Frozen Four Last-Second Loss Hurts but Wolverines Proud of Season

By Steve Kornacki

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The first overtime in a national championship semifinal in five years appeared imminent, but Notre Dame had one more rush in it before time expired in the third period.

Cam Morrison drove down the left side and centered the puck back to Jake Evans, who rushed to the net on a two-on-two and beat Michigan goalie Hayden Lavigne through the five-hole. And just like that, with only 5.2 seconds remaining Thursday night (April 5), the Fighting Irish triumphed, 4-3.

It was a game full of momentum shifts and drama, and Notre Dame survived to play Minnesota-Duluth in the Frozen Four championship game Saturday.

Irish coach Jeff Jackson nicknamed his team the "Cardiac Kids" and they've broken their share of hearts in the biggest games of the year. First, they beat Ohio State in overtime to win the Big Ten Tournament, and Notre Dame won in OT again in its first NCAA Tournament game against Michigan Tech. The Irish then advanced to college hockey's showcase event by beating Providence on a goal with 27 seconds left to play.

The Wolverines came at them with grit and determination, but came up short.

Michigan got goals from Tony Calderone, Dexter Dancs and Michael Pastujov -- who scored at 14:38 of the third period to tie it at 3-all -- but it was over for the Wolverines in an instant with time all but expired.

"I'm still numb," said Mel Pearson, the first-year coach of the Wolverines. "It's hard. You can't really put it into words to your team. You can't make them feel any better. It's going to sting for a while, but as long as you're in this game, you get tough losses, and I've been around my share of them."

Pearson's last game as Red Berenson's assistant before becoming the head coach at Michigan Tech, was the 3-2 overtime loss to Minnesota-Duluth in the 2011 NCAA championship game played in this very same Xcel Energy Center.

"I just feel bad for this team," added Pearson, "but they gave us everything. I'm really proud of this team and their effort."

Lavigne, who had been so big in getting this team to this point, said, "There isn't much you can say right now. It is what it is, and it's tough right now. But I'm proud of how we played.

"Honestly, I think I just blacked out after that goal. I couldn't tell you how it ended up going in. I just looked up at the clock and it was a tough time."

Calderone added: "Hayden's been excellent. He's been our best player the second half of the year. He's going to have so many opportunities in the future. He's such a great goalie and he's going to push this program into the right direction. So, it's tough, but he has a great future and is going to be OK."

Junior center Cooper Marody, whose Run DMC Line included Dancs and Calderone, was on the ice at the end, trying to score the game-winning goal just seconds prior. The top defensive combo of freshman Quinn Hughes and junior Joseph Cecconi also was out there for the fateful play.

"When they scored," said Marody, "it was just shock. I couldn't believe what just happened, and I guess that's the theme for that team this year. They beat Michigan Tech in overtime, then Providence in the final seconds, and they did it again against us. So, it's just tough ... To go out like that is just a shame. You work so hard, and just like that, with five seconds left, it's over.

"This is something that is going to be really tough for us, how we battled hard the whole game and didn't get the result we wanted. It hasn't sunk in yet, but the season's over. It seems surreal. I wish we had another chance at it."

Senior defenseman Sam Piazza, who blocked a game-high four shots, said, "We battled so hard, but they got that nice bounce right at the end. They're just getting those bounces."

Pastujov, a freshman from Bradenton, Florida, got the goal the Wolverines desperately needed late in the third period. He scrapped for the puck in front of the net and lifted a shot over goalie Cale Morris, who was sprawling forward as Michigan kept firing and rebounds kept popping out.

It was Pastujov's fifth goal of the season and his first since Feb. 23 against Arizona State. His sophomore brother, Nick Pastujov, along with freshman Jack Becker, assisted on that goal.

"I thought we had all the momentum," said Pearson.

It was uplifting, but didn't end up being enough to send the Wolverines to overtime.

Calderone had given Michigan the lead in the first period, and the senior captain found himself in position to provide a game-tying goal midway through the third period. He had scored from nearly the same spot on the ice earlier in the game, but rifled a shot that Morris stopped this time.

"I had nothing to shoot at," said Calderone. "He saw me coming. I thought I was going top left. I've done it tons of times this year, but he made an excellent save and that's why they are where they are."

The Wolverines failed to score on that and two other power play opportunities, and Notre Dame had its excellent penalty kill on full display. It ranked second in the NCAA with 88.9 percent success.

Cal Burke gave the Irish a 3-2 lead early in the third period after getting loose with the puck to Lavigne's stick side and beating him inside the post.

That made it three unanswered goals for No. 2 seed Notre Dame.

It was 2-2 entering the third period.

Michigan dictated play for most of the first period, and gained momentum after killing off a power play opportunity for Notre Dame that came just 34 seconds into the game.

Calderone put Michigan on the scoreboard first at 8:19 of the opening period with his 25th goal of the season on assists from Dancs and Marody. He fired a wrist shot that beat Morris to his stick side and just got inside the post.

"Dexter made some space for himself and threw it down low and I was able to walk it across the top," said Calderone.

Dancs opened the second period with a shot that went off the glove of Notre Dame defenseman Dennis Gilbert and over Morris's left shoulder before dropping into the net for his 12th goal of the season.

"We were going hard on the forecheck and taking the game to them," said Marody. "We were making their D make mistakes."

The Wolverines had a 2-0 lead just 17 seconds into that period, but the Irish didn't go into a shell.

Andrew Oglevie scored on a power play when he got the rebound on a blocked shot by Piazza.

"That's just another bad bounce," said Piazza. "It could've just as easily have gone in any other direction. You lay out to block it and it comes right back on his stick. It was just unfortunate."

Evans tied it at 2-all just 6:20 into the second period by playing sniper with a top shelf goal on which Lavigne was screened by Morrison.

And it was Evans -- who had not scored a goal in four previous games against Michigan this year -- who ended it with his dramatic second goal.

Frozen Four

It will take a while to reflect on the big picture, but Michigan was 13-19-3 last year and finished 22-15-3 despite having a losing record midway through this season.

The Wolverines reached the Frozen Four for the first time in seven years, adding to their national record with a 25th appearance. They did not add to the program's NCAA record of nine championships, but got the program back on the fast track.

"I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this team," said Piazza. "Everyone on this team was pretty close, and it was a special team. That's why we got this far. There are teams just as good as we are or more skilled, but we got here. Everyone in this room and our coaches are so special.

"Being a senior and getting a Frozen Four berth after last season, I'm pretty happy about that. I just wish we could've won it all, but it's nice to leave on a higher note."

Dancs said: "Everyone was so close and we had so much fun. It wasn't the most talented team I've had here in four years, but it was the best team, and we just loved being around each other. And to make this run my senior year, me and Tony…"

Calderone added: "You just think about all the times you've had at Michigan, and these are the best years of my life. I thank every one of the guys in this room for what they've done over the last four years.

"Every one of these guys are like my brother, and I'll keep in touch with them forever. I love these guys so much, and that's really all I have to say."

It was tough holding in all the emotions that result from losing the last game of your college career in the last seconds, but Calderone bit his lip and answered a few more questions.

This was a special bunch. They were accountable and never backed down, never shied away from talking when things didn't go their way.

"What we did speaks to the character of the players we have," said Pearson. "When they were 8-10-2, it would've been easy to fold the tent and move on. But they didn't. They continued to battle, and they really grew as a team. That's what I'm most happy with, the growth, and the joy they had, and how much they liked to be around each other. We weren't the most talented team, by far. But we played well, especially at the end. And I give a lot of credit to our seniors and the leadership on this team."

He noted that Berenson "left some great pieces" with which to build.

"We talked about how we weren't interested in the past," said Pearson, "but they had a chance to forge the future, and our identity, and put the stamp on Michigan hockey. And they did. They got us back to the Frozen Four. It'll be a good experience for our younger players going forward, and the seniors might not get much out of that now. But as they see us down the road get back here, they can be assured that they were the architects of that.

"They set a foundation for the future, and I told them to stick together and hold their heads up high when they walked out of that locker room because they over-achieved this year. And good for them."