Vanek Delivers Minnesota To Championship Game

And a freshman shall lead them.

What the semifinal battle between Michigan and Minnesota lacked in end-to-end thrills it more than made up with overtime suspense. Minnesota rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat Michigan before a sold out house at HSBC Arena. First year sensation Thomas Vanek scored at 8:55 in overtime to help the Gophers advance to their second consecutive Frozen Four final.

Vanek took the puck behind Michigan’s net and brought it out front where he fired a shot at an awkward angle that beat Al Montoya between the legs.

I hoped to just go five hole and thankfully it worked,” said a jubilant Vanek.

The win inches Minnesota one step closer to repeating as national champions but it would not come easy. Michigan started strong, keeping the game relatively simple. They worked hard to neutralize Minnesota’s skaters who are among the best in the tournament. In their two previous NCAA tournament games, Minnesota has been the team that’s gotten off to the fastest start, scoring eight goals in first periods against Mercyhurst and Ferris State.

“We have to play well in both ends of the ice,” said captain Jed Ortmeyer before the game. “We have to win battles in the corners, work hard and finish checks. We can’t be too fancy, just go out and play lunchpail hockey.”

Michigan drew first blood. Brandon Kaleniecki grabbed a loose puck and drove it past Travis Weber at 9:33. Michigan continued their workmanlike effort in bottling up the Gophers. Defensively, they kept Vanek and company off their game and unable to create anything in front of Montoya who faced only five shots in the stanza.

Travis Weber stood on his head in the first facing 15 shots. The Wolverines could easily have scored two more but he shut the door and held his team in the contest. It was a remarkable effort considering how much Weber has been criticized in the media over the last week as the weak link in their efforts to repeat.

“I think the key to the game for us was the play of Travis in the first period,” said Head Coach Don Lucia. “The game could have easily been over after the first period- we could have been down by three. Travis really stood tall tonight and gave us an opportunity to win the game. He’s been much maligned but he held his tongue and responded with his performance.”

The Wolverines extended their lead to 2-0 when captain Jed Ortmeyer took a Jeff Tambellini feed and slipped it by Weber at 14:38 of the second.

“We grew frustrated because we weren’t able to make a clean pass or get anything going,” said Vanek. “We’ve been playing so well over the past few weeks but maybe we grew a little overconfident early on.”

Minnesota got more shots through when Vanek elevated his play in the middle stanza. It was a shot by Vanek that squeezed through Montoya’s pads and tapped home by Troy Riddle to cut the lead in half. It was Riddle’s 26th foal of the season. Minnesota poured on 15 shots in the second period and the momentum seemed to be changing in their favor.

“We stuck to the game plan in the first period and kind of got away from it in the second and Minnesota took advantage of it,” said Eric Nystrom.

Faced with twenty minutes to elimination, the Gophers responded early in the third period to even up the game at two. Gino Guyer scored his eleventh of the season sending the game into overtime where the stage was set for Vanek’s heroics.

Minnesota’s national title run last season was marked by the contributions of their upperclassemen, namely Grant Potulny. This team, however, was led in the semifinals by Vanek, Guyer and Weber; two freshmen and a sophomore.

“There are definitely big shoes to fill but it was really part of a team movement,” said Travis Weber of their contributions. “Everybody knew they had to step up, and we played better in the second half of the season. We knew we had to do this as a team, and I think everybody came together well.”

For Michigan it was a bitter defeat. Giving up a two-goal lead was frustrating. Nearly every player sat in the locker room near their stalls, eyes filled with tears.

“I think that everyone expected these two teams to go all out to win,” said Wolverines coach Red Berenson. “When it goes down to overtime, it is tough to swallow.”

Minnesota will meet the University of New Hampshire in the finals on Saturday night.