Minnesota-Duluth Upends Minnesota Sunday To Claim Midwest Regional Championship; Bulldogs Join Denver As WCHA's Two NCAA Frozen Four Qualifiers
F Evan Schwabe and his UMD Bulldogs will join Denver as WCHA representaives at the Frozen Four. |
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March 28, 2004
MADISON, Wisc. - The University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Denver, respective winners of the Midwest and West Regionals this weekend, will carry the collective hopes of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association into the upcoming 2004 NCAA Men's Frozen Four, set for April 8-10 at Fleetcenter in Boston, Mass.
Minnesota-Duluth (28-12-4) has earned the program's first trip to the Frozen Four since 1985 and second overall (also in 1984) following a 3-1 victory over fellow WCHA-member University of Minnesota on Sunday afternoon in the Midwest Regional championship game at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. UMD had a first period goal from center Evan Schwabe at 18:10, third period tallies from right winger Luke Stauffacher at 1:37 (game-winner) and right winger Jesse Unklesbay at 10:19, and 22 saves from goaltender Isaac Reichmuth to down the Golden Gophers. The Bulldogs, who blanked Michigan State, 5-0, in the first game on Saturday, have never won an NCAA title.
"It's a great time for this program and our players," said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin. "It was a very good hockey game today, but it was a very tough game. Both teams were a little tired and I think that showed. But we got it out... we got some big goals and some big saves. Our players have competed and worked so hard all season long and they really deserve this."
"I'd like to congratulate Minnesota-Duluth," said Minnesota head coach Don Lucia, who guided his Golden Gophers to the past two NCAA championships in 2002 and 2003. "They beat us five of six games this season and they deserve to go to the Frozen Four. I think they will represent the WCHA tremendously.
"I'm equally as proud of our team," added Lucia, "with what they've been able to accomplish the last few years. We played pretty well today. We played like a champion and that's all you can ask for."
Denver (25-12-5), meanwhile, earned that program's first trip to the Frozen Four since 1986 and 12th overall following by virtue of the Pioneers' 1-0 upset win over conference foe North Dakota on Saturday night in the West Regional title game at the Colorado Springs World Arena. Head coach George Gwozdecky Pioneers, who also knocked off Miami, 3-2, this past Friday night, will be making his first appearance in the national championship round with Denver while the program itself will be looking to add to their five previous NCAA crowns won in 1958, 1960, 1961, 1968 and 1969.
At the NCAA Frozen Four in Boston in two weeks, the UMD Bulldogs will face-off against the Denver Pioneers in one national semi-final on Thursday, April 8 while Maine will take on either Boston College or Michigan (playing later today) in the other semi-final. Game times for the sem-finals are 12 Noon and 6:00 pm ET. The winners of those two semi-final matchups will then meet for the national championship on Saturday, April 10 at 7:00 pm ET.
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, with a collegiate conference record 33 national championship titles won by member teams since the league's founding in 1951, has now qualified at least one team into the final round of four in 49 of it's 52 seasons overall. The WCHA has also now placed one of its teams into the national championship game the past five seasons in a row and has had at least two teams in the Frozen Four a total of 35 times overall now. Most recently, WCHA members North Dakota in 2000, Minnesota in 2002 and Minnesota in 2003 have claimed college hockey's ultimate prize.
Out at the East Regional at Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y., this past Friday evening, No. 3 seed Wisconsin (22-12-8) shutout No. 2 seed Ohio State, 1-0 in overtime on a goal by defenseman Dan Boeser before the Badgers fell 2-1 in overtime to top-seeded Maine on Saturday evening.
And at the Northeast Regional at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., Michigan was taking on Boston College in the championship game late Sunday afternoon. In the first game there on Saturday afternoon, Boston College defeated Niagara, 5-2, while Michigan knocked off New Hampshire, 4-1, on Saturday evening.
Midwest Regional Championship Game Summary
Sunday, March 28 at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Minnesota-Duluth 3 vs Minnesota 1
1st: G1 UMD - Evan Schwabe 19 (unassisted), 18:10. 2nd: No scoring. 3rd: G2 UMD - Luke Stauffacher 17 (T.J. Caig, Marco Peluso), 1:37; G3 UM - Grant Potulny 16 (Gino Guyer, Barry Tallackson), PPG, 5:25; G4 UMD - Jesse Unklesbay 6 (unassisted), 10:19. Score by Periods: UMD 1-0-2 = 3; UM 0-0-1 = 1. Pen: UMD 4-8; UM 4-8. PPs: UMD 0-3; UM 1-3. Saves: Isaac Reichmuth (UMD), 7-5-10 = 22 (60:00); Kellen Briggs (UM), 5-5-7 = 17 (58:55). Att: 3,206. Time: 2:15.
Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team: F - Junior Lessard, UMD; F - Evan Schwabe, UMD; F - Aaron Gill, Notre Dame; D - Keith Ballard, UM; D - Chris Harrington, UM; G - Isaac Reichmuth, UMD. Midwest Regional MVP: Isaac Reichmuth, G, UMD.
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