In front of a record crowd of 19,432, Michigan State defeated Boston College, 3-1, in the championship game of the 2007 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four tonight at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Justin Abdelkader beat Boston College goaltender Cory Schneider to score the game-winning goal with :18.9 remaining in the third period and Chris Mueller iced the game with an empty-net goal in the final seconds to give Michigan State its first national championship since 1986. All three Michigan State (26-13-3) goals came in the final 10 minutes of the game.

During the first period, neither team was able to push the puck past the opposing goalie. The last scoreless first period in a championship game came in 2001 during the Boston College-North Dakota final. Michigan State goaltender Jeff Lerg made 13 first-period saves, including a stop on a sliding puck within inches of crossing the line with a little more than five minutes left in the period.

With 13:10 remaining in the second period, Boston College senior Brian Boyle took a pass from Brock Bradford and beat Lerg with a power-play goal to give the Eagles the 1-0 lead. The goal was the first power-play score allowed by Michigan State during the NCAA Tournament.

Schneider stopped 12 Michigan State shots during the second period to keep the Spartans scoreless and preserve the Eagles’ 1-0 advantage heading into the final period of play.

Boston College (29-12-1) had an opportunity to pad its lead with a shorthanded opportunity with 15:19 left in the game, but Lerg made a spectacular save on a shot by Boyle on a 2-on-1 break to keep the Spartans’ deficit at one goal. The sophomore net minder finished the night with 29 saves.

The Spartans tied the game with a power-play goal by Tim Kennedy at the 9:53 mark of the final stanza. The sophomore forward scored his 18th goal of the season off an assist from Abdelkader.

Schneider stopped 26 of the 29 Michigan State shots. Boston College outshot the Spartans 30-29. Michigan State finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while Boston College was 1-for-4.

The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak for Eagles and sent them to their second loss in as many years in the national championship game after losing to Wisconsin in last year’s final, 2-1. Boston College’s last championship win came in 2001.

Abdelkader was named the 2007 Men’s Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates Kennedy, Lerg and Tyler Howells. Boston College sophomore Nathan Gerbe and Boyle were also named to the team.

The championship win by the CCHA’s Michigan State ended a five-year reign by the WCHA.

Referee:                Derek Shepherd
Assistant Referee:  Bob Keltie
Assistant Referee:  Butch Mousseaux

-- Courtesy NCAA