Cool Muse couldn't block out emotions after win

DENVER - As his teammates danced, sang, and jostled each other in celebration in the Boston College locker room after the Eagles' 4-1 NCAA Frozen Four championship game win at Pepsi Center last night, freshman goaltender John Muse sat in his stall by himself. The 19-year-old East Falmouth, Mass., native, still in full equipment with the exception of a championship baseball cap instead of his mask, had the bottom of his face tucked into the front of his game sweater with his hands holding a towel to his forehead and eyes.

About a half-minute later, defenseman Anthony Aiello walked over to Muse and gave him a bear hug. When Muse looked up, his eyes were red-rimmed with tears. It was a sharp contrast to the cool, calm, collected player who had poise that belied his years.

Muse, who started all 44 BC games as successor to Cory Schneider and became the first freshman goalie to win a national title since Peter Mannino of Denver in 2005, said what brought him to tears wasn't the joy of winning, it was the overwhelming feeling that it was the last time the 2007-08 team would play a game together. He was also thinking about a friend who had lost a battle with cancer.

"That's the last time I'll be on the ice with those guys," said Muse. "It's been an unbelievable ride. One of my buddies passed away last year and he told me before he passed away that he'd be at every game."

Muse said once the emotional wave passes, he will have a chance to relish what he and his team accomplished.

"I'll get a chance to enjoy it once we get out of here," he said.

Muse wasn't sure how much he would play when the season began. Once he earned the job, he said he never allowed himself to fantasize about BC being in the title game. He stayed focused on the present, and it served him well.

"It's always been a dream of mine," he said. "And we got the chance this year and it came true."

Fighting spirit
Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson, who has his team pointed squarely in the right direction, said he was proud of his squad despite coming up short.

It was Notre Dame's first trip to the Frozen Four and he said BC - playing in its third straight title game - definitely benefited from experience.

"The bottom line is that these kids gave us everything they could in the last couple of weeks and I'm proud of them," said Jackson.

Biding their time
Aiello and his teammates didn't want to celebrate too soon, but they could nearly taste victory with a 4-1 lead late in the third period.

"When the clock got down to five minutes to go, no one wanted to get too excited, but everyone could feel it," he said. "There was a television break with four minutes left and we tried to stay settled. Then, there was a faceoff with about 44 seconds left and we started slapping each other. Then, with 10 seconds left it was the best feeling in the world."

Following a lengthy on-ice celebration and trophy presentation, BC coach Jerry York gave a postgame speech in the locker room.

"I'm ecstatic," said junior forward Kyle Kucharski. "Words cannot explain it.

"The past two years, getting here and falling short. I'm so proud for what this means to the seniors. We owe it all to them."

Leaders filled vacuum
At various points during the season, York was forced to reevaluate his team. First, there was goaltender Schneider's decision late last summer to leave for the pros. Then came the dismissal of two players, one of whom (defenseman Brett Motherwell) was considered one of the top blue liners in the country. In addition, right wing Brock Bradford, a terrific scoring forward, was lost twice - he broke this left arm opening night against Michigan and again Jan. 19 against Boston University. But coaching is all about adjustments and York continued to make them as his squad rode a roller coaster from the start to the stretch run, when the Eagles put together a nine-game winning streak that was capped by last night's win. York has credited his players' strong leadership - beginning with senior captain Mike Brennan - and the fact that when the wheels appeared to be falling off, no one pointed fingers. "Our trio of guys [Brennan, Matt Greene, and Dan Bertram] is just like the captains we've had in the past," said York. "Outstanding people. We've had outstanding leadership this year. It's been a credit to our program that we have leaders like this." . . . Senior forward Pat Gannon had a word of advice for future BC national champions. "Don't take your gloves off!" In the postgame pileup, Gannon suffered a slash on his right hand and had to spend some time on the trainer's table getting repaired while his teammates ate pizza and celebrated . . . Turns out Brennan, who York said would get the ball to throw out the first pitch when the team gets honored at Fenway Park before a Red Sox game, is a Yankee fan. "I know I'm not going to," said York. Brennan said he simply wants to throw a pitch that will reach the catcher without a bounce. "It's going to be a thrill, though," he said . . . BC's Nathan Gerbe headed up the All-Tournament team, joined by teammates Muse, Brennan, and Ben Smith, and Kevin Deeth and Kyle Lawson of Notre Dame . . . BC will have an autograph session at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at Conte Forum, followed by a celebration at 6.

Barbara Matson of the Globe staff and correspondent Theresa Smith contributed to this report.