DU Coach Will Assist USA World Jr. Team Again

(above) David Lassonde will assist the USA Under-20 team in Sweden next year

Minnesota head coach Don Lucia was named head coach of the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team in an announcement made Saturday.  Boston College assistant coach Greg Brown, Denver assistant coach David Lassonde and St. Cloud State head coach Bob Motzko [a former DU assistant coach] will be Lucia’s assistant coaches with Team USA.

The 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship runs from Dec. 26, 2013 to Jan. 5, 2014, in Malmo, Sweden. The U.S. is seeking its fourth medal in five years, having won gold under Phil Housley in 2013 and under Nebraska-Omaha coach Dean Blais in 2010 and the bronze medal in 2011.

DU Coach Earns Gold Medal At World Juniors

(above) USA's Under 20 Team defeated Sweden 3-1

USA's Under-20 Team rolled to a gold medal-clinching 3-1 victory over Sweden in Ufa, Russia on Saturday afternoon. University of Denver assistant coach David Lassonde was part of the winning effort as he assisted Head Coach Phil Housley at the tournament.

Lassonde was in charge of the goaltenders and USA backstop John Gibson was named MVP of the Tournament and shattered several American records in the process.

The trip to the top of the podium is America's second in the last four years and, after wins in the U-17 and U-18 tournaments, suggests that this age group represents the most successful the country has produced.

The title was sweet redemption for a program that finished seventh in 2012, but the final itself was hardly the masterpiece that was its 5-1 semifinal win over the Canadians.

DU Today Looks At Gwozdecky's Coaching Protoges

(above) George Gwozdecky talks about his former players and coaches with DU Today

Read Entire Article

FORMER ASSISTANTS
Seth Appert, head coach, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Enrico Blasi, head coach, Miami-Ohio
Bob Motzko, head coach, St. Cloud State
Bob Prier, head coach, Princeton
Joe Piscotty, director of video scouting, Anaheim Ducks, NHL
Greg Drechsel, scout, Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL
Matt Cady, director of hockey operations, Miami-Ohio
Drew Famulak, associate head coach, Ferris State
Chris LaPerle, assistant coach, McGill University (CAN)
Steven Palmer, assistant coach, Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL
Michael Zucker, assistant coach, Omaha Lancers, USHL
Derek Lalonde, head coach, Green Bay Gamblers, USHL
Mike Mudd, general manager, Worcester Sharks, AHL

FORMER PLAYERS
Chris Bergeron, head coach, Bowling Green
Nick Larson, head coach, Colorado RoughRiders
Scott McConnell, head coach, Chicago Steel, USHL
Angelo Ricci, director/head coach, Colorado Thunderbirds
Matt Laatsch, scout, Anaheim Ducks, NHL
Mike Corbett, assistant coach, US Air Force Academy
Brian Gifford, assistant coach, Colorado Thunderbirds
Jason Grahame, assistant coach, Rocky Mountain RoughRiders
Ryan Hacker, head coach, Sartell-St. Stephen (MN.) High School
Gavin Morgan, assistant coach, University of Alabama-Huntsville
Barry Schutte, assistant coach, Bowling Green
Bryan Vines, assistant coach, RPI

College Hockey News Profiles Adam Murray

(above) Good article in CHN about Adam Murray

BOSTON — Adam Murray couldn't have asked for a bigger challenge in his first weekend as the clear-cut No. 1 goalie for Denver. The junior, who took over the starting job when Sam Brittain underwent knee surgery in June, got to face Boston College and Boston University on back-to-back nights on the road [read entire article].

Denver Post Profiles DU's Adam Murray

(above) The Denver Post has an article about Adam Murray today

From: Denver Post

by Mike Chambers

Adam Murray shed 20 pounds over the summer but in the process gained the weight of a hockey program. Good thing the University of Denver goalie is a psychology major with a clear understanding of goals, which in this case is his job to prevent [read rest of article].

Chambers Blog Has Interview With Coach Lassonde

(above) Denver Post reporter Mike Chambers spoke to new DU assistant coach David Lassonde

Mike Chambers Blog has an exclusive interview with DU’s new goaltending coach and No. 2 assistant David Lassonde this week. The longtime New Hampshire assistant spoke about his reasons for coming to DU, his future coaching goals and how working under Coach Gwozdecky pads the resume. Its an interesting article.

Ray Pigozzi Commits To University of Denver

Ray Pigozzi

Ray Pigozzi (5'11 174 lbs. Evanston, IL.) committed to DU this week according to Heisenberg's Website.  Pigozzi was one of the youngest players in the USHL last season at 16 years old.
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Pigozzi had been linked to Michigan, Wisconsin, and most notably New Hampshire on various recruiting websites.  David Lassonde's move from UNH to DU may have been the factor for the young left winger, but certainly DU was watching Pigozzi in the USHL last season.
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Pigozzi will arrive at DU in 2013, after spending the next two seasons in the USHL with Des Moines.  He is described as a physical forward who's not afraid to mix things up.

Last season he appeared in 51 games for Des Moines and recorded 6 goals and 12 assists. He played his midget hockey with the Chicago Mission where he was a member of their Under-16 national championship team.

2011 Recruiting Class
D Scott Mayfield (Youngstown, USHL)
F Zac Larraza (U.S. Under-18)
D Joey LaLeggia (Penticton Vees, BCHL)
F Larkin Jacobson (Janesville Jets, NAHL)
D-F Wade Bennett (Wichita Falls, NAHL)
F Matt Tabrum (Omaha, USHL)
D Josiah Didier (Cedar Rapids, USHL)
F Daniel Doremus (Sioux Falls, USHL)
G Juho Olkinuora (Sioux Falls, USHL)
F Ty Loney (Youngstown, USHL)

2012 Recruiting Class
F Tyler Pham (Indiana Ice, USHL)
D Dakota Mermis (U.S. Under-18)
D Matt Van Voorhis (Sioux Falls, USHL)
F Garrett Allen (Unknown)
D Nolan Zajac (Cedar Rapids, USHL)

2013 Recruiting Class
F Brad Hawkinson (Lincoln Stars, USHL)
F Landon Smith (Cedar Rapids, USHL)
F Connor Chatham (U.S. Under-17)
D Gage Ausmus (U.S. Under-17)
F Ray Pigozzi (Des Moines, USHL)

2014 Recruiting Class
F Jared Fiegl (Colorado Rampage, U-16)

DU Signs Big Name Assistant David Lassonde

David Lassonde

From: Warrior Rink Rat

U.S. Hockey Report mentioned today that David Lassonde, who has been an assistant coach on Dick Umile's University of New Hampshire staff for the past 18 years, is leaving the program to take an assistant coaching job with the University of Denver, filling the position vacated by Derek Lalonde, who was hired as head coach of the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers.

Last week, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post mentioned that DU was interviewing Coach Lassonde.  Lassonde played goalie at Providence College from 1981-83, has spent 18 of his 24 years as a Division I assistant with the Wildcats; he also worked at Wisconsin and Miami (Ohio). He is the longest-tenured UNH assistant coach in the history of the program and has mentored All-American Wildcat goalies Ty Conklin, Kevin Regan, Mike Ayers, Jeff Levy and Brian Foster, according to his bio on the UNH hockey website.