Extra sessions
Clarkson became the first team in collegiate hockey history to win the national championship by winning all three of its tournament games in overtime. Clarkson won 2-1 over Mercyhurst in the quarterfinals, 1-0 over Ohio State in the semifinals, and 2-1 in the championship.
Extra sessions, part deux
This is the first time in NCAA hockey history in either D-I or D-III, men’s or women’s, that all three games in a Frozen Four went to overtime.
Extra sessions, part trois
Two other national championship games went to overtime, though this became the first one that didn’t require multiple extra sessions to decide a winner. In 2003, Minnesota Duluth defeated Harvard in double overtime. In 2010, Minnesota Duluth defeated Cornell in triple OT.
Extra sessions, part quatre
There have been 14 OT games in men’s Division I national championship games (1954, 1959, 1977, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2011). There have been five in men’s Division III (1993, 2002, 2004, 2007, and 2010), and there have been two in women’s Division III (2009 and 2017).
North side is the best side
Clarkson won both its games at Ridder playing with the north side as its home bench. So too did Colgate in the semifinals, so all three teams won playing from the north side of Ridder Arena at the Frozen Four.
Championship mentality
Clarkson’s win made the Golden Knights the fourth team to win back-to-back championships. Clarkson is also 3-0 in national championship games, making the Golden Knights the only team not to lose in the championship game.
Goals for Giguère
Freshman forward Elizabeth Giguère scored the game-winner in OT on a breakaway, and had a hand in all three overtime game-winners on Clarkson’s run to the tournament title, scoring the game-winner against Mercyhurst in the quarterfinals and assisting on the game-winner against Ohio State in the semifinals. It was her sixth game-winning goal of the season.
All-Tournament Team
Forwards: Breanne Wilson-Bennett (Colgate), Loren Gabel (Clarkson), Elizabeth Giguère (Clarkson)
Defense: Olivia Zafuto (Colgate), Savannah Harmon (Clarkson)
Goal: Shea Tiley (Clarkson)
Most Outstanding Player: Shea Tiley
