If there’s a glow coming from Grand Forks, N.D., it’s probably from the smiles of everyone connected to the University of North Dakota and its hockey team as the university released plans for the new Ralph Engelstad arena, an 11,406-seat complex scheduled to be completed for the 2002-03 season. The arena will replace the current … Read more
At its annual meetings in Florida on Thursday, the WCHA gave final approval, via a unanimous vote, to the new WCHA women’s league. “This is indeed a significant development for the WCHA,” said association chair Darrell Smith. “We are all looking forward to playing a major role in the continuing evolution and development of women’s … Read more
As expected, Colorado College named former assistant Scott Owens as the Tigers’ new head coach Saturday. Owens succeeds Don Lucia, who left to take the top job at Minnesota. Owens, 43, was associate head coach under Lucia from 1993-95, and most recently served as head coach and general manager of the United States Hockey League’s … Read more
Former Colorado College assistant Scott Owens appears to be the frontrunner for the Tigers’ vacant head coaching position, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported earlier this week. Officially, the university is looking at two candidates — Owens and New Hampshire head coach Dick Umile — but sources say that Owens, currently head coach and general manager … Read more
Don Lucia, one of the leading candidates for Minnesota’s vacant coaching position since former coach Doug Woog’s resignation last week, was named the Gophers’ 13th head coach at a press conference Friday at Mariucci Arena. This is Lucia’s third head coaching position. He spent six years at Alaska-Fairbanks, where he led his team to four … Read more
Dean Blais has accepted a five-year contract to continue at North Dakota, the university announced Wednesday. The contract, part of which will be paid through private donations made to the UND Foundation, includes $115,000 each year, use of a car, a membership in the Grand Forks Country Club, and a deferred $500,000 annuity. “We have … Read more
Following weeks of speculation about his job security after two consecutive sub-.500 seasons, Doug Woog stepped down Tuesday as head coach at Minnesota. “This is an end, and yet a beginning,” said an emotional Woog at an afternoon press conference at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. “It’s important for people to know it was a volunteer … Read more
Alaska-Anchorage goaltender Gregg Naumenko will renounce his remaining three years of collegiate eligibility to sign a two-year guaranteed contract with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Los Angeles Times and the Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday. Naumenko, the 1999 WCHA Rookie of the Year, led the conference in both goals-against average and save percentage, setting … Read more
One is older, more experienced; the other could be called the young pup. One plays the role of leader for his team; the other is brand-new to college hockey. But the brothers Comrie — Paul, the senior captain of the University of Denver, and Mike, the rookie sensation for the University of Michigan, have plenty … Read more
The NCAA Wednesday placed the University of Wisconsin’s athletic programs on two years’ probation, mostly for violations in the use of booster club money by various staff members. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 77 UW staffers received reimbursements from booster club accounts without proper authorization from the chancellor’s office. The payments themselves were for legitimate … Read more
But then again, how many of you thought, "No way!" almost immediately thereafter? Somehow you knew North Dakota wasn’t going to go out like that. Still, it was interesting to see the Fighting Sioux taken to the limit by Mankato, and proves the Mavericks should be more-than-ready to enter the Western Collegiate Hockey Association next … Read more
Members of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, the WCHA regular-season champions and the nation’s No. 1 team, took home three major individual awards, and the Sioux placed six players on the first two all-WCHA teams in awards announced Thursday. UND senior Jason Blake, who led the conference in scoring with 20 goals and 49 points, … Read more
Ironically, North Dakota probably has Michigan to thank for it all. Yes, the No. 1 Fighting Sioux have been tearing up the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in 1998-99, taking a 27-3-2 overall record into the last weekend of the regular season. But the team’s motivation may actually stem back to last year. The Sioux had … Read more
If points were awarded for locker-room speeches, Alaska-Anchorage coach Dean Talafous would be near the top of the country. And it’s not because of screaming or throwing things. It’s due to his message. Recently, Talafous revealed a bit of what he would say to his Seawolves as they prepared to face Colorado College in their … Read more
This is just about the time of year when people in college hockey start wondering "What if?" What if we win our last four games and team X loses its last four games? What if we split our games and team Y wins three? It’s commonly called scoreboard-watching. Coaches hate talking about it because they … Read more
Attention, those who doubt the power of North Dakota: The Denver Pioneers have a message for you. It would probably involve their game with the Sioux on Saturday. Things looked good for George Gwozdecky’s team early. They managed to stay with Dean Blais’ UND squad through 20 minutes, and even pulled two goals ahead early … Read more
Among all the competition, the struggles in positioning for the upcoming Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs, we finally get to take a little bit of an aside. The University of North Dakota’s Student Senate has proposed legislation that would change the school’s nickname from the "Fighting Sioux." Although the students do not have the power … Read more
The four schools which have participated in the first six years of the College Hockey Showcase have agreed to continue the event next year, and to keep the games at campus sites. Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin have participated in the Showcase, begun in an effort to highlight Big Ten rivalries in college hockey, … Read more
It’s just one of those things that always seems to happen in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Last weekend, conference leader North Dakota — also the No. 1 team in the nation — squared off with Minnesota-Duluth, the last-place team in the league. Looks like a sure sweep for the Sioux, right? Maybe in some … Read more
It seems that every week I open with something about North Dakota edging ever closer to the MacNaughton. Dang it, I did it again. Well, let’s put the Sioux aside for a while and look at some teams that don’t really know where they’re going to finish. As it has been for a while now, … Read more