a bye into the regional semifinal where they faced WCHA champion and fifth-ranked Minnesota. The Gopher defense was stifling throughout the first half of the game, limiting Michigan to just 2 shots in the first. With the Wolverines down 1–2 in the second and in desperate need of a goal, Mike Legg for himself alone behind the Minnesota net and when no Gopher went to challenge him he had time to scoop the puck up with his stick and stash it into the top corner while he was still behind the net. 'The Michigan Goal' immediately became famous as the first time anyone scored a lacrosse-style goal during a game, or at last a game with cameras rolling. The stunned Golden Gophers continued to play well but with the tension that the Wolverines had been playing with now apparently gone, Michigan was able to score twice in the third and advance to the Frozen Four. In Cincinnati, Michigan faced #3 Boston University who had spent much of the year as the #1 team, but the defending national champions had faltered at the end of their season and continued that trend against Michigan. Defense was the key to the game, allowing BU to only get 17 shots on goal with each being turned aside by Marty Turco for his 5th solo shutout of the season. Part of the bad game can be attributed to a damaged cooling pipe that caused the game to be delayed by 90 minutes, but the Wolveries had to endure the same wait. The championship game saw Michigan returning for the first time since 1977 where they faced a familiar foe. The Wolvers had played Colorado College for the NCAA championship three times before, though not since 1957 (which was CC's last championship appearance), and now the top two teams in the nation were the only ones left vying for the title. Michigan opened the scoring in the first but after the Tigers' rebounded in the second Michigan found itself down 1–2. Mike Legg tied the game on the power play but neither team could regain the lead before the end of regulation. When overtime began the Michigan faithful grew worried; the Wolverines had lost in overtime in each of the previous three NCAA tournaments and desperately hoping that they were not about to see a repeat performance. Both team played conservatively for the first few minutes