Frozen Four: UMD deserved to win Saturday

10 last thoughts on Saturday's championship game, which Minnesota Duluth won 3-2 in overtime over Michigan.

1. How big was that waved off goal at 4 minutes, 20 seconds? Prerry big. It looked as if Carl Hagelin had given Michigan a 1-0 lead, but an official on the ice immediately waved the goal off and a review confirmed the on-ice call. The puck was underneath UMD goalie Kenny Reiter, but the whistle came at about the same time as Hagelin poked the puck in.

The Bulldogs came into the game with a three-game winning streak. The Wolverines had won 12 of 13 games.

2. UMD's dangerous power play had two chances in the first period but, in a sign of things to come, the Bulldogs had only two shots in those four minutes with a man-advantage. On the first power play, Jack Connolly did hit a post or a crossbar; the sound of a puck clanging off metal was loud and clear.

The UMD power play went only 1-for-9 with 11 shots on net in 13 minutes, 11 seconds.

3. Ben Winnett, who had three goals coming into the Frozen Four, scored his second goal in two games to give Michigan a 1-0 lead with about five minutes left in the opening period. Freshman D-man Justin Faulk tried to block the shot, but maybe screened Reiter. UMD's goalie reacted late on the shot.

UMD attemeped 23 shots and put 12 on net, the Wolverines took 14 shots, eight on net but none from inside the circles.

UMD rallied to take a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. Travis Oleksuk tied the score 1-1 in the second minute from the lower right circle. It was his 14th goal, so he is a goal-scorer.

Freshman Max Tardy got his first goal ay 9:31 on a power play. It came 22 seconds after Mac Bennett of Michigan went off for hooking.

Tardy tried to pass the puck across the crease to a teammate, but the puck was blocked, came back to him and he scored. Pretty fortunate.

5. UMD had the momentum, but then Mike Connolly was called for slashing and Michigan got a power play, its third of the game. It was only 70 seconds long and the Wolverines didn't get a shot. But 28 seconds after it ended, Jeff Rohkemper tied the score at 2-2. He scored from the slot, pouncing on a blocked shot from the point.

Shots were 27-17 UMD after two periods. But the shot chart for the second period was revealing. Michigan had one shot from inside the circles, and that was Rohkemper's near the left hash marks, UMD had 13. Good chances very one-sided for 2-2 game.

But Brown, killing the penalty, got the puck along the left boards in UMD's defensive zone, and started toward the Michigan net. When he got close, Jon Merrill brought him down to prevent a good scoring chance. Merrill was called for holding and the Michigan power play was over.

The partisan UMD crowd cheered and clapped in appreciation of Brown's hustle.

7 The third period ended still tied 2-2. Mike Connolly of UMD, who had a game-high nine shots on goal, was stopped late by Michigan goalie Shawn Hunwick.

8. In overtime, Michigan won the opening faceoff and Ben Winnett's shot from the top of the left circle was stopped by Reiter. Hunwick made a save on Faulk, but Kyle Schmidt scored the game-winner for UMD at 3:22.

9. Defenseman Brady Lamb of UMD had assists on all three of the Bulldogs' goals. He had the first assist on the first goal, the second assist on the other two. He was a plus-2 for the game as was defenseman Wade Bergman and UMD's second line of Schmidt, Brown and Oleksuk.

UMD only had four seniors in its lineup, Michigan had seven, including five forwards.

NEXT YEAR

The West Regional will be held at the Xcel on March 24 and 25, the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla. on April 5 and 7.

CADET HONORED

Air Force Academy's Jacques Lamoureux was named Lowe's Senior CLASS Award overall winner last week.

Lamoureux is from Grand Forks, N.D. His twin sisters, Monique and Jocelyne play for the North Dakota women's hockey team. Mario, one of his brothers, played on the Sioux men's team in the Frozen Four.

At Air Force, Lamoureux had a 3.76 grade-point average and led the Falcons to their fourth Atlantic Hockey Association title in five years and fourth NCAA appearance.

Lowe's senior class award winners:

All-america first team

Forwards

Cory Conacher, Canisius

Tanner House, Maine

Jacques Lamoureux, Air Force

Defenseman

Chay Genoway, North Dakota

Forwards

Stephane Boileau, Union

Chase Polaceck, RPI

Matt Read, Bemidji St.

Calle Ridderwall, Notre Dame