Providence Beats Boston University, 4-3, for NCAA Hockey Title

[bluedigger]

BOSTON (AP) — Boston University goalie Matt O'Connor gave up a tying own goal in the third period, then Brandon Tanev scored with 6:17 left and Providence beat the Terriers 4-3 on Saturday night for its first NCAA hockey title.

It was the third straight year that the NCAA has crowned a first-time champion in hockey.

BU was seeking its sixth championship in a virtual home game when O'Connor easily gloved a puck that was lofted in by Tom Parisi from the red line. But he then lost track of the puck, dropping it and allowing it to fall underneath him. He slid backward to protect the net and wound up knocking it in with 8:36 to play.

Tanev scored off a faceoff to give the Friars the lead, and Jon Gillies helped protect it with a diving save against Nick Roberto in the final minutes. Gillies, selected the Most Outstanding Player of the Frozen Four, stopped 49 saves for PC (26-13-2).

Anthony Florentino and Mark Jankowski also scored for the Friars, who were the last school to be given an at-large berth in 16-team NCAA Tournament.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode-island/2015/04/11/providence-beats-boston-university-for-ncaa-hockey-title/9rMFWIKzOKt59OD17LWmnN/story.html

Good for Providence, but you have to feel bad for O'Connor. Things like that are going to happen from time to time to a goalie, but to have it happen in a championship game...

[Goblinmonger]

1. I hope he has people with him all the time for a while

When he stopped that shot and didn't move it was immediately clear he had no idea where it was. I liked the Providence guy interview after when he even said that was a horrible bounce and you hate to see it happen but that's hockey. I didn't think O'Connor was a spectacular goalie in the game against UND, either. The moments that UND had to score were thwarted by their lack of execution and not O'Connor's skills.