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Denver ends Boston College’s season in disappointment again, this time in NCAA Tournament regional final
“It’s hard to beat a great team like that when you only score one, but really pleased with the effort and the pressure that we put on them.”
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MANCHESTER, N.H. — In last year’s national championship game, the Boston College men’s hockey team was unable to solve Matt Davis, losing 2-0 as the Denver goalie recorded 35 saves en route to being named the most outstanding player.
The Eagles didn’t fare much better in Sunday night’s NCAA Tournament regional final rematch. Denver got goals from Eric Pohlkamp, James Reeder, and an empty-netter by Zeev Buium, while Davis did the rest, again recording 35 saves to send the Pioneers back to the Frozen Four and end BC’s season with a 3-1 loss.
Sudbury native Teddy Stiga was able to solve Davis in the final minute of the second period, but that would be all the scoring the top-ranked Eagles could muster.
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– Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Denver’s bid for a third title in four seasons will continue when it faces NCHC foe Western Michigan in the Frozen Four at St. Louis on April 10 (5 p.m.). The second semifinal will see Boston University take on Penn State (8:30 p.m.)
It was a disappointing ending for a BC team that had openly talked from the beginning of the season about having unfinished business, looking to avenge last year’s frustrating loss. Jacob Fowler recorded 22 saves for the Eagles (27-8-2).
“It was like deja vu a little bit,” said BC coach Greg Brown. “They played a strong, strong game.
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“It’s hard to beat a great team like that when you only score one, but really pleased with the effort and the pressure that we put on them.”
BC was the more aggressive team in the opening minutes. The Eagles set a physical tone, getting pucks in deep and finishing hits behind the Denver net.
The Pioneers (31-11-1) were awarded the first power play when Gentry Shamburger went off for interference at 11:23, but BC was able to kill it off, keeping the second-best power play in the country off the board.
The Eagles would get their turn with the man advantage at 14:19 after Reeder was called for holding. BC had several good looks, but the Pioneers sold out, dropping to the ice to block shots, while the ones that did get through Davis had the answer for.
“We were quick in transition, got pucks behind them, and then pucks were going low to high, and we were getting guys to the net,” said BC captain Eamon Powell, still sporting his game jersey at the postgame press conference. “I think that’s when we’re at our best.
“We were playing a three-quarter ice game, and even when they were dumping pucks out, we were getting breakouts. When we’re playing our best, we’re kind of clicking on all those, so I think we had the start we wanted.”
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Having weathered the early onslaught by the Eagles, Denver grabbed the lead late in the first when Pohlkamp beat Fowler stick side with a wrist shot at 18:19. Aidan Thompson carried the puck into the zone and left it for Jack Devine, who found Pohlkamp alone in the high slot. It was Devine’s NCAA-best 44th assist.
The Pioneers held the 1-0 lead after 20 minutes, despite BC holding an 11-5 edge in shots.
Pohlkamp had a bid for a second goal in the opening minutes of the second when the Pioneers broke in three-on-one, but his shot clanged off the post.
BC would not be as fortunate when Reeder sent in a shot from the point that beat Fowler five-hole at 2:59 for the 2-0 advantage.
– Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
The Pioneers thought they struck again when Buium beat Fowler at 8:21, but BC’s challenge for an offside was successful, and the goal was taken off the board — giving the Eagles life.
Just 39 seconds later, however, Gabe Perreault went off for slashing, and Denver was back on the power play. Yet it was BC that had perhaps the best scoring chance when Stiga went in on a breakaway for a shorthanded bid, but he was denied by Davis.
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The Eagles had talked about converting their chances heading into the game, something they were unable to do in last year’s national championship. But when Stiga got another breakaway in the final minute of the period, he converted, beating Davis five-hole with a backhander to cut the lead in half at 19:07 and send the BC fans in SNHU Arena into a frenzy.
Stiga helped set the scoring play in motion by knocking the puck loose. Will Vote found Stiga behind the defense, where he did the rest, giving hope to an Eagles squad that had outscored opponents, 50-15, in the third period during the season.
But BC was unable to come up with the equalizer.
“I think Teddy’s goal kind of lifted the team and gave us some momentum headed into the third and we’ve been a third period team all year,” said Powell. “We never were going to shy away from anybody, and we made the best push we could.
Obviously goals weren’t falling, but at the same time, I’m proud of our third period. The boys really came out hard, and we had our chances, and they didn’t go in, and that’s the cruel part of hockey sometimes.”
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