After falling short in the national semifinal last season, and after 16 seasons of an almost-steady return to the NCAA tournament following its last championship, the University of North Dakota men’s ice hockey team is back on top of the college hockey world.
Under a new head coach and with a freshman goaltender, the newly-named Fighting Hawks took down the No. 1 Quinnipiac Bobcats at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida 5-1.
The Fighting Hawks struck first in the game midway through the opening frame.
Shane Gersich smacked home a rebound to put North Dakota up 1-0, leading to an erupting roar from the thousands of green jerseys in the crowd.
Though this was a far trip, the North Dakota faithful nearly filled Amalie Arena like a home game in Grand Forks.
Under five minutes later, Quinnipiac went to its first power play and was in control for most of it until a clear by the Fighting Hawks trickled down toward the Bobcats’ net.
It was a footrace that forced Quinnipiac goaltender Michael Garteig to come out and play the puck, but right into the midsection of Brock Boeser, who corralled the puck and sent it into the open net for a 2-0 lead.
Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold used his timeout, leading to a bit of a change in the Bobcats’ play.
The Bobcats got some good chances, including some posts hit combined with some key saves from the goaltender for the Fighting Hawks, Cam Johnson.
Quinnipiac wasted no time with just over a minute to play and a 5-on-3 power play at the end of the first.
Junior Tim Clifton found the puck on his stick right in front of Johnson and lifted it to put the Bobcats on the board, bringing them within one going into the first intermission.
In the third, Drake Caggiula put North Dakota up 3-1 just 21 seconds into the period, roofing a one-timer on Garteig’s glove side from the slot.
Caggiula added his second goal, getting a rebound after an initial breakaway from Boeser found him looking for his second of the night.
Austin Poganski was North Dakota’s fifth goal scorer at 10:41 of the third and that would be all of the scoring en route to the Fighting Hawks’ eight NCAA championship title.
“We openly talk about winning championships and trying to be the best that we can be every single day,” North Dakota head coach Brad Berry said. “And to finally complete that and do that, it’s an accolade or a team award that we’ll cherish for a long time.”
Pecknold gave credit to the strong play and talent of the Fighting Hawks.
“I thought (North Dakota) was outstanding tonight,” Pecknold said. “They gave us a lot and we just couldn’t handle it tonight.”
The Fighting Hawks captured their first NCAA championship title since 2000.
On the 16-year championship drought, Berry said, “It’s long overdue, and I’m glad we could do it.”
“We needed some breaks and we just didn’t get them,” Pecknold said. “Four losses in 43 games is phenomenal…To do what we did this year was special.”
Captain and senior Soren Jonzzon spoke about the impact the class of 2013 had on this team, creating the winning attitude the Bobcats have today.
“I think when we came in, the seniors were fantastic and they really started the culture and showed us, kind of showed us the ropes,” Jonzzon said. “You see the way that we play and the way that guys battle and compete for each other, and I think that it’s a special thing and we’re so proud of it.”
The Bobcats will lose Jonzzon, Garteig, Alex Miner-Barron, Tom Hilbrich, Travis St. Denis, and Jacob Meyers to graduation, the winningest class of players in Quinnipiac’s 18-year Division I history.
“I’m proud of them,” Pecknold said. “A phenomenal group of seniors, and what we’ve accomplished this season and all four years is truly remarkable for a small school like ourselves.”
North Dakota finishes its championship season 34-6-4 with its 16th championship, 22nd trip to the Frozen Four, and 30th appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Quinnipiac lost four games all season, finishing 32-4-7, with its second Frozen Four appearance and its first ECAC tournament championship.
