DU Hockey Alums Support Team In Minneapolis

(above) DU Alum Pete LoPresti played goaltender for the Minnesota North Stars & Edmonton Oilers between 1974-81

LetsGoDU Sideline Reporter Jim Glabman was in Minneapolis last weekend and caught up with many of the DU hockey alums in attendance. Although DU was unable to come away with a victory on Friday afternoon, Glabman tells us that it was great to catch up with everyone.

Robert Graiziger (73-76) , Pete LoPresti (73-74), Dan Vlaiselejevich (80-83), Mark Luger (91-94) , Bryan Schoen (90-93), Chris Paradise (99-02), Brad Podiak, (90-91) Jay Moore (88-91), Jesse Cook (99-02), Ryan Helgason (03-07) and Jeff Lamb (84-87).

Dan Vlaiselevich's nephew Eli Vlaiselevich is a Junior defenseman for Michigan Tech.

Jeff Lamb told the famous "Audi Story" and it was good laugh, "No one remembers the goals I fricking scored, just that my dad won an Audi."

Mr. Lamb famously shot a puck from the far blue line through a small opening in the goal between periods in the mid-Eighties. He won a brand new 1985 Audi 4000. It certainly is one of the most famous goals ever scored in the old DU Arena and wasn't even scored by a player.

Tom May's dad, Matty Laatsch's parents and the Testwuide's were all cornered during the course of the weekend.

DU vs. CC 1986
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(Left) The 1985-86 DU team won the MacNaughton and Broadmoor Trophies before bowing to Harvard in the Frozen Four in Providence. In a long line of DU victories over Colorado College this still remains one of the greatest...
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DU Overcomes Odds to Win Title

February 21, 1986
by Dan Davis

The Tigers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on goals by Brent Gropp and Rick Boh. The Pioneers twice cut the lead back to one with a rebound goal by John McMillen and a spectacular goal by Kermit Ecklebarger.
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However the pesky Tigers would not give up their lead and finally broke open a 5-2 advantage early in the 2nd period.
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"We were a little nervous at the outset," John McMillan said. "We knew we could come back."
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After the fifth CC goal, DU pulled goaltender Tom Allen in favor of Chris Olsen, who turned DU's fortunes around. The Pioneers pulled quicky back to within one at 5-4 on a rebound goal by Ed Christofoli and a two-on-one breakaway by McMillan, assisted by Jim Onstad. However the Tigers again lengthened their lead late in the second period when Tom Pederson launched a wrist shot between Olsen's pad which he defelected but couldn't stop.
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Jeff Lamb then pulled DU to within one goal once again at 19:50 of the second period when he knocked in a deflected pass from defenseman Jim Smith, setting the stage for a heartstopping third period.
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The Pioneers, as they had done all night, pecked away at CC goaltender Derek Pizzney and finally got a tying goal when Tom Weiss drilled a shot into the upper part of the CC net. Less than three minutes later Weiss scored again on a wrist shot, putting DU ahead for the first time in the game and bring a tremendous roar from a highly vocal sell out crowd at the DU Arena.
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Olsen and the DU defense held on to the lead, won the battle 7-6, and found themselves one win away from the WCHA title, which they clinched the next night 4-2."We knew we had the ability to come back from 5-2," Weiss said. "this was the greatest thrill in hockey for me today."