March 26, 2003

by John Gilbert

For once, the pregame predictions were right on. Both coaches and insightful observers said the Women's NCAA Frozen Four championship game could be the best women's college hockey game ever. Then the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs went out and battled Harvard through three periods, one overtime, and part of a second, before sophomore Nora Tallus blasted a perfect shot off the right goal post and into the net.

With that, UMD won 4-3 to capture its third NCAA championship in a row. The achievement is more amazing when you realize there only have been three women's NCAA hockey tournaments, and UMD has won them all. This time, though, the title was everything both coaches, and all their players, had anticipated.

"I saw Katey Stone before that game," said UMD coach Shannon Miller. "I gave her a little hug, and said: 'Let's go out there and have some fun, and raise the bar.' "

The bar for women's hockey went right to the rafters, up there where large banners signifying UMD's NCAA first two championships hang with style, and now a third will soon join them ­ the only three national championships any UMD team has ever won. A record women's tournament crowd of 5,161 ­ near capacity at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center ­ watched the nation's two best women's teams battle up and down, never slowing down, never backing off.

"We're absolutely astonished, amazed and thrilled to death to be able to win a national championship right here at home in Duluth, before 5,000 people," said Miller, whose Bulldogs finish 31-3-2. "It was absolutely incredible, and it couldn't have been any better for women's hockey."

Underlying the final game, Harvard and UMD had been 1-2 for almost all season. The Crimson supplanted UMD for first early in the season, after beating the Bulldogs 2-1 on a last-minute power play goal at the DECC in November. Harvard (30-3-1) lost the next night at Minnesota, but then didn't lose for its next 27 games, until a shocking 7-2 ECAC tournament final setback against Dartmouth. That loss left Harvard atop numerous ratings with UMD second, but it dropped the Crimson one rung, behind UMD, in the selection committee's final rating.

UMD - NCAA Champions Click for larger photo

While Harvard crushed a surprisingly flat Minnesota team 6-1, UMD whipped Dartmouth 5-2 in the other semifinal, and the decisive nature of those games separated UMD and Harvard from the rest of the nation's women's teams ­ further setting up the final on its own pedestal.

"I'm very sad, but very proud," said Harvard coach Katey Stone, whose Crimson had avenged their loss to Minnesota with a 6-1 rout in the semifinals. "We did everything we could to win this game, and we had some great opportunities. They are a tremendous team, and my hat is off to them. They beat us with a perfect shot. I just feel privileged to be part of this event. This was certainly one of the greatest sporting events I have ever been a part of. The crowd was just tremendous, and so fair in many ways. They were supportive of all of our great plays, as well as all of Duluth's."

Caroline Ouellette deflected in a Jenny Potter pass at 5:17 for her 31st goal, and Hanne Sikio, one of eight UMD seniors, scored with a blistering shot at 12:30 for a 2-0 first-period UMD lead. Harvard needed a quick goal for a second-period jump-start, and got it, doubly, when Jennifer Botterill scorfed at 0:21, and Lauren McAuliffer backhanded in a rebound 23 seconds later, for a 2-2 deadlock at 0:44.

"We're absolutely astonished, amazed and thrilled to death to be able to win a national championship right here at home in Duluth, before 5,000 people. It was absolutely incredible, and it couldn't have been any better for women's hockey." Shannon Miller UMD Head Coach

A penalty to Tallus gave Harvard a power play, and just moments after it ended, Nicole Corriero scored for a 3-2 Harvard lead at 14:46 of the middle period. The big crowd was stunned, but not the Bulldogs. Tallus, a perky little 5-foot-3 sophomore from Finland, who doesn't look like she could cause much harm, got another of her four penalties at 17:07 of the second period, and Sikio, her counterpart from Finland, scored shorthanded from the left edge of the net. Joanne Eustace, killing the penalty behind the Harvard goal, had pried the puck loose and chipped it out, and Sikio flicked a backhander into the short side on surprised goaltender Jessica Ruddock.

That created the 3-3 tie, and UMD goaltender Patricia Sautter dueled Ruddock the rest of the second, all of the third, and through the wide-open overtimes. How wide-open? Harvard outshot UMD 14-10 in the first 20-minute overtime, and that was the most shots the Crimson had in any of the five periods, as they outshot UMD 44-41 for the game.

UMD's Torpedo offensive system puts heavy pressure on opponents, with four skaters free to attack, and only one staying back to defend. Harvard capitalized by connecting on some long passes, frequently springing breakaways, and usually by Botterill, who had won the Patty Kazmaier Award the night before as the nation's top college player. Her goal in the final game was her 47th, to go with 65 assists, for 112 points in 32 games.

But Sautter stopped her repeatedly, as well as teammates Julie Chu, Angela Ruggiero, and the rest of the Crimson. Ruddock did the same to the Bulldogs, stifling Swedish Olympic stars Maria Rooth and Erika Holst, and blocking repeated chances by Potter and Ouellette.

As the game wore on, and both coaches shortened their benches, Miller put her third line skaters out for selected shifts. Joanne Eustace was one of them, and the senior from Line Torbay, Newfoundland, rewarded the move with assists on both the third and fourth UMD goals.

But Tallus became the hero, answering Miller's challenge. "After her fourth penalty," said the coach, "I told her she owed us a goal."

Four minutes into the second overtime, there was a faceoff in the left corner of the Harvard zone. Miller sent Eustace out there, and after Holst won the faceoff, she got the puck to Eustace, who rotated up and passed back to Tallus, who was just outside the top of the faceoff circle. Tallus cut loose, and the shot glanced off the right post and in at 4:19, setting off a crazy pile-up on the ice, and a raucous response throughout the arena.

Tallus freed herself from the pile, and skated up to coach Miller on the bench. "I paid you back," she said.

Someone asked Miller if she was mad at Tallus for getting four penalties in the title game.

"Look at her, she's an angel," said Miller. "You can't get mad at her."