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March 3, 2007
MCC falls in bid for first national title
BOTTINEAU, ND – The Monroe Community College hockey team came up short in its bid for a first NJCAA national championship over the weekend, losing a best-of-three series to Minot State University-Bottineau.
The Lumberjacks won 5-4 on Friday and clinched the title with a 2-1 win on Saturday. It was the fifth national championship for Bottineau.
Game 2 came down to the final moments. Tied 1-1, the Lumberjacks went ahead with 2:49 remaining in the third period. After a scramble in front of the net, Eric Schultz came up with the puck and put it past Jake Burge (Hilton, NY/Hilton).
MCC had a chance to tie the game with just over a minute left, but a set play off a faceoff went wide and Bottineau escaped with the victory.
Burge had another outstanding game for the Tribunes, making 34 saves.
Bottineau took a 1-0 lead just 1:18 into the game. Nicolas Soderberg won a faceoff in the MCC zone, sending the puck back to Tyler Robertson. Robertson controlled the puck and fired a wrist shot past a screened Burge.
The Tribunes tied the game with 42 seconds left in the first. Jon Fose (Hilton, NY/Hilton) took a pass from Dan Carey (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta) and scored during a 4-on-4.
The teams were then scoreless through the second period and most of the third before Bottineau came through with the game-winner.
Carey and Allan Campisi (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) were named to the All-Tournament team. MCC finishes with a record of 21-6-2. The 21 victories tied a single-season record.
In game one, Jared Kopp scored off a rebound with 10:31 remaining in overtime to lift Minot State University-Bottineau to a 5-4 victory.
MCC led 4-3 late in the third period before Bottineau tied the game with 1:20 remaining on a goal by Sam Aide. The Tribunes killed off a 5-on-3 situation early in the overtime period before Kopp came up with the game winner.
The Tribunes got on the board first. Brendan Prince (Greece, NY/Greece Athena) intercepted a pass and scored a short-handed goal at 14:42 of the first period for a 1-0 lead.
Bottineau took advantage of some power-play opportunities early in the second period. Derek Behrman scored on the man-up and Quinn McIntosh tallied a goal during a 5-on-3 a few minutes later.
MCC got the equalizer with 28 seconds left in the second on its on 5-on-3 situation. Mike Pappa (Oswego, NY/Oswego) took a pass from Dan Carey and sent a slap shot over the goalie’s right shoulder to tie the game at two.
Al Liwush (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) gave MCC the lead 1:17 into the third on the power play. Allan Campisi and Josh Soechtig (Greece, NY/Greece Olympia) assisted on the play.
Bottineau tied the game just over a minute later to tie the game at three. Carey then put MCC back ahead with 7:38 left, firing a shot the goalie couldn’t handle for a 4-3 lead.
Aide then scored his goal to send it to overtime, and Bottineau proceeded to net the game-winner.
Jake Burge had a huge game in goal for MCC, making 40 saves including a handful of spectacular stops. |
