Boston College Athletics
Eagles Advance to Frozen Four
June 21, 1999 | Men's Hockey
March 28, 1999
MADISON, Wis (AP) - Goaltender Scott Clemmensen helped Boston College pull the upset of the NCAA West Regional, and now he's ready for the Frozen Four in balmy Anaheim, Calif.
"I didn't pack my shorts for nothing on this trip," Clemmensen said after making 31 saves in fourth-seeded Boston College's 3-1 upset of top-seeded North Dakota Sunday.
Boston College advances to meet Maine in semifinals of the Frozen Four Thursday.
Clemmensen, a sophomore, was named to the West Regional All-Tournament Team, as well as getting Most Valuable Player honors.
He made 57 saves and allowed just two goals in the Eagles' two wins. Boston College beat Northern Michigan 2-1 Saturday.
"I don't think he's become a finished product just yet, but I think he's become a money goaltender," Boston College coach Jerry York said.
The red-hot Clemmensen and the Eagles are now 8-0 in March. The Boston College win Sunday marked the first time North Dakota has been held to one goal all year.
"We've been on quite a roll here in March," York said. "You've certainly got to have great goaltending in March."
Both teams got great goaltending in the scoreless first period. Clemmensen had seven saves in the period while North Dakota's Karl Goehring made six of his 26 saves.
Goehring, however, could not stop Boston College's Chris Masters rebound goal 10:26 into the second period. After the Eagles' Mike Lephart's shot went off the crossbar, Masters picked up the loose puck and recorded the Eagles' power-play goal.
North Dakota's Lee Goren tied the game in the second period with a breakaway goal at the 13:47 mark to tie it at 1-1.
With 2:15 left in the second period, Boston College's Jeff Giuliano scored the game-winner when he split two North Dakota defenders and flipped the puck over Goehring's glove.
"The coaches had been saying all night to go high over his glove or his blocker because he goes down early," Giuliano said.
The Eagles later added an empty-net goal by Brian Gionta.
Gionta, as well as defenseman, Bobby Allen, joined Clemmensen as the all-tournament picks from Boston College.
North Dakota coach Dean Blais said the loss was hard to take since his team had been consistently ranked in the top three in the country all season. It is the second consecutive year the Sioux have been ousted in the tournament in the quarterfinals. Last year they were beaten by Michigan 4-3.
"All I can say is that it's hard to lose, especially when the expectations are so high," Blais said. "Being number one, you expect to be in Anaheim. It's disappointing."
He said he was not disappointed in his team's effort.
"You can't place fault with the players," Blais said. "None of them had a bad game. Give credit to the other team, they played well."
Joining Boston College in the final four are two others from the Hockey East Conference, Maine and New Hampshire.
"Each year, it kind of switches around, back and forth, between which leagues has the better players," York said. "This particular year, I thought Hockey East was so strong."
Boston College forward Jeff Farkas said with three teams from Hockey East in the Frozen Four, the league is the best in the country.
"It bodes well for our league," Farkas said. "It shows how exceptional the league is."
