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Mark Vermette, Lake Superior State's top gun, had remained muffled through six periods of the NCAA hockey championships. But it took only one shot to give the Lakers the title Saturday night.
Vermette, who had 44 goals coming into the final four, turned a frustrating weekend into a spectacular one when he banged a shot through a tangle of fallen bodies at 2:46 of sudden-death overtime to give the Lakers a 4-3 victory over St. Lawrence in the final game.
Saints goaltender and several defenders had blocked Pete Stauber's rebound attempt, and Vermette pulled the puck back and batted it past the outstretched foot of the fallen Gary Robertson. Then, with a sudden whack, he rammed the puck through a maze of bodies and legs into the goal.
It was Lake Superior State's first championship, coming in its first title game appearance.
When the teams battled through a scoreless third period and into overtime, it brought back memories of the last NCAA final held in Olympic Center, when RPI beat Minnesota-Duluth in a four-overtime marathon in 1984.
St. Lawrenc had tied the game with three goals in the second period by Doug...