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College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

I concur on Minnesota/Holy Cross.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1_x1oo35L0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnRfpcc3LZA

I might mention that Minnesota having to play that game at the Ralph was the functional equivalent of having 11,643 strangers standing around your mom's death bed yelling "Croak! Croak! Croak!".

Hmmmmmmmm..........? In the context of the aforementioned article that came out today, I wonder who Minnesota's head coach was that day?

Homer also-ran vote goes to UNO defeating Michigan in the semi-finals of the CCHA tourney on St. Patrick's Day in 2000, in their inaugural season in the CCHA (or in that of any conference, it being only the 3rd season of UNO's hockey existence) 7-4, in front of 13,177 screaming Michigan fans at the Joe, a game in which a 16-19-7 UNO team led 5-1 after 3 periods against a 29-6-4 Michigan team that finished #9 (how often do 29-6-4 teams finish 9th?) in the final USCHO poll that season.
 
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Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

pgb-ohio said:
1997 Frozen Four Semi-Finals (Milwaukee)
Boston University 3
Michigan 2
(O.T.)

Can't claim BU was the biggest longshot; but it was a remarkable upset with very high stakes.

On the way to the 1996 National Title, Michigan had dispatched BU rather easily in semis by a score of 4-0. Michigan's '97 team was, if anything, even stronger; perhaps one of the greatest college hockey teams of all time. Or at the very least, one of the greatest offenses of all time. But defending with dogged determination, the tenacious Terriers avenged their '96 defeat.
Click to expand...

Extended video highlights #TBT
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

pgb-ohio said:
1997 Frozen Four Semi-Finals (Milwaukee)
Boston University 3
Michigan 2
(O.T.)

Can't claim BU was the biggest longshot; but it was a remarkable upset with very high stakes.

On the way to the 1996 National Title, Michigan had dispatched BU rather easily in semis by a score of 4-0. Michigan's '97 team was, if anything, even stronger; perhaps one of the greatest college hockey teams of all time. Or at the very least, one of the greatest offenses of all time. But defending with dogged determination, the tenacious Terriers avenged their '96 defeat.

The following day, Hobey Baker winner Brendan Morrison made his infamous "the best team doesn't always win" speech.

As it turned out, Michigan also won the 1998 tournament. Not to take anything away from the eventual 1997 Champion, North Dakota; they also had an outstanding team. But the BU upset may very well have prevented a historic Michigan three-peat.
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The '97 BU-Michigan game didn't go to overtime.

I'll have to disagree with this one with respect to being one of the great upsets in college hockey. It certainly was an upset, since the favored team didn't win. But BU was probably the 3rd or 4th overall seed that year, and had a great team. IIRC, they won both the HE regular season and tourney titles. Heck, the Providence win last year, over BU, was imho a much bigger upset than the '97 game.
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

SJHovey said:
The '97 BU-Michigan game didn't go to overtime.
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You're correct, of course. Fixed my post. BU's NCAA overtime win that year came against Denver in the Regional final.

I'll have to disagree with this one with respect to being one of the great upsets in college hockey. It certainly was an upset, since the favored team didn't win. But BU was probably the 3rd or 4th overall seed that year, and had a great team. IIRC, they won both the HE regular season and tourney titles. Heck, the Providence win last year, over BU, was imho a much bigger upset than the '97 game.
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Which is exactly what I was driving at when I said BU wasn't the biggest longshot.

My thought was that it was fair game to include the "most important" upsets along with the most unlikely wins. There's more than one path to greatness, no? But if my suggestion simply doesn't fit in, I'm willing to delete. Just say the word. :)
 
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pgb-ohio said:
1997 Frozen Four Semi-Finals (Milwaukee)
Boston University 3
Michigan 2

Can't claim BU was the biggest longshot; but it was a remarkable upset with very high stakes.

On the way to the 1996 National Title, Michigan had dispatched BU rather easily in semis by a score of 4-0. Michigan's '97 team was, if anything, even stronger; perhaps one of the greatest college hockey teams of all time. Or at the very least, one of the greatest offenses of all time. But defending with dogged determination, the tenacious Terriers avenged their '96 defeat.

The following day, Hobey Baker winner Brendan Morrison made his infamous "the best team doesn't always win" speech.

As it turned out, Michigan also won the 1998 tournament. Not to take anything away from the eventual 1997 Champion, North Dakota; they also had an outstanding team. But the BU upset may very well have prevented a historic Michigan three-peat.
Click to expand...

That game was not OT
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

Two big ones were already mentioned.

1981 - Colorado College eliminates Wisconsin in the WCHA playoffs, winning 11-4 in the second game to advance 13-12 on total goals. The "back-door" badgers got in the NCAA tournament anyway in the first year with an 8 team field and won the tournament.

1994 - 10th seed Michigan Tech eliminates top seed Colorado College in the WCHA playoff first round. The Tigers were then left out of the NCAA tournament in favor of regional host Michigan State, prompting the autobid rule for conference regular season champions.

But I'm adding the 1966 WCHA playoff victory by Michigan State over Michigan Tech. The Huskies were the defending NCAA champion with Hall of Fame goalie Tony Esposito and a 23-5-1 record overall as the regular season champions, but fell to the Spartans 4-3 in the playoffs. MSU then beat a 24-2 Clarkson team with a convincing 6-1 win in the NCAA title game, impressive for a team that was 4-10 to start the season and entered the postseason with a losing overall record.

And a quick nod to the 1991 NCAA tournament victory by then independent Alaska-Anchorage at Boston College with two wins by scores of 3-2 and 3-1 over the Eagles.
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

BU over BC in the 2004 Hockey East Quarterfinals. A 10-15-9 BU team took 2-of-3 from a 26-6-4 BC team that had already won 4 games against BU that season. The Terriers won the first and third games, 3-2 and 4-2, sandwiched around a 4-0 shutout loss in game two all played at Conte Forum. BC went on to make the FF, losing to Maine in the semis, 2-1.

Sean
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

mookie1995 said:
Hoky called that union/goofs game. Can't really even be called an "upset".
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Dave Starman's prediction before the tournament started was Union. Saying that Union beating Minnesota was the greatest upset since 1980 is short-sighted and beyond laughable.
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

Found this on HC's website,

Minnesota, ranked No. 3, had reigned five times as NCAA hockey champs, including winning back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003. Herb Brooks, who coached the USA to its 1980 “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviet Union, guided Minnesota to three NCAA crowns in the 1970s.
Holy Cross, ranked No. 19 and representing the upstart Atlantic Hockey Association, had never won a single game in the 58-year history of the NCAA hockey tourney.

Minnesota had 14 players on its roster who had been drafted by the National Hockey League. Holy Cross had none.

There were 18 Gophers on full athletic scholarships while about half the Crusaders receive need-based grants to lighten their financial packages.

Minnesota-Twin Cities is a supersized university, with an enrollment of 51,000; Holy Cross has about 2,700 undergrads.
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

LTsatch said:
Yale over Quinnipiac in the 2013 title game. Actually every win in that run was a major upset and was thought by some to have been the hardest road to the final ever.
A 15 seed knocking off three number one seeds.
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While all those games were certainly considered upsets, Yale had pretty much under performed during some of the regular season (when Malcolm was hurt) and especially during the ECAC Final Four. Talent wise, they were a match for any team in the country in 2012-13.
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

1974 ECAC playoff #8 RPI defeated #1 UNH in ot 7-6
Clark Hislop Cox one of the best lines ever for UNH scored 3 goals on one shift . Records were set for the fastest 3 goals and the fastest 4 goals
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

Havasu M said:
1974 ECAC playoff #8 RPI defeated #1 UNH in ot 7-6
Clark Hislop Cox one of the best lines ever for UNH scored 3 goals on one shift . Records were set for the fastest 3 goals and the fastest 4 goals
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I remember that game well. Rick Smith scored his second goal of the game -- and second of the season -- to win it in OT for RPI.

It's too bad that that only video that is apparently still available is the quick comeback by UNH when RPI couldn't handle UNH on a 3-on-3 situation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUEHAUJsKDE Definitely a selective memory by UNH.
 
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bulldog10jw said:
While all those games were certainly considered upsets, Yale had pretty much under performed during some of the regular season (when Malcolm was hurt) and especially during the ECAC Final Four. Talent wise, they were a match for any team in the country in 2012-13.
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Yes, but QU outscored Yale 13-3 in the previous three games that season. No one gave Yale a chance when the NCAA tourney started. They were a match when it counted, but count the draft picks or players from Yale now playing in the NHL from that tourney and you won't find any that have stuck. I think they were a tier below the favorites and the rankings showed it.
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

I can only think of one bigger upset by RPI. Happened at the end of the 91-92 season. RPI squeaked into the playoffs as the #10 seed (only 10 teams made the playoffs back then), had to play UVM on a Tuesday night in Burlington and crushed them 5-1. Then had to play on Saturday against #1 Harvard in Cambridge. Jeff Gabriel scored in OT to knock off Harvard, which ended up ending their season. Coincidentally, the playoffs were changed to a best of 3 the following season (gee, I wonder who brought that change about?).
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

1981
UW 6
UM 3

Because anytime UW beats UM it's a huge upset.






All kidding aside I looked back at the brackets for that tournament and the amount of scoring was incredible. The 8 quarterfinal games combined for 77 total goals! :eek:
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

Clarksons 55-56 undefeated hockey team didn't get an invite to the NCAAs, greatest upset ever
 
Re: College Hockey's Greatest Upsets

From memory here but the 1970 WCHA playoff first round, which was held in Madison. The number 1 seeded MTU team, which had lost I think three games all year, lost to the bottom seed UND team 3-2. Even though Tech had scored the tying goal, it was disallowed because it was in and out of the net so quick the refs didn't see it go in.
 
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