Goals hard to find in tourney
ST. PAUL, Minn. — It seemed as though the only thing fans could expect heading into the men’s Frozen Four was that there would be goal scoring aplenty, with the top four scoring teams in the country making up the field.
It didn’t exactly work out that way in Thursday’s semifinals. Boston College, second in the NCAA with 4.6 goals per game, held up its end of the bargain in a 4-0 win over a Michigan squad that averaged 4.1. That was after Denver and Boston University each managed just one goal through three periods before the Pioneers finally broke through in overtime to advance to Saturday night’s championship game against BC.
That was a pattern for the Pioneers, who are No. 1 with 4.7 goals per game but managed just four goals in regulation over their first three contests in the tournament.
“I think that the goal scoring is more of an anomaly the last three games,” coach David Carle said before Denver shut out BC, 2-0, to claim the title. “Remembering who we’re playing, these are the best teams in the country. I think we’ve all seen the tightness of the games, how many overtime games there were in the regional round. I saw a tweet that every champion has had to play an overtime game since 2017 on their way to the title. This tournament, it’s a really hard thing to get to this stage. It’s hard to win. We’re playing real good teams.”
After not winning a game where they scored two goals or fewer all season, the Pioneers rolled through the NCAA tournament by turning the trick four times, including their 2-0 win in the final. Denver emphasized defense in the second half of the season — and particularly in the playoffs.
“They’re hard to open up,” BC coach Greg Brown said. “They really play well as a team defensively. They seem like they’re moving as a group of five all over the ice. There’s not a lot of free space, they’re not spread out. They do a great job of getting numbers around the puck.
“We know we’re going to have to play with a lot of pace and change sides and try and open up some free ice. They do a great job of taking that away quickly.”
Teammates feel IMPACT
Josh Bello cheered on Boston College all weekend. The 10-year-old from Needham was drafted by the team through Team IMPACT, a Bostonbased nonprofit that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams throughout the country. Bello lives with a kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome.
In addition to attending games and practices, Bello’s involvement has extended away from the rink as well, where he has been invited to team dinners and other events. BC captain Eamon Powell and his roommates have hosted Bello in their dorm for an afternoon of playing video games and watching football.
“I think it’s a great thing for a bunch of our guys to just reflect,” Powell said. “There’s a kid who’s been battling some stuff since he was pretty young and how strong he remains. It just gives a greater perspective that we’re more than just hockey players, and I think it’s a great reminder of how lucky we are to be playing this sport.”
Logan Gatto, 8, was matched by Team IMPACT with Boston University in October 2022. The Rockland resident has epilepsy and also traveled to the Frozen Four to see his Terriers teammates.
As they do with the active skaters for each game, the Terriers included Gatto’s name and hometown on the line sheet, as well as the Team Impact logo.
Although BU lost to Denver Thursday, Gatto and his family stuck around and attended the Hobey Baker ceremony Friday to watch BU freshman Macklin Celebrini accept the award.
“He’s always got a smile on his face, always motivating us,” Terriers captain Case McCarthy said. “I think that perspective of sometimes things aren’t going well for us on the ice or maybe before the game you’re dealing with something or after the game, but just seeing him around, how much joy he brings to our locker room, it’s been huge for us having him on the bus, the plane.”
Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 3,000 children with 750-plus colleges and universities in 50 states, engaging more than 75,000 student-athletes.