=46irst a couple Pioneer Press URLs:
http://www.pioneerplanet.com/sports/hockey/docs/009703.htm
        Frosh gives U a boost - Rasmussen's play keeps improving
 
http://www.pioneerplanet.com/sports/hockey/docs/029700.htm
        Brain surgery muddles Granato's hockey future
        (About former Badger Tony Granato)
 
And today's (2/16/96) Minnesota Daily article:
Kraft to face ex-teammate
 
Michael Rand - Staff Reporter
 
Ryan Kraft and Matt Cullen didn't just put Moorhead High School
hockey on the map -- they created the map.
 
After toiling in relative obscurity for the better part of its existence,
Moorhead reached the finals of the state hockey tournament in 1992. The
Spuds haven't missed a tournament since then. Kraft, who graduated in 1994
and Cullen, who graduated a year later, were the cornerstones of the team.
 
Now each plays a key role on a team in the nation's elite college hockey
conference. But this weekend they'll be lined up across from each other
instead of next to one another when Minnesota plays St. Cloud State.
 
Kraft, a sophomore for the Gophers, said it's a little strange to see his
former teammate wearing a Huskies jersey.
 
"I looked across at him and we both smiled," Kraft said, recalling the
teams' first meeting this year. "It was kind of a weird feeling."
 
The two were close friends throughout high school, living only two blocks
away from each other at one point. They could have been teammates in
college, also. Cullen was recruited by the Gophers, but he didn't feel
comfortable with the program.
 
Traditionally, the best hockey players in the state come to Minnesota, while
St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth choose from the leftovers. Therefore,
it was somewhat surprising when Cullen opted for the Huskies.
 
"I was surprised he didn't come here," Kraft said. "Most kids growing up
dream of playing for Minnesota. But I know he's happy where he's at."
 
Cullen said one of his main concerns about coming to Minnesota was that he
wouldn't get the playing time he wanted.
 
"I liked the guys and the coaches at St. Cloud State," Cullen said. "Things
didn't really go well (at Minnesota). My unofficial visits didn't go too
well and it kind of kept going downhill."
 
Kraft and Cullen are confident they chose the right schools. And considering
the numbers both have put up since leaving Moorhead, it's obvious that their
teams have no regrets, either.
 
Kraft was the leading scorer among WCHA freshmen last year and is fourth on
the Gophers this year with 34 points. Cullen leads the Huskies with 35
points.
 
Although their statistics mirror each other, their styles of play are
different, said Moorhead hockey coach Terry Cullen, who is also Matt's dad.
Cullen's large size makes him more of a playmaker/physical presence, while
Kraft is a finesse-type goal scorer.
 
"Both of them are tremendously gifted players," Terry Cullen said. "Their
common thread is their desire to succeed. When the other kids were going to
the beach, they were working on stickhandling."
 
Kraft's hard work showed more than Cullen's did in the Gophers sweep of the
Huskies on Nov. 4-5. Neither player scored a goal, but the sophomore
pocketed four assists on the weekend compared to the freshman's one.
 
This weekend's home-and-home series -- at Minnesota on Friday and St. Cloud
on Saturday -- probably means more to the Huskies in the WCHA standings.
 
The Gophers, after splitting with Colorado College last weekend, are six
points behind the league-leading Tigers. Minnesota (24-6-2, 20-6-2 in the
WCHA) is still six points ahead of third-place Denver.
 
The Huskies (10-17-4, 9-15-4) are in eighth place but could move past
Wisconsin and Michigan Tech and improve its playoff seeding with a pair of
wins.
 
Kraft and Cullen said they don't hold anything back when they play against
each other.
 
"It's a big weekend for us," Cullen said. "There's a big rivalry between the
teams, and that makes it fun."
 
Off the ice, the two remain friends. Busy schedules during hockey season
make it difficult to stay in touch, but Cullen and Kraft manage.
 
"I'm planning on calling him tonight just to see how things are going,"
Kraft said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
=A9The Minnesota Daily
 
 
 
 
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!
 
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