Hauser silences Gopher critics

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Adam Hauser heard the criticism throughout his four-year career, despite being Minnesota's all-time leader in most goaltending categories.

Nobody's trying to discredit him now. He and his Golden Gopher teammates have a national championship.

Minnesota capped a thrilling comeback Saturday with a 4-3 overtime victory over Maine, the Gophers' first title since 1979. For Hauser, it was a fitting finish.

Strong through the first two periods, he let in two goals in the third as Maine took a 3-2 lead with less than a minute left in regulation.

It took a goal by Matt Koalska with 52.4 seconds remaining to tie it and give the Gophers a chance to win in overtime on Grant Potulny's power-play goal.

Hauser was pulled at the end of regulation to give Minnesota a sixth attacker and watched the agonizing final minute from the bench.

"I was just hoping that they score," Hauser said. "When we did, it was just a feeling that I've been having for a while that our job's not quite done. I had a feeling it was going to be a long time before the game-winner was going to be scored."

Hauser, who finished with 42 saves, popped out of the dressing room as Minnesota was celebrating and jokingly shouted to reporters: "How you like me now!?"

His teammates were behind him all the way.

"Maine really took it to us for most of the game," said forward John Pohl, who had a goal and an assist. "We were lucky, but Adam really bailed us out. He was the best goalie in this tournament by far. Tonight he silenced all his critics, and what a way to ride off into the sunset."

Saturday's game marked the fifth time in the last seven seasons the championship game went to overtime.

It also was a bitter end to an emotional season for the Black Bears, who outshot the Gophers 45-33.

Maine was playing all season in honor of Shawn Walsh, its coach of 17 years, who died of cancer before the season began. Walsh led the Black Bears to titles in 1993 and '99.

"It was a crazy game," interim coach Tim Whitehead said. "As we've learned already very well this year, life doesn't always end up in the storybook ending you'd like it to."

Michael Schutte, who scored two goals, was called for tripping Koalska with 4:02 left in overtime, giving the Gophers their power play.

Overtime penalties are rarely called, so Maine was upset. The referees were not made available for comment.

A school with a rich hockey tradition such as Minnesota will always attract the area's top talent, but that hadn't translated into a title in 23 years.

Coach Don Lucia, in his third season, was finally able to get the Gophers to play up to their ability.

"This team had to be prodded," said coach Don Lucia. "Things didn't come easy. The struggle was to try to get them to believe what an opportunity they had and not to waste it."

Defenseman Jordan Leopold also accomplished what none of the three previous Gophers to receive the Hobey Baker Award did -- win a championship in the same season.