Detroit ? Michigan was a goal away from doing the unthinkable, winning the final CCHA tournament championship after entering the weekend with a sub-.500 record.
It didn't happen.
Instead of the Wolverines scoring the go-ahead goal, it was Notre Dame's Austin Wuthrich who beat freshman goaltender Steve Racine with a wrist shot from between the circles 29 seconds into the third period to give the Irish a 2-1 lead. They went on to earn a 3-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena, ending the CCHA's 42-year run.
The Irish (25-12-3) swept the five games between the teams this season, ending Michigan's run of 22 straight NCAA tournament appearances and 25 straight winning seasons.
Notre Dame outshot the Wolverines (18-19-3), 33-21, carrying the play in Michigan's zone for the majority of the opening two periods, getting the upperhand in shots by a 28-10 margin.
"We probably had as much momentum as we've had all year and we were in a good place," said Michigan coach Red Berenson, talking of the Wolverines' nine-game (8-0-1) unbeaten streak entering the game, including a 6-2 semifinal win Saturday over top-seeded Miami (Ohio). "We had a tough game last night against Miami and that was a huge win for our team just to get in to the final. Maybe we didn't have enough gas. We definitely were on a mission and we got cut short.
"Notre Dame got off to a great start. They were all over us and didn't give us much and we didn't get much."
Notre Dame has been a thorn in Michigan's side the last several years, defeating the Wolverines in the CCHA title game at JLA in 2007 and 2009, and also eliminating them when they were ranked No. 1 in a national semifinal in Denver in 2008.
"It was only fitting to end it (CCHA) between us," Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said of facing Michigan. "We've had so many great games between us when I was at Lake State and now here at Notre Dame. I have so much respect for them."
Notre Dame came out strong against Michigan, taking an 18-4 advantage on shots in the opening period before Derek DeBlois gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead on a short-handed goal with one minute left.
Racine kept the Wolverines in the game, making several big saves before DeBlois' goal. He finished with 30 saves.
Notre Dame All-CCHA first-team center Anders Lee scored his 20th goal midway through the second period to pull the Irish even, taking a pass from Jeff Costello and beating Racine from point-blank range.
"He was a wall at the beginning of the game, really all tournament," Lee said of Racine. "It was a relief to get that first goal to give confidence to the boys so it was a huge break for us.
"I felt we controlled the puck a lot. We were the ones dictating the play and for us to have that ability was a huge reason we succeeded."
Berenson still felt the Wolverines had a chance to pull the game out.
"Even after two periods I thought our team would bounce back in the third," Berenson said. "They tried, but that first goal on that first shift was a tough one and we just couldn't get it back."
Wuthrich took control of the puck after it bounced off teammate Mario Lucia's skate and flipped a wrist shot past Racine for his first point in more than a month.
"T.J. Tynan got the puck just inside the blueline and passed it down to Lucia and it went off of his skate and deflected to me and I had an open net," Wuthrich said.
Notre Dame goalie Steven Summerhays had 20 saves, including two of his best in the final minutes, stopping Andrew Copp and then Lee Moffie before Costello's empty-netter with 1:07 left clinched the first title for Notre Dame's senior class.
Michigan was trying to duplicate its run of 2010 when the Wolverines entered the CCHA tournament as a No. 7 seed, needing to win the championship to earn an NCAA tourney bid. They upset Michigan State in the quarterfinal and then defeated top-seeded Miami in the semifinal before winning the title with a title win over Northern Michigan.
Instead of the Wolverines winning their 10th CCHA tourney title in the last 20 years Sunday, they now must look to the future of competing in the Big Ten League next season. Notre Dame will play in Hockey East.
Berenson vs. Jackson in CCHA title game:
2013: Notre Dame 3, Michigan 1
2009: Notre Dame 5, Michigan 2
2007: Notre Dame 2, Michigan 1
1996: Michigan 4, Lake Superior State 3
1994: Michigan 3, Lake Superior State 0
1992: Lake Superior State 3, Michigan 1
1991: Lake Superior State 6, Michigan 5
Berenson vs. Jackson in CCHA title game:
2013: Notre Dame 3, Michigan 1
2009: Notre Dame 5, Michigan 2
2007: Notre Dame 2, Michigan 1
1996: Michigan 4, Lake Superior State 3
1994: Michigan 3, Lake Superior State 0
1992: Lake Superior State 3, Michigan 1
1991: Lake Superior State 6, Michigan 5
david.goricki@detroitnews.com
Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130324/SPORTS0201/303240336/1131/rss17
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