Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page C10

SPORTS WEEKEND PAGE C10 MARCH 22 2002 COLLEGEHOCKEY TOURNAMENT Conference for women was formed. In 1997 the two formed a group called Varsity Seekers to help club teams elevate to varsity status. All around them they can see the fruits of their labor. Three of the four programs playing today are relative babies. Halldorson helped launch the Gophers program in 1997; Minnesota Duluth is in its third season, Niagara in its fourth.

enough to make a feel proud. Halldorson said. conventions people always say, Halldorson and Digit, what was it like back kind of used as a reference right now, to the old Murphy had one more story. Seems her team was scheduled to play at Northeastern this season. They show up to find the rink had been double-booked with a high school game.

Murphy got in the faces of the arena administrators, with the end result that the game went on, only 10 minutes late. the great Murphy said. kids are never going to know what like to wait an hour to get on the Kent Youngblood is at played against each other; Murphy at Cornell (Class of Halldorson at Princeton From there, the friendship deepened. Today Halldorson is the godmother of the youngest of four children. Both became assistant coaches in 1987.

When they became head coaches within a month of each other Murphy at Brown and Halldorson at Colby in 1989, they were the only women head coaches who had played college hockey. And while it would be a stretch to say they had built hockey, they have helped it along. In 1980 16 schools had varsity hockey, all of them in the Northeast. Today there are 69 in all divisions and, with two Minnesota teams in the Frozen Four, the balance of power appears to be shifting. remember how we Murphy said.

had to; we were the only two women doing this at the time. The only two who had played college hockey. bounce ideas off each other, help each other out. All the while we knew we wanted to take hockey to the next Halldorson was president of the association and Murphy the secretary- treasurer when the first Eastern Collegiate Athletic By Kent Youngblood Star Tribune Staff Writer DURHAM, N.H. ne after another the anecdotes were flowing.

About the old days, at least relatively speaking. When hockey was young and the old guard was doing little to see that it grew up. Laura Halldorson remembered the bus she and her Princeton teammates used to take to games. It was old, without a bathroom unlike the sleek vehicle the team had. And the back used to fill up with exhaust fumes.

Or the night a game with Providence was delayed for more than an hour because the Providence coach kept his players late for practice, tying up the ice. how important hockey was at the Halldorson said. Margaret Degidio-Murphy known as was ready to one-up that story. she said, laughing. even have a bus.

We had vans. And I remember, one time, driving in the snow, when the transmission broke and the coach had to shift the fan with his hand, manually. the kind of transportation we Still, you get the feeling that Halldorson and Murphy have enjoyed the ride. Halldorson is the coach for the Gophers hockey team. Murphy coaches at Brown.

Both were at the University of New Whittemore Center on Thursday, where their NCAA Frozen Four teams practiced for semifinal game. They look too young to be grandmothers of anything, much less a sport. But they are bona fide pioneers, who have pulled hockey from a time when games were delayed by practices to today, the start of the second NCAA- sanctioned tournament. remember last year, when we were watching the NCAA tournament from the Halldorson said of the Frozen Four hosted by the Gophers. had played against each other in the championship game the year before the last of three tournaments of the American College Hockey Alliance There was a little bit of feeling bad we participating.

But then we said, big picture, this awesome? And it gave us a chance to reflect how far our sport has A long way. Halldorson, a Wayzata High graduate, and Murphy first met when they Coaching in first class By Kent Youngblood Star Tribune Staff Writer DURHAM, N.H. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs are peaking at just the right time. And that means two things: should be getting nervous, considering the Bulldogs are the defending NCAA hockey champions and are the only team back from last Frozen Four; coach Shannon Miller is a very good planner. One of the ways Miller put UMD on the map so quickly the program is in its third season, and has been a national power since Day 1 was by bringing in talented players from all over the world.

But she knew eventually there would be a price to pay, and the tab came due this season in an Olympic-sized way. Six UMD players tried out for their respective Olympic teams and five played: Maria Rooth last NCAA Frozen Four MVP and Erika Holst played for Sweden; goalie Tuula Puputti and Hanne Sikio played for Finland; and Kristina Petrovskaia played for Russia. Counting tryouts, preparation and playing, each lost about six weeks of the season. talked about how it was going to be a roller-coaster Miller said. knew we needed to play very well in the first half of the season.

We had to have a stellar first Duluth started the season 13-0-3. It got its power ranking high enough to withstand the roller coaster that followed, when UMD went 8-5-1. at what happened to the NHL players played in the Miller said. called it the hockey hangover. It was the same thing for these athletes.

They had to peak to play for their respective countries. Well, any time you peak, there is going to be a Miller said she sure her team was peaking even at the conference tournament. a little different now, she said. are absolutely, undoubtedly the strongest been all Miller said. Odds and ends junior Ronda Curtin and UMD junior Rooth were named to the Division I All-America team by the American Hockey Coaches Association.

Curtin is also a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top player. The first team: Curtin, jr, defense; Rooth, forward; Tania Pinelli Niagara, sr. goalie; Kerry Weiland Wisconsin, defense; Carly Haggard Dartmouth, forward; Brooke Whitney Northeastern, forward. coach Laura Halldorson was among the nine finalists for coach of the year announced Thursday. Miller and Jason Lesteberg of Bemidji State also were nominated.

Rested Gophers seek a high-tempo game St. Cloud State vs. Michigan When, where: 7 tonight, Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Mich. When: 7 p.m. Records: SCSU 29-10-2, UM 26-10-5 TV: FSN How they got here: Michigan won the regular-season and playoff titles; SCSU finished second in the regular-season standings and fourth in the playoffs.

Scouting report: These two teams have headed in opposite directions recently. The high-powered Huskies have lost their scoring touch, while the Wolverines won eight of their past nine games en route to both CCHA titles. Each has a dominant forward; the Mark Hartigan leads the nation with 75 points, and the Mike Cammalleri has seven goals in the past four games. On home ice, the Huskies must regain confidence and scoring power to win. Colorado College vs.

Michigan St. When, where: 3:30 p.m. today, Yost Ice Arena Records: CC 26-12-3, MSU 27-8-5 TV: FSN How they got here: Michigan State finished second in the CCHA regular season and playoffs; CC finished third in the WCHA playoffs and fourth in the regular-season standings. Scouting report: Both teams have tournament experience and both are gritty postseason competitors. The Spartans play outstanding team defense, highlighted by goalie Ryan Miller, who has given up 1.76 goals per game.

The Tigers live up to expectations this season, but they won crucial games late in the season. Defense usually rules at tournament time, and CC needs a top effort from its forwards to get past Miller and the Spartans. Rachel Blount East Regional games: Maine vs. Harvard, 11 a.m.; Cornell vs. Quinnipiac, 2:30 p.m.

games: Boston U. vs. winner, 11 a.m.; New Hampshire vs. winner, 2:30 p.m. Wolverines were kept home because of the concerns about post-Sept.

11 travel. games pit two of the best offenses against the top defenses. Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn is overshadowed by Michigan Ryan Miller, the 2001 Hobey Baker Award winner and two- time CCHA player of the year. But Blackburn leads NCAA Division I with 25 victories and heads the fifth-stingiest defense. Miller, with eight shutouts, anchors a group that gives up only 1.77 goals per game.

Since forward Mike Cammalleri recovered from mononucleosis, the Wolverines have won four consecutive games and eight of their past nine, giving them the regular-season and playoff titles. The Spartans lost 3-2 to Michigan in the CCHA title game; before that, they had lost only two of their previous 16. Dahl will start Dean Weasler in goal. He said forward Ryan Malone and defenseman Ryan LaMere, who sat out last week because of shoulder injuries, will be ready to play. The rest of the Huskies want to make certain their outlook is healthy, too.

losses were tough, but over Hartigan said. excited to get back to what we can their opponents and were timid in the first period. The emergence as a consistent national power leaves it less prone to the NCAA jitters, and the players have learned through experience that they must assert themselves from the opening faceoff. To do so, however, St. Cloud State must rebuild its confidence.

Hartigan, who leads NCAA Division I with 75 points, failed to score at the Final Five and was heartbroken over the losses. He and his teammates have worked this week on improving their rushes, their power play and their intensity, and they view their underdog status as an opportunity rather than a detriment. think Hartigan said. we can beat Michigan there, it would be a big momentum thing for us and some payback for last year. not worried.

very confident. As long as we play hard and play smart, be Jack McDonald, chairman of the NCAA ice hockey committee, acknowledged he feels a bit bad for teams that must play Michigan at Yost Arena. But few schools expressed interest in hosting the regional when bids were taken in 1998, and offer won easily. When the brackets were set up Sunday, the efforts put a little more zip into the skates, but he know the full effect until the West Regional begins today in Ann Arbor, Mich. St.

Cloud State, the fifth seed, got the most undesirable draw in the six-team regional. The others have it easy, though; six of the top nine teams in the Pairwise Rankings were assigned to the West. Michigan State plays Colorado College in other first-round game, with the winner advancing to play the Gophers in quarterfinal. The St. Cloud State-Michigan winner plays top seed Denver Saturday.

While some fans debated the fairness of host status, Dahl brushed it off. His team needs to get back into a positive frame of mind to stop a slide in which it has lost five of its past eight games. The high-powered offense sputtered to a two-goal output in two losses at last WCHA Final Five, and they must regain their nose for the net if they are to win an NCAA tournament game for the first time. team has kind of a fragile said Dahl, whose teams are 0-4 in three previous NCAA appearances. they lost to Minnesota, it hurt.

But going to lose games and when you lose, got to rally and battle that much harder. not allowing them to be down. You dwell on the past. been an exciting week, and we want to go and upset Michigan in their The Huskies know what it feels like to lose to the Wolverines in the NCAA tournament. That happened last year, when they got a bye and were upset 4-3 in the West Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Huskies have much history to draw upon; after making their first NCAA tournament in 1989, they earn a return trip until 2000, when they lost to Boston University in the first round. Leading scorer Mark Hartigan said they feel much more prepared for their third consecutive appearance. In their past two NCAA games, Hartigan said, the Huskies afforded a little too much reverence to By Rachel Blount Star Tribune Staff Writer ANN ARBOR, MICH. The Gophers hockey team has seen its share of new experiences this season, but none felt quite like charter flight to Michigan. The Gophers shared the plane with St.

Cloud State, one of their most serious rivals, sitting across the aisle. They will plow more fresh ground today. As a No. 2 seed in the NCAA West Regional, the Gophers received a bye and do not play until Saturday, when they face the winner of Michigan State- Colorado College game. That means they get to be spectators, watching first- round games at Yost Ice Arena and resting while their opponents wear each other down.

A victory Saturday would give the Gophers a spot in the Frozen Four for the first time since 1995. They earned an NCAA tournament bye since 1994, when they beat Massachusetts-Lowell in two over- times in their quarterfinal game and lost in the semifinals. Coach Don Lucia placed heavy emphasis on gaining a bye, and the Gophers hope to make good use of their extra day of rest. want to play with tremendous Lucia said. playing a team that played the night before, so we want a high-tempo game.

Whether got a bye or not, there are six outstanding teams here, and any one of them can win not just here, but the whole While the bye provides a clear advantage, it amount to a free pass. Bye teams have gone 27-13 in the quarterfinals since the tournament adopted its current structure in 1992. The bye was added when the tournament expanded from eight teams to 12 in 1988, and the Gophers are 3-1 in quarterfinal games when they have not played in the first round. In the past four seasons, a WCHA team has squandered its bye with a loss in its tournament opener. Michigan knocked out North Dakota in 1998 and St.

Cloud State in 2001, and Boston College gave early exits to the Sioux in 1999 and Wisconsin in 2000. To make sure the Gophers take advantage, Lucia conduct- ed practice last week on the smaller rink at Augsburg College. Yost Arena, where the Gophers are 2-0 in the past three seasons, has a narrower ice surface than Mariucci Arena and will require adjustments. Lucia has instructed the Gophers to cut to the puck and use more indirect passes off the boards, and he has stressed the recent record at Yost to build their confidence. be more fun this year, because we can watch a Gophers defenseman Jordan Leopold said.

a little different atmosphere. serious. There a lot of messing Lucia said forward Nick Anthony, who did not play in last WCHA Final Five after injuring his foot the weekend before, will be back in the lineup Saturday. Anthony will resume his place on the top line with John Pohl and Troy Riddle. Jake Fleming, who filled in well during absence, will move back to the fourth line.

Forward Brett MacKinnon, who sprained an ankle in 5-2 loss to Denver in the Final Five championship, will not play in the regional. Rachel Blount is at WEST REGIONAL ATAGLANCE Halldorson Murphy Hockey pioneers earn marquee matchup Minnesota Duluth vs. Niagara where: 4 p.m. today, Whittemore Center, Durham, N.H. UMD 22-6-4, Niagara 26-7-4.

and KSTC (Ch. 45) they got here: The Bulldogs finished in a tie for the WCHA regular-season title, then took third place in the conference tournament. Niagara won the ECAC Eastern League regular-season title at 19-2-0, but lost to Providence in the conference semifinals. report: Duluth lost 10 players from last NCAA championship team, but the Bulldogs are the only returning team from last inaugural NCAA Frozen Four. The Bulldogs lost a number of players to various Olympic teams, but all are back.

Gophers vs. Brown 7:30 tonight, Whitemore Center Gophers 28-3-5, Brown 24-7-2 radio: and Ch. 45, KCCO-AM (950) they got here: The Gophers earned their fourth trip to the national tournament in five years but their first sanctioned by the NCAA after winning both the regular-season and tournament WCHA championships. Brown pushed its way into the Frozen Four moving past Dartmouth in the process by beating Dartmouth in overtime, 4-3, for the ECAC North tournament title. report: This game pits two of the hottest teams in hockey.

Brown enters the Frozen Four on a seven-game winning streak. Brown was 1-2-1 vs. the tournament field (0-1 vs. Minnesota, a tie vs. UMD and a 1-1 record vs.

Niagara). The Gophers, who beat Brown on Nov. 17, have won five consecutive games and have only one loss in their past 30 games (25-1-4). During the season the Gophers went 3-2-1 vs. the tournament field (1-0 vs.

Brown, 0-1 vs. Niagara and 2-1-1 vs. UMD). Kent Youngblood FROZENFOURATAGLANCE HOCKEY fromC1 Huskies are optimistic about facing Wolverines Dahl Lucia patience pays off NOTES.