NCAA Frozen Four update – Vermont wins East Regional

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. – The Vermont Catamounts earned a spot in the Frozen Four finals in Washington, D.C. but they had to do it in controversial fashion.

Here is a review of how the East Regional went down this weekend. Semifinal 1: (4) Air Force 2, (1) Michigan 0 A perennial powerhouse in college hockey, the Michigan Wolverines once again came into the Frozen Four Tournament as a #1 seed, but this time they faced an squad from the Air Force academy that shut down the Big Blue offense by the goaltending of Andrew Volkening and lost in the opening round to the Falcons 2-0. This was the Falcons third straight trip to the tournament. Volkening made 43 saves for his third consecutive shutout, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, on college hockey’s biggest stage. Sixteen of Volkening’s saves were on the penalty kill. The Wolverines went 0-7 on the power play. Right winger Derrick Burnett scored at the 15:18 mark of the first period beating Michigan goaltender Bryan Hogan high stick side. Jacques Lamoureux, a Hobey Baker finalist, scored his 33^rd goal of the season at 7:02 of the second period when he took a pass from Matt Fairchild and beat a sliding Hogan before he could get across the crease. The two goal lead turned out to the more than enough to put the Wolverines away and the Falcons into the regional finals. Semifinal 2: (3) Vermont 4, (2) Yale 1 The third seeded Vermont Catamounts had four different players score goals and went did not allow a power play goal in seven chances on their way to a 4-1 victory over second seeded Yale in the other semifinal game of the NCAA East Regional in front of a sellout crowd of 8,478 at Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard. It was only Vermont’s second tournament win ever. The last was in 1996 and the Catamounts are 2-4 all-time in NCAA tournament games. Vermont got the first goal of the game shorthanded at 15:19 of the first period to grab a 1-0 lead. Defenseman Kyle Medvec tipped the puck out of Vermont’s zone to Peter Lenes near center ice. Lenes put a low wrist shot under the left arm of Bulldogs goaltender Alec Richards for a 1-0 lead. Vermont extended the lead to 2-0 just 1:50 into the second period. Leading an odd man rush into the Yale zone, Hobey Baker finalist Viktor Stalberg shook off a Bulldog defender and snapped off a wrist shot between the hash marks for his team leading 24th goal of the season. Vermont extended their lead to 3-0 with just 59 seconds remaining in the second period by knocking down an attempted Yale clear at the right point, defenseman Dan Lawson snapped a wrist shot that Richards stopped, but the rebound went directly to Wahsontiio Stacey who tipped the puck to Stalberg who sent a wrist shot between the pads of Richards. Vermont made it 4-0 late in the third period when on a two-on-one break, Corey Carlson put a wrist shot past Richards. Yale would spoil the shutout later in the period, but the damage had been done and so was Yale’s season. Semifinal 2: (3) Vermont 3, (2) Air Force 2 (double overtime) Now comes the controversy. In a well played battle between two teams, video replay had a hand in the outcome. The Falcons took a 1-0 at 3:46 of the second period when Paul Weisgarber scored on a rebound during a four-on-two. Sean Bertsch took a shot from the bottom of the right circle and Madore made the stop, but the rebound came back to Weisgarber who out the puck into an open net. The Falcons entered the game 22-1 on the season when leading after two periods. Vermont tied the game at 3:56 of the third period when Josh Burrows put a quick wrist shot from the right point through traffic beating Volkening top shelf. The goal ended Volkening’s scoreless streak at 262:04 minutes. Vermont struck again midway through the third period to take a 2-1 lead when Carlson sent a shot from the right point past Volkening. Air Force tied the score at 2-2 less than two minutes later when Bertsch’s ripped a shot that hit Madore’s shoulder, than trickled into the goal at 11:18 to force overtime. Dan Lawson took a shot at the point that looked like it missed the net, but when video replay was used to replay Lawson’s shot, the over-the-goal camera looked as though the net moved, whichy in the referee’s mind could only have moved if the puck had moved the net from the shot. Another angle from behind Lawson was not conclusive as well. The meeting of the minds seemed to last longer than the overtime period did and officials untimitly decided with 5:50 left in double overtime, that Lawson’s shot must have gone through the net to give Vermont the victory and a spot in the final four. Lawson’s heroics earned him the Most Outstanding Player honors for the East Regional. Joining Lawson on the All-Tournament team was teammate Viktor Stalberg. Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com