Friday, April 10, 2015
BU, PC to Meet for Title
Packed house at TD Garden sees Terriers beat UND, Friars top UNO, setting up Saturday’s championship.
Boston University and Providence built multiple-goal leads and held off rallies from North Dakota and Omaha, respectively, setting up an all-New England, all-Hockey East national championship game Saturday night.
Saturday: Boston University vs. Providence, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN/TSN2)
BU enters the title game seeking its sixth championship and first since 2009. Providence, making its second championship game appearance and first since 1985, hopes to become the third first-time national champion in as many years.
A sellout crowd of 18,022 filled Boston’s TD Garden for Thursday’s games.
“It’s pretty special for everyone in our community, especially our guys in the locker room, and some of the alumni that are fortunate enough to have been with us throughout our journey,” Providence goaltender Jon Gillies said. “The support has been unbelievable from our fans all the way through up and down the list. We can’t thank them enough.”
Gillies made 25 saves in net but Providence’s offense carried the play. The Friars fired 48 shots on net, perhaps none more important than Trevor Mingoia’s immediately following UNO’s goal cut Providence’s lead to 2-1 in the third period. Mingoia beat Mavericks goaltender Ryan Massa (44 saves) 24 seconds after UNO’s goal to allow Providence to regain the two-goal lead.
“It was probably the biggest moment in the game for us, that and getting the first goal,” head coach Nate Leaman said. “They had momentum, and for us to come back the shift after giving up a goal, it deflates their bench a little bit and it picks up your bench a little bit. The best thing about it is that I thought we were slipping with some things we wanted to do in the third period. Right after we scored that goal, all the guys on the bench were saying the right things. We played the rest of the game the way that we wanted to play it in that third period.”
BU raced to a lead thanks to Jack Eichel’s first of two goals less than five minutes into the game. By the end of the second period the Terriers led 4-1.
North Dakota stormed back, however, and cut the lead to 4-3, then had a late power play. Eichel put the game out of reach with his second goal and third point of the night.
“One of the reasons we’re still playing we’ve got talent and they work hard and they don’t get intimidated and they play tough,” said head coach David Quinn. “And you have to in this game. If you’re not playing tough and hard, you’re not going to survive.”
Quinn, a second-year head coach, and Leaman, in his fourth season, will face off for the third time this season. The previous two came Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, with each team winning in the others’ arena.
“Obviously they’ve got a great goalie,” Quinn said. “They play hard. They’re strong, they’re physical. They make you earn every inch of ice. They’re well coached, structurally sound. It’s going to be a heck of a hockey game and huge challenge for us.”