Headline: U defense to remain intact for next season
Publish Date: 03/07/1995
Matthew Cross
Staff Reporter
As projected at the beginning of the season, the Gophers' strength is
its defense.
Minnesota allowed only 106 goals overall, while the next lowest
goals-against mark in the WCHA was Colorado College's 125.
And the good news for the Gophers is they will have all the defensmen
back next year.
Minnesota also has the best penalty-killing squad in the WCHA (84.5
percent success rate) and the second-best power play. The Gophers
score a power-play goal on 23.9 percent of their chances.
Despite their impressive statistics, Minnesota finished fourth in the
league, which is the lowest finish by a Gophers squad under coach
Doug Woog.
And the players are not happy.
``We are in fourth place,'' junior center Brian Bonin said in a
somber voice. ``We don't like it.''
Senior co-captain Justin McHugh agreed with Bonin. ``We are the only
ones to blame for (the fourth-place finish),'' McHugh said.
Despite a sub-par ending to the Gophers' regular season, Bonin feels
like the team has momentum and confidence going into the playoffs.
``We are up going into the playoffs and everything is on the line,''
Bonin said. ``I don't think it matters who we play in the playoffs
because we can lose to anybody and we can beat anybody. It's just a
matter of knowing that we can do it.
``We can still win the playoffs three times in a row, and that's our
focus right now.''
Callinan is goaltending champ
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Gophers goalie Jeff Callinan capped a stellar senior season in
style by earning the WCHA goaltending crown for both league games and
overall games.
Callinan has a 2.73 goals-against average and a .895 saves
percentage. He leads the league in shutout periods with 43 and is one
of only three goaltenders to play over 2,000 minutes.
He played all of both games this weekend and moved into sixth place
all-time on the Gophers' lists for games played (88) and minutes
played (4,848:16).
Besides Callinan's play on the ice, he recently added a spark in the
locker room.
He expressed his disgust with the Gophers' offensive output, or lack
thereof, during Saturday's 3-0 shutout at the hands of St. Cloud State.
``The end result is that he said, `Hey, I give a damn,''' Woog
said. ``It showed that he cares.''
Bonin, who is considered a quiet player in the locker room, said that
Callinan was overdue for an outburst.
``He finally blew up,'' Bonin said. ``But he could have done it a
long time ago. He has kept us in a position to win almost every game
this year, and that's all you can ask of a goaltender.''
Kraft, Crowley top rookies
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Minnesota will have the toughest team vote for Rookie of the Year,
between Ryan Kraft and Mike Crowley.
Kraft led the WCHA rookie scorers in overall games this season with
35 points on 10 goals and 25 assists.
But Crowley has played a leading role on the best defensive corps in
the league and is second among rookie scorers with 33 points on 9
goals and 24 assists.
Carol S. White BITNET: c-whit@uminn1
University of Minnesota internet:[log in to unmask]
Office of the Registrar
(612) 625-8517 GO Gophers!!!
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