Headline: Woog's   trio key
Publish Date: 10/17/1994
 
Mark Miller
 
Staff Reporter
 
The end of Homecoming weekend signifies that Gophers hockey fans may
finally whet their appetites.
 
But before the first puck is dropped, the Gophers must deal with
three issues -- size, scoring and stability.
 
Friday at hockey media day, Gophers coach Doug Woog featured a trio
of solutions to respond to the challenge: Jed Fiebelkorn, Scott Bell
and Justin McHugh.
 
Woog used the Minnesota Timberwolves to illustrate the team's first
dilemma.
 
``If you stacked our centers on top of each other, they wouldn't be
as tall as (Charles) Shackleford or Donyell Marshall,'' he said.
 
Fiebelkorn, the 6-foot-4-inch, 209-pound wing offsets the size
situation. He replaces the physical presence of departed defenseman
Chris McAlpine.
 
Woog's patience has been tested the last couple of seasons, mostly
because his big winger took penalties instead of shots at the goalie.
 
``We need a guy like Jed to pump some goals and deliver like the
seniors did last year,'' Woog said.
 
Woog also is waiting to see who keeps the goal judge busy.
 
 Jeff Nielsen, who scored 29 goals last year, took his scoring touch
to the Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers. Woog may miss Nielsen's
ability to ignite the Gophers offense. He scored first for Minnesota
13 times last season.
 
``He was the guy who got us on track when we were down 1-0 or 2-0,''
Woog said, ``or he'd put us ahead in the big games.
 
``Somebody has to step in front and do that. Those are not physically
important things, but they're intangibly important because they get
you back into the game as well as on the scoreboard.''
 
Woog is looking for co-captain Justin McHugh to pick up where Nielsen
left off.
 
The former Minnetonka Skipper navigated his way through defenses to
score 15 goals last year, and Woog hopes he'll double that output.
 
Finally, Woog looks to keep the same lineup intact for the whole
season. Woog attributed last year's 1-7 start to the injuries of six
players, which resulted in lineup instability.
 
Bell's final year follows a redshirt season because of back
surgery. His hustle won him two consecutive Mike Crupi Awards --
given to Minnesota's most determined player. His knack for scoring
shorthanded goals gives Woog the perfect counter to deal with the
enigmatic Fiebelkorn.
 
``It wasn't like we had a lot of things we could go to the deck and
draw on,'' Woog said of last year's injuries. ``What we look for this
year is the continuation of the character we have, the willingness to
compete and battle. The guys who are gone are not losses, but things
that have to be replaced. We have the ability to do that.''
 
Woog will find out immediately. And if the aforementioned ingredients
aren't enough, Woog holds a trump card in his hand -- the legacy of a
winning program.
 
The team's character will be tested at the Duluth Entertainment and
Convention Center, where the Gophers open their WCHA schedule this
weekend against Minnesota-Duluth.
 
 
 
Pam Sweeney                            Go Gophers!!!
[log in to unmask]      1993 & 1994 WCHA Playoff Champions!!!
                                  1994 NC$$ PHinal PHour!!!
4 more days!!!                         Ski-U-Mah!!!