By The Associated Press
 
   WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- Jamie Thompson and Tim Lovell combined on a pair of
goals as the University of Maine beat the University of Denver 4-2 Saturday in
the East Regional final of the NCAA hockey championships.
   The top-seeded Black Bears advanced to the final four next weekend in
Providence.
   Thompson put Maine on top midway through the first period when he backhanded
in a Lovell miss for a 1-0 lead. The two hooked up again minutes later when
Lovell slammed home a Thompson pass from behind the net for a 2-0 advantage.
   Maine made it 3-0 on the power play when Jeff Tory, the top-scoring
defenseman in the country, scored from just inside the blue line.
   Denver scored early in the second period as Antti Laaksonen broke free around
the net and beat goalie Blair Allison. But Reg Cardinal answered for Maine,
following two Wayne Conlon misses, to give Maine the 4-1 lead.
   Petri Gunther tallied late in the third period for Denver, which finished
with a 25-15-2 record.
   Goalie Sinuhe Wallinheimo saved 25 shots for Denver, while Maine goalie Blair
Allison turned away 31.
 
Denver  0 1 1--2
Maine   3 1 0--4
   First Period--1, Maine, Thompson 11 (Lovell, Frenette), 8:54. 2, Maine,
Lovell 22 (Thompson), 11:48. 3, Maine, Tory 12 (Purdie, Rodrigue), 18:12 (pp).
   Second Period--4, Denver, Laaksonen 17 (Dairon), 3:54. 5, Maine, Cardinal 7
(Conlan, Shermerhorn), 14:44.
   Third Period--6, Denver, Gunther 8, 17:36.
   Shots on goal--Denver 12-10-11--33. Maine 15-10-4--29.
   Power-play Opportunities--Denver 0-4, Maine 1-5.
   Goalies--Denver, Willinheimo 16-10-2 (29-25). Maine, Allison 31-5-6 (33-31).
   Referee--Bob Hearn. Linesmen--Mike Noeth, Joel Dupree. A--NA
 
   ------
   WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- Kaj Linna had a hat trick as Boston University
beat Lake Superior State 6-2 Saturday night and advanced to the NCAA
Division I ice hockey tournament's Final Four.
   The Terriers avenged a 9-1 loss to Lake Superior in last year's
championship game and grabbed a Final Four berth for the third straight
year.
   Chris Drury put BU on the board 12 minutes into the first period.
Linna then scored his first goal, a slap shot from the point through
Laker goalie John Grahame's legs.
   Afer Tommy Noble stopped Lake Superior's Wayne Strachan's breakway shot
late in the period, Shawn Bates and Rich Brennan scored to give BU a 4-0
lead.
   Lake Superior defenseman Keith Aldridge scored two quick goals to cut
BU's lead to 4-2 with 2:30 remaining.
   Linna retaliated with a rink-length backhander to give BU a 5-2 lead,
then completed the hat trick in an empty net with five seconds remaining.
   Boston University will face Minnesota on Thursday night in Providence,
R.I. Maine will face Michigan in the other Final Four matchup.
 
Lake Superior State 0 0 2--2
Boston University   1 1 4--6
   First Period--1, Boston, Drury 12 (Wright, Pierce), 12:20.
   Second Period--2, Boston, Linna 5 (Thornton), 8:01.
   Third Period--3, Boston, Bates 17 (Sylvia), 1:33. 4, Boston, Brennan 5
(Johnson, Thornton), 8:41 (pp). 5, Lake Superior, Aldridge 9, 14:23. 6, Lake
Superior, Aldridge 10 (Trzcinski), 17:29. 7, Boston, Linna 6 (O'Sullivan),
17:47. 8, Boston, Linna 7, 19:55.
   Shots on goal--Lake Superior 8-4-9--21. Boston 8-12-12--32.
   Power-play Opportunities--Lake Superior 0-2; Boston 1-7.
   Goalies--Lake Superior, Grahame 16-7-3 (30-25). Boston, Noble 14-2-0 (21-19).
   Referee--Greg Shepher. Linesmen--Mike Schmitt, John Elvy.
   A--10,881.
 
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|                   Lynn Burke    Newport News, Va.                     |
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