ST. PAUL, Minn. - During his first three years at North Dakota, Matt Frattin frequently sported a Superman t-shirt.
If this keeps up, Superman may have to start donning Frattin's No. 21 Sioux jersey.
The senior forward once again played superhero for the top-ranked Fighting Sioux, scoring the winning goal at 5:11 of double overtime to lift UND to a thrilling 3-2 victory over fifth-ranked Denver in the championship game of the Red Baron WCHA Final Five. The victory landed the Sioux (30-8-3) their second straight Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA playoff champions, the first repeat victors since Minnesota in 2003-04.
After hitting the crossbar on his previous shift, Frattin tallied the game-winner by being in the right place at the right time. Sioux captain Chay Genoway unloaded a point shot from just inside the blueline that went off a skate in front, right to Frattin in the left circle and the WCHA Player of the Year one-time the puck past the outstretched blocker of DU goalie Sam Brittain.
"Chay [Genoway] had a good shot on net," said Frattin. "They had two guys in front of the net and it bounced off one of their skates and I was off to the side, and it rolled to me. I just tried to get it on net as quick as possible before the goalie could get back."
While Frattin has racked up his share of goals - an NCAA-leading 35 this season and 46 in his last 54 games - he said tonight's may have been the sweetest.
"It's definitely right on top. It's probably the biggest goal I've scored in my four years of college," Frattin said.
It was the second game-winning goal in as many nights for Frattin, who was named the tournament's most valuable player.
"Tonight was a game that could've went either way," said UND coach Dave Hakstol. "There were great players on both sides of the ice, and the goaltending was outstanding. We got a bounce, and that bounce happened to land on the right guy's stick."
Until Frattin's finishing act, it was indeed the play of Brittain and UND sophomore Aaron Dell that stole the show. Brittain was named to the all-tournament team after a spectacular showing that included highlight-reel saves on Sioux forwards Evan Trupp, Danny Kristo and Corban Knight.
At the other end, it was Dell who kept UND afloat after Denver's Anthony Maiani tied the game with just 2:13 left in the third period. Dell, the WCHA goaltending champion turned aside 12 shots in the first overtime period, allowing a sluggish Sioux team to regain its bearings.
"We got into a bit of a rhythm," said Hakstol of the second wind his team gained late in the first overtime. "We were able to roll four lines and use everybody on the bench. That [rhythm] seemed to build in terms of momentum through the last half of the first overtime, and that carried into the second overtime."
Dell finished the night with a career-high 40 saves, as the Sioux were outshot 42-36.
For the second straight day, the Sioux also received goals from forwards Kristo and Brent Davidson, both of the billiard variety. After the Pioneers' Dustin Jackson opened the scoring 5:06 into the game, Kristo was able to find the equalizer with the help of a fortunate bounce. Kristo one-handed a loose puck onto Brittain, and the rebound caromed off the skate of DU forward Nick Shore and into the net.
Six minutes later, Davidson banked a shot off of Brittain's leg from behind the net, giving the Sioux a 2-1 lead heading into the second intermission.
With the Sioux trying to hang on to their second straight Broadmoor Trophy, Maiani knotted the game by converting a perfect centering feed from the corner by Beau Bennett, his second of two assists on the night.
But after 25:11 of overtime, Frattin clinched another trophy for the Sioux, who also won the MacNaughton Cup as the league's regular season champions.
"Obviously it's a tough feat, so we're pretty happy in the locker room right now," said UND senior assistant captain Derrick LaPoint, who assisted on UND's first two goals. "There's still business left to do, but it's a tremendous accomplishment for our team, and we're looking forward to bigger and better things now."
The Sioux killed all six Denver power-plays, while going 0-for-4 with the man advantage.
UND now awaits Sunday's selection show that will unveil the 16-team field for the NCAA tournament. The Sioux are assured a No. 1 seed.
The selection show airs at 10:30 a.m. Central on ESPN2.
Notes: Frattin was joined on the all-tournament by Genoway ... Frattin is now riding his second eight-game goal-scoring streak of the season, tied for the fourth-longest in UND history. Ben Cherski holds the record of 12 games ... Frattin also pushed his career-long point streak to 13 games ... The win gave UND its first 30-win season under Hakstol ... Dickin collected his first career assist on Kristo's goal ... Kristo has reached the scoresheet in 12 of his last 14 games.
- Go Sioux -
