Saturday, April 11, 2009

NCAA CHAMPIONS !!!



Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, the Terriers scored twice (Zach Cohen and Nick Bonino) in the final 59 seconds of regulation to tie Miami, then won in overtime, 4-3, on Colby Cohen's goal (video below) in the NCAA championship game. It was the fifth national title for the Terriers and the third with Jack Parker behind the bench. (Photo credit Jim Rosvold)




“The way we did it might have given Coach a heart attack,
but I wouldn’t want it any other way,” BU captain and Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy said. “The dramatics of it … I’m in awe of it. It’s a great feeling.”

► Gilroy becomes the fifth player to win the Hobey Baker Award and an NCAA title in the same season, joining Minnesota's Jordan Leopold (2002) and Maine's Paul Kariya 1993) Harvard's Lane McDonald (1989) and North Dakota's Tony Hrkac (1987). See Elliott Olshanksy's Hobey Watch Blog.

► Cohen was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the All-Tourney team by Millan, Bonino and Colin Wilson.

“Colby, you closed your eyes.” - Gilroy, interrupting game-winning- goal-scorer Colby Cohen’s explanation of how the shot found the net.


The championship game win--by the numbers:
• The win was the 35th of the season, setting an all-time Terrier record.
• It was also BU's 45th game of the season, another record.
• And it gave the senior class an even 100 wins over four seasons.
• Parker became the first Division I coach in history to earn 30 NCAA Tournament victories, passing crosstown rival and contemporary Jerry York of Boston College, who has 29.
• The victory was also BU's first and only overtime win during a season in which they were ranked #1 for much of the year.
• BU won six tournaments this season (IceBreaker, Denver Cup, Beanpot, Hockey East Tournament, NCAA Regional, Frozen Four) and seven titles, the seventh being the Hockey East regular season title.
• The Terriers remain undefeated in games in which Nick Bonino scores at least one point (25-0--3).
• Freshman netminder Kieran Millan extended his record away from Agganis Arena to 16-0-1. BU finished the season with a 17-0-2 record in its final 19 games away from home.
• Colby Cohen's NCAA-championship-winning goal was the #1 top play on ESPN SportsCenter. Bonino's tying goal was #3.
• BU has now played in 10 national championship games and has won five times (19771, 19772, 1978, 1995, 2009).


• Brian Kelley's in-game blog provides some of the highlights.
• USCHO's Jim Connelly has an early recap. Chris Lerch's in-game blog.
• USCHO notebook--"Burn the Boats" revealed
• New York Times recap.
Boston Herald recap, notebook, Colby Cohen feature.
• Associated Press recap and photo gallery.
• Hockey East Online recap.
• College Hockey News recap.
Washington Post recap.
• INCH's Championship Game notebook
• Jack Parker post-game comments (audio).
• Players' post-game comments (audio)
• NHL Fanhouse recap

Check back later tonight and again tomorrow for much more.

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