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Boston Eagles prove greater speed over Miami Redhawks

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

Boston College beat Miami, 7-1 in the second semifinal game of the 2010 Frozen Four on Thursday evening.

by Pete Bublitz petblitz@yahoo.com

WATCH: Press Conference after Semifinal Game One

WATCH: Highlights from Day One at the 2010 Frozen Four WATCH: Highlights from Day Two at the 2010 Frozen Four

DETROIT -- Despite playing a tighter game through two periods, the Boston College men’s hockey team flew away with rather familiar results: a 7-1 victory over the Miami Redhawks in the second Thursday night semifinal of the Frozen Four. Like the prior game, the blowout mainly occurred in one period, but not before Miami was provided a glimmer of momentum.

At 5:19 into the third period, the Redhawks’ Joe Hartman (#26) received a behind-the-net pass from Carter Camper (#11) and managed to shoot it past traffic and into the net to make it 3-1. In addition to the goal, it was as though Miami defensively held its own through two periods.

Despite being down 3-0 by the end of the second, Miami still managed ten on target shots to B.C.’s 18, attempted 39 shots to the Eagles’ 38, and matched their opponent in shots blocked by the defense at eight.

Such output even lead B.C. Coach Jerry York to praise the entire Redhawks for keeping in it. “If this was an NHL playoff series, I guarantee it would go deep into the series,” he said. When the third period buzzer sounded, Miami had managed 18 shots on the net and blocked 12 shots to B.C.’s respective 30 and 13.

Still, the game decider came at 10:10 into the third, when the dangerous combination of Cam Atkinson (#13), Brian Gibbons (#17), and Joe Whitney (#15) put the Eagles ahead 4-1 with a backhander by Atkinson through the legs of backup Miami goalie Cody Reichard (#30).

The goal would be the first of three to get past Reichard in less than two minutes, with the following goals occurring at 10:44 and 11:45. In the three B.C. games of the NCAA tournament so far, the 13-15-17 trio have combined for a total of 16 points, with six being produced in the victory against Miami.

Of the 12 players to get a point in the semifinal game, the three are among five to earn points in their second consecutive game of the tournament. Two Eagles players, Edwin Shea (#8) and Pat Mullane (#11), have earned points in all three B.C. games during the tournament.

The final goal of the game was scored by Ben Smith (#12) at 16:41, assisted by Jimmy Hayes (#10) and Chris Kreider (#19). It would be Smith’s second goal of the night, with an assist notched earlier in the third, leading his team in goals scored and matching J. Whitney and Brian Dumoulin (#2) in points for the game.

Reflecting on the goal stretch after the game, Whitney mentioned that it stemmed from motivation following Miami’s goal to stay ahead through speed and continuing to get shots on the net. “We just wanted to keep playing the way that we know how to play and push the pace and we didn’t want to change a thing,” he said. “Our main goal was just to get the next goal and just keep going.”

For Miami’s Tommy Wingels (#9), the matter of low goal output from his team was related to not maintaining momentum throughout each period. “We’d have a good shift here or there then we disappear for the next three, four minutes after that,” he said. “That was pretty frustrating.”

Miami Head Coach Enrico Blasi commented that it was a case of B.C. excellence instead of Miami underachievement, praising his team’s goalies Reichard and Connor Knapp (#31). “Both our goaltenders are the reason why we’re here,” he said. “When you take chances against a team that plays so well in transition and spreads you out the way Boston College does, you tend to give up some odd-man rushes and it’s tough on the goalies.”

According to B.C.’s Smith, the ability to play up to skill level with ease in a venue like Ford Field was helped by prior experience, most notably an outdoor game at Fenway Park earlier this year. “At Fenway we were certainly overwhelmed for a little bit of that game. But I think that experience definitely helped us in this – it’s a different venue.”

Such experience will lead the Eagles back into Ford Field at 7 p.m. Saturday night, when they face the Wisconsin Badgers for the NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Championship. The rematch comes four years after the Badgers defeated the Eagles for the title on April 8, 2006 in front of a home-state crowd at the Bradley Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

Though some might have the final score as rather anti-climactic, history was still made in a big. During a stoppage in the third period, it was announced that the Frozen Four games that night had set an indoor hockey game attendance record of 34,954. Whether that count will be topped depends on who flies or scampers in to cheer for these two finalists.

 

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

 

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