April 21, 2003

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The Headlines
Minnesota Captures 2003 NCAA Championship
WCHA Now Owns Record 33 NCAA Titles Since 1951
Colorado College Crowned as 2002-03 MacNaughton Cup Champs
Golden Gophers Lay Claim to 2003 Broadmoor Trophy
WCHA Draws Record Season Attendance Total of 1,511,911
Five/Six WCHA Teams Ranked Among Nation¹s Top 15 in Final Polls
Five WCHA Teams Earn 2003 NCAA Tournament Berths
WCHA Posts 57-27-8 (.663) Non-Conference Record
Seven WCHA Teams Sport Winning Records
CC's Peter Sejna Named Hobey Baker Memorial Award Winner
Seven WCHA Players Earn All-American Acclaim
2003 Kellogg's WCHA Final Five in St. Paul Draws 72,786
58 WCHA Alums Playing in National Hockey League
WCHA Hosts Team Italy for Five-Game Holiday Tour

WCHA Sports Total of Seven Winning Teams in 2003-03 Seven Western Collegiate Hockey Association-member teams ­ led by 2002-03 WCHA regular season champion Colorado College's 30-7-5 (.774) ­ sported winning records overall in 2002-03. Also owning winning records were 2003 NCAA Men's Frozen Four champion Minnesota at 28-8-9 (.722), North Dakota at 26-12-5 (.663), Minnesota State at 20-11-10 (.610), Denver at 21-14-6 (.586), Minnesota-Duluth at 22-15-5 (.583), and St. Cloud State at 17-16-5 (.513).

WCHA's Combined Non-Conference Record at 57-27-8 (.663) in 2002-03 Western Collegiate Hockey Association-member teams were a combined 57-27-8 (.656) in 2002-03 non-conference play. By team, those non-conference records were: North Dakota, 10-1-0 (.909); Denver, 9-1-0 (.900); Colorado College, 8-2-0 (.800); Minnesota, 9-2-2 (.769); Wisconsin, 6-4-0 (.600); Minnesota Duluth, 4-3-1 (.563); St. Cloud State, 4-3-0 (.571); Minnesota State, 3-3-3 (.500); Michigan Tech, 3-4-1 (.438); and Alaska Anchorage, 1-4-1 (.250). Note: these records DO NOT include WCHA playoff games.

Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs Top WCHA's Most Improved Points Ladder in '02-03 MSU, UND, CC & MTU Also Top Previous Season's Totals

With the 2002-03 WCHA regular season complete, five conference teams managed to surpass their conference season point totals of a year ago. The biggest gainer was head coach Scott Sandelin's Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, whose 32 points this season represent an improvement of +17 points over 2001-02. UMD jumped from 9th to 5th in the final standings. Next most improved were head coach Troy Jutting's Minnesota State Mavericks, whose final 2002-03 total of 37 points was +13 better than the 24 they had a year ago. MSU climbed from a 6th place tie in the final 2001-02 standings to a share of 2nd place in 2002-03. Meanwhile, North Dakota improved from 24 points in '01-02 to 34 points this season, a gain of +10, WCHA champion Colorado College went from 34 points a year ago to 43 points and the MacNaughton Cup in 2002-03, a gain of +9 points, and Michigan Tech went from 10 points last season to 17 here in '02-03, a gain of +7 points.

44% of WCHA Games Decided by One Goal or Less in 2002-03 Over the course of the 2002-03 conference season, a total of 61 of the 140 ­ or 44% ­ of WCHA games played were decided by one goal or less. That total iss the highest in any of the previous three seasons ­ 1999-00 to 2001-02.

Season            WCHA Games     1-Goal      Pct.
1999-00              140           53        38%
2000-01              140           50        36%
2001-02              140           54        39%
2002-03              140           62        44%

(WCHA Games = regular season conference games; playoffs and non-conference games are excluded. 1 Goal = games tied or decided by one goal.)

A Season Fit to be Tied MSU, UM Equal WCHA Mark; MSU Sets NCAA Standard

Two WCHA teams ­ Minnesota State and Minnesota ­ equalled the WCHA record for most league ties in one season in 2002-03 at seven (7). The Mavericks have also set a new WCHA/NCAA mark for most ties in one season overall at 10. The record for most ties in conference play ­ seven ­ was first set by the Golden Gophers in 1992-93. The previous WCHA and NCAA record for most ties overall ­ nine (9) ­ was set by Minnesota in 1998-99 and equalled by North Dakota in 2000-01. Over the course of the 28-game league schedule, nine of the WCHA's 10 teams had at least four conference ties (MTU had three), with MSU and UM recording seven each, followed by UAA and DU with six each.

Overtimes Galore in 2002-03 Minnesota State's 15 OT's are WCHA Record

Here is a breakdown of the number of overtime games played by WCHA-member teams in 2002-03: Minnesota State 15 (10 in WCHA, 2 in playoffs)
Minnesota 13 (8 in WCHA, 2 in playoffs)
Minnesota-Duluth 11 (7 in WCHA, 2 in playoffs)
North Dakota 9 (6 in WCHA, 2 playoff)
St. Cloud State 9 (8 in WCHA, 1 playoff)
Wisconsin 9 (7 in WCHA, 1 playoff)
Alaska Anchorage 8 (7 in WCHA)
Denver 8 (6 in WCHA, 3 playoff)
Michigan Tech 7 (6 in WCHA)
Colorado College 6 (5 in WCHA, 1 in playoffs)

Minnesota State's 15 overtimes played this season are a school and NCAA record. The previous NCAA mark of 13 was held by Northeastern (1993-94), Lake Superior State (1993-94), Boston U. (1996-97), North Dakota (2000-01), and Maine (2001-02).

December 2, 2002 Awesome Beginnings Three WCHA teams ­ North Dakota, Colorado College and Denver ­ are off to some of the best starts in their respective histories. The Fighting Sioux (12-1-1), Tigers (11-1-2) and Pioneers (12-2-2) also show a combined record of 35-4-5 and collective winning percentage of .852 through games of Dec. 1st.

December 4, 2002 Commissioners' Choice Awards Honor CC's Peter Sejna as National Player of the Month Dec. 4, 2002/DETROIT, MI ­ Colorado College sniper Peter Sejna (Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia) and University of Maine netminder Jim Howard (Ogdensburg, NY) earned the inaugural Commissioners' Choice awards as Division I men's college hockey's top player and top rookie for the month of November, the Ice Hockey Collegiate Commissioners' Association (IHCCA) announced on Dec. 4. A 5-11, 198-pound junior, Sejna has been an offensive catalyst for the red-hot Tigers, who currently own the nation' longest unbeaten streak at 12 games (10-0-2). Over eight games this past month, Sejna scored six goals and assisted on 11 others for 17 points as Colorado College went 7-0-1. He had at least one point in all eight games last month, owns a 15-game point scoring streak overall, and shares the Division 1 points lead with 13 goals, 16 assists and 29 points in 14 games played. Two of Sejna's six goals in November were game-winners, coming in a 7-3 road win at Minnesota and in a 10-2 triumph over Mercyhurst on Nov. 30, and he also assisted on the decisive goal in a 4-1 home victory over Alaska Anchorage. He was named both the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Offensive Player of the Week and USCHO.com National Offensive Player of the Week on November 18th after producing five points on three goals and two assists in the Tigers' win and tie at Minnesota during a Nov. 15-16 league series. A two-time All-WCHA Third Team choice and former WCHA Rookie of the Year, Sejna has already produced 68 goals, 69 assists and 137 points in two-and-a-half seasons at Colorado College. The IHCCA, with a mandate to address common issues and concerns at a national level, is comprised of the six commissioners of NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conferences; the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), College Hockey America (CHA), the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC), Hockey East Association (HEA), the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

December 5, 2002 Kellogg's to Sponsor 2003 WCHA Final Five SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. ­ Xcel Energy Center and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced today (Dec. 5) that Kellogg's will be the title sponsor of the 2003 Kellogg's WCHA Final Five, presented by Keebler, to be held March 20-22 at Xcel Energy Center. ³Kellogg's and Keebler are excited to partner with the WCHA and entitle the 2003 Final Five,² said Curt Kruse, Account Executive, Keebler Company. ³The WCHA Final Five and the Xcel Energy Center combine to showcase one of the premier college hockey events in the country.² ³We're really happy about our new title sponsorship with Kellogg's/Keebler,² said WCHA Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod. ³They've been a great partner for the league in the past and we sincerely appreciate their decision to take an expanded role in our flagship event. We look forward to working together with them to make the 2003 Kellogg's WCHA Final Five the best ever.²

December 9, 2002 Team Italy Launches Five-Game WCHA Tour 2002 The Western Collegiate Hockey Association's long history of engaging international competition continues this week when Team Italy embarks on a five-game, 10-day conference tour. The tour schedule kicks off Monday evening, Dec. 9, when Team Italy plays the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Mariucci Arena at 7:05 pm CT. The tour then continues against Wisconsin at the Kohl Center on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7:05 pm CT, vs Michigan Tech at MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7:05 pm ET, vs St. Cloud State at the National Hockey Center on Monday, Dec. 16 at 7:05 pm CT, and concludes vs Minnesota State at Midwest Wireless Civic Center on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 7:35 pm CT. The touring Italian team will be a younger version of their Senior National Team which will be comprised of not only young Senior National Team members but also of players who will play in the 2003 World University Games as well as 2006 Olympic hopefuls. All players on the WCHA tour play in the top two divisions in Italy with a large majority in the top division.

January 2, 2003 USA Hockey Selects Grand Forks to Host 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Hockey announced on Dec. 23 that it has selected Ralph Engelstad Arena and the University of North of Dakota in Grand Forks to serve as host for the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship. The 10-nation tournament features the world's best players under 20 years of age. The selection of Grand Forks and the awarding of the event to USA Hockey are pending official approval by the IIHF General Congress in June. The announcement was made by USA Hockey President Walter L. Bush, Jr., USA Hockey Vice President & International Council Chairperson Ron DeGregorio, USA Hockey Executive Director Doug Palazzari, and USA Hockey Senior Director, International Administration Art Berglund. ³Following an exhaustive and comprehensive bid evaluation process, our selection committee left Grand Forks fully convinced and confident that the event organizers will oversee a successful and first-class tournament,² said Bush. ³The World Junior Championship is a crown jewel within international hockey circles and serves as a launching pad for nearly all of the top players in the National Hockey League and Olympic Games.² Ralph Engelstad Arena was completed in 2001 with two sheets of ice. It seats more than 11,800 spectators, features in-house television production capabilities, and is arguably the finest college hockey rink in the United States. The arena is slated to serve as the primary rink for tournament competition, but another 3,800-capacity facility (also to be named Ralph Engelstad Arena) is currently being raised in Thief River Falls, Minn.. A one-hour drive from Grand Forks, this new two-sheet arena will also host games during the IIHF World Junior Championship. In addition, the organizing committee plans to host an interactive fan festival at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. Competition is set to begin in December of 2004, with the bronze and gold medal games slated for the first week of January 2005. Since its inception in 1977, the IIHF World Junior Championship has been held in the United States three times: 1982 in Minnesota's Twin Cities, 1989 in Anchorage and 1996 in Boston. Canada is hosting the 2003 IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the event travels to Finland in 2004. The U.S. has earned three medals in tournament history, claiming the bronze in 1986 and 1992 and the silver in 1997. Many of the NHL's top American-born stars skated for Team USA in the IIHF World Junior Championship, including Jeremy Roenick (Philadelphia), Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch (NY Rangers), Mike Modano (Dallas), John LeClair (Philadelphia) and Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis). ³No other event brings together the best young players from the entire international hockey community like the World Junior Championship,² said Art Berglund, USA Hockey Senior Director of International Administration. ³The Grand Forks hockey community has clearly demonstrated its full support of this bid-to-host. These key grassroots efforts, combined with a close proximity to Canada, will combine to make the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship the top sporting event in the area at that time.²

January 8, 2003 UND's Zach Parise Named IHCCA National Rookie of the Month for December MADISON, WI ­ University of North Dakota center Zach Parise (Faribault, MN) and Ohio State center R.J. Umberger (Pittsburgh, PA) earned the Commissioners' Choice awards as Division I men's college hockey's top rookie and top player, respectively, for the month of December, the Ice Hockey Collegiate Commissioners' Association (IHCCA) announced today. Parise, a 5-11, 180-pound freshman, had nine points on two goals and seven assists in four games in the month of December to lead all first-year Western Collegiate Hockey Association players until he left the Fighting Sioux to play for the United States in the IIHF World Junior Championship in Nova Scotia. He wound up as the top scorer for Team USA at the World Junior Championship, with four goals, four assists and eight points in seven games and also had two game-winning goals. Twice in December, Parise was named WCHA Rookie of the Week ­ on Dec. 9 for his efforts in a conference sweep over St. Cloud State and on Dec. 16 for his performance against Canisius College. In 4-3 and 5-4 victories over St. Cloud State on Dec. 6-7, Parise had a goal and three assists for four points while in the non-conference 6-0 and 8-2 series sweep over Canisius on Dec. 13-14, Parise had a goal and four assists for five points. Parise's December performance has helped him lead the nation (Div. 1) in points per game at 2.11 (13 goals, 25 assists and 38 points in 18 games). He is also currently first in the nation in assists per game at 1.39 (25 in 18 games), is tied for first nationally in shorthanded goals with three and is the nation's top-scoring rookie. He has been named WCHA Rookie of the Week three times already this season and was also the WCHA Player of the Week on Oct. 14. He was also named the pre-season WCHA Rookie of the Year by the league's head coaches last October. North Dakota, currently the No. 1-ranked team in both college hockey polls, owns the nation's best overall record of 18-1-3 and sports a nation's best 15-game unbeaten streak (13-0-2).

January 13, 2003 North Dakota, Colorado College Run No. 1-2 in National Polls

MADISON, Wisc. ­ The University of North Dakota (now 19-2-3 overall) and Colorado College (16-2-4) were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively in last week's (Jan. 6) two national polls ­ the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll and the USCHO.com Division 1 Men's Poll. Two other league powers ­ defending WCHA regular season and playoff champion University of Denver and defending national champion University of Minnesota ­ also continued their season-long runs among the nation's top 10 this past week and gave the WCHA four teams among the nation's top seven clubs. The Pioneers (now 15-6-3 overall) moved up to the No. 6 national ranking in both Jan. 6 polls while the Golden Gophers (now 12-6-5) occupied the No. 7 ranking. Climbing up to No. 15 in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Poll for Jan. 6 was St. Cloud State University (now 9-8-3).

January 20, 2003 Joseph, Stevenson Providing 1-2 Punch for Red-Hot Minnesota State Minnesota State University's success this season is due, in no small part, to the play of junior forward Shane Joseph and sophomore forward Grant Stevenson. The duo currently rank 1-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association scoring race (conference games) and have helped Head Coach Troy Juttings' Mavericks produce a current unbeaten streak of nine games (6-0-3), the longest by a MSU team since the Mavericks had a similar streak during the 1990-91 season (MSU also had a 12-game unbeaten streak that season). Joseph ranks No. 1 in the WCHA scoring race with 17 goals, 16 assists and 33 points in 18 league games (1.83 points per game) while Stevenson has 13-19=32 (1.78 points per game).

January 20, 2003 WCHA Alums Ed Belfour and Dany Heatley Named to NHL All-Star Teams Former University of North Dakota goaltender Ed Belfour and former University of Wisconsin forward Dany Heatley have been named to the Eastern Conference roster for the 2003 National Hockey League All-Star Game, which will take place in Sunrise, Florida on February 2nd. With the Toronto Maple Leafs, Belfour was the 17th-ranked goaltender in the NHL thru Jan.15, showing a 21-12-3 record, a 2.07 goals-against average, a .929 saves percentage and five shutouts. With the Atlanta Thrashers, Heatley was the NHL's 27th-leading scorer thru Jan. 15, with 15 goals, 25 assists and 40 points in 39 games played. The mid-season classic changed back to conference play after five seasons in which the North American All-Stars battled the NHL's World All-Stars.

February 4, 2003 Colorado College is Nation's New No. 1! MADISON, Wisc. ­ Colorado College, following a home-ice sweep over the previous No. 1-ranked North Dakota on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, ascended to the nation's No. 1 ranking in both Division 1 national polls released this week. Head coach Scott Owens' Tigers received 15 of 17 first place votes and 253 points in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll and 35 of 40 first place votes and 595 points in the USCHO.com poll. In addition to CC at No. 1, five other WCHA teams were ranked among the nation's top 15 again last week. Coming in at No. 3 in both rankings was North Dakota, followed by defending NCAA champion Minnesota at No. 7, defending WCHA champion Denver at No. 9/11; Minnesota State at No. 14, and St. Cloud State at No. 15.

February 24, 2003 No. 1 Colorado College Leads Parade of Six WCHA Teams Among Nation's Top 15 Colorado College, leading the nation with 23 victories and on top of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association by six points with three weeks to go, was the nation's No. 1 ranked team for the third consecutive week in both Division 1 men's college hockey polls released Feb. 17th. Coach Scott Owens' Tigers received 12 of 17 first place votes and 249 points in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll and 30 of 40 first place votes and 589 points in the USCHO.com poll. On Feb. 15, the Tigers became the first WCHA team to clinch a home playoff berth. In addition to CC at No. 1, five other league teams were ranked among the nation's top 15 again this week, giving the WCHA a run of five consecutive weeks with six teams ranked among the top 15 and 17 consecutive weeks (since Oct. 13) with at least four teams among the top 15. North Dakota was No. 5 in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Poll and No. 7 in the USCHO.com poll, defending national champion Minnesota was up to No. 6, red-hot Minnesota State had climbed to No. 12, defending WCHA champion Denver was No. 13/14, and St. Cloud State was No. 14/15.

March 10, 2003 Pair of Tigers Capture 2002-03 WCHA Scoring and Goaltending Titles The Western Collegiate Hockey Association welcomed two new members to its list of annual conference scoring and goaltending champions for 2002-03. And both are from this year's MacNaughton Cup-winning team. This season's WCHA scoring champion was Colorado College junior LW Peter Sejna, who produced 21 goals, 32 assists and 53 points in 28 league games ­ an average of 1.89 points per game. Sejna, who hails from Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, becomes the seventh Tiger to win a league scoring title since the league's founding in 1951. Winning the 2002-03 WCHA goaltending title was CC sophomore Curtis McElhinney, who fashioned a 2.19 goals-against average over 1532:07 of conference action. A native of Calgary, Alberta, McElhinney was also second in saves percentage at .916 (611 saves) and first in winning percentage at .780 (17-3-5). He is the third-ever CC Tiger to win a WCHA netminding crown, joining Jeff Simus in 1954-55 and Judd Lambert in 1995-96.

March 20, 2003 Three WCHA Stars Named as 2003 Hobey Baker Memorial Award Finalists The 10 finalists for the 2003 Hobey Baker Memorial Award were announced on March 20th, and three Western Collegiate Hockey Association standouts ­ Colorado College junior forward Peter Sejna, CC senior defenseman Tom Preissing, and North Dakota freshman forward Zach Parise ­ are among the group. The group of 10 finalists were determined by a ballot of all 60 Division 1 college hockey coaches and by a fan vote. The winner will be announced from Buffalo, N.Y. on Friday, April 11 at 2:30 pm ET as part of the NCAA Men's Frozen Four. A selection committee of 25 members and fan vote will determine the winner. Alphabetically, the 2003 Hobey Baker Award Top 10 Finalists are: Ben Eaves, Junior, F, Boston College; Christopher Higgins, Sophomore, F, Yale University; Chris Kunitz, Senior, F, Ferris State University; Dave LeNeveu, Sophomore, G, Cornell University; John-Michael Liles, Senior, D, Michigan State University; Zach Parise, Freshman, F, University of North Dakota; Tom Preissing, Senior, D, Colorado College; Peter Sejna, Junior, F, Colorado College; Joe Tallari, Junior, F, Niagara University; R.J. Umberger, Junior, F, Ohio State University. The Hat Trick of three finalists will be announced April 2nd.

March 25, 2003 Six WCHA Teams Rank Among Nation's Top 15 in Final USCHO.com Poll MADISON, Wisc. ­ Six Western Collegiate Hockey Association-member teams ­ led by 2002-03 MacNaughton Cup (regular season) champion Colorado College (29-6-5) at No. 2 and 2003 Broadmoor Trophy (playoff) champion University of Minnesota (24-8-9) at No. 4 ­ are ranked among the top 15 Division 1 men's teams in the final USCHO.com poll issued March 25th. The four other clubs from the WCHA among the top 15 are Minnesota State University (20-10-10) at No. 11, University of North Dakota (26-11-5) at No. 12, University of Minnesota-Duluth (22-15-5) at No. 14, and St. Cloud State University (17-15-5) at No. 15. CC, UM, UND, MSU and SCSU all earned bids to this weekend's opening round of the NCAA tournament, with the Tigers gaining the No. 1 seed for the Midwest Regional in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Golden Gophers gaining the No. 1 seed for the West Regional in Minneapolis, Minn. North Dakota is the No. 3 seed for the West Regional, Minnesota State is the No. 4 seed at the East Regional in Providence, R.I., and St. Cloud State is the No. 4 seed for the Northeast Regional at Worcester, Mass. In the USA Today American Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll for the week of March 24-30, Colorado College is No. 2, Minnesota is No. 4, Minnesota State is No. 10, North Dakota is No. 12, and Minnesota-Duluth is No. 14. Sporting a collective non-conference record of 52-23-8 (.675) entering the NCAA tournament, the WCHA has had at least four teams ranked among the top 15 for 22 consecutive weeks since Oct. 13.

March 31, 2003 CC's Preissing Sets WCHA Goal-Scoring Record for Defensemen With his power-play goal in a 4-2 victory over Wayne State University at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Ann Arbor on March 29, Colorado College senior team captain Tom Preissing set a Western Collegiate Hockey Association record for most tallies in a season by a defenseman. He wound up with 23 in 2002-03, including 17 power-play tallies, to break the previous record of 22, set by University of Michigan's Steve Richmond in 1980-81.

April 11, 2003 Colorado College's Peter Sejna Named Winner of 2003 Hobey Baker Memorial Award BUFFALO, N.Y. ­ Colorado College junior left winger Peter Sejna, who was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Player of the Year, led the nation in scoring, and was a First Team West All-American, was today (April 11) named the recipient of the 2003 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, presented annually to college hockey's top player. The ceremony was held at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, headquarters hotel for the 2003 NCAA Men's Frozen Four being contested this weekend at nearby HSBC Arena. A native of Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, Sejna becomes the first European-born player to win the award. He led the nation in scoring this season with 36 goals, 56 assists and 82 points in 42 games, an average of 1.95 points per game, and produced at least one scoring point in all but one of his team's games. He set a CC record with a 31-game point-scoring streak, had 27 multiple-point games, scored eight game-winning goals (2nd in nation), and had 15 power-play tallies. He is the ninth player from the WCHA to win college hockey's top individual honor, joining previous winners Neal Broten, F, Minnesota in 1981, Tom Kurvers, D, Minnesota-Duluth in 1984, Bill Watson, F, Minnesota-Duluth in 1985, Tony Hrkac, F, North Dakota in 1987, Robb Stauber, G, Minnesota in 1988, Chris Marinucci, F, Minnesota-Duluth in 1994, Brian Bonin, F, Minnesota in 1996, and Jordan Leopold, D, Minnesota in 2002. As a student-athlete at Colorado College, Sejna carries better than a 3.6 grade-point average in math and economics and was scheduled to take his final exam in Art History this Sunday. Just this past week, he signed a lucrative free agent contract with the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues, and went on to score a goal in his first professional game against the Colorado Avalanche last Sunday in Denver, Colo. Sejna helped lead his Colorado College Tigers to one of the best seasons in school history in 2002-03, finishing with a 30-7-5 overall record, winning their fourth WCHA regular season crown and MacNaughton Cup in the past 10 years, and owning the No. 1 ranking in the nation's polls for six consecutive weeks between Feb. 4 and March 25. The Tigers also earned the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Midwest Regional in Ann Arbor, where they defeated Wayne State, 4-2, before falling to Michigan, 5-3. Over just three seasons as a collegiate hockey player at CC, Sejna produced 91 goals, 99 assists and 190 points to rank among the top 10 scorers in school history. His 82 points in 2002-03 were the second best single season effort in school history, behind the school record 84 points produced by Dave Delich in 1978-79.

April 11, 2003 Seven WCHA Alums Named To U.S. National Team Roster for 2003 IIHF World Championships in Finland COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Hockey today named 15 players to a preliminary roster for the 2003 United States Men's National Team, which will compete at the 2003 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship, to be held April 26-May 11 in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, Finland. The remaining eight members will be named later this month to fill-out the 23-player roster. The announcement was made by 2003 U.S. Men's National Team Co-General Managers Jay Feaster and Larry Pleau, Director of Player Personnel Art Berglund, USA Hockey President Walter L. Bush, Jr., USA Hockey Vice President and International Council Chairperson Ron DeGregorio and USA Hockey Executive Director Doug Palazzari. Eight forwards, all of whom have National Hockey League experience, were selected to the preliminary roster. Five forwards competed in the NHL this season: Matt Cullen (Virginia, Minn./Florida Panthers/St. Cloud State U.), Brad DeFauw (Edina, Minn./Carolina Hurricanes/U. of North Dakota), Nicholas Dimitrakos (Sommerville, Mass./San Jose Sharks), Adam Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich./Nashville Predators), and Craig Johnson (St. Paul, Minn./Los Angeles Kings/U. of Minnesota). The remaining three forwards are Ted Drury (Boston, Mass./Hamburg Freezers) and Kelly Fairchild (Hibbing, Minn./Eisbaren Berlin/U. of Wisconsin) from the German Hockey League, and Kevin Miller (Lansing, Mich./Davos) from the Swiss National League. Five defensemen were also named to the preliminary roster, three of which competed in the NHL this season. They include Francis Bouillon (New York, N.Y./Montreal Canadiens), Jim Fahey (Boston, Mass./San Jose Sharks), and Jordan Leopold (Golden Valley, Minn./Calgary Flames/U. of Minnesota). Rounding out the defensemen selected to the preliminary roster are John Gruden (Virginia, Minn./Eisbaren Berlin), and Brett Hauer (Edina, Minn./Geneva-Servette/Minnesota-Duluth), both of whom have previous NHL experience. Two goaltenders were also named to the preliminary roster: Damian Rhodes (St. Paul, Minn./Greenville Grrrowl/Michigan Tech U.), a nine-year NHL veteran; and Chris Rogles (St. Louis, Mo./Cologne Sharks) of the German Hockey League. Eight of the 15 players have represented the United States in prior IIHF World Championship competition, including Leopold, who helped the 2002 U.S. Men's National Team to a 3-3-1 record at the 2002 IIHF World Championship in Sweden. Rhodes was the top goaltender for the 2000 U.S. Men's National Team, leading the squad to a 4-1-2 record and a fifth-place finish at the 2000 IIHF World Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia. Cullen, Johnson and Rogles were teammates on the 1999 U.S. Men's National Team at the 1999 IIHF World Championship in Norway, while Cullen and Drury played together in the 1998 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. Three players -- Drury, Hauer and Johnson -- were teammates on the 1994 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team that competed in Lillehammer, Norway, while Drury also competed in the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France, as Team USA placed fourth. Hall makes his first appearance on a U.S. Men's National Team, although he competed in two IIHF World Junior Championships. Six players -- Drury, Fairchild, Gruden, Hauer, Miller and Rogles -- were teammates on the 2002 U.S. National Selects at the 2002 Deutschland Cup in Hannover, Germany. The remainder of the preliminary roster -- Bouillon, DeFauw, Dimitrakos and Fahey -- are making their first appearances for USA Hockey. The team will be led by Lou Vairo (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who will serve as head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team for the fourth consecutive year. Vairo will be joined on the coaching staff by former New York Rangers' Head Coach Bryan Trottier and New Jersey Devils' scout Jay Leach. Team USA competes in Group B of the 2003 IIHF Men's World Championship alongside Russia, Switzerland and Denmark in Tampere, Finland. The U.S. begins the tournament playing each team in its Group in a round-robin format. Following the Preliminary Round, teams are re-seeded within their Groups according to points (two points for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss). The top-three teams in each Group advance to the Qualification Round to play in three cross-over games against the opposite Group in its bracket (for example, if the U.S. advanced it would play against the top-three teams in Group A). Teams carry points into the Qualification Round based on competition against teams that also advance. Following this round, the top-four point leaders in each of the two brackets (Groups A & B and Groups C & D) will advance to the single-elimination Quarterfinal Round on May 7. Teams are re-seeded to determine match-ups. New points acquired in the Qualification Round only carry-over if they come against teams advancing to the Quarterfinal Round. The four winning teams in the Quarterfinal Round advance to the Semifinal Round on May 9 and the Medal Round from May 10-11.

2003 IIHF Men's World Championship Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, Finland -- April 26 - May 11, 2003
Group A: Germany, Japan, Slovakia, Ukraine
Group B: Denmark, Russia, Switzerland, United States
Group C: Belarus, Canada, Latvia, Sweden
Group D: Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Slovenia

2003 U.S. Men's National Team Schedule April 23: vs. Finland (exhib.), 6:30 p.m. local/11:30 a.m ET at Turku
April 26: vs. Denmark, 3:00 p.m./8:00 a.m at Tampere
April 27: vs. Switzerland, 3:00 p.m./8:00 a.m at Tampere
April 29: vs. Russia, 7:00 p.m./12:00 p.m at Tampere
May 2-6: Qualification and Relegation
May 7: Quarterfinals
May 9: Semifinals at Helsinki
May 10: Bronze-Medal Game, 5:00 p.m./10:00 a.m. at Helsinki
May 11: Gold-Medal Game, 5:00 p.m./10:00 a.m. at Helsinki

April 13, 2003 Six WCHA Players Among Top 16 Skaters in Final Div. 1 Scoring Statistics In final 2002-03 Division 1 men's individual statistics, Western Collegiate Hockey Association-member players were listed among the leaders in nearly every category. In points per game, six league standouts ranked among the top 16, led by Colorado College junior LW Peter Sejna who was No. 1 nationally at 1.95 on 36 goals, 46 assists and 82 points in 42 games played. CC senior F Noah Clarke was No. 3 at 1.67 (21-49=70), Minnesota State sophomore F Grant Stevenson was No. 4 at 1.66 (27-36=63), MSU junior F Shane Joseph was No. 6 at 1.59 (29-36=55), North Dakota freshman F Zach Parise was No. 8 at 1.56 (26-35=61), UND sophomore W Brand Bochenski was No. 11 at 1.44 (35-27=62), and Minnesota freshman W Thomas Vanek was No. 16 at 1.38 (31-31=62). Also among the leaders were Denver senior F Kevin Doell (No. 26, 1.24), CC senior D Tom Preissing (No. 29, 1.24), UND junior W David Lundbohm (No. 32, 1.21), UM junior W Troy Riddle (No. 49, 1.13), St. Cloud State senior F Joe Motzko (No. 52, 1.11), SCSU senior F Jon Cullen (No. 53, 1.09), Michigan Tech sophomore W Colin Murphy (tied No. 55, 1.08), CC freshman F Brett Sterling (tied No. 61, 1.06), DU junior F Connor James (No. 64, 1.05), and Minnesota-Duluth freshman C Tim Stapleton (tied No. 73, 1.00). In goals per game, Sejna was No. 1 nationally at 0.86 (36 goals, 42 gp), Bochenski was No. 3 at 0.81 (35 goals), Sterling was No. 5 at 0.75 (27 goals), Stevenson was No. 7 at 0.71 (27 goals), Joseph was No. 8 at 0.71 (29 goals), and Vanek was No. 10 at 0.69 (31 goals). In assists per game, Clarke was No. 1 nationally at 1.17 (49 assists, 42 gp), Sejna was No. 2 at 1.10 (46 assists), Stevenson was No. 5 at 0.95 (36 assists), and Parise was tied at No. 9 at 0.90 (35 assists). In power-play goals, Preissing was tied for No. 1 nationally with Miami D Greg Hogeboom with 17 each, Sejna was tied at No. 3 with 15, Sterling and Doell were tied at No. 5 with 14 each, MSU junior F Cole Bassett and Riddle were tied at No. 8 with 12 each, and Bochenski was tied at No. 10 with 11. In shorthanded goals, CC junior W Colin Stuart was tied at No. 2 nationally with four, while MTU freshman F Chris Conner, UMD sophomore W Brett Hammond, Motzko, Parise and DU sophomore F Luke Fulghum were tied at No. 6 with three each. In game-winning goals, Sejna was tied at No. 2 nationally with eight, Sterling was tied at No. 5 with six, and UMD sophomore C Luke Stauffacher, Joseph, Bochenski and Vanek were tied at No. 8 with five each. In points per game among defensemen, Preissing was No. 2 nationally at 1.24 (23-29=52), UND sophomore Andy Schneider was No. 6 at 0.95 (11-30=41), UM sophomore Keith Ballard was No. 9 at 0.91 (12-29=41), UM junior Paul Martin was No. 11 at 0.87 (9-30=39), DU senior Aaron MacKenzie at No. 17 at 0.78 (11-21=32), and CC junior Andrew Canzanello at No. 20 at 0.75 (4-26=30). In points per game among rookies, Parise was No. 1 nationally at 1.56 (26-35=61), Vanek was No. 3 at 1.38 (31-31=62), Sterling was No. 4 at 1.06 (27-11=38), Stapleton was No. 8 at 1.00 (14-28=42), Conner was No. 9 at 0.97 (13-24=37), and Alaska Anchorage F Ales Parez was No. 20 at 0.78 (6-22=28). In goals-against average, Denver junior Adam Berkhoel was No. 7 nationally at 2.30, CC sophomore Curtis McElhinney was No. 12 at 2.37, UND sophomore Jake Brandt was No. 15 at 2.40, DU senior Wade Dubielewicz was No. 18 at 2.43, UM sophomore Travis Weber was No. 21 at 2.50, and UMD freshman Isaac Reichmuth was No. 25 at 2.68. In saves percentage, Dubielewicz was No. 19 at .912, SCSU senior Jake Moreland was No. 20 at .911, SCSU freshman Jason Montgomery was No. 27 at .908, Berkhoel was No. 28 at .908, McElhinney was No. 30 at .906, Wisconsin sophomore Bernd Bruckler was No. 36 at .905, Reichmuth was No. 37 at .905, and Weber was No. 42 at .902. And in winning percentage among goaltenders, McElhinney was No. 3 nationally at .764 (25-6-5), UND sophomore Josh Siembida was No. 4 at .750 (12-4-0), Weber was No. 9 at .694 (18-6-7), Brandt was No. 10 at .684 (11-4-4), MSU sophomore Jon Volp was No. 16 at .647 (10-5-2), Berkhoel was No. 20 at .636 (12-6-4), Reichmuth was No. 24 at .609 (18-11-3), Moreland was No. 26 at .604 (14-9-1), and MSU junior Jason Jensen was No. 28 at .571 (8-5-8).

April 14, 2003 Minnesota Repeats, Earns Final No. 1 Ranking in USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Men's College Poll COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The University of Minnesota, which became the first team in 31 years to win consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Ice Hockey National Championships, climbs one spot to No. 1 in this season's final USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll. The Golden Gophers, who were ranked No. 1 the first three weeks of the season and stayed in the top-10 throughout the year, garner all 17 first-place votes and 255 total points. In Saturday's title contest, Minnesota scored four times in the third period to defeat the University of New Hampshire, 5-1. By advancing to the championship game with a 3-2 victory vs Cornell University on Thursday, the Wildcats moved up a notch to No. 2, their highest ranking since Dec. 2, 2002. The Big Red, which sat atop each of the previous two polls, end the year ranked No. 3. The University of Michigan, which dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Golden Gophers in Thursday's second semifinal contest, remain in the No. 4 spot. The eighth annual USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the American Hockey Coaches Association and American Hockey Magazine, the official publication of USA Hockey.

April 16, 2003 Frozen Four MVP Thomas Vanek Earns Commissioners' Choice Rookie of the Month Award for March/April BOSTON, MA ­ New Hampshire goaltender Mike Ayers (Hingham, MA ) and Minnesota rookie forward Thomas Vanek (Graz, Austria) were named winners of the IHCCA Commissioners' Choice Awards for March and April. The awards honor Division I men's college hockey's top player and top rookie of the month and are selected by the Ice Hockey Collegiate Commissioners' Association (IHCCA). Vanek, a 6-2, 208 pound freshman forward for the national champion Minnesota Golden Gophers was tabbed Commissioners' Choice Rookie-of-the-Month. Since March 1, Vanek had seven goals and five assists in eleven games as Minnesota won the 2003 WCHA Final Five playoff championship and then became the first team since in 31 years to repeat as NCAA Champions. He had seven goals in his last seven post-season games. Highlights of his post-season play included notching both game-winning goals in Minnesota's two Frozen Four wins. On April 10, his wrap-around goal in overtime lifted the Gophers to a come-from-behind win over Michigan 3-2. He then snapped a 1-1 tie with a third period goal in the National Championship game against New Hampshire on April 12. Minnesota would go on to win 5-1 and Vanek was named the most outstanding player of the Frozen Four in Buffalo, NY. Vanek also had a power-play goal in a 5-2 win vs. Michigan Tech which sent Minnesota to the WCHA Final Five. He scored the game-winner in overtime of a 3-2 win vs. Minnesota State in the WCHA Final Five semifinal. He was named MVP of the NCAA West Regional as he scored a goal in the 9-2 win vs. Mercyhurst and had two goals and one assist in the 7-4 win vs. Ferris State which sent Minnesota to the Frozen Four.

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