The 2009-2010 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team is no longer the most overachieving team in the nation. The Bulldogs are the 2010 NCAA national champions.
It took four hours and 24 minutes, but UMD, led by a strong senior class all season long, earned the program's fifth NCAA title on a goal by a rookie to overcome Cornell University 3-2 in the friendly confines of Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. The longest NCAA Frozen Four game in history rewarded UMD with its second title in three years, and not only increases the Bulldogs' NCAA-best trophy haul of five, but improves UMD's all-time record in the NCAA Frozen Four to 11-2 in and an impressive 5-1 in title tilts.
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“I am really happy to be national champions today, with this team, a real Cinderella story,' said head coach Shannon Miller after her 291st win as the Bulldogs' head coach, and NCAA Frozen Four record of 11 wins. “I thought they (Cornell) were amazing, absolutely amazing. Both teams played with a very strong will to win.”
After a scoreless first period in which Cornell didn't look like championship game newcomers, the Bulldogs struggled to stay out of the penalty box in the second period. UMD picked up their fourth infraction of the second stanza (and fifth of the game) at 12:48, and Cornell finally capitalized less than a minute later. With UMD goaltender Jennifer Harss screened, Big Red defenseman Lauriane Rougeau ripped a shot from the point that found the back of the net through the traffic. The goal, at 13:44, gave Cornell a 1-0 lead – something only UMD had played with in its last eight games.
Starting the third period of play with an extra skater, Bulldog senior Emmanuelle Blais again made another post-Kazmaier plea, collecting her own rebound to beat Cornell netminder Amanda Mazzotta just 18 seconds into action. Blais' 32nd goal of the season and 12th power-play tally knotted the contest up at 1-1.
UMD –- again benefiting from the Big Red's unusual amount of penalty minutes – struck once more at 14:42. Bulldog blueliner Jaime Rasmussen skated into the slot, and after receiving a perfect pass from fellow senior Saara Tuominen -- who was wide on the extended goal-line, beat Mazzotta top-shelf to give UMD its first lead of the game.
Cornell remained undaunted however, netting its second goal of the game less than two minutes later, an even strength goal by Melanie Jue at 16:30. 60 minutes, it seemed, wasn't enough to crown the 2010 NCAA champion.
The Bulldogs -- with their storied history that includes a 2003 NCAA title won in double overtime at the DECC -- took the overtime ice undefeated in extra time all season, having posted a 3-0-2 record with the golden goal in the balance. Two minutes into action in the first overtime period, UMD thought they had snuck out a win when rookie forward Audrey Cournoyer actually deked Mazzotta and beat her. But Cournoyer's shot didn't cross the goal line fast enough, as a Cornell player cleared it from the Big Red's line, prolonging Cornell's bid for a first NCAA title. Twenty minutes later, neither team had scored, pushing the game into double-overtime for just the second time in NCAA championship game history.
4:20 into the second overtime, UMD and Cornell had set the record for the longest game in an NCAA title tilt, but after another thrilling 20 minutes, there was still no winner. In the history of UMD's program, it had never played in three-overtimes, but with the Bulldogs and Big Red deadlocked, that was about to change.
The end-to-end third overtime hit a climax when UMD junior forward Laura Fridfinnson was hauled down on a breakaway to give the Bulldogs their first power-play in 50 minutes of extra time. But it was six seconds after Cornell had killed its sixth penalty of the game that UMD made its own history.
Redirecting a blast from Tara Gray at the point, freshman forward Jessica Wong tipped the shot in chaos between Mazzotta's legs and into the back of the once elusive back of the net. From there, the party was on for UMD, who has now won five-of-ten possible NCAA national titles.
UMD netminder Harss turned away 49 of 51 Big Red shots, a single save short of tying the Bulldogs single-game record for saves of 50 (set by Kim Martin against Minnesota on Nov. 17, 2007. Cornell's Mazzotta had 61 saves for the Big Red, who finish the season 21-9-6 overall with the highest NCAA finish in their program history.
“In the beginning of the year, I believed we could get in the top-eight and win a regional game to get to the Frozen Four, but I never talked beyond that,” said Miller. “I can't believe how much better they got from January until the end of the season, they just blew me away. I just told them in the locker room tonight that they are the most special team I have ever coached. I have coached at the World Championships, I have coached in the Olympics, I have coached four other national championship teams. There is no question they are the most special team I have ever coached.”
A special team that is now the 2010 NCAA national champions.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD had three players on the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team, including 2010 Frozen Four Most Valuable Player Emmanuelle Blais…Blais was joined on the team by rookie forward Jessica Wong junior forward Laura Fridfinnson…UMD is now 4-1 in overtime NCAA contests, and the Bulldog senior class 3-0…UMD won the NCAA national title in 2008, 2003, 2002, and 2001...The Bulldogs finish the season with a record of 31-8-2 overall...It is the third time in program history that UMD has won 31 or more games...Two players had two points in the game – Saara Tuominen (two assists) and Jaime Rasmussen (one goal and an assist)…Blais had 12 points over the past five games, and ended her career on a five-game scoring streak…Blais has scored six goals and added six assists since March 6...the game not only set an NCAA Frozen Four record for longest game (4:24), but Cornell goaltender Amanda Mazzotta set a record for most saves in an NCAA Championship game with 61...Former Bulldog netminder Patricia Sautter held the old record of 41 set in 2003.
Official UMD NCAA 2010 Frozen Four Pictures will be available for purchase through http://www.d.umn.edu/~bgroehle/whokfzn42010/
