Sophomore Cutter Gauthier gathers himself after final horn in BC’s 2-0 loss in national title game yesterday. David Berding/Getty Images
Well, that was unexpected. And disappointing.
The two highest-scoring teams in college men’s hockey met for the national championship yesterday in St. Paul, Minn., and the game ended with Denver the victor, 2-0. Boston College, ranked #1 in the country and winner of 15 straight games, was shut out for the first time this season.
Perhaps being the runner-up was somewhat foretold. On Friday, major awards for individual performance in college hockey were announced. In the balloting for the Hobey Baker Award to the nation’s best player, BC’s Cutter Gauthier was runner-up. In the contest for best goalie, BC’s Jacob Fowler was runner-up.
That was opinion, however. When the game on the ice finished yesterday, the Eagles had laid a goose egg. Runner-up.
Only once in the season had BC been held to fewer than two goals and that was a 1-0 win over New Hampshire.
“They played a tight trap game against us, limiting our speed,” Gauthier told The Boston Globe. “We’re a team that likes to play off the rush, and they slowed us down a lot, created a lot of turnovers, and shoved it down our throats.”
The Eagles had only 12 shots on goal entering the final period, with Denver ahead after scoring two goals in the second period. BC peppered Denver goalie Matt Davis with 23 shots on goal in the period, including on two power plays, but Davis, with two shutouts earlier in the season, stopped them all. Davis turned away 68 of 69 shots during this year’s Frozen Four, holding Boston University to a single goal in Denver’s 2-1 win in double overtime in the semifinal. He was named the tournament’s “most outstanding player.”
One of Davis’s saves was described later by one commentator as the most amazing in the history of the NCAA tournament.
Denver had 26 shots on goal for the game.
The win brought Denver its 10th national championship, most of any team, and its second NCAA title in three years. Michigan, the team BC beat 4-0 in the semifinal, has nine championships. Wisconsin has six titles, while BC and BU are tied with five.
“[Denver] played a heck of a game tonight,” BC coach Greg Brown told the Globe. “It was a championship battle, and they were as stingy and tight defensively as we’ve seen this year. They did a great job. Played a lot of winning hockey. They played like a championship team. So that being said, proud of our guys, too. It was not only the season they had, but the game they had tonight. We made a great push in the third. Had a lot of chances. Their goalie played great. They got some blocks. Hit a post or two.
“When it’s a one-game series, you need some breaks in there. So our guys gave everything they had, and tonight wasn’t their night.”
The Eagles finished the season with a school record 34 wins, six losses, and a tie.
The game attracted the year’s largest contingent of San Diego Eagles, family, and friends at our gamewatch at The Corner Drafthouse. Go Eagles!
The Boston College women’s lacrosse team will begin play in its 11th straight NCAA championship tournament on Sunday, May 12. The Eagles, seeded #2 in the tournament, will play the winner of the opening round match between Drexel and Princeton at home.
