By Matt Williams
The NCAA hockey national championship trophy found a comfortable home late Saturday night — the hands of Boxford native Chris Kreider.
The 18-year-old Boston College winger finished his freshman season in storybook style, helping the Eagles drop Wisconsin 5-0 in the NCAA title game played at Detroit's Ford Field.
"It was absolutely unreal. I was actually the last person off the ice and I carried the trophy off. I didn't want to let go of it," Kreider said last night after he and the Eagles returned to The Heights with the school's fourth NCAA hockey title.
"(I'm) unbelievably excited. Just an amazing feeling," BC coach Jerry York said in the postgame press conference. York has made the Eagles college hockey's premier program, winning NCAA titles in 2001, 2008 and 2010 while advancing to the title game in four of the last five seasons and earning a Frozen Four berth in five of the last seven.
The Eagles (29-10-3) were clinging to a 1-0 lead over the Badgers before blowing it open to start the third period. Just 1:18 into the final stanza Cam Atkinson finished an end-to-end rush to make it 2-0.
Shortly thereafter, Kreider put a serious clamp on Wisconsin's title hopes when he potted his 15th goal of the season and put BC in control, 3-0.
"Coaches always say a two goal lead is the worst in hockey," said Kreider, who starred at Masconomet and Phillips Andover and was Salem News Player of the Year in 2006-07. "We needed to keep pushing."
That's exactly what Kreider's line did. Defenseman Philip Samuelsson found Kreider's linemate, Jimmy Hayes, moving down the wing. Hayes centered the puck and Kreider got a stick on it to beat Badger goalie Scott Gudmanson.
"Jimmy has great wheels and great range. He basically blew by his defender and put it on the tape for me. He created the play," said Kreider, who wrapped up his first collegiate season with 15 goals and 23 points including 4-3-7 totals in eight playoff games.
The 2010 title game set a world record for attendance at an indoor hockey game at 37,592. The unique setting of playing where National Football League games are held was enjoyable for Kreider, who also skated in front of 35,000-plus at Fenway Park in January.
"The way they set up the rink was really well done. The crowd was right on top of us and the noise level was pretty deafening at times," said Kreider. "The NCAA did a great job with the whole thing."
The Hockey East champion Eagles kept the NCAA title in Beantown as the Eagles won in 2008, followed by Boston University's 2009 title. BC also turned the unique setting of an ice hockey rink at a football stadium into their personal playground.
By winning 5-0, BC took the most one-sided title game since 1994. Including a 7-1 semifinal thrashing of Miami (Ohio) and Wisconsin's 8-1 win over RIT, Detroit's Frozen Four marked the first time in history all three games were decided by five or more goals and tied 1961 for the most total goal differential.
With the shutout, Eagle goaltender John Muse moved to 8-0 in the NCAA tournament for his career. As a team, BC allowed just one goal in the Frozen Four — a stark contrast from the seven they allowed in the Northeast Regional final against Yale and the six Maine scored in the Hockey East final.
"It speaks volumes about our defensive coaches. They did an amazing job all year helping us young guys bounce back (from tough defensive outings)," said Kreider.
Unbeaten in their last 13 games, the Eagles were known for the speed and relentless attack of forwards like Atkinson, Brian Gibbons and Ben Smith. But physical play from the likes of Kreider and Hayes proved as crucial.
"Everybody talks about quickness, but our players are strong on the skates. Some have great size, like Jimmy Hayes and Chris Kreider," York said. "And I think to be good you have to win battles. It's not always a flow game up and down the ice. But we have strong, competitive kids. I liked how we played physically."
Kreider, a first round pick of the New York Rangers last June, is the first player to win a World Junior Championship gold medal and the NCAA title in the same season since Matt Carle did it for Denver in 2004. Carle went on to win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player in 2006 and now skates for the Philadelphia Flyers.
"It hasn't even sunk in, to be honest. I'm trying to enjoy it and focus back on school because we have finals coming up," he said. "It's a great experience but once you taste it once you want another. Our captain, Matt Price, told us the only thing better than winning one is winning two."
WHAT A YEAR
Chris Kreider's time line between his 18th and 19th birthdays is nothing short of incredible
April 2009: Evaluated as the best high school player in the country and ranked 14th among North American skaters in the NHL draft's final rankings
June 2009: Selected 19th overall by the New York Rangers in the NHL draft
July 2009: Attends New York Rangers prospect camp
January 2010: Aids Team USA in winning a World Junior Championship gold medal
January 2010: Skates against BU at Fenway Park
February 2010: Scores highlight reel goal as BC wins the Beanpot
March 2010: Named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team and helps BC win the league title
April 2010: Scores a goal as BC wins the NCAA title at Ford Field
