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Gophers should repeat as hockey champions
Minnesota has all the weapons to back up what they did last year in the NCAA tourney
By Drew Herron
Published:
Thursday, April 10, 2003
Watching the University of Minnesota manhandle the opposition in the West Regional of the NCAA hockey tournament as the other teams just slipped by in their regions, could be reason enough to make the Gophers a favorite to repeat as national champions.
After all, they did score 16 goals in the two regional games. Their top two lines are deeper than everyone else's and they have probably the nation's top freshman in Thomas Vanek. But there are at least two reasons why the Gophers may be questionable to repeat: Justin Johnson and Travis Weber.
Justin Johnson's stellar and somewhat surprising play in the WCHA Final Five Championship helped the team upset regular season champs Colorado College, winning the Broadmoor Trophy and in the process, clinching the No. 1 seed in the West.
But was anyone surprised when Johnson was pulled after only a period against Ferris State in the regional final after sieving it up?
Johnson may only have started because Weber wasn't 100 percent and head coach Don Lucia felt he owed it to him. The Gophers looked like a finely tuned juggernaut as they rolled over Mercyhurst the night before. Lucia probably felt he would see more of the same.
In a way he was right. It took only 13 seconds into the opening period for the Gophers to score when Vanek took a dumped puck off the boards behind the net and slapped it behind him on to the stick of Matt Koalska. Less than a minute-and-a-half later, Keith Ballard scored on the power play.
It was roughly five minutes into the game and the Gophers were up 3-0. It looked like last night's game would be tame in comparison to this pending rout.
Then the soft goals came. Two of them on six shots, the second of which was particularly embarrassing as Ferris State senior forward and Hobey Baker finalist Chris Kunitz snuck past an out of position Johnson and tallied his second goal of the period, short-handed.
To Kunitz's disappointment, Johnson was relieved by Weber at the start of the second period and Kunitz's scoring touch departed with Johnson. At that point the score was 5-2, but by no means was that indicative of the balance of the game.
The Gophers had put 25 shots on Bulldogs' goalie Mike Brown in the opening period, the second most in NCAA Regional History, eclipsed only one night earlier as the Gophers recorded 27 shots in the first. Weber finished out the game, stopping 12 of 14 shots and securing an opportunity to start in net against Michigan in the Frozen Four semifinal on Thursday.
So what's the concern for Gopher fans?
Weber, a sophomore, isn't really the kind of goalie you can stack your chips on in a game of this magnitude. The season started out with Weber and Johnson splitting the duties right down the middle. But after some disappointing performances early on by Johnson, it was Weber almost exclusively who saw action.
Weber has an edge in statistics, an .898 save percentage compared to .885, and also goals against average with 2.58 compared to 2.90. But perhaps the biggest reason why Weber should start is he's played in 32 games compared to Johnson's 14.
Weber started the last four games of the regular season and both of the Gophers' first-round playoff games against Michigan Tech. But, he was injured in the second game and was replaced by Johnson.
Johnson went on to earn All-Tournament honors in the WCHA Final Five, stopping 36 of 38 shots and shutting down Colorado College in the final.
Regardless of which goalie starts (most likely Weber), the Gophers still have an excellent a chance to repeat because of their offense. The team's second line with Gino Guyer, Grant Potulny and Barry Tallackson has been a catalyst in the playoffs and isn't much of a drop off from the top line of Vanek, Koalska and Troy Riddle.
And after a somewhat slow start, the team has caught fire at the right time and Minnesota has now won nine straight postseason games dating back to last season.
Perhaps more impressive than the momentum they've built, is the way the young players have developed. Eight of the 12 forwards are either sophomores or freshmen, and as of now, all plan on being back next season.
The only player leaving is senior defenseman, and purveyor of pointless penalties, Matt DeMarchi. If the Gophers can find or develop some consistent goaltending, things could get challenging for WCHA teams in the next couple of years.
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gophers rule. st cloud will suck next ye... (4/14/03)
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