My email's a little messed up, but I just HAD to post this one about the=20
Gophers player *I* think (as the Gopher gang on the list may have heard=20
a time or three :-) ) is the most unsung on the team.
-Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!!!
 
http://www.daily.umn.edu/~online/daily/1996/01/11/sports/puck11/>=20
> [Image]
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> SPORTS
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> 'Big Oak' excels without scoring goals
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> Jeff Sherry - Staff Reporter
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> Related Links: Golden Gopher Hockey
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>                                                             [Image]
> At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and 6-foot-2, 224 pounds
> respectively, Dan Trebil and Greg Zwakman are often referred to as
> the "big oaks" of the Gophers hockey team by coach Doug Woog.
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> But the senior defensemen have more than size in common. Considering
> their soft-spoken demeanors off the ice, they could just as easily
> be called the "whispering oaks." And on the ice, they both use skill
> and proper positioning to make up for their lack of speed.
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> "We're a lot alike," Trebil said. "Neither of us can skate and we're
> both tall."
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> Compare their playing styles, however, and the similarities end.
> While the Gophers rely on Trebil more for his offense and slap shot
> on the power play, Zwakman is more of a true, physical defenseman
> who makes his mark on the penalty kill.
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> The pair's roles are clearly illustrated when looking at the scoring
> statistics. Trebil is tied for seventh in the league with 24 points.
> Zwakman has no goals and three assists. In fact, through 143 games
> at Minnesota, Zwakman's career goal total is the same as the number
> on his jersey: 2.
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> Zwakman said he figured out that he would never be a scorer by the
> time he was 10 years old.
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> "Everyone knows people have different roles on this team," Zwakman
> said. "Some guys score and some guys don't. If it were my role to
> score every game, there's no way in hell that I'd be in the lineup."
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> For that reason, he is often a forgotten man in Minnesota's stellar
> defense. When the Gophers' key players are mentioned, hardly a
> whisper is heard about the big oak from Edina.
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> Zwakman's conservative, steady play can make him blend in on the
> ice. And that's just he way he likes it.
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> "That's good," Zwakman said. "If fans noticed me, that would mean I
> screwed up and someone scored on us. So if I don't get noticed,
> essentially that means I'm doing my job."
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> Zwakman is used to going unnoticed on the ice. His playing style
> hasn't changed much since his days at Edina High School, where his
> game didn't attract much attention either. Despite garnering
> all-state honors his senior year, Minnesota was the only team to
> show serious interest in him.
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> Not that Zwakman expected much consideration from college teams.
> Because of his limited scoring touch, he never took playing college
> hockey very seriously until the Gophers invited him for an official
> visit.
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> "It was always a dream for me to come here and play, but I wasn't
> very confident it would ever happen," Zwakman said. "It seemed that
> the leading scorers were the guys everyone wanted. I didn't think
> teams recruited players to fill different roles. And that's
> basically what happened. That's how I slipped in here."
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> Now that his college career is winding down, he is in the same old
> situation. Zwakman, who has been drafted by the Hartford Whalers,
> isn't sure about his future in hockey. But even with a possible
> professional career looming, Zwakman's not going to change anything
> to impress Hartford's scouts. He's still taking the same dull,
> effective approach to every game.
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> "The guys I'm playing for are the other 19 guys on the ice," Zwakman
> said. "It's not for the fans or the media or anyone else -- it's for
> the coaches and the players. They all know what I do, and that's
> what matters."
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> [Image]
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> =A9The Minnesota Daily
 
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