Another example of how far the mighty have fallen, in the old days there would be no question that the Golden
Gophers hockey team would be playing in the
NCAA tourney. Add to their yearly NCAA tourney trip, the Gophers would be a shoe in to play in the
Final Five which is held in their back yard at the Xcel Energy Center. I guess one out of three NCAA regional tourneys wouldn't be too bad for the
Golden Gophers. In case we forgot the Gophers missed the last two regional tourneys that they hosted.
The Roman Empire --- Mike Guentzel, a familiar name, did much of the talking. He was there with assistant coach Grant Potulny and three players. But Mike spoke and first.
"This year we are going to get to the Xcel Center and play in the NCAA tournament," said Guentzel, hired this summer to be the Gophers associate head coach. " We are hosting a regional, and that would be our goal to get back and play in it. If we do that, it probably means we are good enough to get in the Final Five, where Gophers hockey should be."
Last spring, the Gophers were upset by Alaska Anchorage in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and did not advance to the Final. They also missed the NCAA tournament for the third season in a row. To make that blow even worst, the Frozen Four was at the X.
We kid the Golden Gophers hockey team but in reality if the Golden Gophers hockey team have another meltdown this season and fail to make the Final Five and or the NCAA tourney there is going to be a full blown house cleaning the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Basically, the UMN coaching staff's job depends on them making the NCAA tourney.
