MILWAUKEE—It was a tough mountain to climb, but the men's hockey program has reached the summit and stands atop the college hockey world for the first time since 1990.
We're on that peak and we just jumped off. We're flying,\ senior defenseman Tom Gilbert said. ""This is the best feeling ever.""
The script was written perfectly for the Badgers to have a chance to win a national championship without leaving Wisconsin, and Saturday night at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee the team realized the dream with a 2-1 victory over Boston College in the national championship game.
The Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Wisconsin freshman forward Ben Street lost control of the puck in the corner to BC sophomore forward Dan Bertram who quickly centered it. The puck bounced by the skate of Wisconsin sophomore defenseman Davis Drewiske and onto the stick of BC sophomore forward Pat Gannon who beat All-American junior goaltender Brian Elliott high to the glove side.
In each of the past seven years, the team to score first in the championship game has won the title, but the goal failed to rattle the Badgers.
""We had no doubt we were going to win this game,"" Gilbert said. ""We were down by a goal but we had no doubt we were going to come back.""
Taking a 1-0 lead helped the Eagles to temporarily hush the pro-Wisconsin crowd at the Bradley Center.
""The Wisconsin fans are unbelievable. We can feed off that too,"" BC senior defenseman Peter Harrold said. ""I would just like to thank them.""
Sure enough, the Badgers evened the score just over a minute into the second period when sophomore forward Joe Pavelski held the puck in the zone at the blue line where senior forward and team captain Adam Burish picked it up and skated toward the corner. From the bottom of the circle Burish hit a streaking Robbie Earl with a pass that the junior forward buried in the net as he fell down and crashed into the net himself.
Earl had been on his way to the bench after taking a hit at center ice but decided to enter the play when he saw that Pavelski held the puck in the zone.
""I decided to take a chance. I think that is the story of the year—hard work and going to the net,"" Earl said.
After the game Earl was named the tournament's most outstanding player.
""It's a great honor, but there's so many other players on this team that have been the backbone of the team all year,"" Earl said. ""I take great pride in being MVP, but it's a great pleasure to win a national championship.""
The game remained tied until halfway through the third frame when the All-American Gilbert buried what proved to be the game winner. Gilbert had two identical chances earlier in the game, but this time he was not denied.
""I was thinking to myself, ‘I'm not going to strike out three times,'"" Gilbert said. ""Joe Pavelski made a great pass to me, and I just buried my head and I knew the puck was going to go in.""
The goal came on the power play; Pavelski had the puck down low and looked to Earl back door, but snuck a no-look pass to Gilbert at the point. Gilbert took the puck, stepped to the top of the slot and buried a shot over the BC goaltender's right leg pad.
""He put it in the perfect place,"" BC All-American goaltender Cory Schneider said.
With less than a minute to play, the Eagles pulled Schneider and made a push to tie the game with six skaters. With less than two seconds remaining a BC shot hit the pipe dead-on.
""If it had been any closer I would have hopefully gotten a pad on it. The posts are your best friends and I got one tonight,"" Elliott said.
Burish watched the play from the bench.
""Oh it was horrible not being out there,"" Burish said. ""I don't remember who was next to me on the bench, but I was squeezing his arm so hard I'm sure he has some bruises.""
The Badger women's hockey team won a national title two weeks ago, thus making UW the first school in NCAA history to hold national titles in both men's and women's hockey.
This season also marks the fifth consecutive season the national title has gone to a Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference team. The past two titles went to Denver, and the two before that to Minnesota. Badger fans can hope the trend of two straight continues for their cardinal and white, but if it does not they will always have April 8, 2006 to remember.
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