Boston College hockey players involved in crash
April 26, 2010
BOSTON (AP)—Three members of Boston College’s national championship hockeyteam face alcohol charges after the sport utility vehicle they were in was hitby a trolley while making a U-turn across the tracks, officials said Monday.
Hockey players Philip Samuelsson, Patrick Wey and Parker Milner will besummoned to court on charges of being minors in possession of alcohol after theaccident early Sunday, according to Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for theMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Seven college-age students were in the Jeep Cherokee, and all suffered minorinjuries; no one on the trolley was hurt. Police found open and unopened cans ofbeer, as well as a bottle of vodka, in the SUV, the police report said. Itdoesn’t appear the driver had been drinking.
Also expected to be summoned to court on minor in possession charges aredriver Jane Stanton, Tina Dilandry, Reilly Corbett and Elizabeth Motley.
Six of the occupants are Boston College students, and no one in the SUV wasover age 19, authorities said. The crash remains under investigation.
Samuelsson, Wey and Milner are all freshmen on Boston College’s hockey team,which defeated Wisconsin 5-0 for the national title April 10. Samuelsson is theson of former NHL player Ulf Samuelsson.
The vehicle was making the U-turn when the trolley hit it at about 30 milesper hour, according to the police report. Milner, Motley and Corbett left thescene and were tracked down at a hospital, the report said.
College officials say that they are cooperating with authorities and thatthe students could face disciplinary actions.
Boston College hockey players charged after crash
April 26, 2010
BOSTON (AP)—Three members of Boston College’s national championship hockeyteam are among seven college-age people facing alcohol charges following acollision between their SUV and a trolley.
An MBTA spokesman says Jane Stanton, the driver of the Jeep Cherokee; PhilipSamuelsson; Patrick Wey; Parker Milner; Tina Dilandry; Reilly Corbett andElizabeth Motley are all charged with being minors in possession of alcoholfollowing the accident early Sunday.
Samuelsson, Wey and Milner are all on BC’s hockey team that won the nationalchampionship this month.
The MBTA says the vehicle was making a U-turn across the tracks and hit thetrain. Some people in the Jeep suffered minor injuries.
A BC spokesman says the school is cooperating with authorities and studentscould also face campus sanctions.
Osiecki named new OSU hockey coach
April 24, 2010
BC tops Wisconsin 5-0, 2nd hockey title in 3 years
April 10, 2010
DETROIT (AP)—The NCAA hockey championship trophy is headed back downCommonwealth Avenue.
Led by goalie John Muse, Boston College won the national title for thesecond time in three years, beating Wisconsin 5-0 in the final of the FrozenFour on Saturday night.
Muse made 20 save to improve to 8-0 in tournament play, including thenational title run he made as a freshman in 2008.
When it was over Muse’s teammates tossed their sticks and helmets into theair then swarmed the junior goaltender.
“Johnny Muse was clearly on the top of his game,” BC coach Jerry Yorksaid.
BC won its fourth title and third since 2001, best in the nation over thelast decade. The Eagles’ top rival, Boston University, took home thechampionship last year. In college hockey’s version of the Duke-North Carolinabasketball rivalry, BU and BC are located just a few miles away from each otheron the Green Line trolley that runs along Commonwealth Avenue.
This championship for Muse came almost a year after hip surgery, and thegrueling rehabilitation that followed.
“There wasn’t much pain, but it was long and tedious,” he said. “I did itfor these guys. I wanted to be back.”
Cam Atkinson scored two of the Eagles’ four third-period goals to back Muse.
Atkinson’s first and Chris Krieder’s goal came 2:02 apart early in theperiod and turned a one-goal game into a rout.
“We wanted to attack and be aggressive,” York said. “We don’t like to sitback and change our style of play with the score.”
That mindset has helped put York in elite company with four national titles,including one with Bowling Green.
Just two coaches have more championships—Michigan’s Vic Heyliger won sixfrom 1948-56 and Denver’s Murray Armstrong had five from 1958-1969—and no onehas more than York’s 33 wins in the NCAA tournament.
“I’ve been at it a long time, so that helps,” York said at the end of his38th season as a head coach, and 16th leading the Eagles. “It’s always good tocoach good teams and good players, and I’ve had a whole bunch of those.”
Wisconsin beat the Eagles in the 2006 finals for its sixth title, but didn’thave much of a shot to stop BC’s faster forwards, swarming defensemen andstellar goalie in the rematch.
“We got near the top of the mountain, but we weren’t able to stick the flagat the top,” Badgers coach Mike Eaves said.
Wisconsin forward Blake Geoffrion, grandson of Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie“Boom Boom” Geoffrion, was shut down a day after winning the Hobey Baker Awardas college hockey’s top player.
Geoffrion scored 28 goals this season to help Wisconsin enter the game witha nation-high 171 goals—averaging four a game—but he and his teammatesstruggled to get pucks and bodies near the net to make Muse sweat.
“They did a good job of blocking shots and collapsing down low,” Geoffrionsaid.
Ben Smith, who won the most outstanding player award for the tournament, gotBC’s good night started with a goal 12:57 into the game.
After a scoreless second, the Eagles proved they weren’t content to just sitback and play conservatively.
Atkinson started the flurry in the third and Matt Price finished it with anempty-net goal with 4:31 left while Scott Gudmandson was pulled briefly to addan extra skater. Gudmandson made 21 saves.
A world indoor attendance record was set for hockey with a crowd of 37,592at the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions.
Wisconsin’s Michael Davies had chances to score and perhaps could’ve blamethe ice conditions for taking away his best opportunity in the second periodwhen he whiffed on a breakaway after the puck bounced over his stick.
“It was soft, but both teams had to play on it,” Eaves said.
The games at Ford Field will be remembered for record crowds and routs thatmatched the Frozen Four record of 18 for goal differential set in 1961.
An announced crowd of 34,954 for Thursday’s two-game session smashed theFrozen Four record of 19,432 fans set in St. Louis three years ago and hockey’sindoor mark of 28,183 from Tampa Bay’s home game at Tropicana Field againstPhiladelphia during the 1996 NHL playoffs.
BC stunned top-seeded Miami of Ohio 7-1 and Wisconsin routed RochesterInstitute of Technology 8-1 to advance to a game that was expected to becompetitive.
The Eagles had other ideas, shutting out Wisconsin in another lopsided gamethat excited only for their fans in a football stadium that had a rink set upnear an end zone.
Boston College tops Wisconsin 5-0 for hockey title
April 10, 2010
DETROIT (AP)—Cam Atkinson scored twice, John Muse made 20 saves and BostonCollege won the NCAA hockey championship for the second time in three years witha 5-0 victory against Wisconsin on Saturday night.
The Eagles scored four times in the third period, with Atkinson and ChrisKreider scoring 2:02 apart early in the period. Atkinson scored again midwaythrough the period.
A world indoor attendance record was set for hockey with a crowd of 37,592at the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions.
Boston College won its fourth title and third since 2001, best in the nationover the last 10 years.
The Eagles’ top rival, Boston University, took home the championship lastyear, meaning the trophy has stayed on Commonwealth Avenue for three straightseasons.
Wisconsin beat the Eagles in the 2006 finals for its sixth title, but didn’thave much of a shot to stop Boston College’s faster forwards, swarmingdefensemen and stellar goaltender.
Muse improved to 8-0 in the NCAA tournament, including his perfect run in2008.
“I don’t know if it’s so much me or my whole team,” he said.
For BC coach Jerry York, the national title was his fourth, including onewith Bowling Green. Only two coaches have more championships—Michigan’s VicHeyliger won six from 1948-56 and Denver’s Murray Armstrong won five from1958-1969—and York’s 33 NCAA tournament wins is a record.
“He’s a great coach,” Muse said. “I wouldn’t want to play for anyoneelse.”
Badgers forward Blake Geoffrion, grandson of Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie“Boom Boom” Geoffrion, was shut down a day after winning the Hobey Baker Awardas college hockey’s top player.
Geoffrion scored 28 goals this season to help Wisconsin enter the game witha nation-high 171 goals—averaging four a game—but he and his teammatesstruggled to get pucks and bodies near the net to make Muse sweat.
“I thought our key was tremendous defensive zone coverage,” York said.
Smith, who won the most outstanding player award for the tournament, gotBoston College’s good night started with a goal 12:57 into the game.
After a scoreless second, the Eagles proved they weren’t content to just sitback and play conservatively.
Atkinson led the flurry in the third and Matt Price finished it with anempty-net goal with 4:31 left while Scott Gudmandson was pulled briefly to addan extra skater. Gudmandson made 21 saves.
Wisconsin’s Michael Davies had chances to score and perhaps could blame theice conditions for taking away his best opportunity in the second period when hewhiffed on a breakaway after the puck bounced over his stick.
“Both teams had to play on it,” Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves said.
The games at Ford Field will be remembered for record crowds and routs.
An announced crowd of 34,954 for Thursday’s two-game session smashed theFrozen Four record of 19,432 fans set in St. Louis three years ago and hockey’sindoor mark of 28,183 from Tampa Bay’s home game at Tropicana Field againstPhiladelphia during the 1996 NHL playoffs.
Boston College beat Miami of Ohio 7-1 and Wisconsin routed RochesterInstitute of Technology 8-1 to advance to a game that was expected to becompetitive.
The Eagles had other ideas, shutting out Wisconsin in another lopsided gamethat excited only their fans in football stadium that had a rink set up near anend zone.
Geoffrion wins Hobey Baker Award
April 9, 2010
DETROIT (AP)—Wisconsin forward Blake Geoffrion, the grandson of Hockey Hall ofFamer Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, received the Hobey Baker Memorial Award onFriday night as college hockey’s top player.
Geoffrion has helped lead Wisconsin to the NCAA championship game Saturdaynight against Boston College. He has 27 goals and 21 assists in 38 games thisseason.
Geoffrion’s great grandfather, Howie Morenz, also is in the Hall of Fame.
Wisconsin, Boston College to meet for NCAA title
April 9, 2010
DETROIT (AP)—Wisconsin and Boston College advanced in the Frozen Four with apair of routs.
They don’t expect it to be as easy to win the NCAA hockey championship.
The Badgers beat Rochester Institute of Technology 8-1, then the Eaglespulled away from Miami of Ohio to win 7-1 in the nightcap at Ford Field onThursday.
When the teams meet Saturday night in a rematch of the 2006 finals, BostonCollege’s Ben Smith expects the game to be much different than the semifinalswere for the traditional powers.
“It won’t be as high scoring,” Smith said.
The Badgers got past Boston College 2-1 for their sixth national title fouryears ago and their first since 1990.
“I wasn’t here in ’06, but I know it was a pretty tough loss for a lot ofthe guys,” Smith said. “It’s exciting to be back in the national championshipgame.”
Unless you were rooting for the winning teams, there weren’t many thrills inthis year’s Frozen Four. The combined margin of victory of 13 tied the 1953semifinals for the second largest in NCAA hockey history, two fewer than thedifferential from the 1954 tournament.
One rout didn’t come as a surprise.
One did.
Wisconsin wasted little time showing why it has an elite college hockeyprogram and that Rochester Institute of Technology isn’t quite ready for thesport’s biggest stage.
The Badgers scored in the opening minutes of the first two periods.
“Like a snowball, it just got rolling and got bigger and bigger,” saidDerek Stepan, who scored Wisconsin’s second and eighth goals.
RIT, seeded 15th in the 16-team field just five years after moving toDivision I, ended its first Frozen Four appearance with a thud.
“We ran into a powerhouse,” Tigers coach Wayne Wilson said.
Smith put the Eagles ahead of top-seeded Miami 1-0 on a power-play goal with1:28 left in the opening period. Boston College began to pull away with JimmyHayes’ power-play goal early in the second and Joe Whitney’s goal a minutelater. The Eagles turned it into a lopsided affair with four goals in the third.
“We feel very good about playing Wisconsin on Saturday night, that’s forsure,” said Boston College coach Jerry York, whose 30th NCAA tournament wintied the career record set by Boston University’s Jack Parker.
Boston College is in the championship game for the fourth time in five yearsand seeks its second title in three seasons and the fourth in school history.
The Frozen Four set a world indoor attendance record for hockey, drawing anannounced crowd of 34,954 for the two games.
Ford Field—home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions—was prepared for a recordcrowd with a rink set up near an end zone and portable seats along the boardsopposite the team benches.
The two-game session smashed the Frozen Four attendance record of 19,432 setin St. Louis three years ago and hockey’s indoor mark of 28,183 from Tampa Bay’shome game at Tropicana Field against Philadelphia during the 1996 NHL playoffs.
Boston College routs Miami 7-1 in Frozen Four
April 8, 2010
DETROIT (AP)—Cam Atkinson scored the first of three goals in a 1:35 stretchmidway through the third period, helping Boston College pull away from Miami ofOhio for a 7-1 win Thursday night in the Frozen Four.
The fourth-seeded Eagles will play third-seeded Wisconsin on Saturday nightfor the NCAA hockey title in a rematch of the 2006 final won by the Badgers.
Ford Field, home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, drew an announced crowd of34,954 to set a world indoor attendance record for a hockey game. The fans sawtwo routs: Wisconsin beat Rochester Institute of Technology 8-1 earlierThursday.
Boston College’s John Muse made 17 saves. Connor Knapp and Cody Reichardgave up seven goals on 30 shots for the top-seeded RedHawks.
Wisconsin routs RIT 8-1 in Frozen Four
April 8, 2010
DETROIT (AP)—Wisconsin wasted little time showing why it is a college hockeysuperpower and that Rochester Institute of Technology isn’t quite ready for thesport’s biggest stage.
The Badgers scored in the opening minutes of the first two periods and wenton to rout the Tigers 8-1 in the Frozen Four on Thursday night at Ford Field.
“Like a snowball, it just got rolling and got bigger and bigger,” saidDerek Stepan, who scored Wisconsin’s second and eighth goals.
Third-seeded Wisconsin, shooting for its seventh NCAA hockey title, willplay the winner of the Miami of Ohio-Boston College game for the championship onSaturday night.
RIT, seeded 15th in the 16-team field just five years after moving toDivision I, ended its first Frozen Four appearance with a thud.
“We ran into a powerhouse,” Tigers coach Wayne Wilson said.
John Mitchell scored 1:27 into the game and Jordy Murray made it 3-0 at 2:18of the second, allowing Wisconsin (28-10-4) to coast against the overmatchedTigers. Scott Gudmandson made 13 saves for the Badgers.
RIT’s Jared DeMichiel stopped 27 shots before being replaced late in thegame by Shane Madolora, who gave up a goal on the only shot he faced. JanRopponen then came on and allowed one goal on three shots.
The game was played at the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions. About 35,000tickets were sold as of Wednesday, but empty seats and a lopsided game without alocal team led to a lackluster atmosphere.
“Being on the bench, the crowd noise seemed so distant,” Wisconsin coachMike Eaves said. “A lot of the noise, you didn’t really hear it.”
When Detroit landed the Frozen Four, organizers dreamed of putting the icein the middle of the field and packing 70,000-plus fans around it as was donefor the men’s basketball Final Four last year.
The plan was wisely downsized, putting the ice near an end zone, and placingportable sections along the boards opposite the team benches.
It felt like a hockey arena with a game-time temperature of just under 60degrees and 47 percent humidity thanks to air conditioning that created a breezestrong enough to make curtains that cut off portions of the venue sway from sideto side.
“The ice wasn’t ideal, but it was the same ice for both teams,” DeMichielsaid. “A little snowy along the boards. The atmosphere in the rink was a coolexperience. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
Vendors rented binoculars to fans for $10, plus a $10 deposit, and thosewere likely needed for those who paid a total of $40 for upper-deck seats forthree games.
RIT fans who made the trip from upstate New York tried to create a buzz 90minutes before the puck dropped—chanting “R-I-T! R-I-T!”—but the Badgersquickly quieted them and made the final score the only thing in doubt.
Mitchell scored off a rebound on the second shot of the game, and Stepan putWisconsin ahead 2-0 midway through the second period. After Murray scored earlyin the second, Justin Schultz made it 4-0 a couple minutes later.
Wisconsin had a pair of two-man advantages midway through the second andtook advantage of both, on goals from Michael Davies and Blake Geoffrion, tolead 6-0 with its second and third goals of the period with at least an extraskater.
Geoffrion is one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, whichrecognizes the nation’s top college hockey player, and is a grandson of Hall ofFamer Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion.
RIT called a timeout after Geoffrion’s 28th goal, but there was nothing thatcould be said or done to change the outcome.
“One of our strengths is our depth,” Geoffrion said.
The Tigers did, though, avoid a shutout with 28 seconds left in the secondwhen Tyler Brenner banged in a shot from the left side off a crisp pass to makeit 6-1.
Craig Smith and Stepan scored 20 seconds apart late in the game to finishthe scoring barrage for the Badgers, who had the largest margin of victory inthe semifinals since 1969.
RIT (28-12-1) accomplished quite a bit this season by making it to theFrozen Four—stunning perennial powers Denver and New Hampshire to advance inthe NCAA tournament—with a 12-game winning streak to experience playing in astadium that looks nothing like its 2,100-seat arena.
DeMichiel helped the Tigers get to Detroit, earning most outstanding playerhonors at the East Regional after giving up just three goals on 66 shots. He andhis teammates couldn’t slow down the Badgers.
RIT center Cameron Burt, who is from Detroit, said he had about 60 familymembers and friends in the stands.
“Playing in a football stadium was a great experience and I’ll cherishit,” Burt said. “I’ll tell my grandkids about it if I make it that far.”
Wisconsin tops RIT 8-1 in Frozen Four
April 8, 2010
DETROIT (AP)—Wisconsin scored in the opening minutes of the first two periodsand went on to rout Rochester Institute of Technology 8-1 in the Frozen Four onThursday night at Ford Field.
The Badgers will play the winner of the Miami of Ohio-Boston College gamefor the national title on Saturday night.
John Mitchell scored 1:27 into the game and Jordy Murray made it 3-0 at 2:18of the second, allowing Wisconsin to coast against the overmatched Tigers. ScottGudmandson made 13 saves for the Badgers.
RIT’s Jared Demichiel stopped 27 shots before being replaced late in thegame by Shane Madolora, who gave up a goal on the only shot he faced. JanRopponen then came on and allowed one goal on three shots.
The game was played at the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions. About 35,000tickets were sold, but empty seats in the football facility and a lopsided gamewithout a local team led to a lackluster atmosphere.
When Detroit landed the Frozen Four, organizers dreamed of putting the icein the middle of the field and packing 70,000-plus fans around it as was donefor the men’s basketball Final Four last year.
The plan was wisely downsized, putting the ice near an end zone, and placingportable sections along the boards opposite the team benches.
It felt like a hockey arena with a game-time temperature of 60 degrees and47 percent humidity thanks to air conditioning that created a breeze strongenough to make curtains that cut off portions of the venue sway from side toside.
RIT fans who made the trip from upstate New York tried to create a buzz 90minutes before the puck dropped, chanting “R-I-T! R-I-T!” but the Badgersquickly quieted them and made the final score the only thing in doubt.
Mitchell scored off a rebound on the second shot of the game, and DerekStepan put Wisconsin ahead 2-0 midway through the second period.
After Murray scored early in the second, Justin Schultz made it 4-0 a coupleminutes later.
Wisconsin had a pair of two-man advantages midway through the second periodand took advantage of both, on goals from Michael Davies and Blake Geoffrion, tolead 6-0.
RIT then called a timeout, but there was nothing that could be said or doneto change the outcome.
The Tigers did, though, avoid a shutout with 28 seconds left in the secondwhen Tyler Brenner banged in a shot from the left side off a crisp pass to makeit 6-1.
Craig Smith and Stepan scored 20 seconds apart late in the game to finishthe scoring barrage for the Badgers.
