In the Frozen Four matchup featuring Eastern College Athletic Conference rivals, Yale defeated Quinnipiac University 4-0 to win the NCAA national championship.
The two schools, which are located less than 10 miles apart, faced each other three times this season with Quinnipiac coming out on top each meeting, and outscoring the Bulldogs 13-3. On Saturday night in Pittsburgh, Pa., however, Yale was finally able to best their conference foe.
After a scoreless first period full of physical play and plenty of scoring chances, Yale got on the board with 3.5 seconds remaining in the second when Clinton Bourbonais deflected the puck five-hole to put Yale ahead. The Bulldogs extended their lead early in the third period when freshman forward Charles Orzetti found the back of the net and senior captain Andrew Miller continued the offensive explosion as he scored on a breakaway.
Junior Jesse Root added an empty netter with 6:58 remaining to secure the victory over the tournament’s top seed. Jeff Malcom recorded 36 saves on the night to capture the shutout.
The victory marks the first NCAA hockey title in school history for Yale.
Photo via Twitter/@TK2997
