Inside College Hockey | 2005 Frozen Four Capsules

March 29, 2005
NCAA Tournament
Frozen Four Capsules | Second Semifinal

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS | West Regional Champion

Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Record: 28-14-1 (17-10-1 WCHA, third)
Qualified: At-large bid
NCAA Championships: Five (1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003)
NCAA Appearance: 29th (most recent, 2004)
Frozen Four Appearance: 19th (most recent, 2003)
Head Coach: Don Lucia
Key Players: Tyler Hirsch, F, Jr. (40 GP, 11-33—44); Danny Irmen, F, So. (43 GP, 24-19—43); Ryan Potulny, F, So. (43 GP, 24-17—41); Kellen Briggs, G, So. (21-11-0, 2.37 GAA, .914 sv. pct.)

What You Need to Know: After a one-year absence, the winners of two of the last three national titles are back in the Frozen Four. The Gophers might have been the nation’s best team in the first half of the year, and are back in form after an extended rough patch.

Gamebreaker: Ryan Potulny’s game tailed off in the second half, much like his team’s, but he still boasts that goal-scorer’s ability to take over a game at any time. At his best in October and November, Potulny was a threat whenever he touched the puck, whether shooting or digging for pucks in the crease. With no goals in his last nine games, he hopes to recapture that magic at the Frozen Four.

Achilles Heel: The Gophers’ youth on defense – Judd Stevens is their only senior – really showed in their 4-8-1 stretch of January and February. They have three freshmen on the blueline, and two – Nate Hagemo and Alex Goligoski – have been banged up. Goligoski’s status for the Frozen Four is still up in the air after he missed the West Regional with broken bones in his hand. What's more, junior Chris Harrington, once seen as the heir to the Leopold-Martin-Ballard throne of top-notch Gopher defensemen, hasn't reached that level, and can be a defensive liability.

Overachiever: Garrett Smaagaard’s 16 points won’t turn many heads, but his overall game will. He consistently provides a spark, as well as a strong defensive presence. When Smaagaard kicks in a little offense, as he did with two points in the West Regional, it’s a bonus.

Secret Weapon: Freshman Evan Kaufmann has learned at least one valuable lesson in his first year as a Gopher, if he didn’t know it already – there’s no such thing as a bad shot on net. Kaufmann’s fire-when-ready approach has served him well, and although he only has seven goals, four of them have come in the last nine games. One of those was against Jimmy Howard in overtime of the first round, the only goal of that game.

Speed: This isn’t a particularly blazing team by Gopher standards, but freshman defenseman Nate Hagemo is the fleetest of the bunch. That made his occasional absence since the World Junior Championship that much more noticeable as he has fought through a shoulder injury. He was back in the West Regional, however, appearing in both games.

Skill: Danny Irmen was the Gophers’ most dangerous freshman a year ago, and with his next point he will double his rookie point total. He’s been a complete player for Minnesota, creating opportunities for linemate Ryan Potulny and finishing them as well, especially on the power play (13 PPGs).

Grit: Never a word used with great frequency around the Gophers, grit has been much more apparent this year thanks to the addition of freshman Kris Chucko. Chucko, like his junior teammate Travis Zajac of North Dakota, is an excellent two-way forward who is more than willing to go into the corners. Quite often, he’ll come away with the puck.

Most Recent Minnesota Line Chart
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing	Notes
24-M. Howe	16-R. Potulny	19-D. Irmen	The possible return of Tyler Hirsch would add even more depth up front.
18-K. Chucko	7-G. Guyer	27-B. Tallackson
9-A. Sertich	20-E. Kaufmann	17-G. Smaagaard
13-B. Gordon	29-J. Fleming	25-J. Reinholz
Defense	Defense	Goalies
11-N. Hagemo	6-J. Stevens	34-K. Briggs	Briggs returned to his first-half form and earned MOP honors at the West Regional.
4-P.J. Atherton	3-C. Harrington	33-J. Johnson
5-D. Peltier	15-M. Vannelli

NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING SIOUX | East Regional Champion

Location: Grand Forks, N.D.
Record: 22-14-5 (13-12-3 WCHA, fifth)
Qualified: At-large
NCAA Championships: Seven (1959, 1963, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, 2000).
NCAA Appearance: 20th (most recent, 2004)
Frozen Four Appearance: 15th (most recent, 2001)
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol
Key Players: Colby Genoway, F, Sr. (42 GP, 13-31—44); Travis Zajac, F, Fr. (43 GP, 17-19—36); Drew Stafford, F, So. (40 GP, 13-22—35); Jordan Parise, G, So. (16-6-3, 2.10 GAA, .919 sv. pct.)

What You Need to Know: The Sioux traveled to the outskirts of Boston and dispatched Boston University and Boston College with ease. They didn’t take the Beanpot home with them, but they did earn a trip to Columbus with the most impressive performance in the regionals.

Gamebreaker: Two years ago, in his first year as a collegian, Colby Genoway had just three points in 31 games. Now he’s a point-per-game player for the Sioux and a creative threat whenever he’s on the ice. More of a passer than a scorer, he still had 13 goals, including two in the East Regional.

Achilles Heel: When the Sioux were struggling to win in December and January, going 6-8-1 for one stretch (with half of those wins vs. Canisius and Bemidji State), offensive consistency was a struggle. They scored 29 goals in those six wins, but just 14 in the eight losses. Part of that can be explained by injuries (especially Brady Murray’s) and part by youth (two offensive leaders, Travis Zajac and Rastislav Spirko are freshmen). The Sioux head to Columbus hoping the weekend break doesn’t disturb the offensive momentum they’ve generated lately.

Overachiever: When he arrived as a 20-year-old freshman last fall, Jordan Parise was relatively unheralded – in fact, almost unknown if it wasn’t in the context of his younger brother, Zach. But he proved he could be a reliable goaltender as a rookie, and has been spectacular in the Sioux’s recent run (he’s unbeaten in 11 straight).

Secret Weapon: At 190 pounds, Nick Fuher actually drags down the Sioux defense’s average size. They’ll excuse that as long as he continues to provide a consistent breakout and presence on the power play. The team’s top-scoring defenseman at 7-20—27, Fuher doesn’t have the numbers of Denver’s Matt Carle or Brett Skinner, or the defense of CC’s Mark Stuart or his teammate Matt Jones – all of whom were All-WCHA players. But Fuher’s all-around game makes him a big threat on the Sioux blueline.

Speed: It’s a testament to North Dakota’s team strength that even its speediest players don’t sacrifice size. Drew Stafford, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound right wing, is a perfect example. We picture most of the quickest players in college as 5-foot-nothing waterbugs, but Stafford uses his long, powerful strides to gain speed, as he did in scoring to give the Sioux a 3-0 lead against BC Saturday night.

Skill: Skill is something we often associate with the offensive end of the ice, but true to the Sioux’s nature, their most skilled player isn’t an offensive specialist. Freshman Travis Zajac can do it all, from winning key faceoffs to blocking shots to storming the net. He’s got soft hands for a big guy, and an ability to either score (17 goals) or set up his linemates (19 assists).

Grit: North Dakota boasts a heavy dose of grit, up and down the lineup. Every Sioux player seems to have it, but none more than junior defenseman Matt Greene. He’s a physically imposing defenseman who sets the tone in the defensive end. His long reach combined with his strength (he’s 6-foot-3, 224) makes him an effective penalty killer, at least when he hasn’t been whistled himself. He took five penalties Saturday night against BC.

Most Recent North Dakota Line Chart
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing	Notes
11-R. Spirko	15-T. Zajac	18-D. Stafford	The top line features two freshmen and a sophomore, but they play beyond their years.
24-C. Porter	10-R. McMahon	29-C. Genoway
21-E. Fabian	22-B. Canady	20-J. Massen
13-L. Marvin	9-Q. Fylling	19-M. Prpich
Defense	Defense	Goalies
8-N. Fuher	6-A. Schneider	1-J. Parise	Greene and Jones are probably college hockey's most punishing D pair.
3-M. Jones	2-M. Greene	34-P. Lamoreux
26-K. Radke	27-M. Smaby	30-J. Brandt