Yet in ride-or-die, single-elimination hockey, “deserve” ain’t got nothing to do with it. All these teams are so evenly matched that any one of them could claim to be the best despite what happens at Amalie Arena. Their combined leadership-along with the potent scoring ability of Danton Heinen (20 goals), Dylan Gambrell (17 goals), Quentin Shore (13 goals) and nine other players with five or more lamp-lights this season-should give Denver the confidence that the puck will bounce their way in Tampa.
Advertisement
“Even though it was 3-1, I thought we’re built to come back”, York said.
A handful of North Dakota fans took in practice open to the public, and the team even got a chance to explore the city a bit on their downtime after arriving in Tampa Tuesday afternoon, but they’ve made the message clear, while some may be on vacation to watch them, the team is not.
“I don’t think it was the prettiest game on the planet, ” quipped Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold.
“That was the best option for me to become the player I am”, he said. “I’d like us to be a little cleaner, but our compete level is so off the charts that there is a tradeoff”. “We’ve played in the Frozen Four in Philadelphia”, added Doherty, who was sitting next to assistant captain Steve Santini.
Major junior hockey is a great opportunity, they say, but it wasn’t for them. “But that’s hockey, and we’re going to be gracious in victory and defeat”.
That led to more pressure from BC and that caused Quinnipiac a lot more trouble than they had in the first period.
The Bobcats got goals from Kevin McKernan and Andrew Taverner in the first period to take a 2-0 lead.
Fifteen different players have scored in the postseason for Quinnipiac. Quinnipiac killed the first four BC power plays, including one in the third, before Ryan Fitzgerald’s rebound found the back the net with 4:16 to go in the game to cut the lead to 3-2, but it wasn’t enough. Boston College trailed after the first period for just the seventh time this season, falling to 3-3-1 in those situations. “Again tomorrow is game day and they’ll be ready to go”.
“It’s still in our hands, so we need to go out there and do our jobs”, said Patrice Bergeron. Their two early goals and dominant start to the game may have come as a surprise to anyone who hasn’t seen them much, but it really shouldn’t have. “And, it ultimately cost the game”.
Both Denver and North Dakota are two wins away from becoming only the second team to win eight or more national championships (both now are tied with seven titles – MI has the most with 9).
With a trip to the NCAA title game at stake, Quinnipiac got right to work on Thursday. Every team wants to win and put on a their best performance and play their best. “We find ways to win”. That list includes Providence (2015), Union (2014), Yale (2013) and Minnesota-Duluth (2011).
Former NHLer Brendan Morrison played for MI in three Frozen Fours, a single-elimination competition similar to the NCAA’s men’s basketball tournament, scoring in overtime to clinch the 1996 title for the Wolverines in an era when fewer Canadians were in USA college. They have a total of 31 national championships. “Going into it, there’s no guarantees, but I like the effort our kids had after the slow start. They were hard. They were gritty”. He’s been struggling through an injury suffered in the ECAC championship game, and was limited during the Regional.
Advertisement
Not surprisingly, there are no Division I hockey programs in Florida.
