April 12, 2003
NCAA Championship Game
The Awesome Austrian

NCAA Tournament Coverage

Brackets | Info Championship Recap Championship Notebook The Awesome Austrian Everybody Loves Umile Other Stories --------------------------------- Friday Notes Minn.-Mich. Recap Minn.-Mich. Notes UNH-Cornell Recap UNH-Cornell Notes Michigan's Andy Burnes Minnesota's C. Harrington Cornell's Sam Paolini UNH's Patrick Foley --------------------------------- Midwest Reg. Final East Regional Final Northeast Regional Final West Regional Final Midwest Reg. First Round East Regional First Round Northeast Reg. First Rd. West Reg. First Round --------------------------------- East Reg. Capsules Northeast Reg. Capsules Midwest Reg. Capsules West Reg. Capsules East Reg. Preview Northeast Reg. Preview Midwest Reg. Preview West Reg. Preview

By Jess Myers

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The registrar's office at the University of Minnesota should be on the lookout for a rise in enrollment in the school's German classes. The folks at the Glockenspiel in St. Paul and Minneapolis' Black Forest Inn should be ready for a jump in hockey fans stopping in for a plate of wiener schnitzel. Liquor stores near the U of M campus should probably stock up on Austrian beers. And Twin Cities video stores are probably going to be out of movies starring Arnold Schwartzenegger – Minnesota's second-favorite native of Graz, Austria.

Economists looking to explain this jump in sales of all things Austrian will likely call it, the "Vanek effect." As in Thomas Vanek, the Austrian freshman wunderkind.

"You can sense a change on the rink when he's out there," said Gophers assistant coach Mike Guentzel. "When Thomas gets the puck people in the crowd start to stand up because they anticipate something amazing is going to happen. I've been a coach here for nine years now, and he's one of only three Gopher players where that's been the case. Mike Crowley and Brian Bonin are the others."

Such is the new hockey life in Minnesota, where a team that was home-state only for more than a decade has now won back-to-back national titles thanks to the efforts of – gasp – players from a place Minnesotans call "elsewhere."

Last year it was North Dakotan Grant Potulny getting it done in overtime versus Maine. This time around Vanek broke a 1-1 third period tie with a highlight-film goal, which was the game-winner as Minnesota bested New Hampshire 5-1 for the NCAA title.

The immediate question on the minds of many Gopher fans was wether they'll see Vanek in the maroon and gold again. He's sure to be a high pick in the NHL draft and to be offered many financial incentives to leave school early. What he'll do then, not even Vanek knows.

"I'm going to go to the draft and see what happens, and then I'll have the whole summer to think about it," he said.

Also on Vanek's agenda in the coming months will be a trip to the White House. According to teammate Matt Koalska, it will be a good opportunity for Vanek to talk to the President about a possible ambassadorship with Vanek's native country.

"He's really getting it done for Austria, so he and George should definitely talk about a higher position," joked Koalska. "I take German as part of my major, but after this weekend, and the way Thomas got us going, I think we're all going to be taking German."

And what did Vanek think of Koalska's suggestion about talking to the President?

"He's a goofball," was all Vanek would say. It's unknown whether he meant Koalska or Bush.

As for the near term, Vanek is skipping the World Championship to stay in Minnesota and take his finals. Asked for the name of his favorite Austrian beer, Vanek said there are too many great Austrian beers to name. Asked if he can get any of his favorites at beverage outlets near the U of M campus, Vanek gave a relieved and happy smile.

"I hope so," he said. "After this weekend, I'm going to need a beer or two."