University of Minnesota Athletics
Top Seed Minnesota Set for NCAA West Regional
3/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
The WCHA Regular Season and WCHA Final Five Champion Golden Gophers (30-9-3) head to the NCAA West Regional as a No. 1 seed and will face No. 4 seed Air Force (19-15-5) in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 24 at 1:30 p.m., Mountain time at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. Minnesota earned a No. 1 seed for the sixth consecutive year after capturing the 2006-07 WCHA regular season title and the 2007 WCHA Final Five Championship. In the other regional semifinal, second-seeded Michigan (26-13-1) will meet No. 3 seed North Dakota (22-13-5) at 5:30 p.m., on Saturday. The two semifinal winners will meet on Sunday at 5 p.m., with the victor advancing to the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., on April 5 & 7.
TV Broadcast Note: NCAA West Regional games will be televised locally by both ESPNU and FSN North. The Minnesota vs. Air Force game will be live on FSN and ESPNU. The North Dakota vs. Michigan contest will be tape-delayed on FSN and ESPNU at 10 p.m. If Minnesota or North Dakota advance to the West Regional Final on Sunday, the contest will be shown live on FSN and ESPNU.
Radio Broadcast Note: All of Minnesota’s games can be heard live on the radio on the Gopher Radio Network, including the flagship WCCO AM 830.
The Series vs. Air Force
Saturday’s game will mark the first meeting between Minnesota and Air Force.
About the Falcons
Air Force (19-15-5, 13-10-5 AHA) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Atlantic Hockey Tournament. The unranked Falcons will make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the first by a service academy. Currently on a six-game winning streak, Air Force is 1-1-0 this season against 2007 NCAA Tournament teams with a 4-3 win over Alabama-Huntsville and a 2-0 loss to No. 1 seed Notre Dame. The Falcons finished in fifth place in Atlantic Hockey during the regular season. Air Force boasts 13 players with double-digit point totals, led by Hobey Baker Award Finalist Eric Ehn (24-40--64) and senior Andrew Ramsey (22-25--47). The Falcons have used four goaltenders this season in Peter Foster (4-6-3, 3.01, .864), Ben Worker (7-5-1, 2.25, .896), Andrew Volkening (4-1-0, 2.48, .895) and Ian Harper (4-3-1, 2.56, .889). The Air Force roster includes 11 Minnesota natives, most notably sophomore defenseman Greg Flynn – older brother of Golden Gopher freshman forward Ryan Flynn. The Falcons are coached by Coleraine, Minn., native, Greenway High School product and former Denver head coach Frank Serratore. Air Force ranks 14th in the nation in scoring offense (3.31 gpg), 24th in scoring defense (2.64), 31st in power play (16.9) and 54th in penalty kill (79.6). The Falcons are 0-2-0 vs. WCHA teams this season with losses to Colorado College (2-1) and Denver (2-1).
Minnesota at the NCAAs
Minnesota is making its nation-leading 31st appearance in the NCAA Tournament, including its seventh in a row. Michigan currently holds the NCAA record for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with 17. The Maroon and Gold had 13 straight appearances from 1985-97. The Golden Gophers have won five NCAA titles (1974-76-79-2002-03) and have advanced to the Frozen Four 19 times. Minnesota is 49-31 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The 49 wins is the most by any team in the nation, with the Wolverines ranking second with 44. The Golden Gophers’ .613 winning percentage in the tournament ranks fifth all-time as North Dakota leads the way at .692 (36-16). Since the NCAA adopted the regional format in 1992, the Golden Gophers own a 12-7 record in NCAA Regional action.
Minnesota vs. the NCAA Tournament Field
Minnesota has faced six of the 15 teams (Alabama-Huntsville, Maine, Michigan, Michigan State, North Dakota, St. Cloud State) in the NCAA Tournament this season and have a 4-5-2 record in those contests. UM was 3-1-2 in the first six games vs. eventual NCAA Tournament teams, but is 1-4-0 in the last five meetings. In those 11 games, the Golden Gophers are averaging 3.45 goals and allowing 3.82, while their power play has been operating at 14.7 percent vs. 22.2 for the opponents. Leading the Maroon and Gold in the scoring column in those games is Blake Wheeler with 5-7--12 and Jay Barriball with 4-6--10. Following them is Ben Gordon (5-4--9), Alex Goligoski (2-6--8) and Kyle Okposo (2-6--8). Goaltender Kellen Briggs holds a 2-3-1 record in those games with a 3.68 gaa and .863 sv%, while Jeff Frazee is 2-2-1 with a 3.48 gaa and .843 sv%.
Minnesota vs. the Regional Field
The Golden Gophers are 2-2-0 this season against teams in the NCAA West Regional. Minnesota is 1-2-0 vs. North Dakota this season with a sweep at the hands of the Fighting Sioux on Jan. 26-27, at Mariucci Arena and the Golden Gophers’ 3-2 overtime win last Saturday in the Broadmoor Trophy Championship Game at the 2007 WCHA Final Five. On Nov. 25, the Maroon and Gold routed then-No. 7 Michigan, 8-2, in the second game of the College Hockey Showcase at Mariucci Arena. The Golden Gophers are on a five-game winning streak against the Wolverines. Minnesota has not faced Air Force this season.
A West Regional Wow
The 2007 NCAA West Regional is stacked in terms of NCAA Tournament success for the four participating teams. Combined, Minnesota, North Dakota and Michigan have won 21 national titles and 129 NCAA Tournament game wins. In comparison, the teams in the other three regionals have a combined 10 national championships and 147 NCAA Tournament wins. In the last 11 years, Minnesota (2002, ‘03), North Dakota (1997, 2000) and Michigan (1996, ‘98) have won six NCAA titles and have made 12 appearances in the NCAA Frozen Four.
Potent in the Postseason
In the Don Lucia era, the Maroon and Gold has fashioned a 34-14 (.708) record in the postseason. Lucia’s postseason win percentage of .708 is better than that of three of the four previous Minnesota head coaches (Doug Woog, 65-35-0, .650; Brad Buetow 22-15-0, .595; Herb Brooks, 22-7-4, .727; Glen Sonmor, 5-6-0, .455). Since John Mariucci stepped down as head coach following the 1966-67 season, the Golden Gophers are 148-77-4 (.655) in postseason play. The Maroon and Gold is 47-21 (.691) in the last 10 postseasons and 93-49 (.655) in the last 20 postseasons.
