April 8, 2006

MILWAUKEE, WIS. - Defenseman Tom Gilbert climaxed an outstanding senior year in the sweetest possible way Saturday night, scoring a goal on his favorite "sneak attack" midway through the third period to lift Wisconsin to a 2-1 victory over Boston College in the NCAA championship game, before 17,758 at Bradley Center.

Gilbert and the Badger defensemen, and, of course, goaltender Brian Elliott, were as responsible for the victory defensively as the goal-scorers - that, and a little luck, when Boston College junior Joe Rooney got off a last, desperation shot that clanked off the pipe. And didn't go in.

It took all that to give the Badgers the ultimate triumph, claiming the big NCAA Frozen Four plaque to finish a 30-10-3 season with a 9-1 surge for the school's sixth NCAA title. Boston College finishes 26-13-3. Previous Wisconsin titles came under Badger Bob Johnson in 1973, '77, and '81. with Jeff Sauer taking the Badgers to the 1983 and 1990 crowns. This is the first one for Mike Eaves, who is in his fourth year.

Eaves, of course, was a star on the 1977 title team, and he recalled the euphoria of winning as a player, compared to his measured enjoyment as a winning coach.

"As a player, you have such an emotional investment in the game," said Eaves. "In '77, from the time we won the game until I got to the locker room, I don't remember anything that happened. As a coach, it was fun to be cognizant of what ws going on, and to hug each one of those guys, and look each of them in the eye, and say, `job well done.' "

After all the talk about fantastic freshmen throughout the tournament, the Badgers relied on their veterans, as junior Robbie Earl scored to tie the game 1-1 in the second period on a pass from senior captain Adam Burish. Then Gilbert, another of the five seniors on the team, notched his 12th goal at a most opportune time. Burish, and Pavelski - who is a veteran although only a sophomore - assisted on both goals.

Manning the right point on the Badger power play, Gilbert moved in from point, cruising unnoticed up the slot, as sophomore center Joe Pavelski held the puck near the end boards on the left side. Pavelski saw him coming and sent a perfect pass out to the slot. Gilbert caught the pass, with an instant of room to coil up his shot and pick a spot, then he snapped a 25-foot wrist shot into the net, just inside the left post, at 9:32,

"It's a play we've worked on all week, with either me coming in, or Robbie Earl on the backside," said Gilbert. "I'm an offensive defenseman, and I like to be the fourth guy in on the attack. I've got to give credit to Joe Pavelski, though. He was looking at Robbie, and he gave a no-look pass to me. I just knew that shot was going in."

The big crowd erupted, and stayed on a high through the last 10 minutes, but it was a tough way for BC's sophomore goaltender Cory Schneider to end his run. Wisconsin outshot Boston College 39-22 for the game, while Schneider kicked aside 37 of those Badger shots to give his team every chance to win.

"I think Wisconsin is the best team we have played this year, over 60 minutes," said Boston College coach Jerry York. "Cory Schneider kept us in the game. He was terrific. Wisconsin really has an excellent hockey team. There were a lot of comments in our locker room and from our players about how well-coached, how talented, their players are, and how well they played tonight.

"I thought our club got just what we wanted - we got to the third period in a very tough environment to play in, and with 10 or 12 minutes left in the game, it's 1-1 for the national championship. They capitalize on their power play, we didn't capitalize on ours. That was the difference."

Befitting the obvious importance of the game, Boston College and Wisconsin sparred like wary heavyweights from the start, intent upon not betraying any critical weaknesses. Wisconsin had a 17-9 edge in shots in the first period, but the first round of the goaltending duel went to Schneider, who stopped all 19 Badger missiles.

The Eagles, meanwhile, got one past Elliott at 9:01 of the opening session. Dan Bertram, the busiest guy in the rink in the first period with three penalties and an assist, got the assist by burrowing in on the forecheck and prying the puck free on the right end boards, then jerking a pass out to the slot. Pat Gannon, a fourth-line sophomore center, was closing in and smacked a backhander that eluded Elliott and caught the upper right corner of the net.

Getting any manner of puck past Elliott in the last 10 games. Coming into the final game, Elliott had gone 8-1 in his last nine games, with an amazing 0.81 goals-against average, and an equally incredible .967 save percentage. So giving up one goal in the final actually raised his goals-against mark.

He had little chance on the Gannon goal, but he atoned for it anyway by blanking the Eagles through a much more even second period, and all the way to the finish. "When the pass came out from behind the net, I got my stick on it," said Elliott. "It got through, and somehow their guy got off a backhand, up high. It was a really good goal."

Meanwhile, Wisconsin rewarded the large and loyal crowd by getting the equalilzer on Earl's goal at 1:17. Earl was upended by a big bodycheck as he rushed toward the BC end. He got up slowly, and appeared to consider heading for the bench. But then he spotted linemate Burish with the puck, deep on the right boards.

With an instanteous recovery that would have made the Mayo Clinic proud, Earl quit limping and broke for the net. He arrived just as Burish's pass zipped to the crease, and Earl converted an instant before being dumped into the cage himself.

"I was going to the bench," said Earl. "Then we got a turnover, and Joe Pavelski went the other way. So I went to the net, and Adam made a great pass."

The goal tied the game and let Earl inch ahead on the team goal-scoring list, which is a duel with his linemates. It was Earl's 24^th goal of the season, while center Joe Pavelski finished with 23 and Burish 22.

The emotional victory was well documented by the Badgers in the aftermath.

"This is the best feeling, the best university, the best group of guys, and the best coaching staff," said Gilbert, who is from Bloomington, MN.

Elliott attributed his strong finish - nine goals-against in Wisconsin's last 10 games - to the team's spiritual leaders.

"It's been a testament to how great our seniors have been," said Elliott, a 6-foot-3 junior. "When I came here, they were only sophomores...They'll be my brothers for life."

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