TAMPA, FL – It wasn’t the blowout many people projected, but the end result was nonetheless a widely-expected one.
Boston College’s Johnny Gaudreau scored on a beautiful individual effort late in regulation to finally give the Eagles the breathing room they had sought all night, and a soon thereafter a third national championship in five years became reality for BC, who defeated upstart Ferris State 3-1 in the Division I Men’s College Hockey title game.
The victory for the Eagles, their 19th in a row to close out a championship season, was much more difficult than most predicted. After Steven Whitney opened the scoring for Boston College, the Bulldogs responded with a game-tying tally from Garrett Thompson to make the score 1-1. But just over 5 minutes later, Paul Carey scored what ultimately proved to be the game-winning goal on the power play, to give BC a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Neither team lit the lamp in the second period, and the teams took their one-goal contest into the third. After a tense, defensive-minded period where neither team wanted to make a fatal mistake, Gaudreau broke through at the 16:58 mark with a beautiful move through two Ferris State defenders, lifting a backhand shot over the shoulder of Bulldogs goaltender Taylor Nelson to make it a 3-1 game, as an empty-netter in the final minute of regulation created the final margin of 4-1.
Sean Grande and Cap Raeder called the action on the Westwood One Radio Network.
(Steven Whitney opens the scoring for Boston College)
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(Garrett Thompson strikes for Ferris State as the Bulldogs even things up)
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(Paul Carey puts BC back on top with a power play tally)
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(Parker Milner comes up with some big saves to keep the Eagles in front)
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(Milner and Taylor Nelson both comes up big between the pipes)
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(Milner comes up with a huge sprawling save on Ouellette)
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(Johnny Gaudreau with a beautiful goal to put BC up 3-1 late in the 3rd)
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(It’s a third national title for Boston College in the last five seasons!)
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(Post-game interview with BC’s Chris Kreider)
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(Post-game interview with BC’s Johnny Gaudreau)
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(Post-game interview with BC’s Parker Milner)
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(Post-game interview with BC head coach Jerry York)
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(Championship game recap from Tampa)
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