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.
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