Associated Press Associated Press ADVERTISING TAMPA, Fla. — Boston College is making winning NCAA hockey titles look easy. Coach Jerry York and star goalie Parker Milner know how hard it really is. “You can’t buy one of these championships,” York
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — Boston College is making winning NCAA hockey titles look easy.
Coach Jerry York and star goalie Parker Milner know how hard it really is.
“You can’t buy one of these championships,” York said Saturday night after the Eagles beat Ferris State 4-1 for their fifth NCAA championship and third in five seasons.
“You have to earn them. And this team definitely earned it.”
Milner, the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player, made 27 of his 33 saves in the final two periods.
“It’s hard to put it into words because everyone did their part and we came together as a team,” Milner said. “You don’t do this without contributions from everyone and that’s what we got.”
Steven Whitney scored twice to help Boston College (33-10-1) finish with a 19-game winning streak. The Eagles outscored their opponents 77-21 during that span.
“We knew Ferris State was going to be outstanding,” York said. “They might not have the name recognition, but we knew how good they were. We stayed patient through the first two periods. Parker was extremely strong in net. You can’t be measured until you win that last trophy. Now this team can take its place among the other championship teams.”
Ferris State (26-12-5) was making its first Frozen Four appearance.
“You can’t say enough about what Boston College has accomplished,” Ferris State coach Bob Daniels said. “I think that’s a very special program. It’s going to be hard to duplicate.”
Paul Carey broke a tie with a power-play goal midway through the first period, redirecting Brian Dumoulin’s blast from left point to make it 2-1.
Johnny Gaudreau also scored for Boston College.
Garrett Thompson scored for Ferris State.
Whitney opened the scoring at 3:18 of the first period, stealing a pass and beating lunging goalie Taylor Nelson. Thompson tied it at 5:19, and Carey put the Eagles in front at 10:33.
Gaudreau weaved through the Ferris State defense to make it 3-1 with 3:02 left in the game. He carried over the blue line with two defenders between him and the net. The freshman star went around one defenseman, faked forehand on the other defender, then went to his backhand and flicked a shot from the edge of the right circle. It got past Nelson to the far post.
“That was a big-time goal by a big-time player,” York said.
Whitney added an empty-net goal with 1:03 to go.
Boston College also won national championships in 1949, 2001, 2008 and 2010. The Eagles are the first program to win three titles in five years since Denver accomplished the feat with wins in 1958, 1960 and 1961.
Daniels said he felt Ferris State represented itself well.
“I felt very comfortable coming out of the second period, but they just had too much,” Daniels said. “I have zero regrets about this. We did the best we could. I have zero regrets about how they played and how they performed.”
