The stage was set and the story was all but written. North Dakota had risen from the ashes. Rebounding from a 15-13-3 record late in the season, UND rallied to make the NCAA tournament and pulled off three straight blowouts to make it to the national championship game against defending champ Denver. Add in the … Read more
On the night of April 11, 1975, J.P. Parise scored the first of many memorable OT goals in New York Islanders’ history. Almost 30 years later to the day, his son Jordan Parise wrote another chapter in the illustrious goaltending heroics of North Dakota hockey. In both cases their brilliance allowed their teams to avoid … Read more
Dean Blais still refers to North Dakota as “we.” And why not? He only won two national championships, went to another title game, and built the team that plays in this Saturday’s final before handing the reins to long-time assistant Dave Hakstol. And this is all he has right now, ever since the NHL season … Read more
Colorado College junior forward Marty Sertich is the winner of the 25th Hobey Baker Memorial Award, presented annually to college hockey’s top player. Sertich, the nation’s leading scorer this season with 64 points on 27 goals and 37 assists in 43 games, led the Tigers to a share of the MacNaughton Cup as the WCHA’s … Read more
If you score a highlight-reel goal in the national semifinals, you expect to turn the TV set on later to relive your moment of glory. Your buddies will congratulate you on a truly “sick” move while the sportscaster extols your virtues for millions of viewers. So imagine Luke Fulghum’s surprise when ESPNews didn’t show him … Read more
It takes six and a half hours to fly from Anchorage, Alaska, to Grand Forks, N.D. If you add in connections, plus the time it takes to get to the airport and home again, you’re looking at a 12-hour trip. On February 20, those 12 hours must have felt like an eternity for the North … Read more
As a hockey coach, you hope to rely on what is expected: that your top scorers will create offense, and that your goaltender can play steady, if not pace your club’s defense. Thursday night, North Dakota got those things in beating Minnesota, 4-2, to advance to the national championship game. The Sioux got solid goaltending … Read more
If the decision backfired, the negative headline was already written: It Wasn’t Broke. All season long, Denver coach George Gwozdecky had employed as pure of a goaltending rotation as possible. Sophomore Glenn Fisher would take the opening game of a weekend and freshman Peter Mannino would follow the next night. Heading into the Frozen Four, … Read more
During the regionals, ESPN analyst Barry Melrose likened Denver’s power play to taking a pretty girl on a date. It looks good, he said, but in the end, you still didn’t score. After Thursday’s NCAA semifinal, you can call Denver’s power play Don Juan. The six power-play goals it scored was an all-time single-game NCAA … Read more
Sometimes, someone just has your number. For the 2004-2005 Colorado College Tigers, the team that held all the right numbers at the right times was the Denver Pioneers. Thursday’s 6-2 Pioneers win was the third straight decision in Denver’s favor against CC, and that streak represented three of the biggest games of the season for … Read more
What happened? Colorado College imploded. The Tigers took too many penalties, their team defense was shoddy at times, and their goaltender, who should be the best player on the penalty-kill unit, wasn’t. Because of that, Colorado College went home empty-handed from Columbus after a great season in 2004-2005. “We shot ourselves in the foot,” said … Read more
Letting bygones be bygones. That’s Robbie Bina’s approach this weekend, as he roots on his teammates in the NCAA Frozen Four. The North Dakota sophomore defenseman saw his season come to an end last month when he was hit from behind by Denver freshman Geoff Paukovich during the WCHA Final Five semifinals. Robbie Bina watches … Read more
Denver coach George Gwozdecky, who stuck religiously with his goaltender rotation throughout the season and into the NCAA tournament, has decided to start freshman Peter Mannino in Thursday’s semifinal game against Colorado College. Meanwhile, sophomore defenseman J.D. Corbin broke his collarbone in Wednesday’s practice and will miss the Frozen Four. Corbin played every game this … Read more
A very different team produced a familiar result for Denver, which has a shot at a second straight NCAA title this weekend.
When the chips were down in the regional final, Mark Stuart led Colorado College out of the wilderness.
Miami sophomore goaltender Brandon Crawford-West has decided to forego his final two years of eligibility and leave the school, according to head coach Enrico Blasi. In the April 1 announcement, which cited Crawford-West’s “personal reasons” for his departure, RedHawk head coach Enrico Blasi said, “We fully support and respect Brandon’s decision and realize how tough … Read more
The Fighting Sioux are in the Frozen Four thanks in large part to their goaltending. Patrick C. Miller takes a look at the goaltending team that has led North Dakota to Columbus.
Never underestimate the power of inspiration. That’s what Robbie Bina’s Fighting Sioux teammates got from him just before they left for the NCAA East Regional playoffs in Worcester, Mass., last weekend. Five days after suffering a broken neck during the WCHA Final Five in St. Paul and two days after surgery to repair a shattered … Read more
Two weeks ago, St. Cloud State dismissed assistant coach Brad Willner. But according to school athletic director Morris Kurtz, the job of head coach Craig Dahl is safe, at least for now. “I just want to let everyone know that Craig will be back in the fall, that I appreciate his tireless efforts and, after … Read more
Margaret (Peg) Bradley-Doppes has been named the new director of athletics and recreation at Denver. Doppes, who coached for 11 years and has been in administration for the past 14, will take over July 1. “Peg Doppes shares the University of Denver’s values: quality, excellence and integrity in all that we do,” said Denver chancellor … Read more