Denver ends BSU’s season 6-2; Pioneers advances.

Photo by Eric Stromgren, Bemidji Pioneer

The Bemidji State University Beavers came into this afternoon’s game against the DU Pioneers having to win two games to advance to the NCAA tourney. Their season ended at the hands of the Denver Pioneers 6-2.

During the first period there was hope for the BSU Beavers. The Beaver came out and they were taking the game to the DU Pioneers, the Beavers had a strong forecheck and they were racing through the neutral zone with speed and they were getting pucks deep past the Denver Pioneers defenders. The Beavers were also generating chances down low and ended the first period with a 2-1 lead. Going into the second period it still looked like the Beavers were in the game and had a chance.

The Beavers had a great opportunity going into the third period as the Pioneers had two players whistled for minor penalties ( Nutini 18:31 and Maiani 19:57) in the closing minutes of the second period, the Beavers had a five-on-three power play for 29 seconds to open play in the third period. The Beavers couldn’t cash in on the five on three power play and it seemed to change the game around for the Pioneers. The Pioneers put the Beavers into hibernation as they scored four goals in third period to (Nick Shore, Jarroad Mermis, Luke Salazar and Kyle Ostrow) cruse to a 6-2 score and end the Beavers magical run in the WCHA playoffs.

[Box Score]

Eric Stromgren, Bemidji Pioneer

Post game quotes...
George Gwozdecky Head Coach, DU...
"First I want to compliment our opponent today. They had a tremendous postseason run. Sam Brittain made some tremendous saves in the first couple of periods to keep the game close for us and killing off the five-on-three to start the third period was an emotional boost for us and we fed off of that. [Bemidji State] was a challenging opponent for us."

On tomorrow's championship game and the importance of playing well heading into the NCAA Tourney...
"Both teams, CC and North Dakota, like to get up and down the ice. They like to attack from end to end. They're going to force you. They're going to forcheck you hard. Both have very good penalty units and both have very good power plays. They're very similar in a lot of ways. Whoever we face, we know it's going to be a major challenge for us.

Over the corse of the past 10-12 games, we've been counting this down as a team and trying to get all of us to realize how important [it is] to be ready to play, emotionally and physically, to the best of our ability at this time of year. The one thing that really helps is to be healthy."

Just for the record Gwozdecky said that 9 of the Pioneers has surgery after their season was over last year.

University of North Dakota to Hold Firm on Board’s Direction, Despite Legislature Ruling

This story is developing, looks like UND and the NDSBoHE is setting themselves up for a fight with the North Dakota Legislature .

GRAND FORKS, ND: Even though North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple signed a bill on Tuesday that would sanction the use of the Fighting Sioux logo for UND’s athletic teams, school officials will still uphold the Board of Higher Education’s earlier decision to drop the contentious Indian head logo…at least for now.

Speaking yesterday on the Scott Hennen Show, University of North Dakota spokesman Peter Johnson clarifies the University’s official position regarding the new bill:

“I dictate to the Board what the Board’s position is and they have not yet met to officially alter their position. So that got out in a way that caused me some problems and hassles. But in no way shape or form did we intend to thumb our nose at the legislature. But unfortunately, that’s how it sounded and it sounded that I was doing that.”
Listen

Mr. Johnson’s latest comments address charges from critics who characterize the Board of Higher Education’s reaction as defiant to the legislature’s authority and the rule of law.

The House passed the bill on a 65-28 vote. The Senate passed it on a 28-15 vote.

USA Hockey names Blais as coach for 2012 WJC

Former UND Fighting Sioux and current UNO Maverick head coach Dean Blais has been named head coach of team USA for the 2012 USA WJC.

NHL.COM --- USA Hockey will once again turn to Dean Blais to lead the U.S. National Junior Team to international prominence when the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship is held in Alberta, Canada.

It marks the third time Blais, currently the head coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, will be behind the bench for Team USA at the WJC. USA Hockey announced Blais as coach on Friday prior to the first semifinal game of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The remainder of the coaching staff will be announced at a later date and prior to USA Hockey's National Junior Evaluation Camp, Aug. 6-13, in Lake Placid, N.Y.

"I'm extremely honored to coach this team," Blais said. "It's really exciting to see how far hockey has come in our country. We now go into the World Juniors expecting to win and that will be our mind set from the summer camp right through the tournament next December and January in Edmonton and Calgary."

After leading Team USA to a sixth-place finish at the 1994 WJC in the Czech Republic, Blais was given the reigns once again in 2010 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He'd lead the U.S. to five regulation wins, one overtime victory and one OT loss, capping the tournament with a memorable 6-5 overtime victory over host Canada in the gold-medal contest. It was the second gold won by the U.S. in the WJC and first since 2004 when Mike Eaves was at the helm.

Live Blog DU and BSU

We are going to give it a try yesterday the wireless was a bit questionable in the Xcel Energy Center but we will give it a go.

College Hockey Links

Brad Malone was interviewed by Mike Chambers yesterday. [part 1], [part 2], [part 3]

Here is the list of 2011 Hobey Baker Finalists
Matt Frattin, UND
Jack Connolly, UMD
Justin Schultz, University of Wisconsin
Cam Atkinson, BC
Paul Thompson, New Hampshire
Chase Polacek, RPI
Carter Camper, Miami University
Andy Miele, Miami University
Gustav Nyquist, University of Maine
Paul Zanette, Niagara University

Kristo happy to be back

FIGHTINGSIOUX.COM

There is a bible verse  from John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Back when the incident first surfaced there were many rumors out there floating around Grand Forks, ND and on the Internet. Most of them were various degrees of a student athlete being in an intoxicated state. I guess there are a few people out there that owe Danny Kristo an apology eh? Brad Schlossman from the Grand Forks Herald has an interesting interview with Kristo and none of the stories that I heard jive with Danny’s take on the incident. Kristo said that “No alcohol was involved,” where are all the prognosticators today?

Brad Elliott Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald ---“No alcohol was involved,” Kristo said. “I was not drunk. I know there are rumors going around about that. I did make some poor decisions that night, like not wearing socks and a pair of tennis shoes when it’s 30 below in Grand Forks. That’s not very smart. I did have some bad judgments on that night, but alcohol was not one of them.”

The incident

Kristo said he was home alone at his apartment, located across the street from the Alerus Center and behind Ray Richards Golf Course at about 9 p.m., when he decided to walk to a girl’s apartment located about seven-tenths of a mile away.

Kristo couldn’t drive because his car was at Ralph Engelstad Arena. He left it there the night before, opting to ride home with his roommates, Matt Frattin and Evan Trupp, when the team returned home from a road trip to Colorado College.

“We always carpool,” he said.

So, Kristo decided to take a shortcut across Ray Richards Golf Course to the girl’s apartment, which was located near the new Red Pepper location on 42nd Street. Kristo said he walked that path many times before.

This time, he wasn’t properly clothed for the cold temperatures. Kristo said he was wearing tennis shoes, no socks, sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt. He had a stocking hat on, but no gloves or mittens.

There was a significant amount of snow on the course, but Kristo said it was iced over and he could walk on top of it.

“As I was walking, I hit some powder,” Kristo said. “My right foot dug way in there. It was almost waist deep. My left foot was still on top of the snow. I pulled my foot up and my shoe was off. I pulled out my phone (for light) to scan the snow. I couldn’t find it. It was dark in the middle of the course. My foot started getting really cold and I was digging pretty hard with my hands and I couldn’t find it.

“I looked back at my apartment and I looked to the apartment I was going to. I was closer to the apartment I was going to. My foot and my hands were starting to lose feeling and I knew I had to get there pretty quick. So, I pretty much ran there with one shoe on.”

UND team physician Greg Greek said frostbite doesn’t take long to set in when it is that cold.

“With those conditions? It doesn’t take more than a few minutes, if that,” Greek said.

Kristo, who also sustained frostbite on the hand he used to dig in the snow, said his foot was white when he got to the apartment. He wrapped it up and called Frattin and Trupp to tell them what had happened. They immediately went to the girl’s apartment.

“My first reaction was that I don’t know what to think,” Kristo said. “I knew I had to warm it up, but you don’t know many people who have had frostbite.”

Kristo told his teammates that he didn’t have feeling in his foot and they decided to take him to the hospital. Frattin threw Kristo (whose foot was wrapped) on his shoulders and carried him to the car and got Kristo to Altru.

Semi-Final Match-Ups (by Sioux 7)

The play-in game have come and gone. The Beavers won in overtime over the Bulldogs in the afternoon game, and the Tigers ousted the Seawolves in the the evening game.

Bemidji State vs Denver
I was impressed with the overall defensive play of the Beavers yesterday. Other than the short-handed goal, I don't remember them giving up an glaring odd-man rushed. This game really comes down to which Denver team shows up. Last weekend they had to come from behind both games to win, this time of year you don't want to make a living doing that. The Pioneers need to score first and force the Beavers to try and generate offense. If the Beavers score first they will gain confidence and can/could play a more of a defensive style game. I would like to see the Beavers pull off another upset, but the Pioneers have too much depth. DU WINS 3-2

Colorado College vs North Dakota
I was not impressed with the Tigers yesterday. The Seawolves had some great scoring opportunities early in the game and didn't capitalize on them. If UAA would have scored on one of them, I feel they would have won the game. The Sioux will have to adjust to someone other than Michigan Tech, since they played them the last two weekends. If the Sioux play there standard game, speed and solid defense, they should be victorious. SIOUX WIN 4-2

PS - Attendance seems be down this year, it was fairly empty in the arena, especially in the evening game. Without the Gophers in the tournament this year, the atmosphere is not all that good, in my opinion.

Goon is such a man's man

Nothing says I'm a man like having a make up bag in your bathroom. Yes people, this is Goon's bag!!

Beavers 3 Bulldogs 2 O.T.

The Bemidji State Beavers have proven to be giant killers as of late, after traveling to Omaha, Nebraska and beating the third place UNO Mavericks during the first round of the WCHA playoffs, the Beavers went into tonight’s game having everything to gain and nothing to lose. Their task is to secure an auto qualifier in NCAA tourney. Based on their Pairwise ranking and their record 15-17-5 the BSU Beavers are going to have to win the WCHA Final Five if they want to make the NCAA tourney.

Tonight with the win against the UMD Bulldogs the Beavers were successful in the first step of a long journey. The BSU Beavers now live to fight another night as they will play the Denver Pioneers tomorrow afternoon at 2:07 pm. Denver swept the Beavers back in November 3-1 and 4-2 at home. So if the Beavers want to move on to the next round of the Final Five they are going to have to go through the second place Pioneers. If the Beavers beat Denver they are going then have to play the winner of the UND-CC game; albeit a tall order but not impossible.

BSU down 2-1 going into the third period when senior forward Matt Read scored the eqfualizer at the 0:28 mark of the third period to send the game to overtime. The Beavers beat the fourth place UMD Bulldogs 3-2 in overtime as Shea Walters scored at the 06:12 mark of the first overtime to send the Bulldogs packing and the Beavers to the semis. It was the first goal of the season for the junior forward from Hibbing, Minnesota.

Quotes from the post game press conference

Mike Connelly, UMD Junior Forward
"We came in and we did what we had to do, take the lead, got the second one. We came into the third period with a 2-1 lead. We came out pretty flat and we were never able to recover. Our record shows that we've been [to overtime] quite a bit. I think we are all comfortable in overtime, but tonight obviously wasn't our night, mainly because of a lack of effort from the players. We need to regroup and get ready for the next weekend."

Scott Sandelin UMD Head Coach
On not having to play (potentially) three games in three days before the NCAA tourney...
"The one thing about this team all year is that when they've had their backs against the wall, they've responded the right way every time and I expect our team to do the same. For us it gives us some time to rest a little bit. We have some guys that are banged up, hurt, sick and that stuff. It's no excuse. They've played because they came here to win this tournament. We have another chance, so hopefully our guys can continue to do what they've done all year.
-------------
Shea Walters BSU Junior Forward
On his game winning goal in overtime...
"It was a big win off the draw. It got kicked up to Dan MacIntyre who made a nice pass across and [Jamie McQueen] had a nice screen in front fortunately it went in. I just wanted to get it on net as quick as I could."

Tom Serratore BSU Head Coach
On the game...
"First off, I'm just proud of the guys. It was a tough game. I felt in the second period that we didn't have good legs. I thought UMD took it to us, but we were only down one goal [heading into the period]. Read converting in the first minute of the third period really elevated our play. It was a great 3rd period and we were fortunate to get the last bounce in overtime."

Ness signs contract with N.Y. Islanders

This is one of those moves I would classify as being a head scratcher of the silly season, the underperforming Aaron Ness has decided to fore go his final year of eligibility to sign with the hapless New York Islanders.

Roman Augustoviz, Goal Gophers - Junior defenseman Aaron Ness on Wednesday signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the New York Islanders.

The Islanders took him in the second round of the 2008 NHL draft. The 5-10, 177-pound Ness scored two goals and had 12 assists for 14 points this past season with the Gophers.

Ness, 20, will join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' AHL affiliate for the rest of their hockey season.

In his three-year career, Ness played in 111 games and had six goals and 37 assists for 43 points.

Ness said he was ready to take the next step in his hockey career. "I've still got to make improvements in a lot of areas," Ness said, "But my dream it to play in the NHL and this is best opportunity to keep progressing."

He was it was his decision to leave the university, not the Islanders' pressing him. "After three years, I had a lot of fun and got a lot better," Ness said. "But I asked around to see what I had to do.

"I had a great three years," Ness said. "And realistically, if I had to do it all over again," Ness said, "I would do the same thing. I had great coaches, great fans. Everything is put on a platter for you to succeed. I would have wanted to do better in the playoffs, to go further, but it happens."

Bruins' Marchand suspended for two games

The Wheels of justice have spun and Brad Marchand received a two game suspension from the NHL and will miss the next two games against the Predators and the Leafs.

TORONTO – Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand has been suspended for two games and will forfeit $6,330.64 in salary for delivering an elbow to the head area of Columbus Blue Jackets player R.J. Umberger in NHL game #1044 Tuesday night, the National Hockey League announced today.

Marchand's fine is based on his average annual salary and is calculated under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

The incident occurred at 11:40 of the second period when Marchand approached Umberger from behind and struck him in the neck and side of the head with his elbow. No penalty was assessed on the play.

Marchand will miss the Bruins' next two games -- tonight at Nashville and March 19 at Toronto. He will be eligible to return March 22 against New Jersey.

Dany Heatley elbows Steve Ott

First off I am not a fan of Steve Ott and his antics and I think he is a disgusting puke and his hit from Dany Heatley is probably about karma and in a way I am sure that he probably had it coming and deserved this based on all of the questionable things that Steve Ott does on the ice, however, the rules are the rules and Former Wisconsin Badger Dany Heatley did elbow Steve Ott in the face and was suspended for two games by the NHL.

Here are a few examples of Ott's Thuggery...

Steve Ott Runs Campbell.

Steve Ott hits Jordan Leopold with cheap shot

Steve Ott spears an L.A. King

Brad Marchand hit on R.J. Umberger

Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins has a disciplinary hearing with the NHLfor this hit on R.J. Umberger in last night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In my opinion it's a violation of rule 48 and worthy of a suspension from the NHL.

48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted.

Final Five Play-in Match-Ups (by Sioux 7)

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, come one come all to the greatest hockey tournament of them all, the WCHA Final 5.

This is year it is a different format, since we have 6 teams, instead of 5. Now we have two play-in games on Thursday, and eliminated the third place game (which normal took place on Saturday afternoon).

Every team in St. Paul has a chance at the Broadmoor Championship and the NCAA auto-bid to the tournament. Three teams, UND, DU, and UMD are all but guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tournament, so the remaining three teams have more to lose this weekend.

Note - There will be a total of three Broadmoor Trophies. The largest will be on permanent display at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul in conjunction with the WCHA Final Five, one will be a traveling trophy, and one will be given to the winning team each year as a permanent addition to their display case.

WCHA 2010-11 FINAL standings
TEAM……………..…....W-L-T...Pts1. North Dakota…...…….21-6-1…43
2. Denver……..……...……17-8-3…37
3. Nebraska-Omaha.…..17-9-2…36
4. Minnesota-Duluth......15-8-5…35
5. Minnesota…….....…...13-10-5…31
6. Colorado College…....13-13-2…28
7. Wisconsin……….....….12-13-3…27
8. Alaska-Anchorage…12-14-2…26
8. St. Cloud State….......11-13-4…26
10. Bemidji State…….….8-15-5…21
10. Minnesota State…...8-16-4…20
12. Michigan Tech………2-24-2…6

(Numbers are current PairWise Rank)

Bemidji St. vs #6 Minnesota-Duluth(season series UMD wins 1-0-1)
Last weekend the Beavers swept the UNO Mavericks in Omaha and the Bulldogs swept the SCSU Huskies in Duluth.

These teams played a pair of games in Bemidji back at the end of October, with the Bulldogs winning a 3-2 in OT and the rematch ended in a 1-1 tie.

The Beavers will be the underdog in this series, something they are use to this year. Other than beating up on UNO this season, the Beavers have had a hard time against the other top teams in the WCHA. Perhaps BSU needs to pretend they are playing UNO again this weekend? The Bulldogs dispatched a hot SCSU Husky team last weekend, granted it was a sweep, but going into a 3rd overtime on Saturday night is almost like playing 3 games. That coupled with a short off week, could be a factor in Thursday afternoons game. The Beavers need to continue to ride the stellar goaltending they got last weekend into St. Paul, if they want to advance. Giving up that many shots game in and game out will eventually catch up with a team, BSU hopes that isn’t this weekend. UMD appears to have righted their ship after it was listing a little toward the end of the regular season. If BSU can keep UMD’s top line off the score sheet they should be able to win. If UMD can get some goals into the net and get a lead they can open up the offense and try to bury the Beavers. BULLDOGS WIN

#20 Alaska-Anchorage vs #13 Colorado College(season series UAA wins 3-2-0)
Last weekend the Seawolves swept the UM Gophers in Minneapolis and the Tigers won their series with the Badgers in Colorado Springs.

These teams played have played 5 times this season. First time these teams met this season was in October in Fairbanks Alaska with the Tigers winning that game. In mid-November they met in Colorado Springs with the teams splitting, a 4-3 OT win for UAA and a 2-0 CC win. Then they met in Anchorage in mid-January with the Seawolves sweeping the Tigers, by 4-1 and 2-1 scores.

The Seawolves are riding a season best 5-game winning streak at the moment. The Tigers were the only team to play a 3-game series last weekend. This marks the 2nd time UAA has made the Final 5. The last time was March of 2004 and then like now, they play the CC Tigers. Back in 2004 the Seawolves beat the CC Tigers in the play-in game and then fell to UND and UMD. The Tigers had to come from behind twice to advance to this point, some might call it luck, some might say they rose to the occasion. Whichever way you put, I think they are living dangerously and don’t want to do it a third time. It is also hard to believe that UAA is heating up at the right time of year, they are getting goals and limiting their opponents scoring opportunities. The Tigers need to win to secure up their place in the pairwise and the NCAA picture. The Seawolves need to win this game and one or two more to get into the tournament; obviously if they win the Broadmoor they get the auto-bid. SEAWOLVES WIN

#2 North DakotaLast weekend the Sioux swept the MTU Huskies in Grand Forks.

The Fighting Sioux will play the winner of the UAA-CC game on Friday night.
On the season, UND is 2-0-1 versus UAA, and is 1-1-0 versus CC.

#6 DenverLast weekend the Pioneers swept the MSUM Mavericks in Denver.

The Pioneers will play the winner of the BSU-UMD game on Friday afternoon.
On the season, DU is 1-1-0 versus UMD, and is 2-0-0 versus BSU.

Also to note, UNO is currently tied with CC for 13th in the Pairwise rankings. So barring some major upsets getting auto-bids, the Mavericks have a good shot at getting into the NCAA tournament.

Ex-Gopher Cepis signs with Lake Erie Monsters

According to Roman Augustoviz of Goal Gophers, former Minnesota Golden Gophers punk Jacob Cepis will start his professional career with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League this weekend, it will be interesting to see if he continues his antics from college or if he will now just play hockey instead of diving and flailing all over the ice. Goon’s World would like to wish him well in the next level of his hockey career and good riddance we won’t have to watch his antics anymore.

Goal Gophers --- Jacob Cepis, who finished as the Gophers' leading scorer, has signed with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.

"They called me right away," said Cepis, who practiced with the Monsters on Tuesday. "They are 10 minutes away from my home. I am super excited to play some games this weekend."

Cepis is from Parma, Ohio. The Monsters' arena is in Cleveland.

Lake Erie has three games this weekend and 13 left total in the regular season.

"Their head coach [Dave Quinn] recruited me when I went to Minnesota," Cepis said. "He was an assistant at BU."

That's Boston University. This is Quinn's second season at Lake Erie coach.

Cepis finished with 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points for the Gophers. He wore No. 17 as a Gophers, but that number was taken on the Monsters so he is No. 38.

Gopher fans are really going to be happy now; Minnesota Gophers AD Joel Maturi, hockey coach Don Lucia talking contract extension

According the Pioneer Press the University of Minnesota is going to give Minnesota Golden Gophers head hockey coach Don Luica a contract extension. That Gopher fans that I know have to be beside themselves after this announcement, when I first saw the link to this article posted on Twitter.com earlier today I thought that it had to be an April Fools type joke but I realized that it was only the 15th of March and that I have half month to go before it’s the first of April.

Minnesota athletics director Joel Maturi is working on a contract extension for Don Lucia, and the men's hockey coach said this afternoon there is no doubt he will sign it.

"I want to be here, and someday when I leave here, I want to leave when it's going good," Lucia said this afternoon. "I want to win another national title; I don't want to just make the Frozen Four. I want to walk away when we're on top, and I want to get that back. That's my goal."

Lucia led the Gophers to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2001-02 and 2002-03 but has struggled to keep pace in a new era of college hockey, one in which top players are lured early to pro hockey by NHL clubs looking to save money.

Minnesota's season ended last weekend with a first-round loss to Alaska Anchorage in the WCHA playoffs, marking the third straight year the Gophers (16-14-6) failed to make the NCAA tournament, and the second straight year they missed the WHCA Final Five, which starts Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.

Maturi and Lucia met Monday and for the first time discussed an extension. Lucia has one year left on his contract.

2011 Red Baron WCHA Final Five promotional video!!!

In case you haven't seen it.

Maybe he wants to call a mulligan?

If you haven’t seen the 2011 Starzies Homer Awards over on USCH they are worth a look. I thought in the past that CBS College Sports personality Dave Starman does a pretty good job as a hockey announcer, however, it does appear that he wrote this blog post with his blinders on and has failed to notice that there were some good hockey players in the WCHA that don’t play for the Wisconsin Badges or the Denver Pioneers. Based on the comments from the fans that responded to this article it would appear that others have issues with it as well.

Check out these lists… I have to say, “what a friggen joke.” Maybe next time they should just call it the homer awards or the Big Schools that everyone likes… There are other schools in college hockey besides Miami, B.C., DU, Michigan, Notre Dame… Or so we have been told in the past by the college hockey pundits.

Ken Morrow Award, best defenseman
The finalists:
Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
David Warsofsky, Boston University
Jake Gardiner, Wisconsin
Taylor Fedun, Princeton
Matt Donovan, Denver
Denny Urban, Robert Morris
That list is lazy and an example of blatant homerism, the writer must not have done an home work on this list. What about Chay Genoway? II guess Dave Starman thinks the only good defensemen in the WCHA are from the Big Ten school of Wisconsin…

Ron Mason Award, top coach
The finalists:
Wayne Wilson, Rochester Institute of Technology
Jeff Blashill, Western Michigan
Nate Leaman, Union
Mark Dennehy, Merrimack
Jerry York, Boston College
Red Berenson, Michigan
Jeff Jackson, Notre Dame
WTF? Really? Seriously? How can you not include one of the following coaches on this list? You would have to think that Dean Blais should at least be a finalist …. One could also make the argument that Dave Hakstol, Scott Sandelin, Dean Blais, and George Gwozdecky should all be worthy of consideration as well.

Dave Poulin Award, best freshman
The finalists:
TJ Tynan, Notre Dame
Anders Lee, Notre Dame
Jason Zucker, Denver
Mike Pereira, Massachusetts
Charlie Coyle, Boston University
Jon Merrill, Michigan
I guess Jaden Schwartz doesn’t deserve a spot on this team either; he missed what 15 games with an injury that he received while playing in the WJC for team Canada and probably would have been the hands on favorite to win the ROY in the WCHA had he not been injuried.

Ken Dryden Award, top goalie
The finalists:
John Muse, Boston College
Keith Kinkaid, Union
Sam Brittain, Denver
Cal Heeter, Ohio State
Pat Nagle, Ferris State
Shawn Hunwick, Michigan
Again this list is a joke as well Aaron Dell is the best goalie in Division 1 hockey statistically with a Record of 26--6-2 with a goals against average of 1.87, and a save percentage of .921 and during that time he picked up 5 shutouts playing against one of the toughest strength of schedules in all of college hockey.

Rick Meagher Award, top defensive forward
The finalists:
Brian Gibbons, Boston College
Ryan Guentzel, Notre Dame
Matt Mangene, Maine
Reilly Smith, Miami
Riley Sheahan, Notre Dame
Matt Rust, Michigan
Looks like Starman is having trouble seeing past the CCHA in this list of finalist again as he has four CCHA players one ECAC and one player from the Hockey East and no players from the WCHA, I do think that there are many good “defensive forwards” in the WCHA. I think that Kyle Ostrow would be a good choice aloong with Jason Gregoire and Matt Frattin as well.

Bavis Brothers Hustle Award
The finalists:
Joe Pereira, Boston University
Carl Hagelin, Michigan
Torey Krug, Michigan State
Pat Cannone, Miami
Jason Zucker, Denver
Reilly Smith, Miami
Antoine Laganiere, Yale
So I guess Dave Starman hasn’t seen Mike or Jack Connolly play from the University of Minnesota Duluth, both players are high energy guys that go 100 miles an hour on the ice on every shift. If your defenders lose sight of these jitter bugs they’ll skate right past you and score before you can blink an eye. I also think Jason Gregoire fits that profile as well as he is one of the better two way forwards in the WCHA that missed seven games this season due to injury and still amassed a respetable 1.28 points per game.

Brian Gionta Award, top forward
The finalists:
Andy Miele, Miami
Carter Camper, Miami
Paul Zanette, Niagara
Paul Thompson, New Hampshire
Matt Frattin, North Dakota
Seriously, I think that Starman has just over looked the forwards in the WCHA; for the record there are quite a few excellent forwards like Mike Connolly UMD (25g-23a-58tps), Jack Connolly UMD (13g-34a-59pts) Matt Frattin UND (33g-21a-54pts), Justine Fontaine UMD (20g-31a-51pts) and Jason Gregoire UND ( 24g-17a-41pts) while missing seven game with an injury. Niagara's Paul Zanette racked up those points playing a less than impressive schedule, lets just call them cupcakes that ranked 51/58. I can only imagine what the aforementioned players would do with that schedule they might be in the 60s or 70s for points.

Dee Rizzo Award, unsung hero
The finalists:
Matt Tomassoni, Miami
Patrick Wey, Boston College
Scooter Vaughn, Michigan
Pat Cannone, Miami
Shawn Hunwick, Michigan
Travis Oleksuk, Minnesota-Duluth
James Mello, Dartmouth
Pat Nagle, Ferris State
One could make the argument that Bemidji State University junior goalie Dan Bakala could have been on this list as well as Bakala had 13-12-4 record with a save percentage of .922 and a GAA of 2.41 playing on a team that record and backed stopped his team to a 5-0-1 record against the UNO Mavericks.

CCHA - 22 finalists
Hockey East - 9 finalists
WCHA - 8 finalists
ECAC - 4 finalists
Atlantic - 1

The Silly Season is upon us… Jake Gardiner signs contract...

This is probably the first of many early departures by underclassmen that are sure to come in the next few weeks as college hockey team’s season’s end. Jake Gardiner and Joffrey Lupul  were traded before the trade dead from the Duck organization to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Francois Beauchemin and there were rumblings that the Maple Leafs were anxious to get Gardiner into the Leafs system so this isn’t a big shock to anyone.

Russo's Rants ---- Lastly, according to multiple NHL sources, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed University of Wisconsin junior defenseman Jake Gardiner to an entry-level contract tonight. The former Minnetonka Skipper star had a fabulous final season with the Badgers with 10 goals and 41 points and was a mainstay on Wisconsin's second-ranked WCHA defense.


Gardiner can skate like the wind and will get a heck of a chance in Toronto. Brian Burke, who traded for him in the Francois Beauchemin deal, drafted Gardiner in Anaheim.

Home UND puts transition on hold

It will be interesting to see how this issue plays out over the spring and summer. I think there is going to be a big fight between the Legislature and the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education. I would really like to know what the process is for coming up with a new nickname if the change is made; I have a bad feeling about that concept as well. This is what happens when political correctness runs amuck, we would probably get stuck with a horrible nickname no one likes except the P.C.  hand wringers.

bismarcktribune.com ---- The transition away from the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo is on hold at the University of North Dakota while the school awaits further direction from the State Board of Higher Education.

UND is supposed to have phased out the nickname and logo by Aug. 15, but after the passage of House Bill 1263 in support of the nickname, the university is waiting to see what happens among the board, the NCAA and the Legislature.

"The state Legislature is indicating a direction that is strongly different from the State Board of Higher Education, so we think the best thing we can do for the state of North Dakota is to hold off," said university spokesman Peter Johnson.

The Aug. 15 deadline is one of many UND has seen over the years as the board has continually pushed back the date for various reasons.

While August is not far away, Johnson said he expects the board to give direction before the bill becomes law on Aug. 1, just two weeks before the required transition date.

Regardless, the university is in a good place to pick back up with the transition if necessary, Johnson said.

The Honoring History and Traditions Task Group has already evaluated all non-athletic uses of the nickname and recommended retiring those as well.

The New Directions Task Group, which will be appointed by UND President Robert Kelley, will be charged with coming up with a new nickname.

Johnson said the process of picking a new nickname could be time-consuming, along with the wait that comes with getting entirely new uniforms and apparel.

"For just a year or two, we would just be North Dakota," if the transition takes place, Johnson said

Poll Monday - Sioux first in both polls

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[March 14, 2011]
1 North Dakota (42) 28- 8-3 991 1
2 Boston College (7) 28- 7-1 953 2
3 Yale (1) 25- 6-1 874 3
4 Michigan 25- 9-4 848 5
5 Denver 23-10-5 772 6
6 Miami 21- 9-6 757 7
7 Merrimack 24- 8-4 650 9
8 Notre Dame 23-11-5 619 8
9 Union 26- 9-4 602 4
10 New Hampshire 21- 9-6 584 10
11 Minnesota-Duluth 22- 9-6 571 11
12 Western Michigan 18-11-10 417 15
13 Colorado College 21-17-3 368 16
14 Nebraska-Omaha 21-15-2 318 12
15 Dartmouth 18-11-3 298 18
16 Boston University 19-12-8 244 13
17 Maine 17-12-7 222 14
18 RPI 20-12-5 117 20
19 Wisconsin 21-16-4 98 19
20 Cornell 15-14-3 58 NR
Others receiving votes: Minnesota 39, RIT 30, Alaska-Anchorage 23, Northeastern 20, Ferris State 18, Air Force 4, Bemidji State 3, Colgate 1, St. Cloud State 1.
_____________________________________________

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll
[March 14, 2011]
1. University of North Dakota 505 (29) 1 28- 8-3
2. Boston College 479 (5) 2 28- 7-1
3. Yale University 425 3 25- 6-1
4. University of Michigan 414 5 25- 9-4
5. University of Denver 359 6 23-10-5
6. Miami University 345 7 21- 9-6
7. Merrimack College 298 9 24- 8-4
8. Union College 248 4 26- 9-4
8. University of Notre Dame 248 8 23-11-5
10. University of New Hampshire 213 10 21- 9-6
11. University of Minnesota Duluth 202 11 22- 9-6
12. Western Michigan University 125 15 18-11-10
13. Colorado College 86 NR 21-17-3
14. University of Nebraska Omaha 58 12 21-15-2
15. Dartmouth College 50 NR 18-11-3
Others receiving votes: Boston University 13, University of Maine 4, Rochester Institute of Technology 4, Cornell University 2, Rensselaer 2.