=46rom the Wednesday (2/14/96) Minnesota Daily:
 
U freshman emerges as NHL prospect
 
Matthew Cross - Staff Reporter
 
Gophers forward Erik Rasmussen was sitting in the locker room at
Mariucci Arena two hours before last Friday's game against Colorado College
swallowing Rolaids like they were popcorn at a movie theater.
 
Antacid: not because he had an upset tummy, but because he was scared out of
his mind.
 
"I was so nervous all day," Rasmussen said after the game. "This was nervous
to another level."
 
But nobody would have ever known his pregame activity judging by his play on
the ice -- so calm and collected.
 
=46irst, he assisted on linemate Brian Bonin's goal in the first period. And
in the closing minutes of the third period, Rasmussen got the puck streaking
up near the offensive blue line. He went wide-right around Tigers defenseman
Calvin Elfring.
 
Colorado College captain Eric Rud closed in on him, but Rasmussen centered
the puck and snuck it past Rud -- smooth as silk.
 
Minnesota defenseman Mike Crowley stopped the puck with his skate and
backhanded it past goaltender Ryan Bach in the top shelf of the net.
 
That was the game-winner with 2:08 remaining in Friday's 3-2 thriller, which
gave the Gophers enough confidence to say they can beat Colorado College
again.
 
"I looked back and saw white so I threw the puck that way," Rasmussen said
of Crowley's home jersey. "Fortunately Mike was there and put it away."
 
Gophers fans have seen a lot of those kinds of plays from Rasmussen in the
past few weeks, as the freshman continues to show why he is on the first
line with Bonin.
 
Rasmussen's role is to provide a physical presence, dig the puck out of the
corners and keep defensemen off of Bonin. But since winter quarter started,
Rasmussen has three goals and 16 assists.
 
Minnesota coach Doug Woog said Rasmussen, who was a one-man show at St.
Louis Park High School, has benefitted from working next to a player like
Bonin.
 
"This is the first time in his life he's had a chance to play consistently
with upper level players," Woog said. "He has to develop the mentality of a
goal scorer. Right now he's a playmaker."
 
Indeed, Rasmussen has shown he can set up teammates to score. His season
totals include 21 assists and eight goals for 29 points. But nobody ever
doubted his ability.
 
Rasmussen, whose father (Don) and uncle (Dale) both played for Minnesota in
1960-61, was the 1995 Minnesota Mr. Hockey winner. He joined former winners
Bonin, Nick Checco and Crowley on the Gophers squad.
 
But Rasmussen sees the award as more of a gift to St. Louis Park than a
personal accomplishment.
 
"It's a big deal for me, and it's still a great honor to be named along with
the other players who have won it," Rasmussen said. "But I think it's bigger
for the community. It's good for the kids in a town not noted for hockey to
know that it can happen."
 
Rasmussen was also selected to play on the U.S. National Junior team last
December and is projected as a potential first-round pick by the NHL Central
Scouting Bureau.
 
If he does get picked in the first round, Rasmussen could be offered about
$400,000 to go pro right away, but he doesn't see that far down the road
right now.
 
"The amount of money it would take to pull me away from school is pretty
great," Rasmussen said. "Actually, I haven't really thought about it. If
it's a possibility for me I definitely want to pursue it, but I still have a
long way to go. I like to play so much that it doesn't matter.
 
"If all goes well, I'd like to stay here and win a national championship. I
like school. I like the program here, and I like the way I'm improving as a
player."
 
Woog definitely sees the improvements Rasmussen has made since the Dec.
15-16 series at Alaska Anchorage, especially in the freshman's skating
ability. However, Woog thinks the 6-foot-2, 191 pound winger should stay at
Minnesota.
 
"He did himself a service by not opting for the draft last year," Woog said.
"In my opinion, he enhanced his pro draft position by functioning at a high
level, and I would expect he would return because he needs more of it."
 
Rasmussen listed three things he feels need improvement before he moves on
to the next level: confidence in his shot, his overall strength and his
consistency.
 
Still, Woog said Rasmussen has shown already that he is the type of player
who could be a big-timer at the professional level because of his desire to
improve.
 
"He's just going to get better if he continues to put the same effort in,"
Woog said. "And if it's fun for him, he shouldn't be leaving. He's a
19-year-old boy, and he's going to go on and make some pretty good money
playing hockey."
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=A9The Minnesota Daily
 
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!
 
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