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2011 Frozen Four: Minnesota Duluth Hockey Wins National Title Over Michigan In OT

Michigan's last two NCAA hockey championships came in overtime, but the streak did not extend to three on Saturday night. Instead Minnesota Duluth won the game in OT to capture its first ever NCAA hockey title.

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Frozen Four 2011 Recap: A Look Back At An Unforgettable Tournament

Regardless of who you were rooting for, the 2011 Frozen Four is one you will not forget any time soon. For Minnesota Duluth fans, they will always remember Kyle Schmidt's overtime goal that gave the Bulldogs a win over Michigan and their first ever NCAA hockey championship. On the flip side, Michigan fans won't soon forget a heartbreaking overtime loss in their first NCAA hockey championship appearance since 1998.

This year's entire NCAA tournament was a memorable one thanks to all of the upsets and exciting games. Hell, as tough as it was to watch Michigan lose the national title in overtime, at least the Wolverines made it this far for a change. It had been a long time coming, and finishing second is better than not making the title game at all, so it's still a memorable tournament.

If anything, Michigan will at least be able to look back on Thursday's win over North Dakota as a positive Frozen Four 2011 memory. Michigan faced an onslaught of offense all night from North Dakota, but former walk-on Shawn Hunwick played out of his mind and got the Wolverines a victory. What's more, who could forget the hilarious middle-fingered reactions of North Dakota fans following Scooter Vaughan's empty-net goal to seal the 2-0 victory?

The other game on Thursday was also quite exciting. Before winning the national title, Minnesota Duluth had to fend off Notre Dame in the first national semifinal. The Fighting Irish had the edge early on, but the Bulldogs fought back and took a 4-2 lead into the third period. A shorthanded goal by Notre Dame cut the lead to one goal and made for a very exciting final 18 minutes of the third period, which produced no goals but many close calls.

All in all, this year's NCAA tournament delivered as far as excitement goes, especially at the 2011 Frozen Four. This Michigan fan is disappointed that the memories of the final game won't be positive ones, but at least it was a good game, unlike last year's spree of blowouts at the Frozen Four in Detroit.

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Frozen Four 2011: Minnesota Duluth Wins NCAA Hockey Championship Over Michigan In Overtime

In 1998, Michigan's Josh Langfeld scored an overtime goal to beat Boston College, 3-2, in Boston to win the NCAA hockey championship. Two years earlier, Brendan Morrison scored an overtime goal to give Michigan a 3-2 win in the NCAA hockey championship against Colorado College. Going into overtime with the score tied 2-2 on Saturday night, Michigan was hoping for history to repeat itself, this time against Minnesota Duluth in Minnesota at the 2011 Frozen Four.

Unfortunately for the Wolverines, Michigan did not capture its third NCAA hockey championship (in overtime) in the Red Berenson era. On Saturday night it was Minnesota Duluth's turn for some magic, and it came in the form of a goal by Kyle Schmidt 3:22 into the extra session. The goal gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 victory and their first ever NCAA hockey championship.

This game got to overtime thanks to an eventful first two periods and a quiet third, at least as far as the scoreboard was concerned. Michigan appeared to get the scoring started in the first five minutes of the game, but the dreaded intent to blow the whistle rule resulted in a potential goal being waved off. As a result, the scoring didn't officially get started until Ben Winnett captured his second goal in as many games in the first period. This one came off a faceoff when he slapped a shot past goaltender Kenny Reiter.

Minnesota Duluth got the game's next two goals in the second period. Travis Oleksuk scored by smacking a bouncing puck into the net, and Max Tardy got a power-play goal thanks to a deflection sending the puck right back to him on a pass and leaving the net wide open.

Michigan tied the game up when Jeff Rohrkemper backhanded the puck into the net at the 17:46 mark of the second. He was the only player in a scrum that could find the puck, and his backhand beauty evened things up.

In the third period, Minnesota Duluth was inches away from taking the lead, but Michigan's Greg Pateryn did his best Shawn Hunwick impression and cleared the puck out of the crease as it was about to trickle across the goal line. On the ensuing Michigan possession Carl Hagelin came down the ice on a two-on-one with Louie Caporusso, but Minnesota Duluth's Kenny Reiter stoned Caporusso's shot.

In the overtime period, Minnesota Duluth controlled the action and sustained pressure in Michigan's zone. The Wolverines had trouble gaining possession of the puck, and once they finally did they couldn't clear it into the Minnesota Duluth zone. As a result, Michigan couldn't complete a line change, leaving tired bodies on the ice. Minnesota Duluth took advantage when Brady Lamb and Travis Oleksuk set up a perfect play. Kyle Schmidt got the puck in front of the net and shot it by Hunwick, who couldn't make a desperation save. The puck went into the net for a goal and set off a celebration for the Bulldogs, who are the 2011 NCAA hockey champions.

For more on the NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. SB Nation Detroit also has an NCAA hockey tournament bracket.

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2011 Frozen Four Scores: Shawn Hunwick Dominates As Michigan Tops North Dakota, 2-0

The Michigan hockey team is headed to the NCAA hockey championship game for the first time since 1998. The Wolverines downed North Dakota on Thursday night by a score of 2-0 to advance on to the championship game thanks to an amazing performance by goaltender Shawn Hunwick. He had 40 saves and was magnificent in net for Michigan, helping stave off the Fighting Sioux for all 60 minutes of action.

Michigan got off to a slow start with North Dakota dominating the play, and taking two early penalties didn't help, either. North Dakota seemed to be in complete control of the game, but that would be the theme of the entire night. The Sioux had time of possession and time on attack in their favor by a wide margin, but they were unable to get anything to show for it.

The Wolverines did get something to show for a Jon Merrill shot that rattled off the post right after the 13-minute mark of the first period. Ben Winnett collected the rebound, slowly gathered the puck and put it past North Dakota goalie Aaron Dell. The goal put Michigan on top by a 1-0 margin, which is what the score remained until there were 35.8 seconds left. At that time Michigan's Scooter Vaughan shot the puck into an empty net to give the Wolverines a 2-0 lead and to essentially seal the victory. The celebrating on the Michigan bench began, and after the final 35.8 seconds ran out the players stormed the ice to celebrate the victory with Hunwick, who played absolutely out of his mind.

The win means Michigan is one victory away from its 10th national championship in program history. The Wolverines will take on Minnesota Duluth, which beat Notre Dame earlier in the day by a score of 4-3. The puck will drop at 7 p.m. ET and ESPN will have the broadcast.

For more on the NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. SB Nation Detroit also has an NCAA hockey tournament bracket.

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2011 Frozen Four Scores: Minnesota Duluth Beats Notre Dame, 4-3

One half of the 2011 NCAA hockey national championship game is set. Minnesota Duluth beat Notre Dame by a score of 4-3 in the first semifinal at the 2011 Frozen Four to clinch a spot in Saturday's title game. The Bulldogs will face the winner of the Michigan/North Dakota game, which begins at 8:30 p.m. tonight.

The first period of the Minnesota Duluth/Notre Dame game was quite wild. The Fighting Irish scored 49 seconds in to take a 1-0 lead, but Minnesota Duluth answered at the 3:04 mark of the first period to tie things up. Notre Dame scored six and a half or so minutes later, but the Bulldogs again quickly responded with a goal to tie the game. Riding the momentum of that goal, Minnesota Duluth scored their second power-play goal of the game at the 13:31 mark to take a 3-2 lead.

In the second period, Minnesota Duluth scored the only goal. Like their first and third goals, this one again came on the power play. Notre Dame just couldn't stay out of the box, and it couldn't slow down the Bulldogs' power play unit, either.

After taking another penalty to start the third period, Notre Dame looked to be in some trouble, but Calle Ridderwall scored a shorthanded goal to cut the lead in half. Notre Dame spent the rest of the period working over Minnesota Duluth. The Fighting Irish actually outshot the Bulldogs by a margin of 14-2 in the third period, but Notre Dame just couldn't put the puck in the net again. Notre Dame had a power play late and three total in the third, but Minnesota Duluth managed to keep the Fighting Irish off the board after that early goal, hanging on to win, 4-3.

Saturday's national championship will be Minnesota Duluth's second ever appearance in the NCAA hockey season's final game.

For more on the NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. SB Nation Detroit also has an NCAA hockey tournament bracket.

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Frozen Four 2011 Schedule: Michigan Hockey To Play In Second Semifinal

After Minnesota-Duluth and Michigan won on Saturday and North Dakota and Notre Dame won on Sunday, the 2011 Frozen Four schedule is now in place. Minnesota-Duluth will take on Notre Dame in the first Frozen Four game in St. Paul, MN. Michigan will take on North Dakota in the second semifinal later that night.

Below is a full look at the schedule for the 2011 Frozen Four.

2011 Frozen Four (Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN) - April 7

Game 1: No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (5 p.m., ESPN2)

Game 2: No. 1 North Dakota vs. No. 2 Michigan (8:30 p.m., ESPN2)

2011 Frozen Four (Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN) - April 9

National Championship Game: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (7 p.m., ESPN)

For more on the NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. SB Nation Detroit also has an NCAA hockey tournament bracket.

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Frozen Four 2011: Michigan To Take On North Dakota

The Michigan hockey team's opponent in the 2011 Frozen Four is settled. The Wolverines punched their ticket to St. Paul for the Frozen Four on Saturday, and 24 hours later North Dakota did the same. This means that the Fighting Sioux will take on Michigan.

The way the 2011 NCAA hockey tournament bracket worked out was for the winners of the Midwest Regional and West Regional to play each other. North Dakota beat Denver, 6-1, on Sunday to take home the Midwest Regional crown. Michigan topped Colorado College on Saturday, 2-1, to capture the West Regional title.

Michigan's game against North Dakota will take place on April 7 in St. Paul. It is the second semifinal, meaning it will begin at 8:30 p.m. The first semifinal will be between Notre Dame and Minnesota-Duluth, and it will begin at 5 p.m. Both games will be televised on ESPN2.

For more on the NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. SB Nation Detroit also has an NCAA hockey tournament bracket.

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NCAA Hockey Tournament 2011 Bracket Update: North Dakota, Notre Dame Advance To Frozen Four

The 2011 Frozen Four is set. After Michigan and Minnesota-Duluth earned spots in the Frozen Four on Saturday, North Dakota and Notre Dame did the same on Sunday by winning their respective regional finals. North Dakota took home the Midwest Regional crown and Notre Dame won the Northeast Regional.

Here is a look at the scores from Sunday's NCAA hockey tournament games:

Midwest Regional 

No. 1 North Dakota def. No. 2 Denver, 6-1

Northeast Regional 

No. 3 Notre Dame def. No. 4 New Hampshire, 2-1

Notre Dame will take on Minnesota-Duluth in the first semifinal at the 2011 Frozen Four on April 7 in St. Paul, MN. North Dakota will face Michigan in the second semifinal. The winners of these two games will match up on April 9 in the national championship game.

For more on the NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. SB Nation Detroit also has an NCAA hockey tournament bracket.

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NCAA Hockey Tournament 2011 Bracket Update: Michigan Beats Colorado College To Advance To Frozen Four

For the first time since 2008 and the 24th time in program history, the Michigan hockey team is headed to the Frozen Four. The Wolverines defeated Colorado College by a score of 2-1 on Saturday night to advance to the 2011 Frozen Four, which will be held on April 7 and 9 in St. Paul, MN.

On Friday against Nebraska-Omaha, Michigan surrendered a quick goal and ultimately found itself down 2-0 after one period. On Saturday, the complete opposite happened. Michigan's Scooter Vaughan scored 2:23 into the game to put the Wolverines on top, 1-0. He dangled past a defenseman and flipped the puck past the goalie for the goal. At the 17:33 mark of the first, the lead became 2-0 for Michigan when Lee Moffie scored on a power play. After one period, Michigan was up by two goals.

The second and third periods were all Michigan. The Wolverines outshot Colorado College by a margin of 20-7 in the second, and they had some solid scoring chances. In the third the shooting margin was a bit closer -- 10-8 in favor of Michigan. Even so, Michigan had three power plays during the third and almost scored at least three or four times. On one power play Carl Hagelin missed by inches on a wraparound attempt, for example.

By not capitalizing on their numerous scoring chances, the Wolverines' lead remained at two goals until Colorado College's Rylan Schwartz tapped the puck into the net at the 16:25 mark of the third. Colorado College took a penalty less than a minute later, giving Michigan a chance to use up two minutes of the clock. After Michigan's power play expired, Colorado College pulled its goalie and had a couple chances to score. Michigan struggled to clear the puck out of the zone, but it was able to waste enough time for the clock to run out without the Tigers scoring the tying goal. 

Although Colorado College had a few decent chances here or there, this game was all Michigan. The Wolverines had 43 total shots compared to the Tigers' 22, and Shawn Hunwick played outstanding in net for Michigan. Aside from Colorado College's one goal, Hunwick turned away all of the close calls and played very well between the pipes.

With the win, Michigan is headed to the Frozen Four, where it will look to capture the program's 10th NCAA hockey tournament title. In St. Paul, Michigan will take on the winner of Sunday's North Dakota/Denver game in one of the national semifinals on April 7. The other national semifinal will feature Minnesota-Duluth and the winner of Sunday's Notre Dame/New Hampshire game. The national championship game will be held on April 9 in St. Paul.

For more on the NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. SB Nation Detroit also has an NCAA hockey tournament bracket.

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NCAA Hockey Tournament 2011 Bracket Update: Michigan Tops Nebraska-Omaha In Overtime

A year ago in Fort Wayne, Michigan's Kevin Lynch appeared to score a goal in overtime to beat Miami and send the Wolverines to the Frozen Four in Detroit. The dreaded intent to blow the whistle rule kept Michigan's goal from counting, however, and Miami went on to win in the second overtime. It was a tough way for Michigan's season to come to an end, but tonight in St. Louis against Nebraska-Omaha the hockey gods finally evened things up.

After trailing 2-0 following 20 minutes of action, Michigan responded with a strong second period that included a power-play goal by Louie Caporusso and a snipe by Lynch to tie the game. The third period was fast-paced and included some close calls, but neither team was able to score, leading to overtime for the second time in Michigan's last two NCAA tournament games.

Seconds into overtime, Michigan's Matt Rust was called for a boarding penalty, giving Nebraska-Omaha a power play. Early on during the man advantage, UNO almost scored when a Mavericks player fired the puck at the net. Shawn Hunwick was not in position to make the save, but defenseman Jon Merrill was, and he knocked it out of the crease. The rebound almost went in as well, but Hunwick slid over to keep the puck out of the net.

Shortly after the power play expired, Michigan's Greg Pateryn fired a shot wide of the net and off the boards off a faceoff. The puck bounced to the side of the net and Kevin Lynch threw it at the goalie. It redirected off a UNO player and disappeared underneath the goalie's pads. Michigan players celebrated as if it went in, just as they did last year in Fort Wayne. A UNO player fired the puck down the ice, and the referees blew the whistle to review the play, which was ruled no goal initially.

Angle after angle was shown and the referees looked at the play for 10 minutes. No angle visibly showed the puck in the net and over the line, but by piecing the different angles together and based on pure physics, it became obvious as time went by that the puck had to have crossed the goal line. After what happened a year ago, the Michigan fan in me figured the referees would go the conservative route and rule no goal. Instead, after talking it over for a lengthy period of time, the referee that made the initial call came out and made the goal signal, indicating that the call was reversed and Michigan won by a score of 3-2. Unlike a year ago, this time the review went in Michigan's favor, and the Wolverines' season is still alive as a result.

Michigan will take on the winner of the Boston College/Colorado College game, which is currently being played. The West Regional final will take place at 9 p.m. on Saturday with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line.

For more on the NCAA hockey tournament, check out SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. SB Nation Detroit also has an NCAA hockey tournament bracket.

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