Inside College Hockey | 2005 NCAA East Regional

March 25, 2005
NCAA East Regional
Upset Special
Mercyhurst gave BC a scare by playing an up-tempo game

By Nate Ewell

Boston College 5, Mercyhurst 4
Team	Goal	Str
Time	Assists
First Period
1-M	David Wrigley (19)	EV
0:27	M. Warren
1-BC	Pat Gannon (3)	EV
2:27	N. Havern, J. Adams
2-M	Ben Cottreau (17)	PP
7:53	D. Borrelli, T.J. Kemp
2-BC	Brian Boyle (19)	PP
12:18	J. Rooney, A. Alberts
3-BC	Greg Lauze (1)	PP
19:26	D. Spina
Second Period
3-M	T.J. Kemp (10)	PP
4:22	R. Hansen, S. Champagne
4-BC	Ned Havern (10)	EV
10:36	G. Lauze, B. O'Hanley
5-BC	Mike Brennan (2)	EV
17:33	M. Greene, R. Murphy
4-M	Rich Hansen (7)	EV
19:01	D. Wrigley, M. Warren
Third Period
No Scoring
Goaltending
M: Mike Ella, 58:18, 52 saves, 5 GA; Andy Franck, 0:51, 1 save, 0 GA
BC: Cory Schneider, 60:00, 18 saves, 4 GA
Penalties: M 12/24; BC 10/20
Power Plays: M 2-8; BC 3-11
Attendance: 8,360

WORCESTER, Mass. – If someone – perhaps Princeton's Pete Carril or the New Jersey Devils' Lou Lamoriello – ever pens a recipe for an upset, it would probably include a slow-down, patient approach. You can't take the air out of a puck, but you can slow a more talented hockey team with a defense-first philosophy.

Don't look for Mercyhurst head coach Rick Gotkin to subscribe to that theory. His Lakers attacked Boston College with an aggressive game plan that was positively Herb Brooks-ian, matching Boston College's strengths by allowing his own skill players to shine.

The result were tic-tac-toe plays, breakaways started by crisp outlet passes, and goals that left jaws in laps all over the DCU Center. Mercyhurst matched the most goals scored against BC this year in a 5-4 loss that was nearly the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history.

Gotkin and his players weren't surprised by their ability to show their skill.

"T.J. Kemp has scored that power-play goal probably six times this year, and we practice that every day," Gotkin said of a particularly impressive goal set up by a long backdoor pass by Rich Hansen.

"We knew we have a pretty fast team, and just wanted to keep our third guy high and follow our systems," Kemp said. "We tried to go run and gun at them before they did it at us."

The Lakers certainly had the initiative, scoring just 27 seconds into the first period on a two-on-one that David Wrigley finished. That goal started a sense of belief in the building that spread right until a final flurry of shots in the last 10 seconds.

"We think we have some very, very skilled guys," Gotkin said. "Tonight all those guys stepped up. Do we have more skill than Boston College? Probably not. But those guys, when they have similar opportunities they can create and do some things. When it was 1-0 Mercyhurst there were some plays that could have easily made it 2-0 Mercyhurst if not for some great plays by BC."

If Mercyhurst's skill level and style of play caught the Eagles off guard, at least it was familiar. The Lakers reminded BC players and coaches alike of New Hampshire, who the Eagles beat in last week's Hockey East championship game.

"They are a terrific transition team," York said. "We knew they were going to produce some real high-quality scoring chances. They reminded me a lot of New Hampshire in our league as far as moving pucks through the neutral zone and creating odd-man situations – two-on-ones and way too many breakaways for my liking."

The Lakers' emphasis on skill may not have produced an upset, but it gave them a shot, and created the best storyline of the first day in Worcester.

North Dakota 4, Boston University 0
Team	Goal	Str
Time	Assists
First Period
1-ND	Drew Stafford (12)	PP
19:05	N. Fuher
Second Period
2-ND	Colby Genoway (12)	EV
4:01	R. McMahon, M. Jones
3-ND	Rory McMahon (14)	EV
8:29	C. Porter, C. Genoway
Third Period
4-ND	Colby Genoway (13)	EV
2:40	N. Fuher, R. McMahon
Goaltending
BU: John Curry, 60:00, 23 saves, 4 GA
ND: Jordan Parise, 60:00, 29 saves, 0 GA
Penalties: BU 8/16; ND 10/20
Power Plays: BU 0-10; ND 1-6
Attendance: 8,360

JORDAN RULES

According to those affiliated with the North Dakota hockey team, the explanation for Jordan Parise's 10-game unbeaten streak and remarkable NCAA Tournament numbers is simple.

"I believe it's a matter of focus," said head coach Dave Hakstol, who saw his goaltender post his second shutout in three tournament starts. "He's been focused on what his job is. The defensemen and the forwards in front of him are doing their jobs, and that's what playoff hockey is all about. Everybody has got to do their job and step forward and do their job."

The Sioux gained that renewed level of focus exactly a month ago, hosting Wisconsin for a two-game series.

"Our back was against the wall," said senior forward Colby Genoway, who scored two goals Friday night. "We knew we had to come out with a couple of wins, and we came out with three out of four (points).

"It showed we have a lot of character on our team to know that our back was against the wall and we came together, and finally got a little swagger in our step," he added.

That swagger may be most evident in Parise, who plays with a confidence to challenge shooters and cut down their angles. The one time he was beat Friday, an apparent BU goal that was disallowed, he may have been victimized by being too aggressive when a BU player fanned on an initial shot.

Thanks to this recent run and his tournament success, Boston College will meet a goaltender on Saturday whose confidence is soaring, much moreso than the two teams' first meeting in October, a 5-3 BC win.

"Last time we played them we were searching for the identity of our team," said Genoway. "We struggled finding that identity until well after Christmas. We're a good defensive team that can pounce on its opportunities, and we've got a good goaltender behind us."

INCH's Three Stars of the Night

3. Nick Fuher, North Dakota
The leader of a very solid Sioux defense, he sealed third star honors when he sprung Colby Genoway on a breakaway for the fourth goal.

2. Mike Ella, Mercyhurst
Faced 57 shots in the Laker net, keeping them in it until the very end. Credit also to his defense, led by the talented T.J. Kemp, which played shorthanded for most of the game (either literally or figuratively, due to the injury to Conrad Martin).

1. Jordan Parise, North Dakota
He wasn't the reason North Dakota won, but he never let BU get a sniff.

SEEN AND HEARD AT THE DCU CENTER

• The East Regional is playing host to two Matt Greenes: Boston College's freshman forward and North Dakota's junior defenseman. Positions and classes aren't all that separate the pair. The Sioux's Greene is more than half a foot taller than BC's.

• Boston University wore the throwback third jerseys it debuted March 3 against New Hampshire.

• Gotkin admitted that some of his players were nervous early in the game. One said to him on the bench, "Coach, that number 10 (Brian Boyle) is really big and really fast, and I'm really nervous," Gotkin recalled.

• There was plenty of opportunity for Hockey East and Atlantic Hockey officials to talk smack before the first game. The two leagues' terrific media relations representatives, Dan Fisher (Atlantic Hockey) and Noah Smith (Hockey East), have offices across a hall from each other in Wakefield, Mass.

• Mercyhurst goaltender Mike Ella left the game with 5:59 remaining in the third period, suffering from leg cramps. The crowd offered a generous ovation, and Andy Franck took over in net. Franck was Mercyhurst's starter for most of the season before Ella took over one month ago. The injury cost Mercyhurst its time out, which it used to warm up Franck. Franck made one save, on a high Patrick Eaves slap shot, before Ella returned 51 seconds later.

• Ella wasn't the only Laker lost to injury. Defenseman Conrad Martin, Atlantic Hockey's Best Defensive Defenseman, went down less than six minutes into the second period after an awkward hit by Dan Bertram. Martin did not return, a loss that particularly hurt given the amount of time the Lakers spent short-handed.

• Boston University had an apparent power-play goal overturned after a replay review in the second period. Brian McConnell had popped a loose puck over Jordan Parise and into the net, but another BU player was in the crease.

• The setup of the DCU Center required some juggling for the BC and BU bands. Both had their conductors stationed in a separate section from the band members, along a wall angled toward the musicians.

PLUSSES AND MINUSES

You could excuse longtime New England hockey fans if they thought there was a mall attached to the DCU Center. Mercyhurst proudly sports sweaters with colors that match the old Hartford Whalers; all that was missing was "Brass Bonanza" from the Laker band.

Speaking of Mercyhurst's band, it wasn't really theirs. They brought in a local high school outfit to rally the troops in Worcester, and the kids acquitted themselves well. They get high marks for "Sweet Caroline."

All was not perfect with the high school band, although it was no fault of their own. The Mercyhurst sweaters they were issued for the game still had a MAAC patch, even though this is the Lakers' second year in Atlantic Hockey. Hey Coach Gotkin, since you still have those lying around, we'd be happy to take them off your hands.

Remember being frustrated with all the penalties called early in the season? They were back in force Friday, with 40 penalties called in the two games. Officials reportedly weren't reminded of the crackdown on obstruction; apparently they didn't need to be.

"There was a lot of special teams play," said BC head coach Jerry York. "I was surprised. We've been playing much more open, flowing games, but this one was called very tightly."

WHAT'S NEXT

Saturday's game features a rematch of the 2000 and 2001 NCAA championship games, which saw North Dakota and Boston College, respectively, win their most recent national titles. Saturday's meeting provides a terrific contrast of BC's small, skilled forwards with the Sioux's big, strong defense.

"BC's got a lot of speed, and that's what's going to help them out a lot," said Boston University junior forward Brad Zancanaro, who like many of BC's forwards is small and quick. "They've got to use their speed outside and drive the middle lane and get pucks to the net, and make sure that (North Dakota's defensemen) don't get their reach on you. They've got a lot of big guys that can just poke the puck away."