Greetings from New York City

Saw DU78 & 2004 DU Student Senate President Max Goldberg on Friday night in Manhattan. We discussed "All Things DU" as well as the kid who "verbaled" to DU from Alberta and of course the upcoming DU series with UND.

Needless to say, the result on Friday was disappointing and the injury to Brock Trotter is really tragic. We all wish him the speediest of recoveries. I will try and find out more about his condition when I am in Denver this week.

The Saturday victory was a pleasant surprise. A terrific effort by the team and coaches to get things back on track.

I look forward to arriving in Denver this week and to see the upcoming series & Banner Raising Part VII with Michigan Tech.

GO DU




NYC Photos of DU Alums
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Top: Getting a little hostile & abusive with our UND buddy...
2nd Top: 2004 DU Student Prez Max Goldberg @ Central Station
3rd from Top: Murphy's Irish Bar shows Pioneer games on request
Bottom: dg & du78 @ Raoul's (nice painting)

The Denver Boone Says "We Learned Our Lesson in Maine. Eat Up the Sioux This Weekend"
GO DU
Player Profile: Travis Zajac

DU and UND fans may have their differences, but one name they can agree on is Zajac. Travis Zajac is the Fighting Sioux's outstanding Sophmore forward who led his team to the National Championship game last season. With three goals in the Frozen Four he proved that he was one of the best players in college hockey. His father Tom played for DU from 1973-77. Although not the best or fastest skater on the team, Tom was strong on his skates and had a bit of a mean streak. He was a two-way player who could dish it out and take a hit.
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Travis graduated from West Kildonan High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba and was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1st Round. Last season Travis led the nation’s rookies with 20 goals, which was also a UND team high. It was the the NCAA playoffs that Travis truly shined. He was named to all-tournament teams at NCAA Frozen Four and NCAA East Regional He also had two goals, including game winner, and assist in region final win over Boston College

His father Tom was a 4-year letterman at DU from the 1973/74 through the 1976/77 season. In his first two years he was a role player but for his junior year he was one of future All-American Doug Berry's wings. He flourished playing with Doug and posted his best season. His senior year Mark Davidson and Perry Schnarr became Doug's wings & Tom still had a very respectable year. He didn't have a lot of fancy moves but he was tough to stop when he went at the net. He was the recipient of many great passes from Doug Berry that he converted for some timely goals. He always gave a 100% effort and worked hard to make his game better. He finished his career at DU with 75 points on 37 goals and 38 assists.

Off the ice Tom was on the quiet side but had a good sense of humor. He was level headed and never too excited or too disappointed over a win or a loss. He was a very dependable player who improved each year at DU. He also flourished in the classroom.
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Good luck to Travis this season from LetsGoDU.

Thanks to du78 for research and information used in this article
The "Water"gate Conspiracy

Left: What did Dave Hakstol know and when did he know it? Former A.D. Roger Thomas is "lurking" in the background.

Its six months later, but the incident is still vivid to everyone in Columbus or watching on TV. Early in the Third Period of the 2005 National Championship game between the University of Denver and the University of North Dakota. DU is clinging to a 2-1 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the game, Andrew Thomas of Denver was whistled for holding. UND's Mike Prpich, apparently thirsty, helps himself to a swig of water from Peter Mannino's water bottle. Mannino, eyes bugging out, is about to give Prpich "the business," when DU forward Michael Handza skates over between the two and gives Prpich's a few raps to the body for good measure.

Handza said, “I thought [Mike Prpich] said something to Mannino…then I came a little closer and saw he was drinking out of his water bottle. I gave him a couple of slashes to the wrist and a punch to the head and told him not to do it again. If it wasn’t the national championship game, he might have got tackled.”

Looking back on it six months later many troubling questions remain unanswered. Was Prpich really so dehydrated that he couldn't safely make it back to the North Dakota bench to get some water? Was he checking to see if Mannino was drinking Gatorade, Scotch or Liquid Steriods to be playing so well? Was Prpich so caught up in the game that he mistakenly thought Mannino was Jordan Parise, got confused and went to the wrong goal? OR was the whole incident ordered by North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol to "rattle" Mannino? Finally and most important, was the entire incident "covered up" by the former athletic director or university president?

To get these questions answered once and for all, the investigative team at LetsGoDU has conducted a thorough review of the game video, the press conference transcripts, eyewitness interviews and newspaper accounts of the game.

Earlier, in the Second Period, Prpich was stopped cold by Mannino on a shorthand breakaway attempt (photo-left). The Mannino save was crucial at the time, keeping the momentum squarely behind DU. Did this lead to the "incident" in the Third Period? We believe the answer is "No." Mannino made many other big saves in the game & no one else got thirsty as a result.

Several DU fans near the North Dakota bench thought they saw one of the UND assistant coaches, either Brad Berry or Cary Eadess, pantomime a drinking gesture to Prpich immediately after the Thomas penalty was whistled. This would certainly give credance to a conspiracy therory. To complicate matters, the ESPN cameras behind Berry and Eadess failed to capture the alledged incident. The UND game film, obtained by LetsGoDU, under the State of North Dakota's Freedom of Information Act has a two minute break in the film and it appears to be "edited professionally." All one sees on the film is Thomas being called for the penalty and then Hanza, Thomas & Prpich in the two penalty boxes. Since the recording is digital there are no fingerprints to trace.
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To further complicate matters the UND Athletic Director at the time, Roger Thomas, moved on to become Commissioner of the North Central Conference, less than one month after the game. This unusual career move could only be described as lateral on the most "creative" of resume's. His replacement Thomas Bunning was obviously brought in from West Point to "clean up the program." (Bunning Appointment Article)

So there you have it. A brazen act, perhaps designed by a clever coach and probably covered up by the highest administrators at the University of North Dakota. Stay tuned.

dg, CO14ers, DU78, Siouxinminny & Dirty Suspended From USCHO

Dubbed the "USCHO 5" by USCHO Investigators

USCHO Headquarters - USCHO held a press conference Tuesday to announce five suspensions. In what amounts to the biggest mass crackdown in USCHO.com history, five posters, including three DU fans, were busted for a variety of infractions.
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dggoddard, DU78 & Dirty were caught red-handed posting pictures online, a clear violation of USCHO Rules. CO14ers was nabbed for responding to Siouxinminny's threats on Geoff Paukovich. This USCHO investigation was the result of a three month probe.

USCHO stated, "This started off as an investigation into Dirty's "anti-NCAA" T-shirt operation, but quickly spread to illegal posting, copyright infringement and money laundering."

"I've been suspended for a week I guess. I'm sure they won't respond to my email since I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything wrong," UND fan Dirty was quoted as saying as he stormed out of his trailerhome in Grand Forks.

dggoddard was more philisophical, "I'm glad they finally nabbed Dirty, but its a shame two innocent DU posters like CO14ers & DU78 had to go down. I just hope the Pioneers go out there on Friday night and win one for the Gipper."

CO14ers took a few moments from his homework to add, "Its OK for UND fans to make threats, but if you respond its a week in the penalty box. Oh yeah, UND fans are a bunch of racist idiots."

Reached for comment in Colorado Springs CC Coach Scott Owens said, "Those DU posters had it coming to them. I sent in many anonymous complaints to USCHO about those morons last season and nothing happened. Say....you're not going to quote me on this are you?"

DU coach George Gwozdecky & UND coach Dave Hakstol were unavailable for comment on how this will affect the series this weekend.

The text from the USCHO.com email below:

Dear dggoddard,

A post of yours in the thread "UND Fighting Sioux host Denver Pioneers --Oct 28/29" has been edited. The post violated the following Fan Forum rule: No bandwidth hijacking. This means, for example, posting a picture that is hosted on a server that isn't your own, and without the permission ofthe owner. Each view of the USCHO Fan Forum thread in question results in bandwidth used by the owner of the image. The picture you posted has been removed, and your account has been suspended for one week.

Sincerely,

USCHO.com Fan Forum Admin
News Flash: UND Fans don't like Denver


Left: Keith Magnuson led DU over North Dakota in the 1968 National Championship game

The intense rivalry between the University Of Denver & North Dakota is nothing new. The all-time series record for DU is 104-123-7. DU has more losses against the Sioux than any other program. Four times these two universities have played in the National Championship game against each other and twice they have met in the WCHA playoff championship. We all know about last season in Columbus, but these two teams had some epic battles in the '50s & '60s as well.

DU defeated North Dakota 6-2 to win the 1958 National Championship in Minneapolis. It was estimated that out of 7,878 fans in attendance, 3,000 were from North Dakota. UND had won three out of the four previous meetings that season in the old Western Intercollegiate Hockey League, but the Pioneers weren't to be denied. After seeing the Sioux score first, DU tallied six of the last seven goals to win their first National Championship. It was reported in the Denver Post the next day that the Sioux fans sat in "stunned disbelief" as DU roared to victory.

In 1963 North Dakota returned the favor by defeating DU in Chestnut Hill, MA. UND raced to a 5-2 first period lead to win its second NCAA title on goals by Don Stokaluk, Al McLean, Ernie Dyda, Stokaluk and Jack Matheson. McLean, who is named tourney MVP, scored the winning goal at 5:01 of the second period. DU fought back, but eventually lost 6-5. UND's Joe Lech made only 11 saves in the game, while Rudy Unis of Denver had 32.

In 1968 the two teams met again in the National Championship game in Duluth. DU scored four goals in the Third Period to win 4-0. It was one of only three shutouts ever recorded in the Championship game. DU was led by Garry Powers in goal and Bob Trembecky scored two goals. His second goal was assisted by Craig Patrick, who later went on win two Stanley Cups as GM of Pittsburgh and was the assistant coach & assistant GM of the 1980 Miracle on Ice Team.

Twice these to programs have meet in the WCHA playoff championship game. In 1963 DU won 5-4 in overtime, only to have UND defeat DU in the National Championship game several weeks later. In 1999 DU won the Final Five Championship over UND 4-3. UND had made history that season becoming only the second program to win three straight MacNaughton trophies, but DU would not be denied. DU would lose to Michigan in NCAA's, while the following year UND would win 4-2 over Boston College for their 7th national championship.
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Last year DU wrapped up its 7th National Championship by routing UND 4-1. So there you have it. Seven National Championships for each program and quite a few were decided on the ice against each other.
DU Sweeps Past Air Force & Notre Dame


Left: Brock Trotter has 5 points in four games to share the lead in team scoring with Gabe Gauthier

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DU 4 - Air Force 2 If this was college football, DU's weekend victories would have been pretty impressive. Unfortunately, its college hockey so its hard to get fired up when DU has a combined 54-11-5 record against both programs. DU defenseman Zach Blom lead the Pioneers with a goal and an assist against Air Force. The 4-2 victory was a little disappointing because these types of games are a great opportunity to load up on hat tricks and pad the stats sheet. Credit Air Force for keeping it close, but seriously 4-2?
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DU 6 - Notre Dame 3 The Notre Dame game was a different matter altogether. DU rolled to a 6-3 vistory led by Brock Trotter's two power play goals. DU's two Penalty Kill units also racked up two shorties. Ryan Dingle, Matt Carle, Gabe Gauthier & Paul Stastny-last seen winning the National Championship in Columbus and collecting preseason accolades from the various college hockey media outlets, collectively had a big game against the Irish. The victory was just what the doctor ordered to keep the DU bandwagon rolling for another week.
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Looks like the previously MIA power play unit is starting to put the puck in the net with two goals and just in time for the reunion with our buddies from Grand Forks.
ASK dg:

This weeks question comes from a reader in Denver...

Worried in Denver: I saw the results from Maine and was thinking about selling my DU season tickets, but when I checked on eBay they were selling for half face value. What should I do? I also noticed that Steven Cook attended the Air Force Academy before transferring to DU. Any chance that the coaches insert Cook in the lineup on Friday night?

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dg: Dumping your season tickets now, would be like trying to buy flood insurance a day after a hurricane rolled through town. The best thing to do is wait for a couple of victories this weekend and then get back on the bandwagon. If you're looking to make a profit on your tickets, try scalping a few of the big games coming up (Banner Raising, CC, MN & UND) and then donate your excess tickets to a charity and take the tax write-off.

Steven Cook has never started a game for DU, but you are correct that the former Academy player would be a great secret weapon. Not only could he be a valuable addition on the forward line and of course steal plays from his former teammates, but as a future Law School student he might be invaluable arguing in Paukovich's defense to the ref's on trumped up penalties.

Steven Cook's Bio: 2004-05: Sat out the season with a shoulder injury. Before Denver: Posted nine points on five goals and four assists in 58 games for the River City Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2003-04 • played for the Air Force Academy (AFA) during the 2002-03 season • recorded two goals and six assists in 33 games played • named AFA Rookie of the Year • earned College Hockey America (CHA) Rookie of the Week, Feb. 17, 2003 • earned Best Defensive Forward as captain of his club team during the 2001-02 season • was among the top-10 leading scorers • named the 2001-02 Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado.



Paukovich Framed in Maine

In a LetsGoDU exclusive, we were able to obtain a photograph that "proves" Geoff Paukovich is innocent of all penalties in the Saturday night game in Maine.
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Photo #1 (above) Shows the incident moments after it occured in the Second Period. Paukovich is laying prone on his knees, while Maine goaltender Ben Bishop is "playing possum." For as long as Bishop was on the ice you would have thought he was dead. Somehow he managed to recover and shut DU down for the rest of the game, until a late goal in the Third Period. On top of Paukovich is Maine defenseman Travis Ramsey. Ramsey is a 6'4" 211 lbs. sophmore from California.
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Photo #2 (below) We immediately noticed something "suspicious" about the photo and sent it over to the DU Booster Club Laboratory for analysis. Imagine our surprise when we digitally analyzed the photograph and proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ramsey is biting Paukovich.
Hey, Potato Man

Left: Arnie shows Denver fans how to partake in the Maine tradition of Saturday night loaded baked potatoes (click on picture to enlarge)

I'm settling into my seat on Opening Night for DU's big showdown with Maine, when some DU fans start signaling to me that there's a Maine fan looking for me. Worried that it might be an irate poster, Jimmy Howard's parents or someone else that I offended in Boston, I'm not exactly in a hurry to meet anyone with a blue sweater.
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Turns out its Arnie Davis, Maine's 85 year-old most avid fan. He tells me he's glad I've made the trip out East and he has a few surprises in store for me the following night. I ask him if he posts on USCHO.com and he says that he reads all of the posts, but that entering posts is a little beyond his computer skills. He also reads LetsGoDU Blog (the average demographic age of the readers is going up).
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Turns out that Maine and Idaho residents regularly argue about which state produces the most potatoes. In northern Maine, all kids receive a two-week break from high school to harvest potatoes during the season. In other words, spuds are a big deal up in Maine. I guess it can get pretty cold in Alfond during the winter and a nice hot potato really can hit the spot while watching the Black Bears. The only downside is that all of those steaming potatoes cause the ice to fog up and delay the game several times a night.
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On Saturday night between the first and second period, Arnie returns to take me on a whirlwind tour of Alfond Arena. Practically every Maine fan we pass says, "Hey Potato Man" to him. I soon realize that if I can keep up with Arnie (not as easy as you might think) and let everyone know I'm with him (not as believable as you might think), I may not get assaulted, away from the relative safety of the DU visitors section. We arrive at the "Potato Stand" and business must be good, because there are only two foil wrapped steaming hot 'tators remaining. I have no idea who I'm going to give the second potato to, but I grab both of them figuring that if a Maine fan goes hungry, perhaps they won't yell as loud.
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Arnie offers to pay for my spuds, but I refuse. I don't want to be known as a "freeloader" (OK-bad joke). I load them up with the fixins' and as I'm about to head back to my seat, Arnie asks, "Do you want to meet the Walrus?"
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The answer to a question like that can only be "Yes," so I follow him towards the opposite end of Alfond. More "Hey, Potato Man's" from the Maine faithful as we wind through the crowd. I'm a little concerned that my potatoes are going to get cold, but Arnie doesn't seem too worried. I figure that I'm with an expert, so I plow on through the crowd behind him.
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The "Walrus" is a big powerful lumberjack looking fellow who regularly posts on USCHO. He likes to stand above the dressing room tunnel behind the Maine goal and watch the games standing up. Legend has it that once a errant puck just narrowly missed him because he is so agile. Unfortunately, it hit his wife when he moved out of the way (that's gonna leave a mark).
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The three of us talk about hockey and posting for a few minutes and then, Arnie escorts me back towards my seat. We pose for a few photos with Arnie in the DU section and, I sense that a few DU fans want to try the spuds, but they've run out. My compatriot, Jim Orchid grabs the other potato and we both agree they are pretty good.
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Thanks Potato Man.
Maine 4 - Denver 2 (Weekend Recap)

Maine played incredibly well all weekend, perhaps the best 120 minutes that has been played against Denver in many years. They played the trap flawlessly and DU had all kinds of trouble getting the puck through the neutral zone. As both games wore on, our veteren players got clearly frustrated and tried to bring the puck through the zone themselves and ended up getting their pockets picked a few times. Nonetheless, this series hinged on what Maine did well, not what DU did poorly.

Maine goalie Ben Bishop was enormous in goal, and the entire Maine team defended and protected him. DU had free reign around the boards and blue line, but could NEVER penetrate inside. It seemed like most shots taken were either blocked by defensemen or wide. If this is beginning to sound like DU was playing the 2004 or 2005 National Championship Pioneers, except in blue jerseys, that was what it looked like.

When DU was on the Power Play, Maine still usually ended up with a good scoring opportunity i.e.- a one on none or two on one breaks. DU controlled the puck on the PP, but seemed to be a second slow getting a good shot off. Obviously, rust and timing issues caused this. Denver did a very good job on the penalty kill all weekend.

Both games were pretty similiar. DU came out with intensity, Maine fought back & then DU didn't have any answers. Maine patiently waited for DU to overextend its attack and would counter with solid scoring chances.
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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

All that being said, DU never quit, they played really hard and its going to take some time to pull it all together. I hope we stick with the same lines and combos and work our way through this, because there plenty of postives that I saw:

1). Matt Carle was the best player on the ice. The way he handles the puck is a joy to watch.
2). JD Corbin flew around the ice all weekend and drew at least three penalties.
3). I thought Mannino played very well. It could have easily been 7-2 or worse on Saturday.
4). The team played with a ton of pride, in a very hostile environment. The scores could have been a lot worse.
5). All of the Freshmen showed flashes of whats to come and Butler netted his first goal.
6). Helgason is easily the most improved player on the team. He's going to have a nice season.

Things that surprised me (but probably shouldn't have):

* DU would play better on the PP. There's a ton of talent out there, but it obviously takes time to jell.
* The game delays (TV timeouts on Friday & repreated "fog" delays on Saturday) would favor DU, by allowing the veterns to play longer. It didn't. Both games had little or no "flow" to them and this could have been a factor.
* The offense would be further along and that DU would have more 2nd chance opportunities on offense. Credit Maine for that.

Plenty for everyone to work on. The team doesn't need a whipping, I thought they played with great heart. Some easier opponents, in friendly confines will go a long way to curing what ills us. Good luck to Maine the rest of the way. I think they will be a solid contender for the Hockey East title and they certainly have the kind of team that can go far in the NCAA's.


Boone Visits DU-Maine Series
(click to enlarge photos)
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While in Maine over the weekend, I ran into an old friend, The Denver Boone. The following is a transcript of our conversation at the bar of the University Inn in Orono.
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dg: Long time, no see.
Boone: Its been a while.
dg: Is that the same 1957 Chrysler you had in Denver? (above)
Boone: Yep, I love that car. Still has the old school colors. I bought it right after Colorado College won their second National Championship. A few years later I promised myself I wouldn't buy a new one until CC won again. I've been through a few engines and transmissions, but it still runs great. Everytime CC fires their coach or they leave for greener pastures, I buy a new set of tires.
dg: What have you been up to?
Boone: After I got "fired" by DU, I got divorced and did a lot of travelling. I'd been in Denver for over 30 years and never took too many vacations, so I had a little money saved up and decided to get away.
dg: Where did you go?
Boone: Mostly Europe. Spent some time in Germany and was there when the Berlin Wall came down (above). It was definately a powerful experience and it was one crazy party. I hung out with Lukas Dora in the Czech Republic and lived in Prague for a while. Saw Erik Andersson in Sweden and Jussi Halme in Norway.
dg: Why so much time overseas? I thought you would have easily got another mascot gig in the US.
Boone: I was burned out. I wanted to go some place where mascots weren't persecuted or even recognized. That ruled out North Dakota or Florida State.
dg: What was the story with you and the police back in 2002? I heard you'd been arrested (above).
Boone: A misunderstanding. My lawyers worked it out and the Mayor of Portland apologized.
dg: What are you doing in Maine?
Boone: I have a cabin nearby in Boothsbay, Maine. I go fishing in the summer and have an apple orchard that I run commercially. I heard that Peter Mannino had a picture of me on his helmet. Thought I'd pop over and check it out this weekend.
dg: You've been missed. People ask me about you all the time. DU now has a Red Tailed Hawk, but nobody knows who he is.
Boone: Thanks, I don't really keep up with it. Its good to see everyone again and that the program is back to its former glory.
Maine 5 - Denver 1

ORONO (dg) - The Maine fans have been fantastic to us visitors from out west. Their fans love hockey and love their team. The students standing in rain chanting cheers one hour before they got into the arena, told me all I needed to know about what DU would be in for. The student section are called the "Maine-iacs" and they were rowdy all night. The Maine Band was was rocking just like they did at the Frozen Four. The only difference was with the low ceiling in Alfond Arena they are LOUD.

DU got the lead in the first period and although it was ugly, I thought we might escape with another "crushing" 1-0 victory. In the second period DU lost the plot and as it turned out it was game over. Props to Maine for playing a great game and taking it to DU. Maine had better opportunities, even shorthanded, and deserved a famous victory. Any reports of Hockey East's demise are greatly exagerated.
Player Profile : Ben Bishop, U. of Maine

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Left: Ben Bishop stands 6'7" and covers a mile of real estate
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This weekend the University of Maine will feature two goaltenders who bear similiarities to DU's goalie tandem last season. Sophmore Matt Lundin saw little playing time behind All-American Jimmy Howard and Freshman Ben Bishop comes in highly regarded. Lundin has the advantage of learning and training under Howard and scouting every Hockey East opponent. Bishop led almost every catagory in the NAHL and won a championship with the Texas Tornado.

Like DU's Paul Stastny & Freshman Chris Butler, Biship hails from St. Louis, Missouri. In 2003-04 he played for the St. Louis AAA Amateur Blues Midget Majors. Like Chris Butler, he attended Chaminade College Prep. Bishop was selected in the third round (85th overall) in the 2005 NHL Draft by the hometown St. Louis Blues.

The first thing that fans will notice about Biship is that he stands 6-7 and weighs 217 lbs. That might lead one to think that be is susceptible down low, but he would not of risen to this level if he had an obvious deficiency in his game. Maine and CC fans last weekend said that he got down well and played an exceptional game against the Tigers. He distributed the puck efficiently and kept the Black Bears in the game. Bishop had a highlight reel save on Hobey Baker winner Marty Sertich in the Third Period on a one-on-one to force the game into overtime.
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Since a butterfly goalie goes down often before the shot is taken, low may not be where you want to attack Bishop. With his tremendous leg span that area is covered. DU's attacking style that evolved last season may be perfectly suited to go after Bishop. Lots of havoc in front of the net and close in shots brought home the National Championship for the Pioneers. I'm sure Denver will try similar tactics this weekend. I think Paul Stastny will have a big weekend for DU. Stastny should have fun (if not a field day) on the power play sitting on Bishop's hip.
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Bishop will be tested by DU this weekend. Will he play as well as he did in his debut last weekend? Will DU have to resort to the old "UND Water Bottle Trick" to rattle Bishop? We'll find out this weekend and it will be fun to watch.

BISHOP'S KEY STATS: Last season played in 45 games for the Texas Tornado of the NAHL with a 35-8 overall record ... He posted five shutouts and had a 1.93 goals against average and a .920 save percentage ... He led the NAHL in wins and was second in shutouts and goals against ... Texas Tornado won the 2005 NAHL Championship under coach Tony Curtale ... Bishop was named to the NAHL first team All-Rookie Team ... Also earned the Texas Tornado Rookie of the Year Award ...
USHR says Tyler Ruegsegger Commits to DU for 2007

Update: Since this article was written Tyler Ruegsegger & Keith Seabrook have decided to attend the University of Denver in 2006 instead of 2007.

Several college hockey websites (USHR, Western Hockey Blog & Heisenberg's) are announcing that Tyler Ruegsegger has committed to play for the University of Denver in 2007. He his ranked by Heisenberg's site as the #1 prospect out of the state of Minnesota this year. Currently he is playing Right Wing for Shattuck-St. Mary's School in Faribault, MN. He has spent the past two summers playing for the USA's Under 17 & 18 year old National Teams. Next season Tyler will lace up the skates for the Omaha Lancers in th USHO (3rd Round draft choice). Tyler's family is from Lakewood, Colorado so there should be a large Ruegsegger cheering section in Magness Arena in the 2007-08 season.
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All college rankings below are from Heisenberg's site. http://members.aol.com/hockeyrecruits/Recruit06.htm
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2006 DU Recruits
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Rhett Rakhshani (Right Wing)
USNDPT U-18 Team
5'11 170 lbs.
Notes: Currently ranked #2 Foward on the US Development Program
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Matt Glasser (Left Wing)
Ft.McMurray (AJHL)
5'11 175
2005 NHL Draft #219
Notes: Currently ranked #1 College Prospect from Alberta, Canada
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Brian Gifford (Center)
Indiana (USHL)
6'1 173 lbs.
2004 NHL Draft Pick (Pittsburgh #85)
Notes: Drafted in 4th Round by NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins
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Cody Brookwell (Defenseman)
Williams Lake (BCHL)
6'4 200 lbs.
Notes: Currently #3 ranked College Prospect defenseman in British Columbia, Canada
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2007 DU Recruits
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Tyler Ruegsegger
(Right Wing)
Shattuck St.Mary's
5'11 170 lbs.
Notes: Currently ranked #1 College Prospect in Minnesota; 2004-05 USA National Teams
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Kyle Ostrow (Center)
Nanaimo (BCHL)
5'9 160 lbs.
Notes: Currently ranked #1 College Prospect in British Colombia, Canada
ASK dg

This week's question come from a reader in Maine...

gscott13: We all know that Maine had a scout at the DU-Lakehead game. I'm sure whoever was scouting the game is smart enough to know that those lines by Denver were in all likelihood an experiment. They were probably looking more at players on an individual level, tendencies of whichever goaltender played and what they were trying to do in terms of systems. Won't Maine have a huge advantage because of this scouting report?
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dg: Not Neccessarily. Of course Gwoz realized that the Maine Scout would be smart enough to see through the "Olde-Experimental-Lines-Ploy" and so he used the actual lines. What seperates the DU Coaching Staff from all others in college hockey is for the Lakehead game they retrained the entire team to play against their tendencies and hide their individual talent levels. All three DU goalies played with their sticks & gloves on the opposite hands to mask said tendencies. I hope the scout noticed that Mannino & King also switched Jerseys before the game.
Colorado College Suffers Shocking Tie w/ Lakehead

Colorado College, which hasn't won National Championship in Men's Ice Hockey Since 1957, managed to skate to a 5-5 draw with Lakehead University on Sunday. CC Coach Scott Owens pointed out that CC didn't dress 7 starters including #1 goalie Matt Zaba.
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He also noted that, "I was outfoxed by Coach Gwozdecky once again. Had I known that Lakehead University was from Thunder Bay we never would have scheduled them. We thought they were from Lake Head which is a sleepy little fishing outpost near the Canadian Rockies. Obviously they played much harder against us than they did the night before when DU defeated them 7-1."
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Ye-Olde-CC-Also-Played-3-Club-Players-Due-To-All-Of-The-Injuries-Plus-Zaba-Didn't-Play" Excuse. We haven't heard that one since the Frozen Four last year.
DU Drops From #1 to #2 After 7-1 Victory

The University of Denver's "narrow" 7-1 win over Lakehead University caused them drop from #1 to #2 in the latest USCHO.com/CSTV Poll. Obviously the pollsters thought Coach Gwozdecky's scheduling of a team from his hometown (Thunder Bay, Ontario) was "suspicious" and that DU didn't have the "killer instinct" to crush them 25-0.
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Lakehead then promptly went out and tied #6 Colorado College 5-5 and Air Force 2-2. Colorado College, which has not won a National Championship in Men's Ice Hockey since 1957, was playing its third game in three nights and without seven regular players.
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DU needs to learn a few things about the importance of running up the score in meaningless exhibition games or we will never see #1 again (until the last poll of the season). Minnesota on the otherhand "handily" defeated the University of Alberta 4-3.
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This week's USCHO.com Poll
1. Minnesota (15) 0-0-0 765
2. Denver (23) 0-0-0 758
3. Cornell 0-0-0 668
4. Boston College ( 1) 0-0-0 662
5. Ohio State ( 1) 0-0-0 639
6. Colorado College 2-0-0 624
7. Michigan 2-0-0 558
8. New Hampshire 0-0-0 509
9. North Dakota 1-1-0 455
10. Michigan State 2-0-0 373
11. Wisconsin 1-1-0 359
12. Maine 1-1-0 326
13. Northern Michigan 0-0-0 325
14. Boston University 0-0-0 315
15. Dartmouth 0-0-0 223
16. Colgate 1-0-0 210
17. Harvard 0-0-0 199
18. Mass.-Lowell 1-1-0 104
19. Vermont 0-0-0 81
20. Bemidji State 2-0-0 74

Mannino Backs the Boone


Mannino Backs the Boone

DENVER - Reports have DU Goaltender Peter Mannino wearing the Denver Boone on his helmet. If true, this is sure to make Peter an Alumni favorite. Most alums don't think much of the Jelly Donut Logo (TM - DU Athletic Department). We're not a big fans of Ruckus.

Watch CSTV this Friday night to see the Boone make an attempted comeback.
Gwozspeak #2

Refering to the Lakehead game, Coach Gwozdecky came up with this......

"Tonight's game was about seeing where we were and what we needed to work on and now we can start working on the things we need to work on."

dg's Translation: There's gonna be some work going on.
DU Hosts Media Day

Highlights from two time NCAA Coach of the Year George Gwozdecky at DU's Media Day. Students of "Gwozspeak" weren't disappointed, as it was harder than ever to get through the clutter and find out what he was really thinks about the team...
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On this season's challenges and the losses from last year's team... "We have some great challenges ahead of us, but I don't think any are overwhelming. We lost seven terrific seniors. That senior class won more games than any other senior class in the history of the Pioneer hockey program. A number of them are playing professional hockey and at the minor league level and one has moved on to a successful business career in the community, but all will missed for their contribution not only on the ice but the leadership they provided. As you know, we also lost our captain-to-be Brett Skinner.
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dg's Translation: Dude, we are loaded with some of the best recruits we have ever landed. If Skinner hadn't bailed, this season would be a cakewalk.
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So with eight guys who played on a regular basis departing, that leaves a lot of room for the younger guys and people who played more of a supplementary role last year to move up to a more primary role. Our challenges--new leadership. Our co-captains Matt (Carle) and Gabe (Gauthier) are here today with us and together they form a great tandem to lead our team. It's a new position for both of these guys and it will take time for them to become comfortable in their new responsibilities--to develop this team and the chemistry that we've had success with in the past. We have a lot of confidence in these two young men and I know they'll do a terrific job."
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dg's Translation: Caldwell & Laatsch brought home the hardware. Gauthier & Carle had BETTER do the same.
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On retaining the coaching staff... "Anytime you have the success as our program has, you're bound to lose people. And we have lost people; to graduation and players, as I mentioned, Brett Skinner, but we have managed to keep our coaching staff intact. And I can't tell you how pleased I am and how grateful I am to our coaching staff--Steve Miller, Seth Appert and David Tenzer to be back with us. They've coached an awful long time and have recruited some great players. To keep that continuity with our staff is extremely important for the kind of team we have this year."
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dg's Translation: I can't believe the knuckleheads that are running any of the hockey programs around the country didn't scoop these guys up. What do you expect from a bunch of bozo's that picked DU to finish 6th in the WCHA last year? (sighs) Oh well, their loss is our gain.
DU '06 Recruit Matt Glasser Shines at Oilers Rookie Camp

Left: #64 Matt Glasser at Edmonton's rookie camp

Last we heard from 'o6 DU recruit Matt Glasser, he was being drafted in the 7th Round by the Edmonton Oilers. Since that time he has moved up to the #1 position on Chris Heiselberg's list of Alberta College Prospects. Playing left wing for the Ft. McMurray Oil Barons, Matt is the 2nd leading scorer on the team. The Oil Barons, who finished 2nd last season, are off to a great start this year at 8-1-0.
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Glasser is described by Kevin Prendergast in Hockey's Future website as having “excellent vision and he’s a strong skater." Playing at altitude in Denver against tired opponents will surely highlight his skating ability.

The big news is Glasser's performance at the Edmonton Oilers Rookie Camp over the summer. Playing against the likes of Yan Stastny (Brother of Paul) and former UND captain Matt Greene, Glasser more than held his own. He had an assist on a second period goal and then tallied an apparent game winner as time expired. The goal was disallowed when it was ruled that the buzzer had sounded and the game went to overtime. Glasser's team eventually lost in the Penalty Shootout. Nonetheless, his performance caught the attention of the Oilers management in attendance.

Edmonton has also drafted DU player's Geoff Paukovich and goalie Glenn Fisher. Its starting to look like the Denver Pioneers have become the unofficial WCHA affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.

The Details: http://www.edmontonoilers.com/news/050906.php
USCHO.com/CSTV Division I Men's Poll - Preseason
(first-place votes in parentheses)

1. Denver, 662 (17)
2. Minnesota, 653 (13)
3. Boston College, 583 (2)
4. Cornell, 580
5. Ohio State, 566 (2)
6. Colorado College, 523
7. North Dakota, 502 (1)
8. Michigan, 481
9. New Hampshire, 459
10. Wisconsin, 391 (1)
11. Maine, 309
12. Northern Michigan, 270
13. Boston University, 260
14. Dartmouth, 242
15. Harvard, 222
16. UMass-Lowell, 208
17. Michigan State, 204
18. Colgate, 78t
19. Vermont, 51
t19. Minnesota Duluth, 51
Best College Hockey Websites & Blogs:

By no means a complete list, but these are the sites that I bookmark. If you know of other sites, post them on the comments below and I'll add them to my list.

Websites (Hit the links to view sites)
US College Hockey Online - The Fan Forum is really fun and the scores updates & radio links are essential for out of town fans.

Inside College Hockey - I really like their polls and lists. Also their newspaper links are an outstanding resource to find out what is being said in the local fishwraps around the country.

College Hockey News - The new kids on the block. Nice crisp layout and an excellent writing staff give them a chance to take on USCHO.
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Denver Pioneer Hockey - The "official" site of the University of Denver Hockey Program & Athletic Department. The site looks really good, with tons of offseason upgrades.

RPI Hockey.Net - This site has every imaginable college hockey ranking system. Good news if you play in the WCHA, strength of schedule will always get a nice boost in these rankings.

Chris Heisenberg's College Hockey Recruits - This is the bible of who's going where among the free sites. Also lists & ranks every college recruit going back to 1995, so one can check out the recruiting steals and the busts from past seasons.
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Western College Hockey Recruiting - Site dedicated to the CCHA & WCHA has an excellent recruiting section.
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Hockey's Future - For the lowdown on collegiate players that have been or about to be drafted into the NHL is site is fantastic.
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USHR - The US Hockey Report is a fee based site, but if you want to be the first person in your season ticket section to know which recruits were kicked out of boarding school, this site's for you.
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WCHA Fan Message Boards
Minnesota Duluth - The Penalty Box always has a good time.
North Dakota - Sioux Sports is a great site with tons of good stats, info & posts.
Minnesota - Just what you'd expect from the State of Hockey. Gopher Puck Live.
Colorado College - The boys down south are still looking for the hardware, but at least they have a good message board.
St. Cloud State - Fresh off of overthrowing their coach, Da Huskies' fans have da Board.
Michigan Tech - Its no surprise that that computer geeks at MTU aka Mitch's Misfits have a very nice site.
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Blogs
Pioneer Hockey Blog - I liked Dubbie's site so much, when he wouldn't sell it to me for a million bucks, I copied it.
Bruce Ciskie's Blog - Home of the "Voice of Reason" Duluth's own Bruce Ciskie Show.
Western College Hockey Blog - Perhaps the best college hockey blog out there. WCHA & CCHA coverage.
Boston College Blog - Not totally devoted to college hockey, but when it does its very good.
Michigan College Hockey Online - Covers EVERY college team in the State of Michigan.
The Blog that Yost Built - All things relating to U. of Michigan Hockey.
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