April 5, 2004

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MADISON, Wisc. ­ The University of Minnesota Duluth and the University of Denver, respective champions of the Midwest and West Regionals over the March 26-28 weekend, will carry the collective hopes of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association into the upcoming 2004 NCAA Men's Frozen Four, to be contested in a sold-out (17,565) Fleetcenter in Boston, Mass., April 8-10. The 57th annual national championship is being held in Boston for the sixth time overall (also in 1960, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1998) and first time since 1998.

Head Coach Scott Sandelin's Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (28-12-4) have earned that program's first trip to the championship round since 1985 and third overall (1984, 1985) following a 3-1 victory over fellow WCHA-member University of Minnesota last Sunday (March 28) afternoon in the Midwest Regional championship game at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. UMD had a first period goal from center Evan Schwabe at 18:10, third period tallies from wingers Luke Stauffacher at 1:37 (game-winner) and Jesse Unklesbay at 10:19, and 22 saves from goaltender and regional MVP Isaac Reichmuth to down the two-time defending national champion Golden Gophers. The Bulldogs, who blanked Michigan State, 5-0, in the first game on Saturday, are seeking the school's first-ever national championship.

"It's a great time for this program and our players," said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin after the win over Minnesota. "It was a very good hockey game today, but it was a very tough game. Both teams were a little tired and I think that showed. But we got it out... we got some big goals and some big saves. Our players have competed and worked so hard all season long and they really deserve this."

"I'd like to congratulate Minnesota-Duluth," said Minnesota head coach Don Lucia, who guided his Golden Gophers to the past two NCAA championships in 2002 and 2003. "They beat us five of six games this season and they deserve to go to the Frozen Four. I think they will represent the WCHA tremendously.

Named to the Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team from the WCHA were UMD forwards Evan Schwabe and Junior Lessard, UM defenseman Chris Harrington, and UMD goaltender Isaac Reichmuth (MVP).

Head Coach George Gwozdecky's Denver Pioneers (25-12-5), meanwhile, have earned that program's 13th trip (1958-2004) to the NCAA Frozen Four overall, but first since 1986. Denver captured the West Regional championship at the Colorado Springs World Arena last weekend with a 1-0 triumph over conference foe and top-seeded University of North Dakota on Saturday (March 27) and a 3-2 victory over Miami University on Friday (March 26). In the regional championship game against MacNaughton Cup-champion UND, Denver left winger Luke Fulghum scored the game-winner at 17:31 of the third period ­ with assists from linemates Max Bull (C) and Lukas Dora (RW) while goaltender and regional MVP Adam Berkhoel stopped all 33 Fighting Sioux shots on goal.

"This was just a terrific hockey game," coach Gwozdecky said. "When time started ticking down in the third period I think everyone in the building knew that one goal was going to decide it and luckily for us, Luke Fulghum got the goal we needed. We defeated an awesome WCHA champion tonight."

Named to the NCAA West Regional All-Tournament team from the WCHA were Denver forward Max Bull, North Dakota forwards Zach Parise and Brandon Bochenski, Denver defensemen Matt Laatsch and Ryan Caldwell, and Denver goaltender Adam Berkhoel (MVP).

Denver has won five NCAA championships overall ­ in 1958, 1960, 1961, 1968 and 1969. The Pioneers' national title in 1960 was a 5-3 win over Michigan Tech in Boston.

At the NCAA Frozen Four in Boston in two weeks, WCHA members Denver (25-12-5) and Minnesota Duluth (28-12-4) will face-off on Thursday, April 8 in the first national semi-final at 12:07 pm ET at Fleetcenter. The second national semi-final will feature a pair of Hockey East Association teams when the University of Maine (32-7-3) takes on Boston College (29-8-4) at 6:07 pm ET.

The winners of the two semi-final matchups on Thursday will then meet for the 2004 national championship on Saturday, April 10 at 7:00 pm ET.

"We're very excited about going to Boston," said UMD coach Sandelin. "We played well defensively in the Regional and we had to. We were opportunistic, found a way to score some goals, and got great goaltending. Hopefully, that will continue next week."

Said Denver coach Gwozecky, "We, too, are very excited about participating in the 2004 Frozen Four. And we look forward to playing a terrific conference opponent in UMD.

"We played in an extremely competitive regional last weekend and we had two very difficult, very challenging games."

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, with a collegiate conference record 33 national championship titles won by member teams since the league's founding in 1951, has now qualified at least one team into the final round of four in 49 of it's 52 seasons overall. The WCHA has also now placed one of its teams into the national championship game the past five seasons in a row and has had at least two teams in the Frozen Four a total of 35 times overall now. Most recently, WCHA members North Dakota in 2000, Minnesota in 2002 and Minnesota in 2003 have claimed college hockey's ultimate prize.

At the East Regional at Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y., on March 26-27, No. 3 seed and WCHA-member University of Wisconsin (22-12-8) shutout No. 2 seed Ohio State, 1-0 in overtime, on Friday as defenseman Dan Boeser netted the game-winner and goaltender and regional MVP Bernd Bruckler stopped all 28 shots on goal. In the other Friday semi-final, top-seed University of Maine downed Harvard University, 5-4. In the championship game on Saturday, Maine edged Wisconsin, 2-1 in overtime, on a goal by winger Mike Hamilton at 3:27.

Named to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team from the WCHA were Wisconsin defenseman Dan Boeser and UW goaltender Bernd Bruckler (MVP).

And at the Northeast Regional at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., on March 27-28, top-seeded Boston College earned a trip to the Frozen Four with a 3-2 overtime win over University of Michigan in the title game on Sunday. In the semi-finals on Saturday, Boston College defeated Niagara, 5-2, while Michigan knocked off New Hampshire, 4-1.

2004 NCAA Men's Frozen Four @
FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts

Thursday, April 8
Denver (25-12-5) vs Minnesota Duluth (28-12-4), 12:07 pm ET (TV: ESPN 2)
Maine (32-7-3) vs Boston College (29-8-4), 6:07 pm ET (TV: ESPN 2)

Saturday, April 10
National Championship Game, 7:03 pm ET (TV: ESPN; Radio: Westwood One)

Schedule of Events @ 2004 NCAA Men's Frozen Four

Team Practices @ Fleetcenter

Wednesday, April 7
Denver Pioneers: 12:00-1:00 pm ET
Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs: 1:15-2:15 pm ET
Maine Black Bears: 2:30-3:30 pm ET
Boston College Eagles: 3:45-4:45 pm ET

Team Press Conferences @ Fleetcenter

Wednesday, April 7
Denver Pioneers: 1:15-1:45 pm ET
Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs: 2:30-3:00 pm ET
Maine Black Bears: 3:45-4:15 pm ET
Boston College Eagles: 5:00-5:30 pm ET

U.S. College Hockey Online Town Hall Meeting
1:00-1:45 pm ET @ Faneuil Hall, Boston

Hockey Humanitarian Award Announcement
2:00-2:25 pm ET @ Faneuil Hall, Boston

Hobey Baker Memorial Award Announcement
2:30-3:00 pm ET @ Faneuil Hall, Boston

Frozen Four Team Notes

University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

2003-04 team record: 44 gp, 28-12-4, .682. national ranking: 3rd. NCAA Tournament Appearances: 5 (1983, 1984, 1985, 1993, 2004). NCAA Tournament Record: 14 gp, 8-6-0, .571. NCAA Frozen Four Appearances: 3 (1984, 1985, 2004). NCAA Frozen Four Record: 4 gp, 2-2-0, .500. NCAA Championships Won: 0. ncaa 2nd place finishes: 1 (1984).

The University of Minnesota-Duluth will make its return to the NCAA Frozen Four after a 19-year absence Thursday (April 8) when it faces off with Western Collegiate Hockey Association rival University of Denver... game time is set for 12:07 ET at the sold-out FleetCenter (17,565) in Boston... a pair of Hockey East colleagues ­ Boston College and the University of Maine will collide in the other semi-final round matchup at 6:07 pm ET that same day... the two winners will advance to the Frozen Four championship on Saturday (April 10) at 7:03 pm ET... the Bulldogs, who are unbeaten in 21 of their last 25 games (19-4-2), are 28-12-4 overall and finished second in the 2003-04 WCHA regular season standings with a 19-7-2 mark... the 2003-04 WCHA Coach of the Year, Scott Sandelin (North Dakota, 1987) is winding down his fourth year at UMD where has compiled a 70-79-16 record ­ nincluding a 50-27-9 mark (.634) since the start of the 2002-03 season... Thursday afternoon's clash will mark the 162nd meeting ever between UMD and Denver... the Pioneers hold a 90-63 lead (with eight ties) in the series, which began on Dec. 28, 1961, but have managed just one win in their last seven confrontations with the Bulldogs (1-5-1)... UMD swept the Pioneers back on Jan. 9-10 in Denver in the two clubs' only two regular season matchups this winter... the Bulldogs and Denver have met 11 previous times in post-season play ­ all in the WCHA playoffs... Denver is unbeaten in those 11 engagements (going 9-0-2) which includes a sweep (4-1, 7-3) on March 7-8, 1997 in Denver in the two clubs' last postseason matchups... UMD, which has appeared in five NCAA playoff championships (1983, 1984, 1985, 1993 and 2004), has compiled an 8-6-0 record in national post-season play... that includes an even 2-2 mark in the NCAA Frozen Four... UMD is unbeaten this winter in its three games with members of the 2004 NCAA Frozen Four field, going 2-0-0 vs Denver and 0-0-1 vs Boston College (2-2 ot tie on Oct. 10 at the IceBreaker Invitational in East Lansing, Mich.... UMD has not faced Maine since Jan. 7, 1989 in the fourth, and final year of the WCHA's interlocking schedule agreement with Hockey East... this year marks the earliest a UMD team has ever opened a season (Oct. 4) and the latest it's ever ended one (the Bulldogs have never played in the month of April in their 60-year history)... the Bulldogs were well represented at the 2003-04 WCHA Awards Banquet as senior right wing Junior Lessard landed the league's Player of the Year award (the 7th Bulldog to ever be so honored) and Scott Sandelin was named the WCHA Coach of the Year... in addition, both Lessard and senior defenseman Beau Geisler were selected to the All-WCHA first team while a pair of Bulldogs ­ sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth and junior center Evan Schwabe ­ corralled second team all-league recognition... the last time two Bulldogs both wound up on the All-WCHA first team was in 1992-93 when All-Americans Derek Plante and Brett Hauer turned the trick.... this season's runnerup finish in the WCHA represents the Bulldogs' fourth highest placing in the 39 years they've been aligned with that prestigious circuit... UMD has captured the WCHA regular season title three times (1983-84, 1984-85 and 1992-93), but, prior to this year, had placed higher than fourth on only one other occasion (it tied for third in 1978-79)... the Bulldogs haven't been shut out in their last 126 outings ­ their longest such streak in nearly 20 years (164 games from Jan. 10, 1981-Dec. 15, 1984) and the top active streak of any WCHA school... the last time UMD came up empty on the scoreboard was on March 11, 2001 (a 4-0 setback to North Dakota in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs in Grand Forks)... 2003-04 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist Junior Lessard will head into the this week's Frozen Four maintaining the NCAA lead in both scoring and goals and ranking second nationally in power-play tallies (a career-high 12)... the senior right wing and alternate team captain has collected 30 goals and 31 assists for 61 points ­ the largest offensive yield by a Bulldog since Chris Marinucci concluded his Hobey Baker Memorial Award-winning season (1993-94) also with 61 points in tow... Lessard, who has seven goals and six assists during the Bulldogs' seven-game post-season run, shared WCHA scoring honors with North Dakota's Brandon Bochenski (39 points in conference matchups) as well this winter and finished as the league's top goal producer (17)... the last Bulldog to accomplish either of those two feats was Marinucci 10 years ago... Lessard, who has three hat tricks ­ the most by a Bulldog since 1992-93 (Marinucci) ­ and eight multiple-goal nights to his 2003-04 credit, also tied for second in the WCHA in power-play markers with six... he is a +22 on the year (to rank second on the club) and paces UMD with 166 shots on goal... Lessard will carry an eight-game scoring streak into Thursday's bout with Denver... the Bulldogs are currently second to only North Dakota in scoring among all NCAA schools (4.14 goals per game) and placed second in the WCHA behind the Fighting Sioux in that same department (4.25 gpg)... four of the WCHA's top 10 scorers this winter were Bulldogs ­ Junior Lessard, junior center Evan Schwabe (fifth), junior left wing Tyler Brosz (tied for 8th) and sophomore center Tim Stapleton (10th)... senior team captain and All-American candidate Beau Geisler, who has amassed 10 points (1g,9a) in UMD's seven post-season outings to date, continues to occupy the No. 3 position on the current NCAA scoring charts for defensemen (0.94 points per game) and is tied for second ­ along with Massachusetts rearguard Thomas Pock and Minnesota's Keith Ballard) in overall assists with 25... Geisler has moved into sixth place on UMD's all-time scoring list for defenseman with 19 goals and 79 assists for 98 points in 156 career games and is within striking distance of becoming just the sixth Bulldog blueliner ever (and first in 18 years) to crack the century mark... the 2003-04 team captain and All-WCHA first team pick has scored six of his career-high nine goals this season while the Bulldogs have had the man-power advantage... UMD trails only Minnesota nationally in power-play efficiency (25.7%) and posted a league-high 27.4% mark in WCHA play this winter... the Bulldogs have scored more times (58)... over the last 15 games, the Bulldogs have limited their opponents to just eight goals in 78 chances (10.2%) with the man-advantage... junior center Evan Schwabe, who earlier this season strung together a 14-game scoring streak ­ the longest by a Bulldog in 11 years, has now collected at least one point in all but five of the past 32 outings... one of three UMD skaters who has hit the ice in all 44 games to date, Schwabe is second among Bulldogs in scoring with 55 points on 19 goals and a NCAA-best 36 assists... in WCHA play this winter, Schwabe was fifth in scoring (33 points) and tied for second in assists (22)... the 2003-04 All-WCHA Second Team selection and his linemate, Junior Lessard, have given the Bulldogs their first set of 50-point scorers since the 1992-93 season (Derek Plante and Chris Marinucci)... Schwabe's 45-point improvement from a year ago is the third highest one-season scoring gain in team history, bettered only by Hobey Baker Memorial Award winners Chris Marinucci (19 points to 77 points between the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons) and Bill Watson (15 points to 86 points between 1982-83 and 1983-84)... the Bulldogs have tasted defeat away from the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center on just one occasion (vs Minnesota at the WCHA Final Five semi-finals on March) since Dec. 13, going 9-1-2 during that 12-game stretch... UMD's 13 road triumphs in 2003-04 eclipse the old record of 12 set in both 1983-84 and 1984-85... sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth has been saddled with just four losses in his last 26 decisions stretching back to the middle of November (19-4-3)... Reichmuth, the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week award winner on four occasions in 2003-04, maintained the second best winning percentage of any netminder against WCHA competition this winter (.818 off a 17-3-2 record)... overall, he is 23-8-4 in 2003-04 for a .714 winning percentage ­ a figure surpassed at the moment by only six other NCAA puckstoppers... those 23 victories are the fourth most ever accumulated by a Bulldog in a single season... with a 2.60 goals-against average this winter, Reichmuth is on target to break the team record he forged one year ago (2.68) while his current .910 saves percentage is within a whisker of the school mark (.911 by Rob Anderson in 2002-03)... earlier this year (Oct. 31), Reichmuth collected a school-record (for goaltenders) two assists in UMD's 8-1 home victory over Alaska Anchorage... UMD's No. 3 standing in this week's USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll represents its highest ranking in any national poll since the 1985-86 season... the Bulldogs' had an average attendance of 4,690 for its 20 home engagements this winter which works out to be nearly 700 more spectators a night than what they drew a year ago... during Scott Sandelin's maiden head coaching season in 2000-01, the Bulldogs averaged 2.64 goals per game... the following season, that figure increased to 2.97 and, one year ago, it improved to 3.64... heading into the 2005 Frozen Four, UMD is pumping in goals at a 4.14 per outing clip... overall, the 182 goals the Bulldogs have netted to date are their most since 1992-93 (202 tallies in 40 games)... the 26-man Bulldog roster contains four seniors, 12 juniors, seven sophomores and just three freshmen (the fewest number of collegiate novices UMD has carried since it became an NCAA I member in 1961-62)... the Bulldogs are now a whopping 25-0-1 when leading at the second intermission in 2003-04 and have lost only once (4-3 in OT to Colorado College in the WCHA Final Five playoff semi-finals on March 21, 2003) in the last 47 games they've led going into the third period (43-1-3)... UMD is also 22-2-0 this season when it's been ahead after 20 minutes of play... this week's NCAA Frozen Four will mark the final collegiate appearances for a quartet of UMD seniors ­ wings Junior Lessard and Jesse Unklesbay and defensemen Beau Geisler and Jay Hardwick... Both junior left wing Tyler Brosz and junior defenseman Tim Hambly returned to the Bulldog lineup for the NCAA Midwest Regional after sitting out the previous two weekends while nursing injuries sustained at Wisconsin on March 6... Brosz, UMD's fourth leading scorer in 2003-04, is 11th in the NCAA in assists per game (0.75) and wound up first in the WCHA in power-play points (15)... he's accumulated almost 50% (20) of his entire scoring harvest (39 points) this season on the power-play... Hambly, who tops the Bulldogs in plus-minus rating (+33), has established a career high for points this season (5g,19a) with over half of that output (16 points) being registered in his last 19 contests... the Bulldogs have scored first in 21 of their 28 wins thus far and were 16-1-1 when they drew first blood in WCHA play... six times during the course of the 2003-04 season sophomore center Tim Stapleton has netted the game's initial goal... junior left wing Marco Peluso, who is tied for third among Bulldogs in playoff points this winter (2g,8a) will head into Boston armed with a personal-high five-game scoring streak... Peluso has marked in the points column in eight of the past nine games... UMD swept nine series ­ including three on the road ­ this winter... the 1985-86 Bulldogs (also with nine) were the last UMD club to sweep that many opponents during the regular season... junior right wing Luke Stauffacher, who has scored five times in the in the past seven outings, is one of eight Bulldogs who has reached double figures for goals this season...this winter, the Bulldogs were 0-4 against North Dakota in WCHA play (0-5-0 overall) and 0-2 vs St. Cloud State, but 19-1-2 against the rest of the league.... freshman goaltender Josh Johnson has mustered just a 2-4-0 WCHA record in 2003-04 despite sporting an impressive 2.26 goals against average and a .923 saves percentage in those six appearances... overall, he is 5-4-0 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .915 saves percentage mark.

University of Denver Pioneers

2003-04 team record: 42 gp, 25-12-5, .655. national ranking: 4th. NCAA Tournament Appearances: 16 (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1986, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004). NCAA Tournament Record: 32 gP, 19-13-0, .594. NCAA Frozen Four Appearances: 13 (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973#, 1986, 2004). NCAA Frozen Four Record: 24 Gp, 15-9-0, .625. NCAA Championships Won: 5 (1958, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969). ncaa 2nd place finishes: 3 (1963, 1964, 1973#). #participation in tournament vacated.

The University of Denver will make its 13th appearance in the NCAA Men's Frozen Four on April 8 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massaschusetts... No. 4-ranked Denver (25-12-4) will face No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota-Duluth (28-14-4) at 12:07 pm ET (10:07 am MT)... the game will be televised live on ESPN2... No. 1-ranked Boston College (29-8-4) and No. 2-ranked University of Maine (32-7-3) will play in the other semi-final at 6:07 pm ET (4:07 pm MT)... the semi-final winners will meet in the NCAA Frozen Four Championship on April 10 at 7:03 pm ET (5:03 pm MT)... the final will be televised live nationally on ESPN... Head coach George Gwozdecky will take his first team to the NCAA Frozen Four in 15 seasons of coaching at the NCAA Division I level... Gwozdecky won an NCAA championship as a player at Wisconsin in 1977 and as an assistant coach at Michigan State in 1986... Gwozdecky led the UW-River Falls Falcons to the NAIA title in 1983... he is 221-152-31 (.585) all-time in 10 seasons at Denver, 304-246-50 (.548) in 15 seasons at the NCAA Division I level, and 371-276-52 (.568) in 18 seasons of collegiate coaching... Denver upset No. 1-seed North Dakota, 1-0, in the West Regional Final in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Saturday, March 27... junior forward Luke Fulghum (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored the game-winning goal against North Dakota at 2:29 of the third period... senior goaltender Adam Berkhoel (Woodbury, Minn.) stopped 33 shots against North Dakota for his sixth shutout of the season and 11th of his career... No. 2-seeded Denver defeated Miami, 3-2, in the first round of the West Regional on March 26 to advance to the regional final against North Dakota... four Pioneers were named to the 2004 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team in forward Max Bull (Faribault, Minn), defensemen Matt Laatsch (Lakeville, Minn.) and Ryan Caldwell (Deloraine, Manitoba), and goaltender Adam Berkhoel (Woodbury, Minn.)... Berkhoel was also honored as the Regional MVP... Denver will make its first Frozen Four appearance since 1986... the Pioneers have captured five NCAA titles (1958, 1960, 1961, 1968 and 1969)... the city of Boston will host its sixth NCAA Frozen Four... Denver is the only team in this year's Frozen Four field to have won an NCAA title in Boston (5-3 over Michigan Tech on March 21, 1960)... Denver will be making its four appearance at the Frozen Four in Boston... the Pioneers advanced to the Frozen Four at Boston in 1960, 1972 and 1973)... Denver is 19-13 (.594) all-time in the NCAA Tournament... Minnesota-Duluth won the season series, 2-0, against Denver this season... the Bulldogs defeated the Pioneers, 1-0 and 6-3, in Denver on Jan. 9-10... the Bulldogs have won five of the last six contests against Denver... the Pioneers lead 88-63-8 (.594) vs Minnesota-Duluth in the series that started in 1961... sophomore center Gabe Gauthier (Buena Park, Calif.) leads Denver is scoring with 42 points on 17 goals and 25 assists... Berkhoel leads the team with a 22-11-4 record, a 2.51 goals-against average, and a .917 saves percentage.

UMD's Junior Lessard, UND's Zach Parise Named OEHat Trick' Finalists for 2004 Hobey Baker Memorial Award

Two Western Collegiate Hockey Association standouts ­ University of Minnesota Duluth senior forward Junior Lessard and University of North Dakota sophomore forward Zach Parise ­ are among the OEhat trick' three finalists for the 2004 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, as announced on Wednesday, March 31 by the Hobey Baker Foundation. The third member of the group is Brown University senior goaltender Yann Denis. Lessard, the 2004 WCHA Player of the Year and an All-WCHA First Team selection, is the top scorer in the nation as he leads his Bulldogs into the NCAA Men's Frozen Four next week. A senior from St. Joseph deBeauce, Quebec, he has 30 goals, 31 assists and 61 points in 44 games played through April 1.

Parise, a All-WCHA First Team selection who finished the 2003-04 season with 23 goals, 32 assists and 55 points in 37 games played for the WCHA regular season champion Fighting Sioux, recently signed a professional contract with the National Hockey League's New Jersey Devils. The top scorer and tournament MVP for the Gold Medal-winning 2004 U.S. National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Finland this past January, Parise hails from Faribault, Minn.

The winner of the 2004 Hobey Baker Memorial Award will be announced in Boston, Mass., at 2:30 pm ET on April 9th. The Hobey Baker Award is presented annually to the top hockey player in college hockey. Criteria that is considered is strength of character on and off the ice, along with scholastic achievements and sportsmanship.

Denver's George Gwozdecky, UMD's Scott Sandelin Among Eight Finalists for AHCA Men's Div. 1 Coach of the Year Award

March 30, 2004 ­ Eight coaches who have enjoyed on-ice success in 2003-04, including the University of Denver's George Gwozdecky and the University of Minnesota Duluth's Scott Sandelin, have been named finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the top NCAA Division 1 Men's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year. To be a finalist for this award, you must either be voted Coach of the Year in your conference or take your team to the NCAA Frozen Four.

Both Gwozdecky and Sandelin have their respective teams heading to the national championship in Boston next week. Denver is currently 25-12-5 after capturing the NCAA West Regional title in Colorado Springs, Colo., last weekend. Minnesota Duluth is 28-12-4 heading into the Frozen Four after winning the Midwest Regional championship in Grand Rapids, Mich., last weekend. Sandelin was named the 2004 WCHA Coach of the Year on March 18.

Noteworthy among this year's finalists... former Penrose Award winners include Jerry York of Boston College (1977 winner while at Clarkson), George Gwozdecky of Denver (1993 winner while at Miami), and Tim Whitehead of Maine (2002)... Stan Moore is Colgate's "Interim Head Coach" as Head Coach Don Vaughan is "Interim Athletic Director."

The award is named in honor of the former Colorado Springs benefactor who built the Broadmoor Hotel Complex, site of the first 10 NCAA Hockey Championships. It will be presented at the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Coach of the Year Banquet on Saturday, April 24, in Naples, FL.

2003-04 AHCA Men's Ice Hockey Division One Coach of the Year Finalists: Enrico Blasi, Miami University*; Scott Sandelin, Minnesota-Duluth*#; George Gwozdecky, Denver#@; Tom Serratore, Bemidji State*; Stan Moore, Colgate*; Tim Whitehead, Maine#@; Paul Pearl, Holy Cross*; Jerry York, Boston College*#@

* conference coach of the year; # Frozen Four participant; @ previous winner of the Spencer Penrose Award

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