Boston College Athletics
National Champions Honored In Ceremony On Campus
April 10, 2001 | Men's Hockey
April 10, 2001
Video from Conte Forum Celebration
BOSTON (AP) - Thousands of Boston College fans celebrated the Eagles' first NCAA national hockey championship in 52 years at a ceremony at the school's Kelley Rink Monday afternoon.
About 4,500 fans attended as the Eagles, who captured the NCAA title with a 3-2 overtime victory over defending champion North Dakota Saturday night, were honored in a 75-minute ceremony attended by Gov. Paul Cellucci, Boston Mayor Tom Menino, students, alumni and fans.
"This is unbelievable. I can't say how proud I am that the last proclamation I'll issue as Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts would be on April 9, 2001 to declare it Boston College Hockey Day," said Cellucci, who graduated from Boston College in 1970 and Boston College School of Law in 1973.
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| Scott Clemmensen signs autographs for the fans at the Conte Forum in Boston, Monday, April 9, 2001, just before he and the rest of the team were honored by the school and fans for winning the 2001 NCAA hockey championship. Clemmensen, the team's goalie, had 65 saves during the Frozen Four tournament. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson) |
Cellucci planned to resign Tuesday to become U.S. ambassador to Canada.
The final score of the championship game lit up the arena scoreboards: "Eagles 3, Sioux 2," and the time of 15:17 remaining in the period 4, signifying the moment when Boston College captured its first NCAA hockey crown since 1949.
"I almost had a heart attack," said 77-year-old Jim Ryan of Newton, a 1947 grad and season ticket holder to hockey, football and basketball since 1957, of the winning moment Saturday. "I was thinking I've been through so many of these."
Coach Jerry York, who led Bowling Green to the 1984 title, said, "Don't you love the scoreboard when you look at it." To which the crowd chanted: "Jer-ry, Jer-ry."
After speeches from the team's captains, the crowd watched a film of game highlights on the Jumbotrons at each end of the building to the theme from "Rocky" and Tina Turner's "You're Simply The Best." The crowd erupted when Krys Kolanos' game-winner was shown three times.
WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz was also at the ceremony, though he didn't speak to the crowd.
The team gave Cellucci and Menino BC hockey jerseys with No. 1 and their names on the back.
In closing, captain Brian Gionta held the team's championship plague and said, "This belongs in the trophy case, so it's yours now."
The team took one final skate around its home ice, with each player holding the plaque before they grabbed their sticks and waved to the crowd, bringing the ceremony to an end.
