April 11, 2005

COLUMBUS, Ohio ­ The University of Denver's consistency is what got the Pioneers to the 2005 NCAA Frozen Four, but the Pioneers changed formulas to win their second straight national championship. Oh they remained consistent all right, and in fact reinforced their strengths, but they also obliterated a couple of weaknesses during a weekend culminated by last Saturday (April 9) night's 4-1 title-game victory over the University of North Dakota ­ the other hottest team in collegiate hockey.

Denver's strengths included a solid corps of high-character veterans, blended artfully by coach George Gwozdecky with a premier crop of skilled freshmen, to create a dominant combination of strong goal-scoring, big and solid two-way defensemen and exceptional goaltending. That's a pretty compelling explanation for a 32-9-2 season record.

Those strengths were highlighted when the final game scoring was handled by veterans Jeff Drummond, one of seven seniors, who scored the first goal, and junior first-line center Gabe Gauthier ­ a likely candidate to be next year's captain ­ who scored the final goal after setting up the first one, while freshman Paul Stastny scored the other two goals and assisted on Gauthier's empty-net tally. At the other end of the Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center, freshman goaltender Peter Mannino was more dominant, making 44 saves to make the final game score look more lopsided than it was, considering North Dakota outshot the Pioneers, 45-24.

The Pioneers assets were sufficient to obscure a weakness on the power-play, even while Denver was winning a share of the MacNaughton Cup for the WCHA regular-season title, capturing the Broadmoor Trophy for the 2005 Red Baron WCHA Final Five, and claiming the Northeast Regional NCAA berth in the Frozen Four. Entering the Frozen Four, Denver had scored 47 goals in 241 tries for a meager 19.5 percent effectiveness. But the Pioneers erupted to go 8-for-18 on power-plays at the Frozen Four -- a sizzling 44%, including all the goals in the 6-2 semifinal victory over CC, and two of the four in the 4-1 championship game against North Dakota.

That means Denver scored 15 percent of its 43-game total of 55 power-play goals in the final two games, vaulting a 19.5-percent weakness to 44.4-percent efficiency against two of the best penalty-killing teams in the nation. The suddenly aroused power-play was decisive for the Pioneers, because Colorado College limited them to only 11 of their 29 shots at even strength shots, and North Dakota held the Pioneers to 12 even-strength shots in 24 total shots on goal in the final.

Furthermore, while it's both easy and superficial to automatically name the tournament winning goaltender as most valuable player, in this case, Mannino deserved the accolades. While the Pioneers had numerous outstanding performances, the freshman goalie from Farmington Hills, Mich., made 41 saves while Colorado College outshot Denver in the 6-2 semifinal victory before making a season-high 44 saves in the 4-1 final.

Mannino came into the Frozen Four with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage, then, while playing both games of a weekend for the first time all season, he stopped 83 of 86 shots, for a 1.50 goals-against and a .965 save percentage. That improved his already-strong season to a 2.22 goals-against record and a WCHA-best .927 save percentage.

Among other statistical achievements earned by their Frozen Four exploits, Denver's Matt Carle and Brett Skinner solidified their status as the1-2 scorers among defenseman, with the sophomore Carle getting a goal and two assists against CC and another assist against UND for a season total of 13-31<44 tally, while Skinner had four assists against CC, and while failing to score in the final game, he had good reason, continuing to play solidly after having his shoulder separated on the first shift, to finish 4-35<39.

Stastny, with his two goals and an assist gained by a respectful pass to Gauthier instead of trying for a hat trick against an empty net, finished 17-28<45 to catch Wisconsin's Joe Pavelski as the top-scoring WCHA freshman overall.

Stastny's name gives him away. On paper, he's a young man who was born in Quebec City, but that's because his home moved to where his father ­ NHL superstar Peter Stastny ­ was located. In this high-tech, ultra-stiff composite hockey stick era Stastny might be the only player in Division 1 college hockey ­ to say nothing of elite high school, or even Bantam or Peewee hockey - who still uses a wooden stick.

I've been using a wooden stick for the last six years, the same pattern my dad used, Stastny said. I suppose now I'll take this stick and throw it in the basement with all the other souvenir sticks we've saved.

That stick stroked a one-timer off Carle's perfect pass across the slot to make it 3-1 on a Pioneer power play in the third period. It was a crucial goal in the outcome, obviously, although Stastny's first goal ­ the game-winner to break a 1-1 tie midway through the second period, and also on the power play ­ was supremely important, if less artistic. That came when Kevin Ulanski's shot from inside right point hit Stastny in the rear end and deflected past Jordan Parise. Presumably, Stastny won't save his breezers amid those wooden sticks.

After the game, Gwozdecky maintained his usually poised demeanor, but he hesitated several times answering media questions, and despite his countenance, it was obvious he had to fight to hold his emotions. He talked about the pressure of expectations as defending champion all season, and about his team's great leadership, from one end to the other.

He singled out a couple of special players, in senior defenseman Matt Laatsch, the captain, and junior defenseman Brett Skinner.

Skinner was rammed hard into the end boards on the first shift of the game, Gwozdecky said. He separated his shoulder, and the doctors looked at him. He came back and played, maybe his best game as a Pioneer.

As for Laatsch, the captain, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder from Lakeville, Minn., Gwozdecky said he embodied everything a coach could ask for, and more. Laatsch came in as a walk-on, had to go through a lot to play, then had a horrible infection that affected his body after duodenal ulcer surgery, Gwozdecky said. Doctors said to forget about playing, that he'd never play hockey again. He not only came back, he ended up as our captain, and he helped shoulder the burden of expectations for us all season.

Denver became the fourth team in NCAA history to win back-to-back titles, and only Michigan has won three in a row. He attributed the Pioneers success to the rigors of survival in the WCHA.

We had prepared for a very physical game, Gwozdecky said. I want to say what a great job North Dakota did; they gave us everything plus. The pressure they put on us, how hard they playedŠthey brought out the best in us... that's the way it is in the WCHA. All 10 teams work so hard, and I think we all make each other better. If you can survive the WCHA, you're ready for the playoffs.

Burdens will double next season, but they will be far easier to deal with. True, the Pioneers lose those seven key seniors ­ Drummond and Ulanski off the first line, tenacious Luke Fulghum off the second line, Jon Foster off the third line, and defensemen Laatsch, Jussi Halme and Nick Larson. Those seven accounted for 74 goals, led by 21 each from Fulghum and Foster.

However, Gwozdecky's four of the six championship-game starters were freshmen, and he credited assistants Steve Miller and Seth Apert for recruiting what he claims may be the most effective freshman class I've ever had, either as coach or assistant coach, And all five Pioneers named all-tournament return, including their top three scorers, Gauthier (21-33<54), Stastny (17-28-45) and Carle (12-29-41), plus Skinner, and Mannino. North Dakota's Travis Zajac was the only non-Denver all-tournament pick.

It will be a different team, and we'll try to establish a new identity, said Gwozdecky.

Two NCAA titles in a row, and only Michigan has ever won three straight. Hmmm. The 2006 NCAA Frozen Four will be at Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Don't be surprised if the Denver Pioneers are there, trying to show off that next new identity.

© 2010 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use | About Us | Advertise | Feedback | XML RSS Feeds