This is from the Winter Finals Week Minnesota Daily (3/11/96):
 
Woogless Gophers claim WCHA playoff title
 
Jeff Sherry - Staff Reporter
 
Related Links: Golden Gopher Hockey
 
 
MILWAUKEE -- In its first three games alone, the WCHA Final Five
featured the suspense of an entire tournament. By Friday night's end
the Bradley Center had seen two overtime matches, a Minnesota comeback win
against rival Wisconsin and a shocking upset of No. 1 Colorado College.
 
Then came the kicker. WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod announced the league
had suspended Gophers coach Doug Woog from Saturday's championship game for
"inappropriate behavior" toward officials after Minnesota's defeat of
Wisconsin. The move added even more drama to the highly consequential
final.
 
But the Gophers, with Assistant Coach Mike Guentzel at the helm, quickly
took the attention away from the suspension Saturday night. Minnesota
grabbed an early three-goal lead and went on to dismantle Michigan Tech,
7-2, for its third WCHA playoff title in four years.
 
There are payoffs aplenty: Minnesota gets the Broadmoor Trophy, its coach
back, a new banner for Mariucci Arena, an automatic bid to the NCAA
tournament and a good shot at a favorable tournament seed.
 
And perhaps more than anything, the Gophers got a substantial emotional
boost in their quest for the big payoff -- a national title.
 
"This win ... is just one little step toward our goal," Gophers forward
Ryan Kraft said. "We've made a lot of progress. We just won a championship
game, 7-2. It's good for our confidence, and I think that will show in the
weeks to come in the regionals and hopefully in the final four."
 
The Minnesota locker room had the feel of a team that believes in itself.
The boom box was blaring again. Laughter and pizza were everywhere, and the
players adorned themselves with "WCHA playoff champions" hats.
 
The weekend had provided cause for celebration on the individual level as
well. Senior forward Brian Bonin made another strong statement for himself
in the race for the Hobey Baker Award by scoring three goals and earning
tournament MVP honors.
 
Defenseman Mike Crowley racked up four assists Saturday to raise his season
total to 45 and break Todd Richards' team record of 43 assists in a season
by a defenseman. Richards set the previous mark during the 1986-87 season.
Crowley also made the all-tourney team.
 
Gophers forward Nick Checco, who hadn't scored a goal in 24 games, made his
usual postseason emergence by scoring the game-winner against Wisconsin and
adding another goal against Michigan Tech. Checco has scored 11 of his 28
career goals in the playoffs.
 
His overtime goal against Wisconsin brought an end to a controversial and
intense contest. The Badgers got their fans into the game early by scoring
first and taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
 
The second Wisconsin goal sparked the first big controversy. Gophers goalie
Jeff Moen came about 15 feet out of his net and collided with the Badgers'
Mike Strobel after clearing the puck.  Wisconsin's Rick Enrico gathered the
puck and moved into position to shoot on the open net. Moen tried to get
back, but he said Strobel tripped him on his way back.
 
The next questionable call came in the second period, with the Gophers
trying to tie the score. Crowley knocked in a loose rebound for the
apparent equalizer, but referee Don Adam thought the puck had been frozen
and blew the play dead. Woog angrily contested both plays to the officials.
 
But for the first time this season Minnesota came from behind after two
periods for the win.  Reggie Berg and Bonin each scored to put the Gophers
ahead, but Badger Mickey Elick pushed the game into overtime with 1:28 left
by carroming a shot off Minnesota defenseman Dan Trebil's helmet and into
the goal. Checco ended the game in overtime with his breakaway shot in the
net's upper-right corner.
 
"You've got to have confidence," Checco said Saturday. "I didn't play as
well as I wanted (Friday), but I got a goal and that's a big lift. (On
Saturday) I knew I could score because I just did it. It's a good feeling."
 
The team had to keep its focus Saturday while preparing for its game
without Woog. The players said Guentzel and Assistant Coach Tom Ward did a
great job of motivating them and keeping things like usual.
 
"Everyone on this team knows he has a job to do and that we have to come
together as a team to win," Gophers senior Greg Zwakman said. "We just had
to put everything that's happened off the ice behind us and just go out
there and play."
 
The Gophers now have two weeks off until the NCAA Regional playoffs. Checco
said it was a good time for a break and that he liked Minnesota's chances
in the NCAAs.
 
"This team has been up and down this whole year, but I think now we're on
the right track," Checco said. "We've got two championships out of three
under our belt this year, and we've got one more championship to win. I
think this is the team most capable of doing it since I've been here."
 
FRIDAY'S SUMMARY
 
Wisconsin 2 0 1 0 - 3
 
Gophers 1 0 2 1 - 4
 
First period: Wis -- Englehart 6 (Strobel, Elick), 12:12. Min -- Berg 21
(Larson, Brink), 18:26. Wis -- Enrico 12 (unassisted), 19:51.
 
Second period: No scoring.
 
Third period: Min -- Berg 22 (unassisted), 6:15. Min -- Bonin 31
(unassisted), SHG 16:45. Wis -- Elick 14 (Rothering, Williams), 18:32.
 
Overtime: Min -- Checco 6 (Rasmussen), 11:26.
 
SATURDAY'S SUMMARY
 
Michigan Tech 0 1 1 - 2
 
Gophers 3 3 1 - 7
 
First period: Min -- Rasmussen 14 (Crowley, Bonin), 0:34. Min -- Checco 7
(Hankinson, Zwakman), 3:25. Min -- Godbout 6 (Woog), 9:57.
 
Second period: Min -- Bonin 32 (Crowley), SHG 9:30. MTU -- Savage 13 (P.
Mikesch, Wright), PPG 11:01. Min -- Bonin 33 (LaFleur, Trebil), 11:43. Min
-- Moser 9 (Bonin, Crowley), PPG 13:38.
 
Third period: Min -- Rasmussen 15 (Trebil, Crowley), 2:23. MTU -- Wright 9
(Figliomeni, Savage), PPG 17:45.
 
 
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!!!
Ski-U-Mah!!!
 
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