From an article by John Gilbert in the Star Tribune this morning: NORTH DAKOTA EXPECTED TO FIRE GASPARINI TODAY The University of North Dakota athletic department has called a news conference for today in Grand Forks, N.D., where it is expected to be announced that John (Gino) Gasparini will no longer be hockey coach. It is expected that athletic director Terry Wanless will announce that Gasparini has resigned, although sources close to the program say he was pressured to leave. Gasparini has a 392-244-24 record at North Dakota. The Sioux were 11-17-4 this past season and lost to Wisconsin in the WCHA playoffs. Gasparini played at North Dakota and was an assistant coach before taking the head coaching job 16 years ago. Under Gasparinin's fiery direction, the Sioux moved up to national prominence and stayed there. Gasparini's teams won four WCHA championships and were runners-up twice. The Sioux won three NCAA titles and finished second once for Gasparini. The move makes North Dakota the second WCHA team to remove its coach since the season ended. Denver athletic director Jack McDonald, who fired Frank Serratore three weeks ago, is interviewing coaching candidates for the Pioneers vacancy. McDonald visited with Minnesota assistant Mark Mazzoleni, St. John's head coach John Harrington and Minnesot-Duluth assistant Glenn Kulyk on Thursday in the Twin Cities. Northern Michigan coach Rick Comley and Miami of Ohio coach George Gwozdecky are the leading contenders. <end quoted material> Hopefully Justin Doherty can update us on the North Dakota situation before the press here does... The WCHA won't be the same without Gino around. It was always fun to play North Dakota with Gino at the helm. :-( -Carol Carol S. White BITNET: c-whit@uminn1 University of Minnesota internet:[log in to unmask] Office of the Registrar (612) 625-8517 GO Gophers!!!