Hamprehite
6. Niagara
6. Niagara
West Regional
2 'onrth Dakota
4. Bston ColLie
Providence Civic Center
Providence
Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m.
ESPN
4. Boston College
4. Boston College
5. Michigan State
West Regional
2. North Dikot
4. Boston College
2. North Dikota
1 Wisconsn
Past National Champions
Expand t
*.
16 teams,
get rid of
the bye 1,o
T oday I did something I've never
done before. I entered an internet
chat room. Now clear those sick
thoughts from your minds, this was all
innocent fun.
While looking for the score of the
Maine-North Dakota hockey game
(North Dakota 2, Maine 0), I stumbled
upon a chat about the possible NC
tournament expansion from 12 to
teams.
The chat pushed towards the expan-
sion, which was supposedly put on
hold because of lack of funds in the
league. There
will be further
review of this
matter over the
summer.
But this chat,
which took
place right after
Michigan lost sT-vfINI
to Maine in the
NCAA east FE
regional, may Off the
have been a lit- Record
tle biased.
Expanding the tournament, to
include 16 teams would eliminateithe
first-round bye which Maine received
since the Black Bears were the top se
in the regional.
And it is no secret that the
Wolverines lost because they ran out of
gas in the third period, while Maine
was still skating strong.
But now, two weeks after that loss, I
think a better perspective can be placed
on the expansion.
Even though he received a large
amount of criticism, one chatter mad
very good point. In the past, Michig
has benefited from the first round bye.
In 1996, the Wolverines won the
NCAA tournament after only having to
play in three games. The flip side?
Michigan won the tournament two
years later without the bye.
But instead of that bye, the third-
seeded Wolverines had home ice
advantage. This year Michigan was
byeless and 12 hours away from home.
And maybe this just was
Michigan's year, but if one looks ar
the board, year in and year out, they
will see just how few teams that don't
receive that bye actually make it to the
Frozen Four.
The question surrounds fairness. Is it
fair that one team is well rested while
the other team is probably coming off
the most grueling game of hockey it
has played all year?
My answer is no. After watchingl
literally - a six-hour battle between
St. Lawrence and Boston University
before the Michigan loss in the West
Regional, it was clear who was going to
win. Boston University couldn'thandle
playing for six hours after defeating St.
Cloud St. the previous day.
Even Joe Marsh, the St. Lawrence
coach, reacted with amazement that
Boston University was able to play
continuously hard for six hours consid-
ering the amount of hockey the teg
had played over the weekend. But in
the end, a team can only play so much
hockey without getting worn out.
If I am not mistaken, that is not the
point of the tournament. The point is
not to see what team gets worn down
the quickest, or what team can play
nine hours of its most competitive
hockey of the season in two days.
The point of the tournament isti
the best team prevails. And the
Boston University play two weeks ago,
proved it was one of the four best teams
in college hockey. Just worn out.
And there are other ways to make
sure the best team prevails.
The hockey tournament mirrors the
men's basketball tournament with
regions, trying to send the top seeds to
the region closest to their homes. This,
like it did for Michigan in '98, gives a
tremendous advantage. The h~e
advantage proved more powerfulOn
even the mighty bye for the
Wolverines.
Something else that everyone seems
to forget is that these teams are already
seeded. The reason for the seedings is
to give the top teams in the NCAA an
easy (or at least easier) first round
game against a supposedly weaker
team.
Let the Wolverines receive a foeh
seed and have to play a one seed in their
first game in the tournament. Everyone
says that the NCAAs are a different sea-
son. If it is a different season then it
should start on a level playing field and
the best team, not the most rested team,
Year Champion Runner-up Score
1999 Maine New Hamphire 3-2 (OT)
1998 Michigan Boston College 3-2 (CST)
1997 North Dakota Boston University 6-4
1996 Michigan Colorado College 3-2 (CST)
1995 Boston Maine 6-2
Year
1994
1993
1992
1991
Champion Runner-up
Lake Superior Boston University
Maine Lake Superior
Lake Superior Wisconsin
Northern Boston University
Score
9-1
5-4
8-7 (30T)
1990 Wisconsin
Colgate 7-3
--
iHobey
today;'
Michigan's Mike Comrie, wh
Wolverines in points in his firs
sons, will most likely not win t
Baker Award - given to coll
ey's most valuable player.
The award, which will be a
at 4 p.m., today, in Providen
Frozen Four, was won by M
Brendan Morrison in 1997.
Comrie, just a sophomore,
two more chances to win th
Seniors have predominantly
award in its 19-vear history.
Comrie was drafted by the E
Oilers in the third round (91sto
the 1999 draft.
On Wednesday, the speedy c
The Michigan Daily that he
return for his junior season.
Michigan officials said yest
Comrie will not travel to Provi
the ceremony. Rensselaer g
Joel Laing and Wisconsin forw
Reinprecht are the current favo
- By Mark Fr
Baker to be awarded
Comrie a longshot
ho led the
t two sea-
he Hobey
ege hock-
nnounced
ce at the
lichigan's
still has
he award.
won the
Edmonton
overall) in
center told
plans to
erday that
idence for
goaltender
iard Steve
orites.
uncescutti
Going Hobey crazy
USCHO 2000 FAN VOTE RESUI-S
1. Joel Laing, Rensselaer, G
2. Steve Reinprecht, Wisconsin, F
3. Andy McDonald, Colgate, F
4. Shawn Horcoff, Michigan State, F
5. Jeff Pat-er, North Dakora, F
6. Mike Mottau, Boston Colkee, D
7. Mike Conurie, Michigan, F.
8. Ty Conklin, New Hampshire, G
9. Brian (aionta, Bton College, F
10. Jeff Farkas, &)ston College, F '
Laing receives two points towards the
Hooey iker halloting. Reinprecht of
Wis onlsin r~ceies one .oinr1. The
Hobey Baker winner wi be
announced at a ceemmony today at 4
p.m. in Providence.
&,urce:-wwwucolleeh ckecom
Here is a look at the last 10 of 19 winners of the
Hobey Baker Memorial Award presented each year to
the best player in college hockey.
Year
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
11990
Player
Jason Krog
Chris Drury.
Brendan Morrison
Brian Bonin
Brian Holzinger
Chris Marinucci
Paul Kariya
Scott Pellerin
David Emma
Kip Miller
Pos. Yr.
C Sr.
C Sr.
C Sr.
C Sr.
C Sr.:
C Sr.
LW Fr.
LW Sr.
C Sr.
C Sr.
Team
New Hampshire
Boston Univ.
Michigan
Minnesota
Bowling Green
Minn.-Duluth
Maine
Maine
Boston College
Michigan State
Mike Comrie
Comrie's first two seasons
1998-99 42
199900 40
19.
24.
A
25
35
PTS
44
59
Comrie is Michigan's seventh
Hobey Baker finalist since 1991.
. , ,
____ .1 _______
Nirigan ma
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