Henderson Leads North Dakota to Sixth NCAA Title

Henderson Leads North Dakota to Sixth NCAA Title
by Chris Foreman, Correspondent

National Collegiate Athletic Association "madness" is not exclusive to basketball during March.

While basketball prowls over the national scene analogous to a lion, hockey is forced to discreetly showcase its tournament with the innocence and patience of a lamb.

However, while the interest may be limited, the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin hosted a competition March 29 as fierce as any championship contest in sports.

Just as in basketball, winners rejoice and losers lament.

And heroes emerge.

North Dakota's Matt Henderson turned in one such heroic performance, scoring two second-period goals in the Fighting Sioux's 6-4 victory over the Boston University Terriers in front of 17,537. The Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, Henderson connected on a short-handed breakaway, and with the man-advantage for North Dakota's fourth goal, and a lead they would not relinquish.

The third-ranked Fighting Sioux (31-10-2) earned their sixth NCAA Division I title, and first since 1987, their last Final Four appearance.

North Dakota goaltender Aaron Schweitzer's poise proved pivotal in the result of the game. The freshman surrendered goals to Peter Donatelli and Chris Drury as the Terriers shutout the Fighting Sioux in the first period, but maintained his composure to allow North Dakota to strike back with five second-period tallies.

Schweitzer, who upended senior Toby Kvalevog from the starting position, brushed aside a total of 25 Terrier shots to increase his record to 17-3-0.

Donatelli initiated Boston's apparent march to the championship with a rebound goal at 8:44 of the first frame. Schweitzer swept Boston defenseman Tom Poti's shot onto the stick of Donatelli, who stood to the right of the North Dakota goal. Donatelli proceeded to throw the puck between the pads of Schweitzer.

The second-ranked Terriers (27-9-6), still brimming with confidence following their upset victory over the defending champion and top-ranked Michigan Wolverines, punched in a second score as Henderson sat in the penalty box for elbowing. Poti faked a slap shot from the right point, then fed Drury to the right of the goal. With Schweitzer sprawling to move toward Drury, the Boston center shot over the North Dakota netminder for a 2-0 lead at 15:08.

North Dakota coach Dean Blais, a candidate for the American Hockey Coaches' Association's Spencer Penrose Award as the top Division I coach, rallied the Fighting Sioux's troops during the intermission, as a less-jittery club skated out for the middle period.

Curtis Murphy slipped the biscuit behind Boston goaltender Michel Larocque for the first time at 7:06. Murphy found the twine through a screen on a shot from the right point.

David Hoogsteen knotted the game at two apiece on an unassisted breakaway goal 1:32 later. The North Dakota forward hit the top-right corner for the score.

Henderson electrified the Bradley Center at 12:35. The left-handed shooter stole a pass from Drury on the penalty kill and beat Larocque on the forehand following two dekes on a breakaway to put the Fighting Sioux on top for the first time.

Terriers' defenseman Chris Kelleher finally answered for Boston on the power play at 13:56. Kelleher kept the puck in the attacking zone at center point after an attempting clearing pass, did a pirouette, and tossed the puck above a sitting Schweitzer.

North Dakota regained the lead for good at 15:49. Dane Litke's slap shot was deflected into the glass to the right of the goal. Adam Calder corralled the puck behind the net and set up Henderson for the power-play score.

The Fighting Sioux added another in the waning second of the period. Following a scramble around the net, Hoogsteen recovered Murphy's slap shot from the right point and backhanded the rebounder into the net at 19:55.

The five-to-three second intermission advantage spelled doom for Boston, as North Dakota held a 19-0-1 edge when leading after the middle frame. Boston had only come back once in six tries when trailing after the second period.

North Dakota tightened their defense, yielding only eight third-period shots, one of which scored at 19:21 with Larocque pulled. Senior defenseman Jon Coleman's backhand cut the lead in half, but Calder's empty-netter 26 seconds later sealed the victory.

Box Score:

Boston U.    	2  1  1--4
North Dakota 	0  5  1--6

First Period
1. Boston U., Donatelli 6 (Poti), 8:44. 
2. Boston U., Drury 38 (Poti, O'Connell), 15:08 (pp). 
Penalties--Bull, ND (hooking), 2:12; Pierce, BU (interference), 4:47; 
Kelleher, BU (interference), 9:40; Henderson, ND (elbowing), 13:34.

Second Period
3. North Dakota, Murphy 12 (Panzer, Henderson), 7:06. 
4. North Dakota, D.Hoogsteen 26, 8:38. 
5. North Dakota, Henderson 13, 12:35 (sh). 
6. Boston U., Kelleher 10, 13:56 (pp). 
7. North Dakota, Henderson 14 (Calder, Litke), 15:49 (pp). 
8. North Dakota, D.Hoogsteen 27 (Murphy), 19:54. 
Penalties--Quebec, BU (interference), 3:01; Murphy, ND (tripping), 11:44; 
Pivetz, ND (interference), 13:12; Wright, BU (interference), 15:02.

Third Period
9. Boston U., Coleman 5 (Kelleher, Sylvia), 18:07. 
10. North Dakota, Calder 10, 19:47 (en). 
Penalties--Sylvia, BU (cross-checking), 8:02; Vig, ND (holding), 11:44; 
Henderson, ND (interference), 17:09.

Shots on goal--Boston University 11-10-8--29. 
               North Dakota 10-16-4--30.

Power-play opportunities--Boston U. 2 of 6. 
                          North Dakota 1 of 5.

Goalies--Boston U., Larocque 16-4-4 (29 shots-24 saves). 
         North Dakota, Schweitzer 17-3-0 (29-25).

A--17,537.

Referee--Matt Shegos. Linesmen--John Dobrzelewski, John LaDuke.