NIAGARA FALLS, NY—Freshman Keenan Desmet netted the game-winning goal on the power play just 1:34 into overtime to give his Alabama-Huntsville Chargers a 3-2 victory over Niagara and a automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Sixty-eight seconds into OT, Niagara defenseman Jim Burichin helped stop a breakaway by the Chargers’ Andrew Coburn, but was called for slashing. The ensuing offensive zone draw went back to Chris deBruyn at the right point. He slid the puck to Neil Ruffini whose one-timer left a fat rebound for Desmet, who buried it for his ninth goal of the season.
“deBruyn slid the puck to Ruffini on the half wall and he one-timed a shot that came out to the slot and I just beared down on the puck—a good goal I guess,” said Desmet.
Niagara outshot the Chargers 16-7 and had four power play opportunities in the first period, but the first ended scoreless after a video review nullified an apparent Alabama-Huntsville shorthanded effort. Cale Tanaka took the initial shot and the rebound went to the skate of Andrew Coburn. He kicked the puck into the net, and it was ruled that he did not get his stick on the puck before it crossed the goal line.
Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Cameron Talbot earned CHA playoff MVP honors by stopping 72 of 74 shots he faced in wins against Robert Morris and Niagara.
The Chargers broke up the scoreless duel in the second. Brennan Barker’s shot from the point hit Niagara Brian Haczyk in the high slot and deflected into the net at 7:33 for a 1-0 lead. But just 20 seconds later, Niagara tied it up 1-1 when senior forward Chris Moran sniped the upper left corner of the net from the right wing wall. UAH then regained the lead with a power play goal at 16:31. Coburn found Cody Campbell alone at the back door for the easy tap-in.
Four minutes into the third period, Niagara got the equalizer. Brian Haczyk scooted in from center ice past the defense and fed a perfect pass to Marc Zanette for his seventh goal of the season. The Chargers appeared gassed late in the third, resorting to a half dozen or so icings, but the period ended tied 2-2 in spite of the Purple Eagles leading 15-5 in shots for the period and 44-20 total to send it into overtime.
“I was just trying to keep the team in the game until they could find a way to do it, so I was just doing my job out there,” said UAH goaltender and tournament MVP Cameron Talbot, who stopped 72 of 74 shots he faced during the weekend. “I was just thinking keep the puck out and give us a chance to win. We just kept icing the puck and icing the puck, so I was just hoping we’d find a way.”
“There were some moments there, especially late in the game where we relied a little too much on Talbie, but I thought the guys worked real hard. We gathered our composure and had a little more jump in the overtime,” said UAH head coach Danton Cole.
It marks the Chargers second CHA title and the senior class of Tom Train, Cal Tanaka, Kevin Morrison, Brennan Barker, and Brandon Roshko’s second championship after winning the 2007 crown, also in overtime. They took number one seed Notre Dame to double overtime before falling at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich.
“I don’t want to say we backed in; we won a championship so we deserve to be there,” Cole said. “If you get in, you earned it. Obviously, we’re going to play a number-one seed and a heck of a team, but we’ll battle. We’re not just going there to enjoy the experience.
“It’s officially now College Hockey Alabama; we’re changing the name.”
SEEN AND HEARD AT DWYER ARENA
· CHA All-Tourney Team selections as announced (for some reason four forwards and one defenseman were named to the squad)
D-Tyler Gotto (Niagara)
F-Ron Cramer (Robert Morris)
F-Ryan Cramer (Bemidji State)
F-Chris Moran (Niagara)
F-Cody Campbell (UAH)
G-Cameron Talbot (UAH)
MVP-Cameron Talbot (UAH)
· “They did so much for us,” said Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder about his senior class of Chris Moran, Ryan Olidis, Egor Mironov, Tyler Gotto, and Jim Burichin. “They carried us down the stretch—this was a season that could have gone bad and didn’t because of their leadership. They are all great kids; they’re all going to graduate on time; they’re all going to play pro hockey and they are great ambassadors for the campus.”
· Alabama-Huntsville forward Vince Bruni caught Niagara defenseman Dan Weiss with his head down midway through the first period. Weiss tried to make it to the bench, but fell back down three times before being helped to the locker room. He was able to return in the second period.
· Though the higher seed, Alabama-Huntsville wore their road blue uniforms and Niagara the home white. The Chargers called Niagara earlier in the week and asked if it was okay to reduce the equipment manager’s load.
· The Chargers departed immediately after the game for home—a 13-hour bus ride.
· Attendance for the CHA final was announced at 1,818. The consolation game drew 425.
· Classless move on the part of rink officials who turned off the scoreboards before the post-game handshake was finished and the final score never put up.
· Two seems to be the magic number this year in the CHA with two teams likely going to the NCAA Tournament and two current coaches among those listed as possibilities for the vacant Western Michigan head coaching job. Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley is a WMU alum and UAH head coach Danton Cole played at Michigan State, was a head coach with Motor City, Muskegon, and Grand Rapids in the pro ranks, and is a Pontiac, Mich., native.
· R.I.P.-College Hockey America
