1953-54 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers John Mayasich Jersey

Born in tiny Eveleth, Minnesota, John Mayasich was a multi-sport athlete in high school, but excelled at hockey like no other. He led the Eveleth Golden Bears to four consecutive Minnesota State High School Championships from 1948 to 1951, setting numerous State Tournament Records, including Most Consecutive Games Scoring a Goal with 12, Most Hat Tricks with 7, Most Total Career Goals with 3, Most Total Career Points with 46, Most Goals in a Game with 7, Most Points in a Game with 8, Most Goals in a Period with 4, Most Goals in a Tournament with 15 and Most Points in a Tournament with 18 all of which still stand 64 years later!

Mayasich permanently rewrote the Minnesota record books

photo courtesy of VintageMinnesotaHockey.com

Following his four year undefeated high school career, the prolific Mayasich joined the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for the 1951-52 season, where he proceeded to lead the Gophers in scoring his freshman year with 32 goals and 62 points in just 26 games.

Mayasich arrived at the University of Minnesota in 1951

He set a personal best with 42 goals in just 27 games on his way to 78 points in 1952-53 and matched his 78 points in 1953-54 with 29 goals and a personal best 49 assists from 28 games played to win the WCHA scoring title. Finally, as a senior, Mayasich scored another 41 goals and 39 assists for a career best 80 points in 1954-55 as he won a second WCHA scoring race.

Mayasich won the WCHA scoring title in 1954

By the time he left the Gophers, Mayasich had established records for Most Career Goals with 144, which still stands today and is 24 more than second place, Most Career Assists with 154, which stood for 37 years, and Most Career Points with 298 in just 111 career games, which also still stands today and is 29 more than second place set by a player who played 50 more career games thanks to the longer schedules of the 1980's.

In 1998, Mayasich became the only player to ever have his number retired by the University of Minnesota when they raised his #8 to the roof of Mariucci Arena, which is named after the man who coached him while he was at Minnesota, John Mariucci.

While he had offers to turn professional following his college career, Mayasich instead had two years of military obligations due to being in the ROTC program at Minnesota. That, combined with having a young family with three kids, led to him accepting a job with Hubbard Broadcasting in St. Paul.

Mayasich was not done with hockey though, and was chosen to represent his country during the 1956 Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. There, the United States finished second in Group B to advance to the Final Round, where they defeated Germany 7-2 and then Canada 4-1 with Mayasich scoring a hat trick against the team that had won seven of eight gold medals. They continued by beating Sweden 6-1, then lost to the Soviet Union 4-0 before avenging a 4-3 Group B loss to Czechoslovakia by defeating them soundly 9-4 to capture the silver medal, the first in United States Olympic history. Mayasich led the US in scoring with 6 goals and 10 points in 7 games to place seventh overall in tournament scoring.

The silver medal winning 1956 United States Olympic Team

Mayasich remained with the US National Team in 1956-57, but in protesting a Soviet occupation of Hungary, The US boycotted that year's World Championships. For 1957-58, he joined the St. Paul KSTP team in the U.S. Central Hockey League as a player/coach. It was back to the US National Team for 1957-58, where he came second in team scoring by just 3 points with 25 goals and 52 points in only 33 of the team's 52 games, this while playing defense!

In 1958-59, Mayasich began a relationship with the senior hockey club, the Green Bay Bobcats, which would last 13 seasons, which included eight as a player/coach.

Mayasich was back to duty with the United States in 1960, this time with the Olympic Team in Squaw Valley, California. At the Games, the Americans won Group C with a pair of wins over Czechoslovakia (7-5) and Australia (12-1) before moving on to the Medal Round. They opened play with a 6-3 win over Sweden, downed Germany 9-1, squeaked by Canada 2-1, scored a vital 3-2 win over the Soviet Union and capped off an undefeated run to the gold medal with a 9-4 domination of the Czechs to win the first Olympic gold medal in US hockey history.

Mayasich once again played a vital role for the United States, scoring 7 goals and 12 points to finish one point back of Bill Christian's 13.

Mayasich won Olympic gold in 1960

After spending the 1960-61 season as an independent club, the Bobcats joined the United States Hockey League, a semi-pro senior level league, the next iteration of the USCHL.

During the 1961-62 season, Mayasich won a bronze medal as a member of the United States National Team at the World Championships held in Denver, Colorado, where he was named the Best Defenseman of the tournament. It would be the last medal the US would win at the World Championships for 34 years.

The Bobcats won the second USHL championship in 1963, with Mayasich as the team's leading defenseman with 42 points.

After three more seasons with the Bobcats as a player/coach, leading the team to a 92-25-3 record, Mayasich would make his final appearance for the US National Team in 1966.

He would spend five more seasons with the Bobcats as only a player until once more taking over as coach during the middle of the 1970-71 season, his last as a player before retiring.

Mayasich was named as an NCAA First Team All-American in both 1953 and 1954, the Best Defenseman at the 1962 World Championships, won an Olympic silver medal in 1956, an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and was named to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976 and IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997 and was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy on this date in 1998 in honor of his contribution to hockey in the United States. He is considered the finest amateur player in United States hockey history.

When asked to describe Mayasich, his college coach Mariucci stated, "The words to describe the boy haven't been invented. When I say he's the best, that's totally inadequate."

Minnesota head coach Mariucci with Mayasich

Today's featured jersey is a 1953-54 University of Minnesota John Mayasich jersey as worn the year Mayasich won his first of two WCHA scoring titles.

This jersey was worn for only one season by the Gophers and was revived for the 2014 Hockey City Classic outdoor game by the University of Minnesota, who defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 1-0.

Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1950-51 Eveleth Golden Bears John Mayasich jersey as worn by Mayasich as he completed a record setting high school career with Eveleth's fourth consecutive undefeated season and fourth state championship. 

jersey photos courtesy of VintageMinnesotaHockey.com

To order your own Mayasich 1952-53 or 1953-54 Minnesota Gophers or Eveleth Golden Bears jersey, please visit our friends at VintageMinnesotaHockey.com.

Here is a recent interview with Mayasich, recalling his days with the Gophers and growing up in Eveleth.

Finally, the United States defeats the Soviet Union at the 1960 Olympics on the way to a gold medal. Look for Mayasich wearing #4.

Reader Submission - 2014-15 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Amanda Kessel Jersey

Our 26th reader submission comes from Kyle Krasa, and it shows what happens when you put forth the effort to make something happen.

Here is Kyle's story about his beautiful jersey and how he played a small but important role in getting it produced.

I absolutely love your blog!  It is a wealth of information and it is so much fun to read about the history of so many wonderful hockey jerseys.  Attached are pictures of my submission.

This is a replica of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Women's alternate jersey.  The Lady Gophers began wearing these sweaters in the 2013-2014 season.  They are absolutely stunning with their bright gold contrasted against the maroon numbering and lettering.  This jersey features a lace-up neck which is always a plus for a hockey jersey, the fantastic old time mascot logo of the gopher playing hockey, and the classic "M" logo on the shoulders.  

Although I am from California and have no connection to the University of Minnesota, it was love at first sight when I first saw these jerseys in pictures featured on social media.  Earlier this year, I searched endlessly to try to find a replica of this great sweater to purchase but I had no such luck.  I Tweeted the Gophers Women's team and inquired about where I could find a replica for purchase.  I was stunned to learn that replicas were not for sale, especially since many people on Facebook and Twitter commented on the beauty of these uniforms.    

I emailed the athletic department and urged them to license these replica sweaters.  I also found Vintage Minnesota Hockey, a site that specializes in making replicas of classic Minnesota hockey jerseys.  I contacted the company and inquired about the possibility of producing replicas of this great sweater for sale.  The company representative said that they had received great interest in the sweater but that the University wouldn't license the reproduction.  

Figuring my only hope was to find a game used hockey sweater, I contacted several Minnesota sports memorabilia shops to see if anybody could find something for me.  Unfortunately, nobody knew where to find one.

I thought to myself, "If I were an eccentric millionaire, I could offer to donate a building to the university on the condition that the school provide me my own jersey."  Of course, that would be an expensive jersey but those sweaters are so beautiful, It just might be worth it! 

Just when all hope was lost, a representative from Vintage Minnesota Hockey contacted me to give me the good news that the company and the school worked out a deal to produce replicas of this beautiful sweater!  

While my order was being processed, I visited Minnesota for an annual pond hockey tournament and I took in a Women's Gophers game for the first time.  I noticed a fan wearing the jersey and it made me smile to think that a Californian played a small role in making the jersey available for sale to the public!  Upon my return home, the sweater featured in the attached pictures arrived at my house.

This sweater features the name and number of legendary Gopher Amanda Kessel.  Although Kessel has yet to wear this sweater (she missed the 2013-2014 year due to the Olympics and missed the 2014-2015 year due to a concussion), I firmly believe that when it comes to a legendary player for an organization, any sweater of any era is appropriate in that legend's name and number.  Amanda Kessel is definitely a legend, winning two National Titles (including an undefeated season) and winning the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Award as the best female college hockey player in 2013. 

It's a pleasure to share this sweater and my story with Third String Goalie!  

Thanks to Kyle for taking the time to photograph his jersey and share the story of of his unique Gopher women's hockey jersey. We really appreciate the work involved when our readers take the time and effort to share their jerseys through their writing and photos.

The fact there was enough demand for the University of Minnesota to license this jersey and Vintage Minnesota Hockey to make an accurate version of it really speaks to the popularity of the Gopher Women's program. We doubt there is another hockey program in the United States where you can buy the women's version of their school's jersey, rather than settling for the men's version or a generic fashion jersey.

If you would like to purchase your own University of Minnesota Golden Gophers women's alternate jersey with the retro 1970's "skating Goldy" on the front, please visit our friends at VintageMinnesotaHockey.com.

If you have a jersey in your collection that you'd like to share with us and your fellow readers, please submit your pictures and a story to go with it, no matter how brief or detailed, to spyboy1@gmail.com and we look forward to seeing your favorites!

1958-59 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Herb Brooks Jersey

Herb Brooks, born on this date in 1937, played for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1955-56 to 1958-59, appearing in 75 games as both a wing and defenseman, totaling 18 goals and 27 assists for 45 points.

Following his college career, he was famously the last player cut from the gold medal winning 1960 USA Olympic team. After watching the USA win the gold medal on TV, Brooks' father turned and said "Obviously they cut the right guy."

Herb Brooks would go on to become a member of both the 1964 and 1968 USA Olympic teams in Innsbruck, Austria and Grenoble, France. In addition, he would play in five World Championships for the USA in 1965, 1967,1968, 1970 and 1971.

Herb Brooks as captain of the 1968 US Olympic team

Following his playing career, Brooks would coach the University of Minnesota for seven seasons, beginning in 1972, leading the Gophers to WCHA championships in 1974 and 1975 and capturing the national championship three times, in 1974, 1976 and 1979. His final collegiate coaching record was 175-101-20.

Brooks between the benches for the Gophers at their quirky
old Mariucci Arena

After coaching Team USA at the 1979 World Championships, he was named general manager and head coach of the 1980 Olympic hockey team, earning a permanent place in history after guiding the team to the famous "Miracle on Ice", where he led a team of college players to a 4-3 victory over the heavily favored Soviet Union and then securing the gold medal versus Finland with a third period come-from-behind victory two days later.

Brooks as coach of the 1980 US Olympic team

After coaching in Switzerland for a year, Brooks would return to coach the New York Rangers for four seasons, being named The Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1981-82, before return to the college ranks for a year at St. Cloud State before coaching the Minnesota North Stars for a year. He later coached both the New Jersey Devils in 1992-93 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1999-2000. His final NHL record was 219-221-66.

Back in Minnesota behind the bench for the North Stars where he would be reunited with Neal Broten (left) who he coached to an NCAA title with the Gophers and a gold medal in 1980

In between coaching the Devils and Penguins, he also coached Team France at the 1998 Olympics. In 2002 in Salt Lake City, Brooks would once again lead Team USA, making it all the way to the finals and winning a silver medal.

In 2002 Brooks once again led the US to an Olympic medal

He would be awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for contributions to American hockey in 1980 as part of Team USA and would win the award again as an individual in 2002. He was also inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990, the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.

A statue of Brooks stands outside the River Centre in St. Paul, which is part of the complex that includes the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild.

Today's featured jersey is a 1958-59 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Herb Brooks jersey. This is a very rare jersey, as it was purchased as a group order of custom made jerseys for members of a Golden Gophers online forum and was never available through any online or retail stores. That changed with the creation of VintageMinnesotaHockey.com, who now offers anyone a chance to own this beautiful jersey from "America's Coach".

It's customized with the #5 that Brooks wore his senior season with the Gophers and also sports the Goldy Gopher patch on the left sleeve. It also has the ornate Minnesota Centennial patch on the upper left chest to finish off the look. 

The "Miracle on Ice" was named the Top International Hockey Story of the Century by the International Ice Hockey Federation as part of their centennial celebrations and immortalized in the 2004 film "Miracle".

Third String Goalie 5th Anniversary

Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of Third String Goalie. To date we have made 1597 posts, are followed by 83 people here on blogger, by 296 on our Facebook page, and 774 of the most intelligent people on Twitter.

We've written about jerseys from Alaska to Japan and from Iceland to South Africa, including jerseys from the United States, Canada, Iceland, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, South Africa, Poland, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Japan.

In addition to the countries we've written about, we've also had visitors from 193 different countries and territories, which still shocks us to no end, often wondering what someone from someplace like Nepal or Iran was expecting to find when they arrived here?

We've written about the oldest hockey sweater in existence, brand new releases and sweaters never actually used. we've covered jerseys we love and those we do not.

We've also gone astray a time or two with unexpected stories we felt worth sharing and we sincerely hope you've enjoyed the ride.

As a small token of our appreciation for your readership, all readers who email us their mailing address will receive a Third String Goalie refrigerator magnet for free!

*****

Also, we are pleased to announce we are having an Anniversary Sale in the Third String Goalie Online Shop Sale!

Prices have never been lower and we have t-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, clothing for kids, tote bags, home & office, mugs and even buttons all featuring our vintage Third String Goalie logo.

Click the image below for The Third String Goalie Online Shop Third String Goalie Branded Goods proudly featuring the Patron Saint of Goaltenders Georges Vezina. 

In honor of our 5th anniversary, we have chosen to feature one of our favorites from our personal collection with the number 5.

Herb Brooks played for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1955-56 to 1958-59, appearing in 75 games as both a wing and defenseman, totaling 18 goals and 27 assists for 45 points.

Following his college career, he was famously the last player cut from the gold medal winning 1960 USA Olympic team. After watching the USA win the gold medal on TV, Brooks' father turned and said "Obviously they cut the right guy."

Herb Brooks would go on to become a member of both the 1964 and 1968 USA Olympic teams in Innsbruck, Austria and Grenoble, France. In addition, he would play in five World Championships for the USA in 1965, 1967,1968, 1970 and 1971.

Herb Brooks as captain of the 1968 US Olympic team

Following his playing career, Brooks would coach the University of Minnesota for seven seasons, beginning in 1972, leading the Gophers to WCHA championships in 1974 and 1975 and capturing the national championship three times, in 1974, 1976 and 1979. His final collegiate coaching record was 175-101-20.

Brooks between the benches for the Gophers at their quirky
old Mariucci Arena

After coaching Team USA at the 1979 World Championships, he was named general manager and head coach of the 1980 Olympic hockey team, earning a permanent place in history after guiding the team to the famous "Miracle on Ice", where he led a team of college players to a 4-3 victory over the heavily favored Soviet Union and then securing the gold medal versus Finland with a third period come-from-behind victory two days later.

Brooks as coach of the 1980 US Olympic team

After coaching in Switzerland for a year, Brooks would return to coach the New York Rangers for four seasons, being named The Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1981-82, before return to the college ranks for a year at St. Cloud State before coaching the Minnesota North Stars for a year. He later coached both the New Jersey Devils in 1992-93 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1999-2000. His final NHL record was 219-221-66.

Back in Minnesota behind the bench for the North Stars where he would be reunited with Neal Broten (left) who he coached to an NCAA title with the Gophers and a gold medal in 1980

In between coaching the Devils and Penguins, he also coached Team France at the 1998 Olympics. In 2002 in Salt Lake City, Brooks would once again lead Team USA, making it all the way to the finals and winning a silver medal.

In 2002 Brooks once again led the US to an Olympic medal

He would be awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for contributions to American hockey in 1980 as part of Team USA and would win the award again as an individual in 2002. He was also inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990, the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.

A statue of Brooks stands outside the River Centre in St. Paul, which is part of the complex that includes the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild.

Today's featured jersey is a 1958-59 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Herb Brooks jersey. It also has the ornate Minnesota Centennial patch on the upper left chest. This is a very rare jersey, as it was purchased as part of a custom group order for members of the Golden Gophers online forum and was never available through any online or retail stores. It's customized with the #5 that Brooks wore his senior season with the Gophers and also sports the Goldy Gopher patch on the left sleeve.

The "Miracle on Ice" was named the Top International Hockey Story of the Century by the International Ice Hockey Federation as part of their centennial celebrations and immortalized in the 2004 film "Miracle".

1987-88 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Robb Stauber Jersey

Born on this date in 1967 in Duluth, Minnesota, goaltender Robb Stauber would become the first goaltender to win the Hobey Baker Award as the outstanding player in US College Hockey in the eighth season of the award.

After being named an All-State Goalkeeper at Duluth Denfeld High School, Stauber would attend the University of Minnesota beginning in 1986. He would appear in 20 games and finish with a 13-5 record while splitting time with future Boston Bruins goalie John Blue. The Gophers would finish third in the nation that season after making it to the NCAA Final Four. Stauber would record his first point that season after being credited with an assist. During the season he would also play for the United States in the World Junior Tournament.

Stauber's second season with the Golden Gophers in 1987-88 would see him set a team record with 44 games played, posting a 34-10 record and lowering his goals against average from 3.53 down to 2.72 and help the team capture the WCHA Championship.

The Gophers would make another trip to the Final Four before losing to St. Lawrence 3-2 on a goal in the final minute of the game. Never one to sit back and watch the play develop, Stauber was always on the lookout to fire a long pass to send one of his potent forwards back up the ice in the other direction, and collected five assists as a result. At the end of the season he would be named the winner of the John Mariucci Award as the Gophers's Most Valuable Player, be named WCHA Goaltender of the Year, earn All-WCHA First Team honors, be named to the All-America first team, earning a coveted spot on one of the Mariucci Arena murals, reserved for Gopher First Team All-Americans, and become the first goaltender to win the Hobey Baker Award.

1988-89 would see the Gophers capture back to back WCHA Championships and Stauber would see action in 34 games, post a 26-8 record and lower his goals against average yet again to 2.43. His assist total would climb to seven, despite playing ten fewer games than the previous season. Stauber and the Gophers would make it all the way to the NCAA Championship game only to lose to Harvard 4-3 in overtime in one of the greatest college hockey games of all time. Stauber would be named the WCHA Goaltender of the Year for the second season in a row and be named one of the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.

His final college career stats shows a 2.77 goals against average and a 73-23 record and he was recently named one of the Top 50 Players in WCHA History. Without question, Stauber was a supremely talented goaltender which gave him the confidence to often leave his crease to challenge shooters or corral the puck before attempting another of his home run passes to his forwards up the ice. In fact, he would even score a goal while playing in the minors later in his career.

Following his collegiate career, Stauber would make another appearance for the United States, this time at the 1989 World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.

The next season, 1989-90, he would make his NHL debut for the Los Angeles Kings, seeing action in a pair of games as a teammate to Wayne Gretzky. He would spend the next two seasons in the minors and return to the NHL full time in the 1992-93 season, in which the Kings would make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals with Stauber seeing action in four games verus the Calgary Flames in the opening round.

Stauber guarding the Kings net during the 1992-93 season

After one more season in Los Angeles where Stauber would play in 22 regular season games, including wearing the first decorated goalie pads in NHL history.

Stauber during the 1993-94 season (above) wearing

the first decorated goalie pads in NHL history (below)

Stauber was traded to the Buffalo Sabres during the 1994-95 season, seeing six games of action.

He would spend the next three seasons back in the AHL with Rochester, where he once scored a goal, Portland and Hartford.

His final NHL totals are 62 games played with 21 wins, 23 losses and 9 ties, 1 shutout and a 3.80 goals against average along with 4 playoff games and a 3-1 record.

Since retiring as a player, Stauber has opened Stauber's Goalcrease Academy to train goalkeepers, written a book about, what else, goaltending, and has been the goaltenders coach for the University of Minnesota.

Today's featured jersey is a 1987-88 University of Minnesota Robb Stauber jersey as worn during his career at the University of Minnesota, including his Hobey Baker winning season and was lettered by our friends at VintageMinnesotaHockey.com.

This jersey with it's classic hockey styling was first used by Minnesota in 1985-86 and the gold trim was added to the shoulder yoke after just one season. Today's featured jersey can be dated to precisely 1987-88 by the presence of the shoulder trim but the lack of a WCHA patch, which arrived in 1988-89 in gold. The WCHA patch changed to a more contrasting maroon color after one season and this style remained in use through 1992-93, the final season of the old Mariucci Arena. The only other variation of the jersey was in 1990-91 when a USA flag patch was worn (only on the home jerseys) following a wave a patriotism following the outbreak of the first Gulf War in August of 1990.

It's a true disappointment that Stauber's college career took place prior to the age of youtube, since he was simply the most spectacular, dynamic and aggressive goaltender we have ever had the privilege of watching play live. Luckily, we did find these highlights of a vintage Gopher playoff game that contains some classic rare footage showing Stauber playing with reckless abandon early in the video from 1988 in the original Mariucci Arena. Hopefully this will give you some hint of what kind of an amazing video a true compilation of Stauber's best saves and most daring challenges would have looked like.

"SAVE BY STAUBER!!"

41-0! The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Women Win the National Championship

As we reported earlier this season, the defending national champion University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey Team, are a very talented group of highly skilled players who play in a great rink, Ridder Arena, one of only two women's teams in NCAA hockey to have a rink of their own rather than sharing an arena with their college's men's team.

Ridder Arena

At the time of our last report in early February, the Gophers were 28-0 and had just clinched the WCHA title. After defeating Ohio State twice on the road, they returned home to defeat Bemidji State 8-0 in the first game followed by the one blip on their march through their regular season - a 3-2 win in overtime the next night, the only game of their regular season that would require overtime, which would prove to be their only one goal victory as well. They then completed their perfect 34-0 regular season with back to back shutouts over St. Cloud State on the road.

As luck would have it, the Gophers not only got to host the first round of the league and national playoffs as a higher seed, but both the WCHA conference tournament as well as the NCAA national finals were scheduled for Ridder Arena, giving the team all seven postseason games on home ice.

The first round of the WCHA playoffs saw them defeat Bemidji State with back to back 5-0 and 8-0 shutouts before sweeping the WCHA Final Face-off with a 5-0 win over Ohio State and a 2-0 win over rivals North Dakota, which, dating back to their final two regular season games, gave them six consecutive shutouts and seven of their last eight without allowing a goal.

On to the NCAA playoffs, they were obligated to open against North Dakota, only this time with elimination on the line. In an epic contest, the two teams played a scoreless third period and enter overtime tied at 2-2.

The game saw 17 combined shots in the first overtime and 15 more in the second without a decision. Just when a fourth overtime looked to be a real possibility, Kelly Terry kept Minnesota's dream season alive with a goal with just 1:09 left in the third overtime. For the game, Minnesota's Noora Räty (RAH-too) made 50 saves on 52 shots while North Dakota's Shelby Amsley-Benize stood tall with 57 saves on 60 shots, including 27 in overtime against a team averaging 5 goals a game in league play.

Friday saw the first game of the Women's Frozen Four with #1 Minnesota hosting #4 Boston College. After a scoreless first, BC took the lead on the power play at 18:13 of the second before the Gophers struck for a goal at 1:42 of the third by Hannah Brandt, her 32nd of the year, also on the power play.

Minnesota took the lead at 12:12 but Boston College struck back exactly two minutes later to tie the game, which eventually required overtime, Minnesota's second consecutive such game after a dominant regular season. This one did not need as much time as their game with North Dakota, however, as Sarah Davis pounced on a loose puck and fired it home to send Minnesota into the championship final with their perfect season on the line.

Tickets were sold out and in demand, as scalpers were looking for between $60 and $150 dollars each outside with plenty of fans hoping to get in.

Their opponents were the Boston University Terriers, ranked third in the USCHO.com poll, who came into the NCAA's with a 26-5-3 record. The Terriers tried to break out on top at 5:40 of the first period, but Finland's Räty stopped a BU breakaway to keep the game scoreless.

Minnesota's other Finn, defenseman Mira Jalosuo, then got the Gophers on the board with a shot from the point at 11:38. Brandt then extended the Minnesota lead with a shot from behind the goal and in off the skate of Terriers goalkeeper Kerrin Sperry for a 2-0 margin.

Brandt moments before she scored from behind the net

BU would then counter with a goal from Sarah Lefort after a scramble in front of the Minnesota goal just 16 seconds after the Gophers second goal.

BU gets on the board just 16 seconds after Minnesota's second goal

Despite the game's location in Minneapolis, Boston University was well represented by their fans and their energetic band.

The Terriers fans were in full support of their team

Despite their best efforts, neither team could find another goal until Amanda Kessel, the nation's leading scorer, whipped a past Sperry at 16:02. For Kessel, who was named the Patty Kazmaier Award winner on Saturday as the nation's top player, it was her 45th goal of the season.

Kesse puts pressure on BU before scoring later in the period

With Minnesota on a late power play, defenseman Milica McMillen fired a one-timer past Sperry with just 11.8 seconds remaining in the second period to give the Gophers a 4-1 lead with just 20 minutes remaining in the quest for an undefeated season.

The Gophers celebrate McMillen's goal, their fourth, late in the second period

But…

Boston University had other plans and Marie-Philip Poulin converted a power play chance just 1:48 into the third period, leaving them plenty of time for two more goals. Both goaltenders stood tall and thwarted several good chances by both teams as the clock began to become the Terriers enemy as time slipped away.

Boston University was still very much alive following their goal early in the 3rd

Just because there is no checking in women's hockey, don't think for a minute that's its not rough! Several players were taken down roughly throughout the contest and 8 penalties were called during the game.

Gopher captain Megan Bozek and Louise Warren hit the deck hard

Finally, Rachel Ramsey, daughter of 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympian Mike Ramsey, slammed in a pass from Maryann Menefee to give the Gophers some breathing room at 5-2 with 4:33 remaining. Kessel's second assist on the goal was her 100th point of the season, only the fourth woman to ever reach 100.

Rachel Ramsey slams in the Gophers fifth goal

With nothing to lose and their goaltender pulled, BU made it 5-3 with Janelle Kohanchuk's goal at 17:08 but Kessel put the finishing touch on an undefeated perfect season for the Gophers with her 46th goal of the year into an empty net at 19:11.

Amanda Kessel's empty net goal sealed the perfect season for Minnesota

The Gophers stream off the bench to begin their celebration of their perfect season

Minnesota outshot BU 29-24 for the game and both teams were 2-4 on the power play.

The Gophers finished their back-to-back championship season with a flawless 41-0 season, the first undefeated season in NCAA hockey since Cornell's men's team went 29-0-0 back in 1970. Factoring in their national championship run last season, the program currently sits at 49 games without a loss and still counting.

Captains Bozek and Bethany Brausen hoist the national championship trophy

The Gophers final salute to the fans of their perfect season

In addition to Kessel winning the Kazmaier Award, the other two finalists were her Gopher teammates goaltender Räty and team captain defenseman Megan Bozek, the first time all three finalists were from the same team.

Patty Kazmaier Award winner Amanda Kessel of Minnesota finished the season with 46 goals and 101 points

Today's video section begins with the Gophers semifinal overtime game against Boston College and Sarah Davis clutch goal.

Next are highlights of the national championship game against Boston University, which gave Minnesota a perfect 41-0 record and their second consecutive national championship.

Finally, the three Kazmaier nominees, Bozek, Kessel and Räty during their postgame media session after winning the championship at the conclusion of their perfect season.