The Providence University Friars are 2015 NCAA Frozen Four National Champions

One of the pleasing aspects of recent Frozen Four NCAA hockey championships has been the rise of smaller schools and their ability to win championships over more favoured and traditionally strong programs such as those from Boston University, Wisconsin, Minnesota or North Dakota.

The 2015 edition of college hockey’s championship weekend was no different, with the Friars of Providence University coming from behind to narrowly edge out Boston University in a game that will likely be most remembered for one of the worst goaltending errors ever seen. Poor old BU goalie Matt O’Connor is probably never going to live down the howler that saw Providence tie the game at 3.

It was innocuous enough, the puck dumped in by Providence’s Kyle McKenzie without much hope of doing anything more than allowing his team to get a new line on the ice. O’Connor, one of the better goalies anywhere in the nation this year, stuck out his glove, had brief control of the puck, only for it to pop out and down to the ice.

Without O’Connor really knowing exactly what had happened, the puck squirted between his legs and into the net for the game tying 3-3 goal. Making matters worse was the fact that not one Providence skater was in the offensive end of the ice when it happened.

It was one of those moments where you realise that, at times, sport can be incredibly cruel. The looks on the faces of the BU fans inside Boston’s TD Garden told the tale. As did John Buccigross’ reaction on the ESPN broadcast.

Such a disastrous blow is never easy to come back from, and it seemed to sap momentum for Terriers of BU, who had won everything else this year – a Hockey East regular season championship to go with the Hockey East tournament crown, the fabled Boston-area Beanpot tournament – and were looking for a National Championship on home ice to cap off an extraordinary year.

Not even the presence of Jack Eichel, the Boston U skater who won the Hobey Baker Award, given to the player adjudged the best in all of NCAA division one hockey, and wii almost certainly be taken in the top 5 at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft could propel the Terriers to victory, like he’s been doing all year.

It was all Providence after the O’Connor gaffe, and when Brandon Tanev, wide open in the slot, had the puck on his stick, he ripped it high over O’Connor’s glove for a 4-3 lead that was preserved by Friars goalie Jon Gillies, who made 49 saves, some of them as desperate as you’ll ever see, including a ridiculously acrobatic effort inside the final minute, when the Terriers, having pulled their goalie, were pressuring like they’d scarcely pressured all night.

In stark contrast to O’Connor’s error at the other end, it was a moment of urgent brilliance from Gillies that ensured the game wouldn’t go to overtime. A desperate lunge and a save with his shoulder on a bid from Cason Hohmann, who had already scored in the game, was enough and the Friars, thirty years since their last appearance in the Frozen Four, and coming in as a fourth seed from the regional tournaments – the only fourth seed to advance to the Frozen Four this year, were finally National Champions. It’s always good when the minnows get up and snatch one!