View Full Version : Irish Beat Michigan to Win CCHA Championship Playoffs
http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20062007/m/03/17/um-nd.php
The win was the 31st of the season for regular-season champ Notre Dame, a team that finished tied for eighth in the CCHA last year with 13 wins. In 2004-05, the Irish had five total wins to their credit.
Brown also said that second-year head coach Jeff Jackson is the biggest reason for Notre Dame's success this season.
The Irish (31-6-3) will be a No. 1 seed in their second-ever trip to the NCAA tournament
notredomer23
03-18-2007, 06:23 AM
Very good, how did we do in the tournament last year
Very good, how did we do in the tournament last year
Look above, ND only won 8 games last year.
http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/recaps/031807aab.html
Irish Take First CCHA Championship Tournament With 2-1 Win Over Michigan
David Brown, Erik Condra and Wes O'Neill take all tournament honors with Brown tourney MVP.
March 18, 2007
Detroit, Mich. - The CCHA championship game on Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena was a classic confrontation as the league's toughest defense - Notre Dame - ran into the conference's best offense - Michigan. The game featured wide-open, end-to-end play, fierce checking, some great scoring chances and great goaltending and yes, the defensive team won out as the Irish handed the Wolverines a 2-1 loss in front of 16, 481 at Joe Louis Arena.
Notre Dame goals by Erik Condra and Jason Paige were the difference in the contest along with some stellar defense and penalty killing as the number one-ranked Irish earned their first CCHA championship in 17 seasons in the conference. Kevin Porter scored the lone Michigan goal in the first period.
Both goaltenders had stellar nights as the Irish out shot the Wolverines by a 37-32 margin. David Brown made 31 saves in the win while Michigan's Billy Sauer stopped 35.
The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead at 19:54 of the first period when defenseman Jack Johnson rifled a shot from the right point that Brown got his blocking pad on. The rebound found its way to Porter in the high slot and he fired a shot over Brown's right shoulder that caught the crossbar and went in. For Porter, the goal was his 23rd on the season.
The Irish rebounded to tie the game at 15:58 of the second period off some stellar work of the line of Ryan Thang, Kevin Deeth and Condra. Thang and Deeth worked the puck in the left wing corner with Deeth coming out from behind the net to try to stuff a shot on Sauer. The Michigan goaltender got his pad on it, but the rebound found Condra in the slot and he rapped the loose puck home to tie the game at 1-1.
The score would stay that way until the 8:52 mark of the third. Defenseman Brett Blatchford broke up a Michigan rush in the neutral zone and moved the puck ahead to Garrett Regan. Regan carried into the Michigan zone and fired a shot that Sauer lost the handle on. The rebound was loose in the crease and Paige pulled it away from the Wolverine goaltender to flip the puck into an open net for the 2-1 lead. The goal was the 11th of the year for Paige and set a career high.
From there, the Irish defense got some breaks on St. Patrick's Day as they held off the Michigan attack for the 2-1 victory.
The win improves Notre Dame to 31-6-3 on the year while Michigan is now 26-13-1. Both teams will make the NCAA Tournament and will find out on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. where they will play next week.
Brown, who gave up one goal in two games in Detroit, was an all-tournament selection and the CCHA tournament MVP. Joining him on the all-tournament team from Notre Dame was defenseman Wes O'Neill and Condra at forward. Michigan placed forwards T.J. Hensick and Kevin Porter on the team along with defenseman Jack Johnson.
GAME SUMMARY 1 2 3 - F
#9/#9 Michigan (26-13-1) 1 0 0 - 1
#1/#1 Notre Dame (31-6-3) 0 1 1 - 2
Scoring
First Period:
UM: Kevin Porter 23 (Jack Johnson, T.J. Hensick), 19:54.
Penalties: UM: 3 for 6 minutes; ND: 2 for 4 minutes.
Second Period:
ND: Erik Condra 14 (Kevin Deeth, Ryan Thang), 15:58.
Penalties: UM: 3 for 6 minutes; ND: 1 for 2 minutes.
Third Period:
ND: Jason Paige 11 (Garrett Regan, Brett Blatchford), 8:52.
Penalties: UM: 1 for 2 minutes; ND: 3 for 6 minutes.
Shots On Goal:
Michigan 11 - 7 - 14 - 32
Notre Dame 9 - 15 - 13 - 37
Goaltender Saves:
UM - Billy Sauer (58:26) 9 - 14 - 12 - 35
ND - David Brown (60:00) 10 - 7 - 14 - 31
Power Plays:
UM: 0 for 5
ND: 0 for 6
Attendance: 16,481
STEVE WOZNIAK South Bend Tribune Staff Writer
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070318/NDSports04/70318006/-1/NDSPORTS/CAT=NDSports04
DETROIT -- In a season that has exceeded every expectation, Notre Dame's hockey team has made every game -- every win -- a new landmark in the vast, unexplored territory that is college hockey greatness.
Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena, the No. 1-ranked Irish added a Central Collegiate Hockey Association tournament championship to their trophy case, edging No. 9 Michigan 2-1.
Notre Dame goalie David Brown played perhaps his sharpest game of the season, stopping 31 of 32 shots. Jason Paige, sporting two black eyes, gave Michigan one that will last much longer with the game-winning goal in the third period.
"It's been a long time coming," sighed Paige.
Erik Condra added the tying score for the Irish in the second period.
"We're happy with what we've accomplished, but we're not done yet," Brown said. "We still have to forge ahead through the NCAA tournament."
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