Michigan hockey shut out in Frozen Four by Boston College, 4-0

ST. PAUL, Minn. — New year, same story.

The Michigan hockey team extended its NCAA record to 28 Frozen Four appearance, but for the eighth time in its last nine trips to the national semifinals, and the third year in a row, failed to advance to the national title game.

The Wolverines fell, 4-0, to No. 1 seed Boston College on Thursday before 18,598 fans at Xcel Energy Center. U-M fell behind in the second minute of the game and then allowed two goals in less than a minute midway through the contest.

The top-ranked Eagles will face 1-seed Denver, who won Thursday, 2-1 in overtime, over fellow 1-seed Boston University, in the national championship game on Saturday.

"We've got some special kids in that locker room, high performing kids that are going to be elite NHL players one day and elite high-performing people," said coach Brandon Naurato. "That's what I'm most proud of."

RELATED: Michigan hockey had a plan going into game against Boston College.

In many respects, U-M wasn't supposed to be in this spot — Naurato's team was on the bubble in March and only reached St. Paul on the heels of consecutive upsets of North Dakota and Michigan State — but that did little to console a distraught locker room.

"I mean, it sucks," said Seamus Casey. "Third time in a row for this group can't get it done first game. Thought our effort was great, a lot of guys played really well, it's just tough."

It's not that U-M was completely outclassed. It actually controlled the tempo much of the game and had more shots on goal (32-22) and won the faceoff battle (26-22), but could never find its rhythm, thanks to 19 Eagles blocked shots and constant sticks in passing lanes.

Michigan entered play with the best rated power play in the NCAA since Harvard in 1987, yet it went 0-for-4 with the man advantage and was shutout for the first time on the season as well as for the first first time in a Frozen Four.

"I don't think we took away his eyes enough," Gavin Brindley said of U-M's 32 shots not generating true high percentage looks. "You have to get to the net, make his life hard and I don't feel like we made it hard enough tonight."

Punched in the mouth

Michigan was buzzing early as Casey hit the post in the first minute, but when TJ Hughes whiffed on an opportunity in front of the net, the puck spurted out and led to a 2-on-1 breakaway the other way.

It all but happened in slow motion, as Gabe Perrault advanced to Ryan Leonard, who then found the nation's points leader, Webster McKade, as he settled the puck just long enough to lift it over Jake Barczewski's outstretched stick to give BC a lead 80 seconds into the game.

"They have four, elite, elite, elite players,” Naurato said. “Their top guys scored four goals and it’s the first time all year we’ve been shutout. There was no secret to how they won the game … those guys broke the game open.

“What did they have, 20 shots? But if you look at the high dangers its six, nine, six, nine, six, six, nine, nine, 34, 19. Those guys are studs, studs. And all credit to their team … they won the game.”

Michigan remained active in the early going. Just more than 8 minutes into the game, U-M outshot BC, 6-1, and won four of the game's five faceoffs, but BC goaltender Jacob Fowler turned away a flurry of high-percentage chances early on.

Neither team had any decent looks for some time, until U-M's Mark Estapa got called for boarding at 12:16. The Eagles got one decent look from the slot which went wide, before Leonard got called for a hook just 35 seconds later and the game went to 4-on-4, but neither team could capitalize.

At 15:50 Estapa was again whistled, this time for tripping, which put the nation's No. 2 rated power play back on the ice, but once more the Wolverines escaped unscathed.

The period came to a close with U-M holding an 9-6 edge in shots and 12-7 lead in faceoffs, but trailing 1-0.

One-two combo

Michigan was caught in the midst of a line change early in the second period when Leonard found himself with the puck streaking down the right side. After a nifty move between the legs to get by Tyler Duke, he crossed across the crease and fired a backhand shot, but Barczewski stretched out his right leg just far enough to make the save at 1:24.

Michigan's top-ranked power play got its first true chance of the game at 3:05, after Cutter Gauthier was called for interference, but the Eagles killed it without letting as much as a shot on goal. Neither team would have another true look on goal until BC had a look at a one-timer in front of the net that Brindley dove in front of at 7:28.

The game would remain gritty — as the time crossed over the midway point of the period, there were nearly as many blocked shots (18) as shots on goal (21) — between two of the three highest scoring teams in the nation until Boston College's Drew Fortescue committed a trip at 11:45 to put U-M back on the man advantage.

That lasted all of 26 seconds, before Dylan Duke was called for tripping, to bring the game back to 4-on-4 and the Eagles took advantage.

On the ensuing puck drop, Will Smith carried the puck back behind the keeper, then threw the puck in front of the net where it bounced off a skate and ricocheted into the back of the net to double up BC's lead with 7:35 remaining in the the second period.

Soon after, U-M's Rutger McGroarty gave the puck up near the blue line. The turnover set up Gauthier on a breakaway, and he fired home another goal 49 seconds later to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.

"Not an excuse or disclaimer, but the turning point in that game is one of the players trips over Dylan Duke's skate, we've got a 4-on-4 and they score two quick goals," Naurato said. "We really had two power plays, had two extended possessions and their guy made a ton of big time saves."

Despite the deflating stretch, U-M kept its energy up. Garrett Schifsky got a good look from the right slot that was gloved with 1:59, then Dylan Duke's had a good look that was denied with 75 seconds to play, but the Wolverines were turned away and shutout through two periods of play.

Eagles close it out

Michigan came out on fire, as two Dylan Duke shots were stuffed at the net before another wrap-around of his was denied all within the first 45 seconds of the period.

It looked like the Eagles had a chance to really put the game away when Leonard got the puck on yet another breakaway, but Barczewski denied the attempt with his left leg 1:23 into the period.

"We know we're never out of it," McGroarty said. "Talked in the locker room like let's get a good push here and see what happens."

Michigan got off five shots in the first 3 minutes and change of the period, but the next goal didn't come until Perreault carried the puck up the left side, then ducked around behind the net to throw in the wraparound goal for his third point of the night with 14:54 to play.

Michigan got its fourth power play of the night and got 10 shots off in a matter of 82 seconds, but each was denied by Fowler. The game was nearly 5-0 with 6:58 to play, but Barczewski made a save on a one-timer from the slot.

U-M got 17 shots off in the third period, but fell to 1-9 in games in the Frozen Four or later since the 1998 title.

"We lost to a really good Boston College team," Naurato said. "I feel like (tonight) we were good, we weren’t great. What we did in the third was probably closer to what we are."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan hockey's season ends in Frozen Four to Boston College, 4-0