Headline: UMD coach Sertich in stable condition, will be released today
Publish Date: 02/14/1995
Matthew Cross
Staff Reporter
 
Minnesota-Duluth hockey coach Mike Sertich was reported in normal
condition Monday after briefly passing out during the third period of
Saturday's game with the Gophers.
 
Sertich, 48, turned white early in the period and began staggering.
He eventually fell into the arms of someone on the Bulldogs bench.
 
He was carried into the Gophers training room, then brought to the
University of Minnesota hospital complaining of chest pains.
 
UMD assistant coach Jim Knapp reported during a postgame press
conference that Sertich had an irregular heartbeat and that his
condition had stabilized.
 
Sertich underwent preliminary heart and blood tests, but no
irregularities were found.
 
Knapp said the UMD players were immediately affected by Sertich's
condition.
 
``It rocked us back on our heels for a little bit,'' Knapp said. ``It
had an immediate effect on the game, and I think one goal resulted
from it.
 
``After the game, the players were disappointed in the loss, but they
were more concerned about how Sertich is. It really puts things in
perspective.''
 
Sertich is expected to be released from the University Hospital on
Tuesday.
 
Callinan honored
****************
Gophers senior goaltender Jeff Callinan earned WCHA Defensive Player
of the Week honors for his performance against UMD last weekend.
 
Callinan stopped 45 of 46 shots in the two-game series (.978 save
percentage) and recorded the first shutout of his college career when
he blanked the Bulldogs 3-0.
 
He nearly got his second shutout on Saturday night, but UMD's Jeff
Romfo scored with 9:04 left in the third period.
 
Callinan has been the top-rated goaltender in the WCHA for most of
the season and owns the best goals against average with a 2.68 mark.
 
He also leads the league with 36 shutout periods in 29 games.
 
Will ``The Thrill'' Anderson
*****************************
In his first game as a Gophers hockey player, Will Anderson didn't
score, and he didn't play excellent defense. But he got noticed.
 
Late in the third period of Friday night's game, Anderson leveled
Minnesota-Duluth center Chris Sittlow and sent the 9,510 fans at
Mariucci Arena in a frenzy.
 
Gophers coach Doug Woog, who plans to redshirt Anderson this
season, contemplated playing him again on Saturday, noting that his
fire on the ice was appreciated by the coaches.
 
``He'll remember that (hit) when he's 60, sitting around a fire with
his dog telling his grandkids about when he used to play hockey,''
Woog joked after the game.
 
The 5-foot-9, 181-pound winger from White Bear Lake is best
characterized as a spark plug who uses his own energy to charge the
team.
 
``(Anderson) did exactly what I figured he'd do,'' Woog said.
``He played like his heart is as big as his body, and he's just like
that in practice.''
 
But for now, Anderson's heart will stay in practice because he's
still going to redshirt this season.
 
Fiebelkorn provides offense
***************************
Gophers forward Jed Fiebelkorn elevated his offensive production in
recent weeks, and his timing couldn't be better.
 
With only six games remaining in the Gophers season, coach Doug Woog
expressed the importance of the third line's producing more offense
and spreading the scoring between more players in the playoffs.
 
Minnesota has relied on scoring from Brian Bonin, Justin McHugh and
Dan Trebil this season, but they profited from goals by Charlie
Wasley and Fiebelkorn this weekend.
 
The Gophers implemented a plan to spread out offense, allowing more
time for the players on the point to shoot. Fiebelkorn said he has
benefitted from that, though he doesn't play on the point.
 
He said the open game has allowed him to concentrate more on shooting
than forechecking and making hits.
 
Woog said the biggest difference for Fiebelkorn is his newfound
confidence on the ice.
 
``It's an amazing difference in how you feel when you get points on
the board,'' Woog said. ``When you have success, you try more things,
and Jed is starting to play like he does in practice.''
 
For the record, Fiebelkorn was nominated for WCHA Offensive Player of
the Week.
 
Carol S. White                            BITNET: c-whit@uminn1
University of Minnesota        internet:[log in to unmask]
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