BOSTON – The Black Bear fans recognized a pivotal moment.

After the University of Maine killed off a five-on-three power play in the second period, the Black Bear faithful stood and gave the penalty kill a standing ovation that echoed around the FleetCenter.

“It was definitely a turning point in the game when we killed off that five-on-three,” said Maine defensemen Prestin Ryan. “I got one of the penalties and we just have to make sure we don’t put ourselves in a situation like that.”

With BC’s offense creating plenty of havoc for Maine defenders, the two-man advantage for 1:25 was a potential game breaker. After Troy Barnes was called for tripping, Ryan was whistled for high-sticking and Boston College had the chance to seize the game.

“That was huge,” said UMaine coach Tim Whitehead. “I think that was the key moment for us. Even if we had killed that off, they still had 40 seconds on the five-on-four. If all of a sudden you kill off a five-on-three and they get one late, it would have been very deflating for us.”

As it turned out, the Eagles came up empty and whiffed on another man advantage late in the second period sending the two teams into the final period tied 1-1.

BC went 0-for-7 on the power play and was even held without a shot on a power play with 5:37 left. Michel Leveille was called for cross-checking but some sound forechecking and clears by Ryan frustrated the Eagles further.
Having a Fleetfull
The FleetCenter was bursting at the seams as two sellout crowds took in the first day of the Frozen Four.

The crowd of 18,138 for the UMaine-BC game was the second largest crowd to ever watch a college hockey game in Boston. The matinee matchup between Minnesota-Duluth and Denver ranks third after drawing 18,084. The largest crowd for a college hockey game in Beantown came at the 1995 NCAA championship game when 18,276 were on hand for Boston College and Michigan.

Between the Frozen Four and the Boston Bruins playoff games, the FleetCenter is hopping this week. The Bruins hosted Montreal Wednesday night and play Game 2 of their playoff series Friday. An estimated 100,000 fans will hit Causeway Street during the span of five sold-out games in four days.

For those games, 770 credentials have been issued by the Bruins and the NCAA media offices. The FleetCenter employees are also working hard. It is estimated that 1,536 is the minimum number of operational man-hours notched by the event changeover crew.

To change the FleetCenter from a professional hockey venue to a college rink requires 40 corporate logo dasher board signs removed following each Bruins game and 22 NCAA logo signs installed in their place. Also, 28 Bruins and Celtic championship banners are removed from the rafters and replaced by 17 NCAA Hockey Championship banners.

The ice sees its share of action as well. The typical thickness of the ice is 1 inch, but inch can be lost after every game. The Zamboni is expected to make a minimun 708 laps around the rink during those four days.
Replay says – no OT
History indicated that Minnesota-Duluth would force overtime in the first semifinal game.

The Bulldogs’ previous four outings in the Frozen Four went to overtime, including the 1984 championship game that went four extra periods before Bowling Green earned the victory.

Not this time. The Bulldogs forced the action late and even thought they scored the tying goal with 32 seconds left in regulation. Tyler Brosz crashed the net and tipped a centering pass on goal. While the puck headed for the net, so did Brosz.

The replay showed that Brosz ran into Denver goaltender Adam Berkhoel before the puck snuck inside the left post. The play was reviewed but the goal was disallowed.
Hoping for Hobey
Minnesota-Duluth’s Junior Lessard was the only Hobey Baker finalist still playing as the Frozen Four dropped the puck Thursday. Though his season ended in the loss to Denver, the senior forward scored twice Thursday, both on the power play. Lessard finished the year with an NCAA-leading 32 goals and 31 assists. The nation’s leading scorer, 63 points, also finished with 14 power play goals.

The Hobey Baker winner will be announced Friday at 2:30 p.m. and will be shown live on Fox Sports New England. Lessard is a finalist along with Brown senior goaltender Yann Danis and North Dakota sophomore forward Zach Parise.
Championship Saturday
Saturday’s championship game could be a Rocky Mountain High or a Maine Event. Denver and Maine are now on a collision course for Saturday’s 7:03 title tilt.

Maine and Denver have played 15 times overall, with the Bears leading the series 10-5. The teams last played in 1999 in Denver when Maine won 4-3 with three first-period tallies.

Their only tournament meeting came in the 1995 East Regional in Worcester. Maine beat Denver 4-2 to advance to the Frozen Four. The Black Bears ultimately lost in the championship game that year.