BOSTON - With Michigan and Boston College about to head into overtime in Saturday's NCAA championship game, Michigan assistant coach Mel Pearson approached the dry-erase board in the FleetCenter lockerroom and scrawled two words - déjà vu.
Pearson was referring to the 1996 title game, in which an overtime goal gave the Wolverines the national championship and a 3-2 victory over Colorado College.
 |
| MARGARET MYERS/Daily Michigan goaltender Marty Turco celebrates the Wolverines' national championship at the FleetCenter on Saturday night. The 3-2 overtime victory gave Michigan its second NCAA hockey title in three years. |
Déjà vu - all over again.
"When we finally won it (in 1996) it was a monkey off everyone's back at Michigan," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "This game, we shouldn't have been here, we shouldn't have won - yet we did. And it's an even greater feeling."
Langfeld's goal was set up by a pass from Michigan defenseman Chris Fox, who sent the puck from the left corner of the rink. Langfeld then wristed a low shot that slipped by Boston College goaltender Scott Clemmensen. But it almost never happened.
The Eagles, who ended the season 27-9-5, almost scored on several occasions during overtime, firing shots off the crossbar and the left post during the sudden death period.
"If a few bounces would have gone our way it would have been a different game," Boston College forward Marty Reasoner said. "Sometimes you don't get those bounces."
Although the victory was eerily reminiscent of Michigan's championship victory in 1996, this group of national champions has an identity all its own.
While the 1996 team was led by seasoned veterans, this season's Michigan hockey team, which went 34-11-1, was best defined by youthful exuberance - and on Saturday night, it showed.
Michigan's three goals were scored by freshmen - on a night when seniors such as captain Matt Herr and assistant captain Bill Muckalt were bottled up by a stingy Boston College defense.
"This team is something special," Herr said. "This was a total team effort. Billy and I didn't score a goal tonight - everybody else did. That's what wins championships - great teamwork."
On Saturday night, it was a combination of strong play by Michigan's freshmen forwards, such as Mark Kosick (2 goals) and Langfeld, as well as superb goaltending by senior Marty Turco, that pushed the Wolverines to victory.
Turco, named the most outstanding player of the NCAA Tournament, kept the Wolverines in the contest giving their offense time to get on track.
Falling behind 1-0 after the opening period, Michigan finally broke through in the second when center Kosick evened the score for the Wolverines. Kosick banged away at a Bubba Berenzweig rebound and deflected the puck off Clemmensen's mask - after the netminder went down to block Berenzweig's initial shot.
After Michigan's goal, it was Turco who took over for the Wolverines, as the goaltender virtually stood on his head to keep the score tied at one. On two particular occasions, Turco erased mistakes by his blueliners on what should have been go-ahead goals for the Eagles. But even Turco could not thwart Boston College's final scoring chance of the second period.
Holding the man advantage after a hitting-from-behind penalty on Herr, Boston College's Bobby Allen faked a shot, freezing Michigan's defense before sending the puck on net. Teammate Jeff Farkas then intercepted Allen's shot and flipped the puck toward forward Mike Lephart, who put it past Turco for a 2-1 lead.
It wasn't until late in the third that Michigan would even things up again, with Kosick stepping up again for the Wolverines with a rebound shot. This time, Fox sent a puck goal-bound, which was redirected by Muckalt. Stopped by Clemmensen, the puck came out to Kosick, who again took advantage of being in the right place at the right time, knotting the game at two.
"Mark Kosick showed a lot of resilience for a young kid," Pearson said. "Coming in and playing at this level - I give that kid full marks."
Early on, Boston College was quick to take advantage of the decided home-ice edge, scoring roughly five minutes into the first period. Boston College set the tempo from the onset, utilizing its speed to get up the ice and pass Michigan's defense.
One such effort materialized into a goal for the Eagles, when Boston College forward Kevin Caulfield flew up the right side of the ice along the boards. Caulfield received a pass from teammate Mike Mottau and fired a slapshot from the right faceoff dot past the right leg of Turco. The score electrified the crowd and put the Eagles up early, 1-0.
04-06-98
| Next Article |
should be sent to: daily.letters@umich.edu | should be sent to: online.daily@umich.edu |