Monday, April 9, 2012
BC Claims Fifth National Title
Top-seed Boston College scored twice in the first period and sealed the fifth national championship in program history, 4-1, with two more goals in the third. Junior goaltender Parker Milner recorded 27 saves en route to being named the 2012 Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player on Saturday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.
“I feel honored and privileged to be a part of the BC program, the university and specifically the hockey program,” senior captain Tommy Cross said. “This was the best team I’ve ever been on. We just had something in our mind that the season was only going to end one way and that was our main focus.”
Steven Whitney led the Eagles with two goals, scoring the first on a put-back at 3:18 in the first. Senior forward Barry Almeida won a loose puck near the crease and put a shot on net. The puck deflected off a Bulldog skate, landing in front of the Reading, Mass. native.
FSU tied the game at 5:19 in the first. Milner denied two shots off an initial drive by Andy Huff, but Garrett Thompson followed with the put-back to even the score, 1-1.
Paul Carey registered a power-play goal to put Boston College back on top at 10:33. Pat Mullane sent a pass from the left circle to the opposite point. Brian Dumoulin released a shot that Carey redirected over Taylor Nelson’s stick side, marking the eighth straight game the Eagles scored on the power play.
The Eagles went 1-for-3 on the power play and killed off all four of FSU’s power plays to 23-for-23 on the penalty kill since March 16.
The shots were even at 22 after two periods, but the Eagles controlled the third, 15-6, to claim a 37-28 advantage after three.
At 16:58 in the third, freshman Johnny Gaudreau doubled Boston College’s lead, 3-1, with his 44th point as a rookie. Sophomore forward Kevin Hayes and junior defenseman Patrick Wey collected assists on the play.
Whitney’s empty-netter at 18:57 completed the scoring at 4-1. The forward’s second goal of the night, which was assisted by sophomore forward Bill Arnold, marked just the third time that an Eagle had scored twice in a national championship victory.
Frozen Four All-Tournament Team
F – Kyle Bonis, Ferris State
F – Paul Carey, Boston College
F – Steven Whitney, Boston College
D – Chad Billins, Ferris State
D – Brian Dumoulin, Boston College
G – Parker Milner, Boston College*
*Most Outstanding Player