Colleges

Minnesota brings a new look to final

Defending champion Gophers seek fifth national title, but bear little resemblance to last year's team.

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 12, 2003

The answer comes tonight when Minnesota (27-8-9) faces New Hampshire (28-7-6) in the NCAA championship.

The four-time champion Golden Gophers can become the first to defend their title since Boston University won in 1971 and 1972. The Wildcats, despite making their fourth Frozen Four appearance in six years, are seeking their first championship.

Lucia said he had doubts about Minnesota's chances of repeating for several reasons.

The Gophers lost a large core of last year's team, including Hobey Baker winner Jordan Leopold. Minnesota also lost John Pohl and Jeff Taffe, the nation's top leading scorers, and senior goaltender Adam Hauser.

A young, untested squad that featured three seniors and four juniors remained, and the Gophers opened 5-3-3. The turnaround came in early February, during a two-game series at Colorado College. After losing the first game 6-2, the Gophers bounced back with a 3-2 victory and have lost once since (12-1-2).

Lucia is pleasantly surprised.

"Sometimes we shake our heads that we're still playing," Lucia said. "I don't know if you can classify us as a great team. I think we're a good team that just finds a way to win."

The Gophers showed that in Thursday's semifinal, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat Michigan 3-2 on an overtime goal by freshman Thomas Vanek, who leads the team with 30 goals and 60 points.

The Gophers finished with the nation's third-best offense, and they'll need it against the Wildcats and goaltender Mike Ayers, whose 2.14 goals-against average is second in the nation.

New Hampshire has an experienced roster of seven seniors and eight juniors who are motivated after losing 7-2 in last year's semifinal to Maine.

"This has been our goal all year to get to this game," said Steve Saviano, who scored twice in the Wildcats' 3-2 semis win over top-seeded Cornell. "We tried to get last year off of our back, and it's finally off of our back."

The closest the Wildcats came to winning the title was in 1999 when they lost 3-2 to Maine in overtime. New Hampshire will be without leading scorer Lanny Gare, who dislocated his shoulder in the Wildcats' 3-0 quarterfinal win over Boston.

Minnesota is 3-0 all-time against New Hampshire in tournament play, 10-2-1 overall. The Wildcats, however, were 1-0-1 at home against the Gophers in October.

HOBEY BAKER AWARD: Colorado College forward Peter Sejna of Slovakia won the award, the first European honored as the NCAA's top player. The announcement capped an impressive week for Sejna, who made his NHL debut with St. Louis and scored a goal against Colorado goalie Patrick Roy. The junior led the nation with 36 goals and 82 points in 42 games, and was the Western College Hockey Association player of the year.

Defending champion Gophers seek fifth national title, but bear little resemblance to last year's team.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Minnesota coach Don Lucia has been asked the same question all season about his team's chances of repeating as NCAA champions.

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