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.
