BC shuts out Vermont for league crown

Vermont goalie Joe Fallon looks behind him only to discover that Brian Gibbons has given BC an insurmountable 3-0 advantage in the third period. (Justine Hunt/Globe Staff)

You would have understood if they'd been fatigued and had no legs. You would have understood if they were still weary from playing five-plus periods only a night earlier. You would have understood if No. 4 seed Boston College couldn't keep up with third-seeded Vermont in the Hockey East championship game last night at TD Banknorth Garden.

Even though the Catamounts played the later game against Boston University, they had won it in regulation, so a BC loss last night could have been explained away - to everyone but the Eagles, that is. BC (21-11-8) found a second wind and had too much in the way of offensive weapons, experience, and determination as it blanked a new league rival, 4-0.

It marks the ninth year in the last 10 that BC has advanced to the NCAA Tournament. It is the Eagles' second straight league crown and fourth in eight years. It was the second shutout in league history in the final, the first coming in 2003 when New Hampshire beat Boston University in overtime.

Junior left wing Nathan Gerbe, who had a goal and an assist, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

"I thought early in the game Vermont had more jump than we did," said BC coach Jerry York. "[Freshman goalie John Muse] played extremely well early in the contest. Otherwise, it could have been a different scenario as we headed to the second period. I thought a 1-0 lead was strictly a goaltending performance by John that had us in that position."

York said his veteran players have always come through in the clutch.

"What jumps at me really quickly is our senior class," he said. "They've won three of the four Hockey East championships, that's something to be very, very proud of. It's very difficult to do. The only other class I've had do that is Brian Gionta's class. They've had good runs here and I feel very proud of what the senior class was able to do over the last four years."

It is dangerous to give up a goal in the first or last two minutes of any period. So, it certainly didn't help the Catamounts' cause that two of the Eagles' first three goals came in that time frame.

BC's first tally came with 1:28 remaining in the opening period. Gerbe dished a pass to sophomore defenseman Carl Sneep at the right point. Sneep fired a shot that trickled through the pads of Vermont senior netminder Joe Fallon but didn't quite cross the goal line. So, sophomore right wing Ben Smith charged in and jammed it home at the right post.

The Eagles tacked on a second goal at 5:01 of the second when junior defenseman Tim Kunes wristed a shot from the right point through traffic that caromed off the left post and past Fallon.

BC made it a three-goal bulge with 19.2 seconds left in the period. With the Eagles on the power play, junior center Andrew Orpik, skating through the left circle, sent the puck in front for freshman center Brian Gibbons, who rapped it home just outside the right post. Gerbe closed it out with an empty-netter at 18:55.

If fatigue was an issue for the Eagles, it didn't show.

"Some of us were tired this morning," said Muse, who made 29 saves. "Our trainers got us going into the cold pool and the hot tub and I think it really helped with our legs. As you can see, I think we had plenty of legs tonight."

Vermont (17-15-7) had no answers offensively largely because of Muse. The Catamounts had two great opportunities in the first 12 minutes. One came at 9:01 on a redirect attempt by freshman right wing Jack Downing, which Muse stopped with his left pad. It was Downing again at the 12-minute mark when he took a pass from sophomore left wing Colin Vock during a two-on-one break, but Muse stopped not only that bid but Vock's rebound try.

Coach Kevin Sneddon said he sees only positives for the future of his program.

"I'm just so proud of our team, not only for the way they competed this weekend and this night but for the entire season," he said. "It's just a tremendous group of young men that I had the pleasure to work with. This program is heading in a great direction."

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell can be reached at marrapese@globe.com.