=46rom today's (3/25/96) Minnesota Daily.  Includes boxes (although they're
mislabeled as the "Friday" and "Saturday" games...)
 
Gophers fall short of final four
 
Jeff Sherry - Staff Reporter
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Related Links: Golden Gopher Hockey
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EAST LANSING, Mich. -- After the Providence hockey team's 5-1 loss
to Minnesota on Saturday at Munn Arena, senior captain Joe Hulbig talked
about how he and his teammates didn't originally expect to be playing in the
NCAA Regional playoffs this year.
 
"At the beginning of the season to think I'd be here talking to you guys
would've been unbelievable," Hulbig said.
 
On Sunday, Minnesota's season also ended in Munn Arena, but its     [Image]
experience seemed a world away from Providence's. As the Gophers
headed for the team bus, some with reddened eyes after their wrenching 4-3
loss to Michigan, their expressions told the story of a team that believed
it could win a national title but saw its goal come unfulfilled.
 
"It's not losing the game that hurts the most, it's that 20 guys believed
they could win and didn't," said sophomore goalie Steve DeBus, who was in
net during Sunday's loss. "We came together as a team and this team
believed. And when something doesn't go right with all that -- that's what
hurts the most.
 
"Not being able to go to practice and have fun with all the guys    [Image]
anymore, not going on a plane to Cincinnati this week when we
believed and thought we would ... this is something I'll never be able to
forget."
 
Sunday's game will not soon be forgotten by anyone fortunate enough to have
watched it. With a trip to the NCAA final four on the line, the
Michigan-Minnesota matchup lived up to its billing as the tournament's most
highly anticipated quarterfinal. Gophers coach Doug Woog said the quality of
play was easily on par with that of a national championship game.
 
Many Michigan fans made the 35-mile drive from Ann Arbor to cheer   [Image]
on their team. But Gophers junior Nick Checco quieted the
Wolverines' fans and set the pace for a frenzied first period when he blew
past a defender to knock in a breakaway goal just more than three minutes
into the game.
 
The Gophers continued their early dominance through most of the first
period, outshooting Michigan, 13-3, in the first 20 minutes. Despite several
chances, they couldn't pull away, however, and left for the first
intermission with a 2-1 lead. Michigan finally got into the game in the
second period and tied it with what many people in the arena called the most
unbelievable goal they had ever seen.
 
Seven minutes into the second period, Michigan winger Mike Legg controlled
the puck directly behind the Gophers' goal. With no one pressuring him, he
flipped the puck onto his stick blade, lifted it up around the side of the
net and flicked it untouched into the upper-right corner.
 
"That was something," Woog said. "It makes you wonder if he         [Image]
practices that."
 
The Wolverines continued to gain momentum and took over for the majority of
the third period. With five minutes remaining in the game, Michigan had
taken a 3-2 lead and appeared to be in control of the game, having limited
the Gophers to one shot on goal in the period. But then a seemingly routine
Casey Hankinson slap shot got past Michigan goalie Marty Turco and gave
Minnesota new life.
 
The Wolverines responded with the game-winner three minutes later, however,
to end the scoring and the Gophers' season.
 
The loss also meant the end of 10 Gophers seniors' careers. Brian Bonin, who
scored his 100th career goal in Saturday's win against Providence, said if
his career had to end with a loss, he was glad it happened the way it did.
 
"It was back and forth with great players going against great players and
everybody playing hard," said Bonin, who was held without a point. "If we
weren't going to win a national championship, I couldn't have asked for
anything more. All we needed was a few more good bounces."
 
Bonin, in fact, hit the goal post with a backhanded shot that bounced off
Turco with under a minute remaining.
 
The players and coaches were all strugging with mixed emotions after the
loss.
 
"It's going to be a positive whether you win or lose -- this is a great
group of guys, and this is a great program to be a part of," Hankinson said.
"But it is hard when your goal is to win the national championship. We
haven't done it in so long, and we thought this was going to be the year.
Then it comes to a halt. In that way, our season wasn't a success. It's hard
on all of us."
 
=46RIDAY'S SUMMARY
 
Providence 1 0 0 - 1
 
Minnesota 1 1 3 - 5
 
=46irst period: Min -- Smith 3 (Wasley, Kraft), 1:43. Prov -- Guzior 20
(Hulbig, Sundquist), 4:50.
 
Second period: Min -- Smith 4 (Checco, Kraft), 2:29.
 
Third period: Min -- Bonin 34 (Moser), 8:09. Min -- Berg 23 (Hankinson,
LaFleur), 13:58. Min -- Rasmussen 16 (Trebil, Crowley), PPG 16:40.
 
SATURDAY'S SUMMARY
 
Minnesota 2 0 1 - 3
 
Michigan 1 1 2 - 4
 
=46irst period: Min -- Checco 8 (Trebil), SHG 3:38. Mich -- Muckalt 25
(Morrison, Halko), PPG 8:32. Min -- Moser 10 (unassisted), PPG.
 
Second period: Mich -- Legg 14 (Madden), PPG 7:06.
 
Third period: Mich -- Luhning 20 (Morrison, Muckalt), 7:33. Minn --
Hankinson 16 (Larson, Zwakman), 14:59. Mich -- Muckalt 26 (Morrison), 17:59.
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=A9The Minnesota Daily
 
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!!!
Ski-U-Mah!!!
 
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