YALE UNIVERSITY

Semifinal Game 1

Postgame Quotes

  

#20 Jesse Root, Jr., C, Pittsburgh, Pa.

On showing perseverance in the final minutes of the game.

“We knew we had to be patient offensively. [UMASS Lowell] is a great defensive team and a great team all the way around. [The game-winning goal] wasn’t going to be the first shot that was going to go in. We were actually kind of surprised the first two went in on [Connor Hellebuyck]. We stayed with it, we stayed the course, they got two quick ones (goals), and we knew that if we just kept shooting it would come for us.”

On the bench’s mood when UMASS Lowell tied the score.

“It’s happened so much in hockey, we’ve all been a part of it for so long, playing the game for so long. We knew if we kept playing our game and just stuck to our game plan, the mood would never get real down.”

On returning to Pittsburgh to play in his hometown.

“Warm-ups were pretty surreal, just looking around and being in the [Pittsburgh] Penguins’ arena. As a huge Penguins fan still, it’s pretty incredible.”

#33 Jeff Malcolm, Sr., G, Lethbridge, Alberta

On trying to stay sharp during a slow first few periods

“Well I’ve been in a lot of situations like that this year so I just got into my routine in the game playing the next shot, the next play that comes my way so I’m just always ready for that next play.”

On whether or not he started to feel things slip during UMass’s comeback

“Absolutely not. I think we’ve done a pretty good job mentally throughout this season. We’ve battled back from those types of situations before, so like I said before we just have to focus on the next play and we got the balance again.”

On how to stay focused between now and the finals knowing what’s at hand

“Obviously we’re going to enjoy it for maybe ten minutes here and then get a meal in us, focus, have a good practice tomorrow and go into the championship game.”

2013 NCAA Frozen Four
CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
SEMIFINAL GAME NOTES
Yale (21-12-3) vs. UMass-Lowell (28-11-2)
•  Today’s game was the 12th all-time meeting between Yale and UMass-Lowell.  UML leads the all-time series by a 8-4 margin.  Before today, the most recent meeting between the teams came in January of 1999, and this is the first meeting of the teams at a neutral site.
• This is the first head-to-head meeting between the head coaches Keith Allain (Yale) and Norm Bazin (UML).
• Allain’s post-season coaching record is now 15-9 overall and 5-3 in the NCAA Tournament in his seven years at the helm of the Bulldogs.  Bazin is 8-4 in the post-season and 3-2 in the NCAA Tournament in two seasons. It is the first Frozen Four trip for both head coaches.
• UMass-Lowell entered the Frozen Four on a seven-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the nation. The River Hawks previously won nine straight earlier this season.
• This was the second game to go to overtime in the 2013 Division I hockey championship; the lone OT  game in this year’s regional rounds (Yale-Minnesota) matches the fewest in the regional rounds since 2003, the first  year to feature a 16-team field. 
• Yale is 6-0-3 in overtime this season; UML is 2-2-2.

YALE PLAYER NOTES:• Andrew Miller played the role of hero with the overtime game-winner at 6:39 of the extra period; the goal tied him for first on the team in goal scoring with Kenny Agostino (17).
• Miller recorded the secondary assist on Witek’s first-period goal; the helper moved Miller into a tie for the school’s career assist record (113), held by 1984 Olympian and NHL’er Bob Brooks (1979-83). He has at least one assist in each of Yale’s three NCAA Tournament games this season (1-4-4).
• Freshman defenseman Mitch Witek opened the scoring at 12:55 of the first period.  It was Witek’s first collegiate tally, and his first point since an assist on a Kenny Agostino goal Nov. 3 against Harvard.  His three points this season entering the Frozen Four came in games against Dartmouth and Harvard (Nov. 2-3) Yale’s third and fourth games of the season.  He went 17 games without a point; tonight was his 22nd career game (of 36 this season) for the Elis.
• Senior winger Antoine Laganiere was credited with Yale’s second goal at 19:08 of the opening frame to send the Bulldogs into the intermission with a 2-0 lead.  It was his 15th goal of the season, The goal came seconds after an Eli power play expired.
• Yale junior Jesse Root is a native of Pittsburgh, and played on the Mt. Lebanon state championship team in 2006.  He attended Taft (CT) prior to enrolling at Yale.

UMASS-LOWELL PLAYER NOTES: • UML posted a pair of goals 14 seconds apart in the second period to turn an early 2-0 deficit into a tie game.  Captain Riley Wetmore put UMass-Lowell on the board at 14:38 on the power play, then centerman Joseph Pendenza scored on the ensuring faceoff to tie the game.   Wetmore’s goal tied him for the team lead with Scott Wilson (16), and Pendenza’s was his 15th of the season.
• Wetmore and Pendenza’s goals 14 seconds apart are sixth fastest by one team in NCAA Frozen Four history.
• Wetmore had his first point since March 22 vs. Providence in the Hockey East semifinals.
• Scott Wilson extended his point-scoring streak to eight games with an assist on Wetmore’s goal.  He has five goals and six assists in that stretch.
• Freshman winger A. J. White has recorded an assist  in each of Lowell’s three NCAA Tournament games this season. 

UMass Lowell is -220 over Yale tomorrow. That means if you need to bet $220 on the River Hawks to win $100. On the other side, if you bet $100 on Yale you would win $180.

What does it all mean. Well, it means that UMass Lowell is a prohibitive favorite in the game and that's because it has won 14 of its last 15 games. Paced by sizzling goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the River Hawks rolled to the Hockey East title knocking off Boston University 1-0 in the title game.

While there's no way that Yale should be a big underdog in the game, I'm going with UMass Lowell 3-2 in the Thursday's opener.

Quinnipiac, the tourney's No. 1 overall seed and the top ranked team in the nation is -150 favorite in the nightcap. The Bobcats fizzled in the ECAC tourney but they probably lost a bit of their edge entering the game knowing they had an NCAA bid in hand.

Once in the tourney Quinnipiac started poorly against Canisius but never panicked and rallied for a 4-3 win.
The Bobcats then hammered Union. They seem to be hitting their best stride and should earn a spot in the title game.

My pick: Quinnipiac 4, St. Cloud State 2