INCH Touts DU For Frozen Four in 2010

Inside College Hockey has an article entitled "10 Things For 2010." They list the University of Denver as the WCHA's strongest candidate to make the Frozen Four in Detroit."

8. Which WCHA team will make it back to the Frozen after such a long (and enjoyable) absence?

OK, so it’s been a one-year hiatus. Consider the teasing payback for the 2005 Frozen Four in Columbus when we had to listen to how fabulous the Dub was ad nauseum.

It wasn’t a banner year for the WCHA in 2008-09. Stalwarts Minnesota and Wisconsin missed the NCAA Tournament. So did preseason favorite Colorado College and perennial postseason player St. Cloud State. Denver and North Dakota were first-round NCAA washouts. Were it not for Minnesota Duluth’s remarkable postseason run, the season would’ve been utterly forgettable.

Don’t expect a repeat in 2009-10. Of the teams in the league that can stake a claim to having Frozen Four aspirations, Denver appears to have the strongest case. The Pioneers can put together two legitimate scoring lines by mixing and matching forwards Joe Colborne, Anthony Maiani, Jesse Martin, Kyle Ostrow, Rhett Rakhshani, Tyler Ruegsegger, and Luke Salazar. That list doesn’t include incoming freshman Drew Shore, a U.S. NTDP product who’s projected by some to be a first-round selection in next month’s NHL Entry Draft. There’s not much point production from the blue line outside of Patrick Wiercioch, but with the talent up front, that isn’t a huge concern. Marc Cheverie, who put up solid numbers in his first season as the no. 1 guy in goal for DU, is back, too.

This could be the most talented team in George Gwozdecky’s tenure. Seriously.