SCORING FRENZY

The goals came fast and furious in regulation time, but it was the goalies – and goalposts – who were the story in overtime.

IDwe ans Aa nsmtoaslwlearspglaoyinerg athnedrIe. NwoarntthedDtaokoptlaya. nI dhaWditsacloknesdinto, tbhuet rNigohrthfeitr.n Michigan felt like

MARK BEAUFAIT: (Northern

Detroit as aIbwitaosfcaolmatiengblouotmo-f

Michigan center)

eKry.lIek, snoewthearsesiwstasnthcaotacohnWneacltmtioenI. nI eheadeadlaont otfhteramyesatreollfing joauwfnfeairoye.rd,TbomubteeNahosorcntheoeslrta,nrIsMphricophbriaiggbahlnyt NnbueoetrdtheedranenwMoatihcsheairgcyaoenma. rforftjluenvieolra,

t They were on tahheuirgpe oswtrerakp,layndwwasegkrneeawt.

LACHANCE:

We knew they were talented, but we didn’t know what to expect.

We felt we could sgagcnoooyrodengpaeol.alaoWylteieorskaf,ngbodeuwatlhspBaaeitlgrltsayhoiewnnysaathlslayadI

RONAN:

dhaidnb’teoavteurpansaolmyzeeptrheitntgysg. oWoed tbeeaamtesnaMloincghitghaenwoanyt, hweerhoad plartettiny gthoeodsesatsroidneagnodinfoguintdoa wtherteopurentatmy pernetp. Iafreldt.like we oMfCfuEnA.CJaHcEkRwNa:sWaeghreaadtacoloatch. Hpuemwpoeudldurpebaellfyogretatghaemgue,ytsellgtinorgepaultasymtoBo.tpUivl.aahytotchrk.reoyu. gJahcgkuwysasanad eWyewheardene’xt tlroesmt ienlythdeangerouTsh.

RICK COMLEY: (Northern Michigan coach)

second half, but they were on a run of their own. The biggest muwpoinrteuryatemwssawseeatrhreleycy. rTwithiecrafeli.rbslto1w0ing

By 9:26 of the first period, the Terriers had jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to two goals by Ronan and one by David Sacco.

Great coaching.

COMLEY:

My first goal, I had dsoemfeensgeo,oadndspDeaevdetToosmplitntshoenir

RONAN:

threw a waist-high pass at the Ibwluaeslinineftuhlal tstIrkidneo,cakned idtoswatn. downoawsanagohinoigdfhrsothnipottoa. fsMmIywes.aeIscbocenoadmt gBinoiglalyl ahrigohunindtohnetshloetcaynclde.BIilwlyaws as ct oumgihngploafyf fhoirs apogsota, ltihea. t was a

Obviously it wasn’t the start you’d want, but there

MELONE:

awnads int’os pnaont iac.gYoooud’rtehninogt, hbauptpy, you keep moving forward. They had soTmhe yexwpeloresijvuespt lfays-t.

BEAUFAIT:

feirs.tWperrioegdr. oWuepehdadafatevretherean wanhdicghrheaetlpsedn.ioWrelekandeewrstehaipm,

we had to pick away at the g, aonaldaifttestragroteadl. snowballilenagd,

It wasn’t the type wofe3w-0elreacdruwihsienrge bwyeththisoutegahmt .

LACHANCE:

TTpuhhceekyy, kwaenepdrtetchqoeumyiciwkngein.rWemteaorlveinktgeatdh. e twhaesmalal dovifeferrtehnetpalnaicme,ahl.e made

BRAD WERENKA: (Northern but we didTnh’tetrheinwkaist cwoanscern,

Michigan defenseman)

awsebhaaddatsoitgelot okuerdf.eWetemkonveiwng and get some bounces.

We knew we 3co-0uledasrclyo?reI ,dsonb’tetihnigndkoawnyn PLANDOWSKI:

aovf eoruarggeudyms opraenitchkaends. iWx egohaalds gpoearlg-sacmoeretrhsa. t season. We had

The second period proved to be the tonic for Northern Michigan, as the Wildcats scored five consecutive goals to take a 5-3 lead. Antos got the ball rolling, with Beaufait, Scott Beattie (twice) and Plandowski also scoring.

We were an expermieandceeidt 3te-a1m, w. Ae scosouoldnraeslawxe

COMLEY:

faobuirtt.hIfgtohaely, ihtawdoguoldttehnavtehebeen agnoaoltiheesrhsatdorgyo. oItdwyaesarnsu, tbsu. tBoth tehaemofsfetonoskivoevtearl.ent of the two

The first was imwpoerstatanrttteodjtuostgegtethreolblionugn. Tcehsen

WERENKA:

ftihrast tpheeryiowde. re getting in the Scott Beattie gotItgwoiansga, Iwave.

PLANDOWSKI:

scored one, and it put them on

their heels. The momentum changed. All of a sudden we had great energy, and I’m sure their legs felt heavy. It was like two different games.

Scott Beattie just knew how to put the puck in BEAUFAIT: athned neott. Hpaerwticauslarslmy afallsetr, bguty hweaskncoewnfiwdehnetr.e to be, and he gunslingeWrse, mbuigt hwtehwaveerebne’etn

RONAN:

tkhnaotwbawdhdaetfheanpsipvenlye.dI.d(oNno’rtthaenrnotMheicrhliegvaenl)ocfaemneroguy,t awnidthwe “cHouoldynm’tamckaetcrehl!itH. Iot wdasolwike, ustnofpatthoismfarebilgeh, rtetaralliyn. ?” It was the dressing Wroeomhaadntdo tgaokeinato

LACHANCE:

dCeherips bMrecCatahnnanadndcaMlmardkoKwrny.s wpthoeirrtdeanpgrte,eraaiont dinwtahesehtrahodeotmhao. tTstchaiemlm- - ing influence with us all year.

There were two wjuasyt sbltowloiot,koartwith. Datidkiwnde of

RONAN:

tseanmiorarcelawsse,?soWwe ehahdada fbaicged gadbovaoelurwtslaietstytribeneagfloliytregim.oI.ptTowhratastnmnte.oxrte

We had done int btehfeoBre.aWnpeohtaadgaicnosmt Beobsa-ck

MCEACHERN:

tgont hCuorllteagned, wthenrecaAmeonbtaeck wanedhsacdorceodmaebhact ktraicgka.inAsntd tMoauirnneaimnetnhte, Htooc.key East

In games like that, atyhoneudndfoorinsthe’t. ahYneodaur’yrtoehugeojcuirnsotgwpbdlacoyk.r

MELONE:

You’re up 5-3, but the game isn’t over. I don’t think anyone was relaxed, no one felt safe. You just didn’t know.

Northern Michigan had been fantastic at locking down leads all season: the Wildcats were 320-2 when leading after two periods. They would extend the lead in the third period against Boston U., with Plandowski making it 7-4 on the power play.

I took it off my skate, and the puck was rolling.

PLANDOWSKI: I got unbelievable wood on it, hwairthdo. Iukt nheawvinitgwtoas haogototdooshot. wYohuegreteivnetroythoinsge fmeeolms reingthst and you’re completely focused.

The Terriers, however, would not give up. Boston U. chipped away in the final half of the third. Amonte and McEachern connected twice, and then with 40 seconds remaining – and goaltender Scott Cashman on the bench for the extra attacker – Lachance found Sacco for the tying goal to make it 7-7.

play. I doIvtewaansdapdoeksepderitation

LACHANCE:

wtoaSsapclcaon. nI’eddb. e lying if I said it for it just aIsrheemsehmobt eitr…dIivjuinstg

MELONE:

missed it.

WE COULDN’T MATCH IT. IT MWAACSKLEIKREE,L‘!HHOOLWY DO WE STOP THIS FREIGHT TRAIN?’ – Ed Ronan, Boston University

Same old thing, the worm turns. Guys were takoinffgt1h5e-isceecobnecdasuhsiefttshaenydwgerteting

PLANDOWSKI: tTihredy. hTahdemenoemrgeyntwuams,gwoeneh.ad tlohsetgita.mAet tshimatppleo,indtu, myopupkuecekps.

You’re watching the clock. They were coming and

COMLEY:

coming. They get a fluky goal and tie it. Billy never saw it.

With time running down and the game tied, the Wildcats made an ill-advised line change that led to Lachance springing Amonte for a breakaway with just

seconds remaining. The future NHLer unloaded a slapshot from the hashmarks.

He came straight off the bench, and I remember

WERENKA:

wchiathsimngyhsitmickd,otwryninagntdodtiavkieng adwesapyepratritoonf, tahnediictew. Iatswsacsary, tohihrdavaenbdetehnenupw7it-h4 ainfetwhe soGenrcaeodonefd-Atshlseecfmot,royinsotgudcgahinvagenecureoptuaos players in the country.

Amonte was an ethlietewshkoalterg,asmo extpryloinsigveto. Icsopne-nt

PLANDOWSKI:

ttooauiotnksihdoinem., IaatnnwddaIksweaeaprsohcleoimmI aftolowrttahayebsle twoitkheeitp, iutpwwasitjhushtimab.out trying

I remember just putting my head down on the

MELONE: bench. One of the best goalscorers in U.S. college hockey goes down on a breakaway? Oh no. But then Billy comes way out of his net with the puck in his glove like, “Look whihsafat cI’ev,eitgwota.”sIlfikyeo,u“OsaKw, let’s move forward.”

Billy always had such a great style to him. He WERENKA: pthuattasnaveex,cslawminagtionng phiosingtloovne up like that.

Tony was a tremendruosuhsegdotahl-astcsohroetr afobritums. oHree RONAN: wtdhiadasnl’thefketnhooanwdththoeobwcelocmcaku.csBheuhttiemhe had beaten goalies with that tsheo tabpeefo, jrues. tBbuetfiofryeotuhwata, twche had a faceoff to Billy Pye’s left where Dave Tomlinson wins

I PUT MY HEAD DOWN ON THE BENCH. ONE OF THE BEST SCORERS IN COLLEGE GOES ON A BREAKAWAY? OH NO – Lou Melone, Northern Michigan

the faceoff and gets it to me. I tsohokt tahraetawllyenst roafnf gBeilolyf’fs-asnhgoluelodnere oI rwtahnetcbraocsksb. ar. That’s the

I’ve watched the highlights since, and it was

PLANDOWSKI: iat swpaesctlaikceu,l“aHr osalyvec.raApt ,tlheet’tsimgeet, out of here and into the room.” We were on the ropes. biggest savBeilolyf Phyisecmaraedeer.the

COMLEY:

The save came with one secnoantdiolneaftl cohnatmhpeioclnoschki.pTghaemNeCwAaAs headed to overtime.

You’re walking off the ice terribly disappointed. Did COMLEY:

wanedbdloiswcoiut?raTgheedy, wsoeIreustierded some coach-speak. I said, “If I told you before the game had started that we’d be heading wyriniogitunoh’tdto?hvfSiesoer.”tllYiepmotr’uesetgtatroygyagotiounootsstdaetnlahldbitshotreutyemtati.mot, ,

It’s a 0-0 game, let’s ygouprlabyu. tPtuonffc.hMtahyebceloitckh,awdork

MELONE:

tnruemncbheeds.us, we had been in the wPLeApNaDniOcWkeSdK.IIt: wI daosna’tctohiinnfklip. Wstaernt esekdaetidngtoargeaginro. Tupheasntdart aogf aoivne.rYtoimu ejuwstaws aen5t0u-5p0agnadme gdroewant cthaenices, .both teams had

The best chance came in the first overtime period when Boston University defenseman Kevin O’Sullivan entered the zone on a rush. What followed was one of the more probability-defying sequences that could ever be imagined on a hockey rink.

He’s on the left side. sMHaecmEheaitcpshoteshrten, t.phHoeisnst sashlnioddteihst igtoos eths eto

MELONE:

uotnhbeerlipeovsatb. lTehtahtinwgaIs’vtehevmerost seen. It was as if someone was dstiadnd’tingog tinh.ere making sure it

Kevin had a really nthicreourguhsht.hHeekipdu’st tlehgespauncdkthen RONAN: otSohvoeakrwtanhgehrabedaotaitsrdhwsoi,dtI.eImtolipogehontk’.evIdewaliacks-e Ituthalolyugbheteint ownasthoeviecre. ,AbnedcaIuse swtaicsknsoutpa.lone, we all had our

It was a slapshot that hit the post and

MCEACHERN:

came right at me. I was happy toongee-ttimgoeodditwoofof dthoenpiot,sbt uant dI then off the other post.

It was even closer than that: after hitting three posts in three seconds, the puck actually hit the sliding Werenka’s skate near the goal line before Pye was able to smother it.

It happened so Wquhiceknly,oituw’reasa hdaerfdentsoeamdajunst.

WERENKA:

acrnedasthee, yreo’us wa panlatytoingtehteyour feaest,uapll. IBcuotuiltdadllohwapapseannegdleso smgkoyaitnfeotobtltashdoeetnhteoett.prIuytcwakniwsdtoesdutolmdpny’t Biti,lblyuwt tahseaplsrobsleidminwgabsatchkat gtorwababreddmite, Iaththoeugtihmt ew.eOhnacde hae grIfeotaohldlaytcghdoaidonndc’etchgtoaonwicnie,nwo. fewhiandnaing.

When McEachern came down, hit one post and

COMLEY:

tbheefonrtehWe peruecnkksalicdleaacreodssit…I hofofntehsetlbyehnacdh stotacrotendgrtaotsutleapte iJtachkadPna’rtkgeor.nWe ihne,nI cIasraewfutlhlyat hstaedpps eednbmacek. , hoping nobody

With 40 seconds remaining in the first 10-minute overtime period, Northern Michigan’s Tony Szabo had his own close call, blasting a slapshot from just inside the blueline and hitting the crossbar behind Cashman. The second overtime period didn’t solve anything, with Cashman and Pye making a series of diving stops. But at 1:56 of the third overtime, history was made. Comley had bumped up Beaufait from fourth-line center to third-line right winger, joining Antos and Plandowski. That combination turned out to be pivotal. Led by Antos, the line approached the Terriers’ zone with speed. Plandowski skated the puck over the blueline, then made a nifty drop pass between his legs to Beaufait. It was a risky move, and Plandowski immediately circled back in defense mode after making it.

was on the ice. IIf khneegwotAtmheonte

PLANDOWSKI:

pbruecakk, ahwe’adyp, sooteanfteiarllIymhadve tahe epzwolaaintssesea.sIn(ktBuauetrneandrue.efdarribtaa)tcegkdotpoiltwa, yaenrrd, sahnoeur was pretty gTuhtsayt. drop pass...it

WERENKA:

Darryl woulIddpidunt’itttthirnokugh

BEAUFAIT:

hiosnlesgts. Iinwoavsejrutsimt ter,ytiongbeto give him space in the offensive zitobnaec,ka,nIdpwichkedn ihteudpr.oIpdpidend’t tkheipntkcIacrroyuilndggiettwaidsheo, bt uotfft.hIe D-man had his stick on me.

Beaufait was a talented guy and had so much

WERENKA:

opuatriefonucret.hHleinme,abyuhtahve hbaeden49on points. They had to respect his hshisofto, arenhdahned.kTehpet rpeuwsheirnegtohnree tt,otaon.DdHaterhrpeyulg.toiat liine tfhoelplgouewyrfsedoctnhsihmpiom,

(Beaufait) drove wide and all the Terriebrasckfotlolowwaerd

PLANDOWSKI: hthime n. Aets, Ithtuerneewdas now a big, empty area. I don’t know if I yelled or if he looked over his shoulder, but he put a perfect pass on my stick.

I definitely didn’t hear Darryl yell, but I knew I

BEAUFAIT:

had dragged defenders with me. I knew one of our guys would go to the slot, because that’s what you’re taught in hockey. Go to the net.

I can still to this day Tseime tehseeweminendintgo gstooapl ,daenvdelop.

COMLEY:

yshoouo’rteitg!o”ing, “Darryl, shoot it,

Sometimes you rush things and misfire, so

PLANDOWSKI:

I made sure I hit the net. You gtpiarmamceetsi.,sIbetuotthoiaktt’sapdslaipfyfleiatr-etshneoctouinsadand before I shot it to make sure.

And make sure he did. With an 8-7 victory in triple OT, Northern Michigan secured its first and only national championship.

my positiIopnrobnatbhlaytopvlaeyr.pBlauyted

RONAN:

mthiastt’askwehs atnldifeyoisu, lyeoaurnmfarkoem them.

I got credit ftohrintghsehgaopapl,ebnuetdthinreae3o0r-sfoeucornd

PLANDOWSKI:

sequence to make it happen.

I played center the whole year. I had never played

BEAUFAIT:

on the wing until that point. Wthe wfoeuretha ldinee,pbtuetaImw. aI swalso n on the power play. I was fresh heading into overtime, because sI ohmadeno’tf pthlaeyoetdhaesr mguuycsh. as

At that point, you’re just trying to get the

LACHANCE:

next goal. You’re nervous and escxocirted,.wWehceonuPldlann’tdmowovsekion twherbeeincth eforroaomfulflomr oinvuetrea. nWe ghaomureaefntedrewdawrda.sThhiestworaiyc,tbhuat it was hard for us. It was a tough one to be a Terrier for.

I just remember tcirmame.pItinwgausppirnetthyedtihsiarpdpoovienrtiwnogn.

MCEACHERN: Witeatlhl tohuagthyteware. could have

It’s finally over. You’re just so exhausted at

MELONE:

tlohnagt epsotingat.mItews ians Uon.Se. coofltlehgee hceisletobrya.tYinogu,’rbeurtuynonuinjugstarwoauntd to lie down.

As soon as the puck went in, it was pure elation,

WERENKA: especially for us seniors who had been there so long. Just elation and exhaustion. With hockey players, you hate lwoisni nginmg,obruettthhains wyoaus lonve of

those rare times where those ttpwheeroftetahcptielnyg.asYnewdaeIrrsaelmactooensrntIecpocutuetlddon’t wpuatttcihngitm. Iykhepeat dpainusminyghiat nadnsd. btIoacacbkne’ttahifmeanna.gwinaetcwhihnagt tiht ewgaasmlikee

To have 14 goals sncoonredthirnoruegghuslaetvieorna,laonvderthtiemne

RONAN:

was like two differepnertigoadms…esit. game was soItu’spsuanrrdedalo. wThna. t

BEAUFAIT:

cTohueldbnig’tgbesetlifeveeliwngewhads rweolinefa. I national championship, a small school like ours.

The afterparty was just as sweet for the Wildcats – and a huge bash for the scores of fans who made the trip from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to see their boys win it all.

It was great. We tho.euPrpafuoalnibcse, fiaot rwreeahssteeaaddaisntbagyubenadcchikn.oTSf

COMLEY:

mess. But I remember landing, wanidththpeohpigleh.way was lined

That group of plolnaygetrismhea, danbdeewnetwogeertehreeraally

PLANDOWSKI:

cTlhoaste’swtihteh gthreactotmhimnguanbitoyu. t aMsamrqaullecttoel.leEgvertoywbondlyikkenew us. waWniedthhtahudes.pcoamremntusn, eitxy-taelalmthmeraetes When we goTthbeaycktrtaovetollwednwtheell.

BEAUFAIT:

annexdtcdaarys, tohetarkeewuesreinlifmroomustihne s waiarpsojarmt tmo tehde, iptewparsasllpye. Tcihael. gym

There was a contvoyMgaoriqnugebttaec.kItmwialesssapnedcimal.iles

WERENKA:

aTlhl atb’souwth. at college hockey is CRuOpN(AwNi:thI’vMeownotrnealSitna1n9le9y3) raensmdueIltmcsabonef trgealmlsymeosuuactrhheaantsotphtiewecehenasdtoIf gthhauemrtjeo, ,buaurnntyeytyohuiitnskgenlcofa.wnObthhvaaipotpuiensnloy.nite Twhaesrme yarleasottchoelrlegmeogtaiomnes.eIvter, ysouthhoasveeatroedmeaolrewtihthe, ekmnowtiionngs tyhoouswe oguyldsna’tgabienpalnadyitnhgawt yitohu imnitghet fbuetuprlaey. ing against them

While B.U. lost the title, the future was bright for many of the Terriers. Amonte, McEachern and Tkachuk went on to have long NHL careers, while Lachance played for more than a decade before retiring and becoming an amateur scout for the New Jersey Devils. But even now, that 1991 Frozen Four final comes up.

Darryl Plandowski is a scout for the Tampa Bay LACHANCE:

Lightning now. I see him too aobftoeunt. Htheant egvaemres.a..bysutahneything doesn’t have to.

SHAWN MCEACHERN & BILL PYE

TONY AMONTE