by Mike McMahon/Staff Writer (@MikeMcMahonCHN)
Defense wins championships, right?
Someone didn’t tell the Frozen Four teams that.
Denver, Boston College, Boston University, and Michigan head to St. Paul this week for the Frozen Four as the top four offensive teams in college hockey.
In Thursday’s second national semifinal, BC will play Michigan for the first time in almost 10 years and the first time in the NCAA Tournament in 20 years since BC beat Michigan in the Northeast Regional Final in 2004 on an overtime goal from Ben Eaves.
BC boasts Will Smith, Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. Michigan counters with Dylan Duke, Rutger McGroarty and Gavin Brindley.
Those seven players are all in the top 10 in the nation in scoring.
So, how do these teams plan on slowing each other down? It will start with the goaltenders.
Michigan’s Jacob Barczewski was excellent in the Maryland Heights regional, especially in the final against Michigan State, when he made 38 saves only a few miles from his hometown.
“He’s been the guy all year,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “Defense wins championships. Defense and goaltending are huge parts of this time of year.”
Barczewski is a 25-year-old fifth-year senior. He’ll be opposite a 19-year-old freshman in BC’s Jacob Fowler.
Fowler has won championships at every level and tends to play his best hockey when the lights are brightest. Last year, he led the Youngstown Phantoms to the USHL Clark Cup championship, posting a 1.36 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage in nine playoff games.
That same season, he helped the U.S. team win the World Jr. A challenge, going undefeated with a 1.75 goals-against average.
“He’s a talented goaltender,” said BC coach Greg Brown. “The real key to Jacob is his mental game. He’s very calm. He doesn’t get high or low. His consistency for a young guy is really admirable. He’s like that every day in practice, too. He’s sharp.”
Thursday’s semifinal could very well be decided by which goaltender steals his team a few extra saves.
If not the goaltenders, the defensemen will play huge roles. BC’s Eamon Powell is an elite defender. He’s among the best turnover generators in college hockey.
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