The Yale Bulldogs wrote the last chapter of their underdog story on Saturday, topping the Quinnipiac Bobcats 4-0 to earn the school’s first-ever hockey national championship. They did so in front of a reported crowd of 18,184 at the Consol Energy Center.
As NHL.com points out, Yale goalie Jeff Malcolm starred on Saturday, making all 36 saves.
“I came back to prove that you could go to the best university in the world and compete in hockey at the highest level,” said Bulldogs coach Keith Allain, a former goalie at the school who has 13 years of experience as a National Hockey League assistant coach. “And this group has proven that this year.”
This serves as an upset on many levels. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Yale (ranked 15th out of the 16 tournament teams) beat top-ranked Quinnipiac.
- They had lost to Quinnipiac three times before tonight’s game.
- Malcolm managed to steal the spotlight from well-regarded opposing goalie and Hobey Baker finalist Eric Hartzell.
- The Toledo Blade points out that Yale became the first fourth seed to win it all.
For more, check out NCAA.com’s extensive coverage. (Get another idea of the odds Yale overcame in PHT’s Frozen Four preview.)