A Saturday title game recap from Boston College’s 5-0 win over Wisconsin at Ford Field in Detroit. It was the worst shutout loss for the Badgers since Minnesota Duluth and Kenny Reiter won 4-0 on Jan. 30 at the DECC.
All tournament: BC’s Cam Atkinson (F), BC’s Ben Smith (F), BC’s Joe Whitney (F), UW’s Brendan Smith (D), BC’s Brian Dumoulin (D), BC’s John Muse (G). MVP: Ben Smith.
Here’s a story from U.S. College Hockey Online:
DETROIT (April 10) — Keep that championship trophy in Beantown.
It’s the third straight year a team from Boston has captured the title, with the Eagles winning this year and 2008 and Boston University capturing the championship in 2009.
Cam Atkinson scored two goals, both in the final stanza, while BC netminder John Muse (19 saves) posted the shutout to improve his record in NCAA tournament play to a perfect 8-0.
Boston College’s power play was a difference-maker in the game, scoring twice in five opportunities. At the same time, BC’s penalty kill shut down Wisconsin’s potent power play in its three chances.
Wisconsin came out of the gates playing physical, but by the eight-minute mark of the opening period, BC changed the game’s momentum picking up its own physical play.
That momentum change pay dividends at 12:57 when tournament most outstanding player Ben Smith scored his 16th goal of the season on the power play. Steven Whitney dumped a pass to Smith in the slot who fired a shot through traffic inside the left post for the 1-0 lead.
By the period’s close, BC had dominated things statistically, outshooting the Badgers, 12-5.
In the second, Wisconsin recovered nicely and took the play to the Eagles through stretches. Michael Davies had the frame’s best opportunities, first having a wide-open look at the right post at 9:45 only to have BC’s Carl Sneep deflect the shot and then again at 14:10 when he was sent in alone only to have the puck bounce off his stick to spoil the bid.
In the third, Wisconsin seemed poised to continue its pressure. That was until BC’s offense became perfectly opportunistic.
The Eagles broke away from the Badgers’ pressure, getting two rushes early in the frame and scoring on both to turn the game on its head. Atkinson scored at 1:38 on a bad-angle shot that beat Wisconsin goaltender Scott Gudmandson inside the far post. Just 2:02 later, Chris Kreider redirected home a centering pass from Jimmy Hayes to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
Atkinson sealed the deal at 7:20 when he scored on the power play, breaking down the left wing and firing a low shot five hole on Gudmandson. BC captain Matt Price finished things off with an empty-net goal with 4:31 remaining.
The win balances BC’s 2-1 loss to Wisconsin in the 2006 Division I title game in Milwaukee and propels the school to three national titles under coach Jerry York. BC’s three titles in the last decade is the most by any school. York’s first NCAA title came in 1984 while behind the bench for Bowling Green in a four-overtime victory against Minnesota Duluth in Lake Placid, N.Y.
