2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook wcha history Tech and College go Head-to-Head in 1960’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association action

97 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook the western collegiate hockey association story celebrating 57 years of history, tradition & success

percentage. Michigan, however, under the redoubt- the first 50 years able Heyliger, captured the national title for the third straight time and fourth in the event’s first six years by John Gilbert by beating 7-3 in the NCAA final. For Year Three in 1953-54, the fledgling league look back through the history of the Western changed its name to the Western Intercollegiate Collegiate Hockey Association is filled with Hockey League (WIHL), and Minnesota won the Aspectacular achievements and stunning title again, with a 16-3-1 record (22-5-1 overall), as surprises. It is a league that produced so many Mayasich won his second straight league scoring highlights that it took 51 years for the WCHA to title with 29-49–78, matching his sophomore points. celebrate its first 50 years. Again, however, the Gophers came up short in the The answer to that trivia quiz-level puzzle is that national tournament, this time beating Boston the league didn’t play as a league for the 1958-59 College 14-1 in the semifinals, only to lose 5-4 in season, so it took 51 years to play 50 seasons. And, the overtime to RPI in the 1954 title match. WCHA celebrated its 50th anniversary throughout As a senior in 1954-55, Mayasich scored 41-39–80 the 2002-03 season, which was the 50th year since the for his third straight league scoring title, giving him original Midwest Collegiate Hockey League was first a four-year total of 144 goals, 154 assists and 298 transformed into the Western Intercollegiate Hockey points, a mark that still stands in the Gopher record League (WIHL) and then re-named the WCHA. books. But winning league and national titles were Confusing? Maybe. Dominant? Definitely. elusive for Minnesota, and returned There have been national collegiate hockey to the league pinnacle in 1955, although the Tigers championship tournaments since 1948, when Michi- again lost to Michigan, 5-3, in the national champion- gan beat Dartmouth for the title at Colorado Springs. ship. The first 10 national tournaments were held at the Michigan followed up by winning both the league figure-skating arena adjacent to the Broadmoor Hotel and national crowns in 1955-56, with Michigan Tech in Colorado Springs, Colo., a wide but short rink that the runner-up in both. The Wolverines outgunned became legendary as the Broadmoor World Arena. Tech 7-5 for the title, after depending all season on Michigan took third and Colorado College fourth in the stout goaltending of , who had a1.90 1949, with Colorado College winning the national goals-against mark in 22 games. John Andrews of CC title in 1950, and Michigan regaining the throne in won the league scoring title with 27-25–52, edging 1951. North Dakota’s Bill Reichart and Tech’s Jack McManus Officially, the WCHA goes back to the fall of 1951, by one point. when Michigan coach coaxed his peers Nobody had a knockout punch like Mayasich, into organizing something called the Midwest Col- but Colorado College countered with a “Haymaker,” legiate Hockey League. Michigan, Michigan State, of its own, as Bill Hay supplanted Mayasich as the Michigan Tech, Minnesota, North Dakota, Denver most prolific league scorer. Hay led CC to the league and Colorado College were the original entrants. title in 1956-57 for the second time in three years, So in the annals of national championships, charter but this time they also tacked on the NCAA crown, members Michigan actually had two and CC one overrunning Michigan 13-6 in the title game. Reichart before the league even began. (24-16–40) beat teammate Jim Ridley and Hay for the In those days, the Midwest Collegiate league was league scoring title. filled with colorful characters. Colorado College won Hay led the WIHL in scoring the next year, in the first league title with a 10-2 record under coach 1957-58, with 16-32–48, but North Dakota, behind , while Denver and Michigan Bob Peabody’s league-leading goalie play, won the tied for second at 9-3. But Michigan, which was 22-4 league. Coach ’s Denver outfit overall, went on to win its second of three consecutive rose from third place to sting the Sioux 6-2 in the national titles by beating CC in the final,right there NCAA final, as the tournament left what had been on the Tigers home ice at the Broadmoor. its only home at the Broadmoor for Williams Arena Colorado College forwards , league Minnesota legend john mayasich in 1950’s wcha action against michigan state in Minneapolis. scoring champion (40-27–67) and Difficult as it is to believe, hockey types sometimes swept the leagueπs first all-star spots, School, who was just starting to carve out a Hall-of- streak that earned a 16-4 record (22-5 overall). The disagree, and hassles within the elite seven-team and were joined by Tigers goalie , while Fame college career with the Gophers by scoring 32 legendary replaced Doc Romnes to WIHL led to the league disbanding for the 1958-59 Denver defensemen Eddie Miller and Don Burgess goals and assisting on 30 more for 32-30–62 rookie coach his first season that year, and while Mayasich filled out the first team. Lurking on the second team, points, in a 13-13 season. scored an improbable 42-36–78 to top league scor- however, was a freshman at Minnesota named John Mayasich led the Gophers to the second con- ers, teammate also was the top goalie below: WCHA action between north dakota Mayasich, a legendary scorer from Eveleth High ference title in 1952-53, with a 10-game winning with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .910 saves and minnesota in the early 1950’s.

98 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha

vic heyliger bill steenson

Colorado College won the wcha championship in 1952 and 1957 and the ncaa crown in 1957. reg morelli murray armstrong season, only to reform as the Western Collegiate Pioneers. John MacInnes lured a named Hockey Association one year later. Meantime, league Garry Bauman to Houghton, where and cohesiveness or not, the West prevailed nationally a herd of other blue-chippers made Michigan Tech a freshmen from the virtual professional breeding In the 1962-63 regardless, as North Dakota went to the NCAA tour- major threat. Michigan had Gordon ‘Red’ Berenson ground of Canadian junior hockey was dominating season, Denver (12-6-0) and North Dakota (11-5-2) nament in Troy, N.Y., and beat Michigan State 4-3 in and later Gordon Wilkie and Gary Butler, while Min- U.S. college teams comprised of high school gradu- shared rights to the MacNaughton Cup, and the overtime in the 1959 title game. nesota followed the era with a defenseman ates who come to college at age 18. Mariucci stressed Fighting Sioux settled the matter where it mattered Armstrong’s Denver dynasty took command named Lou Nanne, who led the league in scoring. that the trend precluded the development of U.S. most, by beating Denver in the NCAA final. Denver when the WCHA played its first official season in Bauman was All-WCHA goalie for three straight talent. For his efforts, Mariucci is widely credited for beat North Dakota 5-4 in overtime for the WCHA 1959-60, the Pioneers winning both the league and seasons, beginning in 1961-62 when the Huskies disrupting the WCHA by refusing to play Denver’s playoff crown, but North Dakota reversed it to win NCAA titles behind Bill Masterton’s scoring, Marty made old on Houghton’s riverfront rock Canadian-filled club. Privately, though, John gave the national title 6-5 in Boston. Minnesota came in Howe’s defense and George Kirkwood’s goaltending. with a 17-3 championship ledger, and a 29-3 overall full attribution for that move to Minnesota athletic fourth at 10-7-3 behind Tech as Nanne (9-23–32) Michigan Tech and North Dakota were the closest mark. Michigan finished 15-3 (22-5 overall) behind director , who ultimately decreed that became the first defenseman to ever lead the league challengers, and Tech battled the Pioneers to the Berenson’s 24-17–41 scoring title. The NCAA final four Minnesota would not schedule Denver. in scoring. Nanne was a rare Minnesota recruit from national finals before yielding 5-3 at Matthews Arena – a term commonly used for hockey in those years So the league sputtered along on a percentage Canada, and Mariucci, who also had brought in Mur- in Boston. Masterton, who won the league scoring – was in Utica, N.Y., but the West inflicted its usual basis instead of points because of an imbalance of ray Williamson, a Canadian who gained All-American title at 17-27–44, helped Denver post a 27-4-3 overall superiority. Tech beat St. Lawrence 6-1, although games, with some entrants refusing to play others. honors, said he always tried to have a Canadian on record. Masterton returned for the 1960-61 term, on what some veteran observers claimed was the greatest Denver team ever. The league scoring title went to Denver’s Jerry Walker (29-15–44), while Howe joined teammate George Konik to the All-WCHA team. Needless to say, Denver dominated the WCHA, and bolstered its 17-1 league record with a second straight NCAA title, winning a home-ice 12-2 rout over St. Lawrence in the 1961 final, to finish a magnificent 30-1-1. Denver also won the league crown in 1962-63, and came back for more later in the decade, but competi- tion from within the league was catching up to the

Clarkson edged Michigan 5-4 in the other semifinal. No problem. Tech demolished Clarkson 7-1 in the final, while Michigan whipped St. Lawrence 5-1 for third place. The WCHA survived some heavy-duty controver- sy in the ’60s. Minnesota Coach and Godfather John Mariucci fought to establish new ground-rules for the advancement of U.S. hockey players by seeking to prevent college teams from recruiting their usual streams of over-age Canadian players. Routinely brought in after playing Canadian junior hockey through age 20, it was obvious that the 21-year-old above left: a game program for the colorado college vs minnesota tilt in 1958. Above right: Colorado College coach tony frasca. right: Denver’s george konick, marty howe and bill masterton with the wcha’s .

99 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha

lou angotti

MICHIGAN TECH’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF 1964-65. THE HUSKIES WENT 24-5-2 OVERALL.

In 1966-67, North Dakota beat Denver, Michigan to his stocky linemate with 18-16–34. UMD played in Tech and Michigan for the conference title, but Min- the short bandbox rink above the Duluth Curling Club nesota-Duluth’s pint-sized Keith “Huffer” Christiansen in its first WCHA year, but moved into the sparkling stole the spotlight, winning the league scoring title new Duluth Arena. Christiansen christened the new ron grahame with 15-31–46. Bruce McLeod, who would go on to harborside facility in UMD’s first WCHA game there, one day become WCHA commissioner, was runner-up recording a school-record six assists in an 8-1 drub- the roster, “just to prove I don’t discriminate.” finish 24-5-2. Michigan’s won the The moved back on scoring title at 13-17–30, and Minnesota had a center top of the conference at 12-2-0 in 1963-64, while named . Denver finished second at 7-2-1. Denver beat the The 1965-66 season was pivotal for several Wolverines 6-2 in a showdown in Ann Arbor to win reasons. For one, the WCHA let the University of the MacNaughton Cup as league playoff champ, Minnesota-Duluth come into the league as its eighth but Michigan coach Al Renfrew gained revenge on team. The league race was won by Michigan Tech, Armstrong by beating DU 6-3 in the NCAA final on which went 15-4-1 as Esposito recorded a .932 save the Pioneers’ home ice, in Denver. percentage. North Dakota, which added super-cen- At Michigan Tech, MacInnes, a former goaltender, ters Dennis Hextall and Terry Casey, tied Minnesota followed up the career of Bauman with a pair of aces, for second place. Doug Volmar of Michigan State won recruiting the exceptional duo of Tony Esposito and the scoring title, although the Spartans finished 9-11 Rick Best. Esposito went on to great fame in the and in sixth place. Then Michigan State established , but in college, Best was a standard for late-blooming teams by rising up equally as good, and the two alternated. Bauman had at playoff time to win 3-2 at Michigan and 4-3 at been All-American in 1963 and 1964, Esposito was Michigan Tech to reach the Final Four in Minneapolis. All-American in 1965 and 1966, with Best claiming Incredibly, the Spartans surprised Boston University that award in 1967. The Best/Esposito tandem led 2-1 in the semifinals, then, after Clarkson beat Denver the Huskies to second place (12-5-1) behind North 4-3, Michigan State shocked Clarkson 6-1 to win the Dakota (13-3) in 1964-65. North Dakota had Don NCAA tournament. The title for coach Ross and Gerry Kell leading the way, but Tech beat also left the all-NCAA tournament team wearing the Fighting Sioux in the league playoff final and green, as goaltender Gaye Cooley, defenseman went on to prevail for the national title, whipping Don Heaphy, and forwards Mike Coppo and Brian Boston College 8-2 in the final at Providence, R.I. to McAndrew earned spots.

NORTH DAKOTA’S 1959 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AS HEADLINED IN THE GRAND FORKS HERALD.

Red Berenson was the WCHA’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IN 1962, WAS A TWO-TIME ALL-AMERICAN, AND IS ONE OF THE LEAGUE’S TOP 50 PLAYERS IN 50 YEARS.

100 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha bing of archrival Minnesota. It took more than spectacular scoring to win the WCHA in 1996-97, however, as North Dakota won the league crown behind goaltender Mike “Lefty” Curran at 16-6 in 1966-67. However, at the NCAA tournament in Syracuse, N.Y., that year, the unthinkable happened: The West was shut out of the championship game for the first time. Cornell beat North Dakota 1-0 and Boston University beat Michigan State 4-2, then Cornell beat BU 4-1 for the title. Denver returned things to normal in 1967-68, winning the league title at 15-3 and the NCAA title by beating North Dakota in an all-Western final at the Duluth Arena. The 4-0 championship victory meant Denver, after starting the season 6-5-1, finished the season with an incredible 22-game winning streak. Goalie Gerry Powers (1.78 goals-against, .930 save percentage) led Denver to its 28-5-1 overall record, supported by defenseman Keith Magnuson, and forwards such as Cliff Koroll and Craig Patrick. Minnesota’s Bill Klatt (18-12–30) won the scoring title and made an impressive tandem with (7-22–29), while , Terry Abram and goalie Curran starred in North Dakota’s “Barn.” Denver (14-6) lost the narrowest of league races to Michigan Tech (14-5-1) for the 1968-69 title, and both teams advanced to the final four. Back at the aging Broadmoor, but with speedster George Mor- rison leading the way, Denver crushed Harvard 9-2 and won the NCAA crown by beating Cornell 4-3 in the final. The decade of the 1970s arrived, and again the look of college hockey and the WCHA changed NORTH DAKOTA CAPTURED THE PROGRAM’S SECOND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE IN 1963 UNDER COACH . forevermore. Minnesota, under coach , made its move to become a solid annual contender Minnesota to three NCAA championships in a six-year spot in the final four in Boston Garden. The Gophers title at 25-7-0, which broke the league record again, by playing virtually an entire homestate roster, while span, as the enormous rivalry between Minnesota, seemed to be fading in the face of a closing rally and was 34-9 overall. Michigan State was second “Badger Bob” Johnson turned the new University of with Brooks, and Wisconsin, under Johnson, grew by Boston University in the semifinals until Polich’s with its explosive line of Steve Colp-Tom Ross-Daryl Wisconsin Division I program into a national power. ever hotter, with both schools taking turns outdoing dramatic shorthanded let the Gophers gain a Rice, and Minnesota took third. The WCHA playoffs Those two emerging contenders became the most the other. 5-4 triumph. And Minnesota beat league-champ played down to two winners in those days, with both ferocious rivals of the next two decades. In 1972-73, Denver (20-8) beat Notre Dame (19-9) Michigan Tech 4-2 for the school’s first NCAA hockey advancing to the NCAA Final Four, and after winning In the 1969-70 season, Minnesota was led by for the conference championship, with Eddie Bum- title. first-round sets, Minnesota and Michigan State prize goaltender Murray McLachlan and a dashing bacco of the Fighting Irish winning the scoring title A year later, Minnesota won the WCHA title at collided at East Lansing for a two-game, total-goal freshman centerman named Mike Antonovich, plus at 31-34–65 for Lefty Smith. But Wisconsin, a close 24-8, setting school records for league wins with a series. They tied 2-2 in the first game, and they tied another freshman center named , and third at 18-9-1, got hot behind tourney most-valu- 31-10-1 overall mark. But Tech, second at 22-10 (32-10 6-6 on a Sunday afternoon in the second game, then shocked the league to claim the first Golden Gophers able-player Dean Talafous and stormed to the NCAA overall), returned the favor and thrashed the Gophers they played on … and on. Finally, Minnesota won title since 1954 with a school-record-setting 18-8-0 crown with a 4-2 victory in Boston over a Denver 6-1 in the 1975 NCAA final at St. Louis. Michigan 7-6 in the third overtime, missing its flight home but league mark (20-12 overall). Thirteen times that powerhouse that included goalie Ron Grahame and State’s Tom Ross (32-48–80) supplanted teammate gaining a spot in the NCAA tournament in Denver. In season, Minnesota rallied from being tied or behind forward Peter McNab. Wisconsin wound up 29-9-2. Steve Colp for the league scoring title, while Brooks the semifinals, the Gophers stung Boston University in the third period to win, beating out traditional In 1973-74, Michigan Tech won the league title convinced Larry Thayer to leave his job as Zamboni 4-2 in a game that featured a brawl near the Min- powerhouse teams from Denver and Michigan Tech. at 20-6-2, but Minnesota, which finished a distant driver at Edina’s Braemar Arena, come out for the nesota bench. Then the aroused Gophers upended But Tech and Wisconsin, which had finished 12-10-0 second at 14-9-5, had league-leading goaltender team, and tend goal. Thayer led the league with a the 6-4 behind tournament for a very solid fourth place in its first league season, Brad Shelstad and a feisty centerman in , 2.50 goals-against in 16 games. MVP Tom Vannelli. won regional verdicts to advance to the NCAA Final and Brooks worked his first coaching magic to beat In 1975-76, Minnesota and Michigan Tech did one The WCHA was filled with great players in that Four. Both lost, however, in the semifinals, and Cornell Michigan and Denver in total-goal series to gain a more post-season pirouette. Tech won the WCHA season. Michigan Tech had (34-39–73) and beat Clarkson 6-4 for the title in Lake Placid. Michigan Tech (18-4) topped Denver and Wis- consin for the 1970-71 title, but again the playoffs proved surprising. This time, sophomore Antonovich led Minnesota from a 9-12-1 fifth-place WCHA ledger through a string of upsets, defeating Wisconsin and North Dakota in the Madison regional, to reach the NCAA final four. At Syracuse, the Golden Gophers came from behind with three late goals to tie, and ambushed Harvard 6-5 in an overtime semifinal, but the Gopher quest for Minnesota’s first national title fell 4-2 to Boston University in the final. It was the first of two straight titles for BU. In 1971-72, Notre Dame became the 10th WCHA entry. Denver won the league at19-9, Wisconsin was one game back at 20-8, and North Dakota was third. A tiny Colorado College center named Doug Palazzari scored 27-30–57 to win the scoring race. In the NCAA tournament at Boston Garden, Wisconsin wound up beating Denver 5-2, but it was in the third-place game, while Boston University beat Cornell 4-0 in the final. For the first time, the WCHA failed to win the crown for three straight years. Minnesota’s fortunes had nosedived in 1971-72, with Sonmor leaving in midseason to organize the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the old , and he took Antonovich with him. Ken Yackel took over as interim coach until he convinced athletic director Paul Giel to entrust the Gopher program to a bright, young coach named . Brooks took over in the fall of 1972, and the rest of the decade was a dreamscape for long-suffering Gopher fans. Brooks guided the program to fulfill Mariucci’s all-Minnesota dream, zooming from last place into contention in his first season, then winning Minnesota’s first two NCAA championships the next three years, while finishing as NCAA runner-up in UNDER COACH MURRAY ARMSTRONG (FAR LEFT, MIDDLE ROW), THE DENVER PIONEERS WON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 1958, 1960, 1961, 1968 AND 1969. the year between those two titles. In all, Brooks led PICTURED HERE IS THE 1969 NCAA TITLE TEAM. 101 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha

season against a Gopher team that included Neal Broten, Rob McClanahan, Steve Christoff, Eric Stro- bel, Phil Verchota, defensemen Bill Baker and Mike Ramsey, and goaltender . The Gophers won 5-2 to move to within one point of the Sioux for first place, but North Dakota won on the final night, with Christian getting his team’s last two goals in a 4-2 victory, to finish 22-10-0 to Minnesota’s 20-11-1. UMD was third at 18-10-4, and Gus Hendrickson’s Bulldogs included , John Harrington and defenseman Curt Giles. Wisconsin was fourth at 19-11-2, with Mark Johnson and defenseman Bob Suter in the forefront. Colorado College was not a contender, but CC’s Dave Delich (25-45–70) won the scoring title. After both Minnesota and North Dakota made it through the league playoffs to reach the final four in Detroit’s Olympia, the Gophers beat New Hampshire 4-3 while the Fighting Sioux beat Dartmouth 4-2. In the final, freshman Neal Broten hurtled through the air to stab a chip-shot up and over Sioux goaltender Iwabuchi, who had come out to challenge. That proved to be the game-winner as Minnesota gave Brooks a 4-3 conquest of Gino Gasparini’s North Dakota outfit, his third NCAA crown in six years of what was only a seven-year tenure. The next year was 1979-80, and Brooks took those eight Gophers, plus Mark Johnson, Suter, minnesota won three national championships in the 1970s under coach herb brooks. pictured here is UM’s 1976 NCAA Championship team. Harrington, Pavelich and Christian, with him. Those 13 WCHA representatives went off to Lake Placid, George Lyle (38-33–71), among others. The Gophers were mobilized for a frontal assault, and in 1976-77 won league scoring honors at 34-37–71. N.Y., to slay the Soviet Union’s dragon and go on to had future NHLers Tom Younghans, Reed Larson, Russ the Badgers went 26-5-1 to win the WCHA by 12 The next season, Wisconsin coach Johnson said win the Olympic gold medal in the most incredible Anderson and Warren Miller. Michigan State had the points over Notre Dame. The Badgers swept three he learned never to plan a celebration too soon. The sports story in U.S. history. league’s 1-2 scorers in Ross at 41-42–83 and Colp at two-game playoff sets to reach the NCAA tournament league gave out four points per game in WCHA-style Back in the WCHA, North Dakota (21-6-1) won the 33-48–81, with Rice chipping in 19-46–65. Colp had in Detroit, where they beat New Hampshire 4-3 in inflation, and the Badgers led second place Denver 1979-80 league and NCAA titles, although Minnesota led the league in 1973-74 at 31-41–72; Ross upped overtime in the semis and Michigan 6-5 in an overtime by seven points going into the eight-point final series was a surprising second in WCHA play, without five the ante to a league-best 32-48–80 in 1974-75; then final. Wisconsin goalie Julian Baretta, defenseman of 1977-78. Denver swept both games in Madison underclassmen who were with the Olympic team, Ross put it out of reach at 41-42–83 in 1975-76. Craig Norwich, and forwards Mike Eaves and Mark to wind up 27-5-0, one point ahead of the Badgers and with former assistant at the interim Meanwhile, in Madison, Badger Bob’s Badgers Johnson led the way, although Michigan’s Dave Debol (21-9-2). The league scoring race wound up a tie helm. The Gophers still had Tim Harrer, who set a Gopher record by winning the scoring race with 45 goals (45-24–69), plus Don Micheletti, Steve Ulseth and freshman Aaron Broten, Neal’s brother. In the playoffs, the NCAA granted newcomer Northern Michigan a slot as the third West seed – essentially the fifth team in the Final Four. The Wildcats had to play a one-game showdown at Minnesota, and won a controversial 4-3 overtime decision after a regulation bullet from center ice by Aaron Broten tore through the upper right corner netting, hitting the plexiglass with such velocity that the referee decided that it couldn’t have gone through the net. Television videotape later confirmed the frustration that left the Gophers at home, with the goal that would have won it in regulation being disallowed. North Dakota beat Dartmouth 4-1 in the semis and smacked Northern Michigan 5-2 in the title game at Providence. Wisconsin got the name “Back-Door” Badgers for the 1980-81 season, when they finished second to a Minnesota team that appeared dominant. Enough of Aaron Broten’s goals and assists were counted that season to let him break the ancient scoring record of Johnny Mayasich, notching an incredible 106 points with 47 goals and 59 assists. League MVP Ulseth won the WCHA scoring title at 28-35–63, and scored 41-52–93 overall to take second in team scoring to Aaron Broten, while Butsy Erickson added 39-47–86. Neal Broten, who returned from the U.S. Olympic team to play another year with brother Aaron for the Gophers, finished seventh on the team scoring sheet at 17-54–71. That was the year the Hobey Baker Award was inaugurated, and Neal was named the winner, perhaps more for his gold medalness than his season. The Gophers had gone 20-8 to take the league michigan state’s high-scoring tom ross is the title, and 33-12 overall. While Minnesota was beating wcha’s career scoring leader with 324 points UMD in a routine first round of WCHA playoffs, there scored from 1973-76. was nothing routine about the other final series, at Madison. Wisconsin blew out Colorado College 8-2, but was shocked when the Tigers came back to whip between power-playmates Mark Johnson, the coach’s the Badgers 11-4 in the second game and claim the kid, at 39-31–70, and Eaves at 25-45–70. Meanwhile, total-goal set 13-12. Minnesota then beat CC in the Colorado College upset Denver in league playoffs, second-round playoff series for the automatic NCAA and only Wisconsin represented the WCHA at the berth. That year, however, the NCAA had decided Final Four, losing 5-2 to Boston University. BU went to expand the tournament to eight teams, and the on to beat Boston College 5-3 in the first all-Boston committee voted to bring back Wisconsin from final. elimination and into the tournament, which started Amid all those glittering WCHA seasons, if one had with four two-game, total-goal sets. Wisconsin went to be picked where talent was absolutely the best, it to Clarkson and won 3-2, then battled to a 6-6 tie to was 1978-79. North Dakota had David Christian, Kevin win the series and join Minnesota, Michigan Tech Maxwell, Mark Taylor, Howard Walker, Phil Sykes, Marc and Northern Michigan in an all-West final four in Colorado College players doug palazzari (left) and steve sertich (middle) pictured with art Chorney, Cary Eades and goaltender Bob Iwabuchi, Duluth. Minnesota played close to a perfect game berglund (right), a former tiger player who led USA Hockey’s international program and went to Minnesota for the final weekend of the to blitz Michigan Tech 7-2 in the semifinals, while the 102 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha

doug palazzARI MIKE ZUKE HERB BROOKS

dave delich bob johnson charles ‘lefty’ smith

Dakota (35-12 overall) beat the Badgers (35-11-1 before the next season started. Brooks, who forever overall) in the 1982 NCAA final in Providence. Western changed the course of U.S. hockey with the 1980 fans noted that the WCHA produced both finalists, Olympic gold medal, later coached the New York while nobody from the CCHA made it to the final Rangers, Devils, four, just in case anyone thought the league might and in the NHL, then coached falter. the 2002 U.S. team to the Olympic silver medal at Salt After the 1981-82 season, replaced Lake City. Brooks died, also tragically, in a one-vehicle Bob Johnson at the University of Wisconsin, ending rollover on August 11, 2003, while returning home michigan tech all-american forward bob d’alvise in mid-1970’s action against wcha-rival another historic coaching tenure. Brooks and John- from a hockey fund-raising golf tournament on the colorado college. The huskies were national champions in 1975. son, such intense rivals, both later established their Iron Range. talents at the pro level. Johnson, who later coached Brooks and Johnson both were cut short with so the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, became president of much more to offer the game, but their personalities, Badgers surprised Northern Michigan 5-1. Then the Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Notre Dame the Amateur Hockey Association of the U.S. and and their legacies, will live forever in WCHA annals. Badgers stunned Minnesota 6-3 in the championship to leave the WCHA, and they started the CCHA changed that title to USA Hockey, and also coached In 1982-83, Buetow guided the Gophers to their game, and red-clad fans took over an entire city block (Central Collegiate Hockey Association). The WCHA both Calgary and Pittsburgh in the NHL, where he second league title in three years at 18-7-1 (33-12-1 on Duluth’s downtown Superior Street for a raucous persevered as a six-team league, and goaltender Jon got a national stage for his favorite phrase: “It‘s a overall), with Scott Bjugstad (21-35–56) winning the celebration. Casey (.919 saves percentage) led North Dakota (19-7) great day for hockey.” After coaching the Penguins scoring title. North Dakota was second, four points One season later, in 1981-82, the WCHA suffered to the league title over Wisconsin (18-7-1). Wisconsin to the 1991 , Johnson was stricken by a back, behind Jon Casey’s sparkling .921 saves per- a jolt when Michigan led regional league members beat the Sioux for the league playoff title, but North sudden and tragic bout with brain cancer and died centage, and the Badgers were third. The Badgers, in coach Jeff Sauer’s first season, hit the road for the playoffs, and took the roughest route, going first to Grand Forks to defeat the Fighting Sioux in total goals with a 1-1 tie and a three-overtime 6-5 second game, then to Minnesota to sweep the Gophers 5-1 and 3-2. Wisconsin kept winning in the preliminary NCAA pairings and, by surprise, reached the NCAA tournament in Grand Forks. More surprises were coming, as the Badgers beat Providence 2-0 in the semifinals and whipped Harvard 6-2 to win the NCAA title. A shift in the balance of power occurred when was named as a one-year replacement when Gus Hendrickson was unceremoniously fired at UMD. Sertich was voted coach of the year for igniting a rise in Bulldogs fortunes, and he continued in what he later joked was the longest interim coaching term in history. He again won the award the next two seasons, directing the Bulldogs to WCHA titles in 1983-84 and ’84-85. Sertich’s dazzling array of stars in the 1983-84 term included the league’s top scorer in slick (17-38–55), the league’s best goaltender in freshman Rick Kosti, and the league’s best defenseman in , who won the Hobey Baker Award. After advancing from a 19-5-2 league title (29-12-2 overall), Minnesota-Duluth made its strongest bid for a national title. Rarely has any team dominated the playoffs the way UMD did in routing Wisconsin 6-3 and 9-0, then, in a final league playoff series that had to be moved to Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena because of a boat show at the Duluth Arena, the Bulldogs wiped out North Dakota 8-1 before cruising to a second-game 5-4 loss in the total-goal set. UMD eliminated Clarkson to reach the NCAA Final Four in Lake Placid, where the Bulldogs edged North Dakota 2-1 in overtime, the same score by which Bowling under coach mike sertich, minnesota duluth became a dominant team in the wcha. with a lineup that featured all-americans tom kurvers, norm Green beat Michigan State. In the final, UMD gave up a 4-3 lead when Bowling Green scored late on an odd maciver and bill watson leading the way, the bulldogs won consecutive wcha championships in 1984 and 1985, then captured the league title bounce off a seam in the boards, then UMD battled and macnaughton cup again in 1993. to exhaustion before falling 5-4 in the record-setting 103 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha

the became one of the top teams in the western Collegiate Hockey Association under coach in the mid-1990’s, winning a record three consecutive conference championships and macnaughton cups in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

the Hobey Baker, but St. Lawrence’s Peter Lappin overtime marathon against Boston University in Cup by seven points over runners-up Wisconsin and scored three times to deal the Gophers a 3-2 loss in the NCAA championship game. Checker Darryl Denver. The Badgers, picked sixth in the pre-season the semifinals. Lake Superior State beat St. Lawrence Plandowski scored his third goal of the game for the poll, were one of the surprise teams of the year, plac- und’s greg johnson was a three-time all- 4-3 in overtime in the final. winner, and Beattie, who also had a hat trick in the ing second during the regular season, winning the american & hobey baker award finalist in the The next year, Stauber improved his statistics to game, finished a 46-game season with 48-41–89 as 1995 WCHA Final Five in Saint Paul, and joining CC, 1990’s. He is the wcha career leader in assists. win league goaltending honors with a 2.33 goals- Northern Michigan wound up 38-5-4. vastly-improved Denver, and Minnesota in the NCAA against and a .917 save percentage, as the Gophers The 1992-93 season was highlighted by the re- tournament. The only one to reach the Providence won the 1989-90 WCHA chase by a league-record 14 emergence of Minnesota-Duluth atop the league, tournament was Minnesota, which lost 7-3 to Boston fourth overtime. points over runner-up Northern Michigan. Remark- and four WCHA schools earned NCAA berths. Coach University in the semifinals, before BU beat Maine In 1984-85, Northern Michigan and Michigan ably, Curtis Joseph, a brilliant freshman goalkeeper at Mike Sertich’s Bulldogs, led by a pair of All-Americans 6-2 in the final. Minnesota junior Brian Bonin won Tech left the CCHA to join the WCHA, returning it to Wisconsin, won first-team WCHA goalie honors over in center Derek Plante, the league scoring champion the league scoring title with 27-19–46 in 32 games, an eight-team league. They finished seventh and Stauber, because the vote from the entire Minnesota at 29-37–66, and talented defenseman Brett Hauer, and added WCHA Player of the Year and first team eighth, respectively, while UMD again soared to contingent failed to get sent in. But the Gophers, fashioned a 21-9-2 league record (27-11-2 overall) West All-American honors, while Denver’s first-year the league title at 25-7-2, with a school best 36-9-3 with Dave Snuggerud and Tom Chorske back from and won their third MacNaughton Cup in 10 years, coach George Gwozdecky was Coach of the Year. overall ledger. UMD’s Watson repeated as scoring the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, ran up a 27-6-2 league five points ahead of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Plante, In 1995-96, Colorado College became the first champ (37-43–80), and again the Bulldogs reached record, and headed to the NCAA tournament in the WCHA Player of the Year, finished with overall team in the long and storied history of the WCHA the final four, this time in Detroit. But it didn’t get St. Paul. After beating Maine 7-4 in the semifinals, totals of 36-56–92. Plante, Hauer, North Dakota to win a third straight regular season championship, less painful, as RPI inflicted a 6-5 loss on UMD in a Minnesota lost to Harvard, in a brilliantly played, center Greg Johnson, Wisconsin defenseman Barry with a superb 26-2-4 record that topped Minnesota three-overtime semifinal. RPI beat Providence 2-1 high-speed 4-3 overtime classic, which many observ- Richter, and Michigan Tech goalkeeper Jamie Ram by 12 points. This time the Tigers reached the Frozen for the title. Watson gave UMD its second straight ers still call the best-played national championship earned All-America honors. Johnson, who set a WCHA Four, but after winning a double-overtime 4-3 semi- Hobey Baker winner, while Kosti and defenseman game ever. record for career assists, made it for the third time. final thriller against a Vermont team led by small but Norm Maciver joined him as all-league picks. Minnesota’s back-to-back runaway league titles The biggest surprise in WCHA national tournament shifty Martin St. Louis, the Tigers lost 3-2 in overtime Denver, under coach , performed were total aberrations for the WCHA, which returned history may have been when UMD, Wisconsin, Min- to Michigan in the final. Bonin, the repeat league a remarkable turnaround to win the 1985-86 regular to normal in 1989-90 by going down to the final nesota and Northern Michigan all skated to first-day scoring leader (25-39–64) won the Hobey. season title at 25-9 (34-13-1 overall). Dallas Gaume weekend before Wisconsin (19-8-1) edged Minnesota NCAA regional victories, but none reached the final The Tigers string was snapped in 1996-97 when led the Pioneers and the conference in scoring (17-9-2) for the MacNaughton Cup, as Minnesota was four, where Maine beat Lake Superior State 5-4 for the WCHA produced another of its best races. Five (24-49–73), while Garry Emmons led Northern, and upset at Tech and the Badgers outlasted third-place the title. teams finished within five points of each other, with someone named blossomed for UMD. It UND. Denver’s crafty Dave Shields won the league As the league headed into the 1993-94 season, North Dakota and Minnesota eventually sharing the seemed UMD was heading for a third straight league scoring race (21-29–50), but Wisconsin’s balance was the balance in power shifted to Colorado College MacNaughton Cup at 21-10-1 as regular season co- title when top-line center Matt Christensen was impressive, with John Byce, Chris Tancill and Gary and an upstart Tigers team under first-year head champions. Minnesota’s Mike Crowley (5-37–42) and felled by a stroke at mid-season. While Christensen Shuchuk among the top five scorers. That group was coach Don Lucia. Playing the final season at the Brian Swanson of CC (15-27–42) shared the league required a long recovery, his loss seemed to stun joined by shot-blocking defenseman Mark Osiecki historic Broadmoor World Arena, the Tigers skated scoring title, making Crowley the second defenseman the Bulldogs, who faded from first to fourth behind and Steve Rohlik, and the league’s best to their first WCHA Championship since 1957, and ever to attain that status. North Dakota defeated Denver, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Minnesota and goaltender, Duane Derksen. None of the Badgers the school’s first MacNaughton Cup, led by All- Cornell, 6-2, at the West Regional, but saved its best Denver advanced to the NCAA final tournament, made first team all-WCHA, but that corps of seniors American defenseman Shawn Reid and All-WCHA for last in at the Frozen Four at Bradley Center in Mil- but both lost in the semifinals at Providence, and led the team from midseason blahs to a whirlwind center Jay McNeill. The Tigers, at 18-9-5; 23-11-5 waukee. The Sioux upended CC 6-2 in one semifinal Michigan State beat Harvard 6-5 for the title. hot streak – an 18-1-1 tear that carried right through overall, edged runner-up Minnesota by a point and while Boston University knocked off tourney favorite In 1986-87, it was North Dakota’s turn to rewrite the league playoff and NCAA championships. The Wisconsin by two points in one of the best races in Michigan 3-2 in the other. The youthful North Dakota the record books as the “Hrkac Circus” set up its determined Badgers swept Maine in a first-round league history. Individually, UMD’s team, rejuvenated under coach Dean Blais, beat BU bigtop show in Grand Forks. Center won NCAA series to become the only WCHA entry among won the league scoring title with 27-26–53, the WCHA 6-4 to bring home the NCAA crown. Sioux winger Matt the league scoring race (36-50–86) and wound up the four finalists at Detroit, where they resolutely took Player of the Year Award, the Hobey Baker, and was Henderson went from super-checker to super-scorer with a whopping 116 points overall as the Fighting out Boston College 2-1, and brushed aside Colgate named first-team All-American. The CC Tigers were with 3-2–5 in the two games and won the tourney’s Sioux won the WCHA at 29-6 and breezed to the 7-3 for the title. derailed by All-American goaltender Jamie Ram in MVP award. Basically a sophomore team, UND went NCAA title with a 40-8 record under Gino Gasparini. That brought the league into the 1990s, where an outstanding first-round league playoff series, as 31-10-2. Hrkac’s winger, Bob Joyce, plus defenseman Ian Kidd Northern Michigan kept WCHA tradition percolating last-place Michigan Tech beat first-place CC 3-2, lost As juniors, that North Dakota group won the and goalie Ed Belfour also starred for UND. Hrkac won in 1990-91. The Wildcats were bristling with firepower the second game 3-0, then won 3-2 in overtime. In the WCHA again in 1997-98, at 21-6-1, but lost 4-3 to MVP honors in the league and NCAA tournament, from scoring champion Scott Beattie (33-31–64), WCHA Final Five, held for the first time at Milwaukee’s eventual champion Michigan in the NCAA West and added the Hobey Baker award to his banner Jim Hiller, Tony Szabo, and Dallas Drake, while Brad Bradley Center, Minnesota defeated St. Cloud State Regional, to finish 30-8-1, leaving no WCHA entry year, as the Sioux beat Harvard 5-2 in the semis and Werenka led a defense that gave goaltender Billy Pye 3-2 in overtime for the title, and Minnesota and at the Frozen Four in Boston, where Michigan beat topped Michigan State 5-3 in the final, at Detroit. a lot of easy nights. The Wildcats scored 185 goals Wisconsin advanced to the NCAA Tournament, but Boston College 3-2 in overtime for the title. Doug Woog brought Minnesota back to the while going 25-3-4 in the league, while Minnesota league champion Colorado College was inexplicably So the big year for the Fighting Sioux would WCHA winner’s circle in 1987-88 and in 1988-89. finished second at 22-5-5. Minnesota’s runner-up ignored by the NCAA committee for the tournament, be 1998-99, and it certainly was. The senior-domi- The Gophers had been second for three years in a slot meant the Gophers had two firsts and five which was held in St. Paul. Minnesota fell to Boston nated Sioux were ranked No. 1 by every poll in the row with records of 21-10-3, 24-10 and 25-9-1, and seconds over seven seasons. But when it came to University 4-1, and Lake Superior State won the title land, almost from start to finish, while romping to finally won the MacNaughton Cup with a 28-7 mark national titles, Woog’s Gophers were annually shut by crushing BU 9-1 in the final. another WCHA title at 24-2-2, 10 points ahead of (34-10 overall) in 1989-90. Brilliant goaltending by out, while Northern Michigan took advantage of its Lucia guided his Colorado College Tigers (22-9-1; CC, and into the NCAAs. However, the Sioux were Robb Stauber (2.91 GAA and .906 Sv%) carried the best chance. Coach Rick Comley’s Wildcats won the 30-12-1 overall) to their second straight WCHA Cham- derailed by eventual champion Boston College in Gophers to finish 11 points ahead of Wisconsin, and WCHA playoff championship in the St. Paul Civic pionship, something only six teams had ever done the quarterfinals, ending up 32-6-2. Those seven after winning in the league’s first try at best-of-three Center, and returned to that site for an amazing before, led by the likes of All-Americans Ryan Bach seniors – Jason Blake, Jay Panzer, Brad Williamson, playoffs, the Gophers reached the NCAA final four in NCAA tournament, in which Northern beat Maine in goal, Kent Fearns on defense, and 33-goal scorer David Hoogsteen, Jeff Ulmer, Jesse Bull and Adam Lake Placid. Stauber became the first goalie to win 5-3 in the semis, and won an incredible 8-7 triple- Jay McNeill up front. CC claimed the MacNaughton Calder – scored a combined 107 goals in that glori-

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Joseph and Grant Stevenson the other forwards. Strangely enough, history repeated itself at NCAA tournament time in 2003, when WCHA champion and top Western seed Colorado College had to go to Ann Arbor for the regional. The NCAA had finally expanded from 12 to 16 teams for that tourna- ment, which meant four regionals instead of two, but Michigan, the fourth seed, eliminated Maine 2-1 while top-seed CC beat Wayne State 4-2. Michigan, again a lower otto breitenbach john ‘gino’ gasparini tony hrkac mike sertich brett hull seed bolstered by its vocal crowd, beat CC 5-3 to again reach the half of the NCAA’s last 12-team tournament field was Frozen Four. at Ann Arbor, Mich., where Denver got a bye as top In the new format, Minnesota was host of its own seed but Michigan, with the benefit of its intimidating regional, and the Gophers, after beating Colorado home crowd, beat St. Cloud State, then beat Denver College for the WCHA playoff title, romped 9-2 over 5-3 to eliminate the top two WCHA entries. Playing outmanned Mercyhurst, and caught a break when down to two Frozen Four entries, the other bracket Ferris State upset North Dakota 5-2. The Gophers saw Colorado College eliminate Michigan State 2-0, whipped Ferris State 7-4 to win the West Regional then Minnesota, which had a bye, beat Colorado and return to the Frozen Four, this time in Buffalo. College 4-2. Both Minnesota and Michigan reached The déjà vu continued as once again Minnesota the Frozen Four, but Minnesota avoided having to faced Michigan in the NCAA semifinals, and once play Michigan in Ann Arbor, and beat the Wolverines again the Gophers prevailed, 3-2 in overtime. 3-2 in the NCAA semifinals in Saint Paul. Minnesota buried New Hampshire 5-1 in the That created a memorable final. Minnesota tied championship game, meaning that after a 23-year Maine 3-3 on Matt Koalska’s goal with :53 seconds left national championship drought, Lucia had brought bruce mcleod doug woog brian swanson in regulation, and the Gophers beat the Black Bears two titles in a row back to Mariucci Arena. Shut out 4-3 on Grant Potulny’s goal at 16:58 of overtime. of the All-WCHA First Team, Minnesota goaltender Minnesota goaltender Adam Hauser and forwards Travis Weber, defensemen Paul Martin and Matt ous, but ending-too-soon season. Their loss in the who were 1-2-4 in league scoring, the goaltending and Potulny made the NCAA All-Tourna- DeMarchi, and forward all made the regional game meant the WCHA would fail to send tandem of Goehring (10-3-4) and Andy Kollar (8-1-2), ment team. NCAA tournament team, with Vanek voted most a team to the national final four for only the third plus swift sophomore defenseman Travis Roche. St. Mark Hartigan of St. Cloud State was league scor- outstanding player. time in history, but the second year in a row. Maine Cloud State finished second, its highest placement ing champ (24-25–49) and player of the year, and was A year later, North Dakota won the 2003-04 WCHA beat New Hampshire 3-2 in overtime for the NCAA ever, and won the 2001 WCHA playoff title. joined on the first-team All-WCHA by Pohl and Mark title by three points over upstart Minnesota Duluth, championship, played at Anaheim, Calif. The Fighting Sioux reached the Frozen Four Cullen of CC up front, defensemen Jordan Leopold of while Wisconsin was third, eight points off the pace. The millenium was about to change, and so by beating Colorado College 4-1, and once at Minnesota and Andy Reierson of UMD, and Denver Denver and Minnesota tied for fourth, 12 points in did the Sioux. Coach Dean Blais replaced his seven Albany, N.Y., they knocked off Michigan State 2-0 goaltender Wade Dubielewicz (1.80 goals-against). arrears. But once again, the playoffs provided the skilled seniors with seven unproven freshmen for on Goehring’s semifinal . Boston College, Leopold was also Hobey Baker Memorial Award perfect setting for a late-season surge, and this time the 1999-2000 season, and although the youthful however, beat UND 3-2 in the title game. winner. Denver stormed to the front of the class. UND outfit chased, but couldn’t catch, WCHA champ North Dakota passed the baton to Minnesota, With Pohl, Leopold, and Minnesota record-set- Denver spent much of the 2003-04 season trying Wisconsin (23-5), which was led by Steve Reinprecht and the Golden Gophers took over under coach Don ting goalie Hauser graduating, the Gophers figured to recover from some injuries and disheartening and freshman flash Dany Heatley, their time came Lucia, who took three years since leaving Colorado to drop back in the pack in 2002-03, and Colorado setbacks. Coach George Gwozdecky kept patching suddenly in the playoffs. North Dakota hit its stride College to put the sputtering Gophers in order. Min- College won the WCHA title by six points, with a holes and stressing how the setbacks built character. and ran through the WCHA playoffs, and continued nesota hadn’t won an NCAA title in 23 years, since 19-4-5 record, over Minnesota and Minnesota State- In the WCHA playoffs, Denver beat Colorado College their surge in the NCAAs. At the 2000 NCAA Frozen Herb Brooks won his third title in six years in 1979, Mankato. 3-2 in the first game, lost the second 4-3, then col- Four in Providence, returned to the nets and finishing third behind Denver (21-6-1) and St. The CC Tigers also dominated the league’s awards, lapsed in a 6-1 third-game loss. Ironically, the same from an injury and was brilliant in a 2-0 shutout over Cloud State (19-7-2) at 18-7-3 was not the perfect as (21-32–53) won the scoring title, player computerized system that cost Denver a chance defending national champion Maine, then the Sioux formula for the NCAA title. of the year, and Hobey Baker Memorial Award, while to make the NCAA tournament in 2006 made the rallied from a 2-1 deficit to stifle Boston College 4-2 Nor was losing to Denver in the league playoff teammate Curtis McElhinney was the top goalie with Pioneers a borderline entry among the select 16 in for the championship. final. But Lucia had the Gophers primed for the 2002 a 2.19 goals-against mark, and Tom Preissing was 2004. Losing to CC meant Denver didn’t risk another North Dakota had seen to it that the proud WCHA Frozen Four, held at Saint Paul’s Xcel Energy Center generally considered the WCHA’s top defenseman. loss in the Final Five, insulating that computer ranking would end the 20th century in style, by winning the – the same site where Denver had just beaten Min- They made up half of the All-WCHA First Team, with for a week off, while several key injuries healed. league its 31st national championship in the league’s nesota for the WCHA Final Five crown. Denver’s Aaron MacKenzie filling the other defense Colorado College lost to upstart Alaska Anchor- first 50 years. Since teams later associated with the Denver was 32-8-1 overall, but the West Regional slot, and Minnesota State’s 1-2 tandem of Shane age at the 2004 WCHA Final Five, which cost the Tigers WCHA had also won three of the first four national tournaments before even the Midwest League began, teams associated with the WCHA actually won 34 of the first 54 national tournaments. Not a bad century. But it’s just the beginning for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. the Second century by John Gilbert

he new century for the WCHA started off with a rebuilding year for North Dakota in 1999-2000, Tas coach Dean Blais replaced seven highly- skilled seniors with seven unproven freshmen. The youthful UND outfit chased, but couldn’t catch, WCHA champ Wisconsin (23-5), which was led by Steve Reinprecht and freshman flash Dany Heatley. But in the playoffs, North Dakota ran through the WCHA, and continued the surge in the NCAAs to reach the 2000 Frozen Four in Providence. Karl Goehring returned to the nets from an injury and was brilliant in a 2-0 shutout over defending national champion and top-seeded Maine in the semifinals, and the Sioux rallied from a 2-1 deficit to stifle BC 4-2 in the 2000 championship game. In 2000-01, North Dakota responded again to the Blais touch and won the WCHA title for an impressive string of four league titles and one runner-up finish in five years. The Fighting Sioux were led by the explosive top line of Jeff Panzer (26-55–81), Bryan Under coach dean blais, north dakota launched the wcha’s second century by capturing the 2000 NCAA Frozen Four championship with a 4-2 Lundbohm (32-37–69) and Ryan Bayda (25-34–59), victory over boston college in providence, RI. UND’s Lee Goren was named most outstanding player.

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who had a 19-10-8 record, 2.09 goals-against, and title, and North Dakota came out of nowhere with a .924 save percentage. In league games, Lessard a freshman-led outfit that proved it was the hottest (19-20–39) and Bochenski (16-23–39) shared the team in the country by winning the WCHA league scoring title. playoff title. A tasty irony in Denver’s 2004 title run was that The three biggest trophies available were won Minnesota had been the unanimous preseason by three different WCHA teams – Wisconsin winning pick as WCHA and NCAA champ, returning almost the NCAA trophy, Minnesota the MacNaughton Cup its entire team from the 2003 championship ride, as league champ, and North Dakota the Broadmoor which made the Gophers the first team to win two Trophy for winning the WCHA playoffs. NCAA titles in succession since Boston University in No, the WCHA didn’t repeat by supplying all 1971 and 1972. Who could have guessed that the four Frozen Four entries – the NCAA tournament Pioneers would come back to make it two successive committee’s somewhat curious regional pairings two-title runs for the WCHA? prevented any chance of that – but when the firing Denver tied Colorado College for the league title, stopped at Milwaukee’s Bradley Center, the rejuve- then won the league playoff, and added the NCAA nated Elliott had led Wisconsin to a 2-1 triumph over title – but not without plenty of anxious moments. Boston College in a scintillating title match that gave North Dakota, making another of its late rushes, the WCHA its fifth consecutive national champion- had opened the 2005 WCHA Final Five by knocking ship. Wisconsin left no question that they deserved off Wisconsin 3-2 in the play-in game, then lost a their “official” return to the No. 1 spot and the NCAA tense 2-1 game to Denver when Gabe Gauthier trophy, but the Badgers were the first to say they were scored his second goal of the game in overtime pushed to their pinnacle by the strength of league in the semifinals, while Colorado College spanked rivals. Minnesota 3-0. North Dakota beat Minnesota 4-2 in Denver was prevented from any chance at becom- the third-place game, and Denver outdueled CC 1-0 ing the only team to ever win three straight NCAA for the playoff title behind freshman ’s titles – and may stir further discussion of selection goaltending. criteria – when the Pioneers tied with Wisconsin for for the first time in history one conference – the wcha – had all four teams at a ncaa frozen At the 2005 NCAA Frozen Four in Columbus, second place in league standings at 17-8-3, behind four, 2005 in columbus. front (L-R): cc coach , um coach don lucia, und coach dave Ohio, the national championship became the WCHA Minnesota’s 20-5-3 mark, but were bumped out of Frozen Four – with all four finalists from the Western the 16-team field by the mandatory inclusion of hakstol and du coach george gwozdecky. back (L-r): wcha commissioner bruce mcleod and team Collegiate Hockey Association. Denver beat Colorado at-large entries. Four worthy WCHA teams made captains mark stuart (CC), judd stevens (UM), matt greene (UND), and matt laatsch (DU). College and North Dakota toppled Minnesota in a the 16-team field, but they were grouped into two semifinal round that greatly resembled the renewal of the four regionals. With Wisconsin and Colorado of two of the WCHA’s top rivalries, then Denver beat College going to Green Bay with Cornell and Bemidji a chance to be the host entry for the West NCAA In the NCAA final, the Cinderella Pioneers were the Fighting Sioux for the title. State for the Midwest Regional, while North Dakota Regional at Colorado Springs. The Seawolves lost to underdogs to No. 2-ranked Maine, but Gauthier The luck of the draw put Denver right back up played host to Minnesota, along with Michigan and North Dakota in one semifinal, while Minnesota beat scored on a first-period power play, and Berkhoel against league-champion Colorado College, where Holy Cross, in the West Regional, the most the WCHA injury-stricken UMD 7-4 in the other, then Minnesota was sensational, stopping all 24 Maine shots and the question was whether Mannino and the Pioneers could hope for was two Frozen Four entries. won the final in a 5-4 thriller over North Dakota. withstanding a game-ending 6-on-3 Maine powe- could stop the league’s 1-2 scoring punch of Marty Presto! Wisconsin won the Midwest and surging Denver, rested and ready, was invited to be the play, to win another1-0 triumph and secure the Sertich and Brett Sterling twice in a row. They could, North Dakota won the West, joining Boston College fifth WCHA team to the 16-team tournament field, tournament’s outstanding player award. Gauthier’s winning 6-2 with every goal on power-plays. and Maine in Milwaukee for the Frozen Four. The as host entry at Colorado Springs. A longshot in the goal came off a feed from James, the speedy winger If Denver was the best team, North Dakota was turning point for Wisconsin’s ultimate NCAA triumph West Regional, and having yielded 10 goals in their who had missed the end of the regular season with the hottest, and the Fighting Sioux outshot Denver was actually forged out of the intrigue of the WCHA last two games, Denver goaltender Adam Berkhoel a broken leg, but came back to join teammates 45-24 in the final. But Mannino stopped 44 of the 45, Final Five playoffs at the Xcel Center in Saint Paul. suddenly turned red hot. Denver defeated Miami Caldwell and Berkhoel, and UMD’s Lessard on the and Denver rose from a 1-1 first-period tie to claim a Just reaching the Final Five proved the WCHA’s (Ohio) 3-2 in the first regional game and Berkhoel’s NCAA All-Tournament team. 4-1 victory. WCHA Freshman of the Year Paul Stastny strength. Ninth-place Minnesota Duluth sent scintillating 33-save performance gave the Pioneers After Denver had given up 10 goals in its last two scored the tie-breaking goal in the second period, little-used No. 3 goaltender Nate Ziegelmann, a a 1-0 shutout victory over North Dakota – a team WCHA playoff games against CC, Berkhoel yielded added the clinching goal midway through the third sophomore transfer, into the nets at second-seeded that had outscored Denver 21-6 in winning three just five goals in the four NCAA games as Denver period, then made a great pass to Gauthier for an Denver, and he not only backstopped a 3-2 first-game and tying one during the season. won its sixth NCAA title, but the first since Murray open-net goal in the last minute. Outshot or not, upset, but, after the Pioneers rebounded for a 3-2 At Boston’s FleetCenter, Denver faced WCHA Armstrong’s Pioneers did it in 1969. Denver was only the Pioneers went home with the big prize. victory in the second game, Ziegelmann anchored runner-up and No. 3 ranked Minnesota Duluth in the 13-10-5 in WCHA play to tie for fourth place behind Maybe Denver’s second straight two-year run in a 5-2 victory in the deciding game, and his first two 2004 national semifinals. Confident after sweeping North Dakota’s 20-5-3. Overall, North Dakota finished the NCAA in 2004 and 2005 was inspiration to the collegiate victories sent the Bulldogs to the Final the Pioneers 1-0 and 6-3 in Denver, the Bulldogs 30-8-3 and UMD 28-13-4, but a 13-0 record against Wisconsin Badgers, who won it all again in 2006 at Five. The same weekend, sixth-place St. Cloud State took a 3-1 lead after two periods, as WCHA scoring non-WCHA teams gave Denver a solid overall record the Bradley Center in Milwaukee and make it a hat went to Colorado Springs and knocked out Colorado champ and Hobey Baker winner of 27-12-5. Hobey Baker winner and WCHA Player trick of another sort for the WCHA. College behind goaltender Bobby Goepfert. scored twice. Those would prove to be the last goals of the Year Junior Lessard of UMD wound up with Even the most zealous WCHA boosters couldn’t The Huskies kept rolling at the Final Five by Berkhoel would give up. He shut down the ’Dogs, 32-31–63 as the league’s top scorer for 2003-04. He imagine matching that accomplishment on the whipping Minnesota Duluth 5-1 in the “play-in” and Gabe Gauthier and Ryan Caldwell scored :34 was joined by North Dakota forwards Brandon Bo- national stage in 2006. But Wisconsin did its part, game, then ambushing Minnesota 8-7 in a wild seconds apart early in the third period to gain a 3-3 chenski (27-33–60) and Zach Parise (23-32–55) on the emerging to beat Boston College 2-1 for the fifth overtime semifinal, before a record 19,353 fans. tie. Lukas Dora scored at 8:25 to boost Denver to a All-WCHA First Team, along with Minnesota’s Keith consecutive NCAA championship for WCHA teams, Minnesota trailed 5-2 and 6-3 before Ryan Potulny 4-3 lead, and Connor James set up Greg Keith for an Ballard (11-25–36) and UMD’s Beau Geisler (9-25–34) and extending a remarkable streak of domination. took over, scoring four goals, including his 38th of empty-net goal to clinch a 5-3 victory. on defense, and Wisconsin goaltender Bernd Bruckler, That five-year streak started with Minnesota’s two the season with :15 seconds left for a 7-7 tie – only straight NCAA championships, in 2002 and 2003, and to see Matt Hartman’s goal at 9:14 of overtime wrest was followed by two more by University of Denver in the victory for St. Cloud State. In the other semifinal, 2004 and 2005. The Badgers’ run to homestate glory North Dakota, which had ridden a late-season hot in 2006 was No. 5, and dominant as that seems, it streak to a tie for fourth place in the WCHA, rallied could be a working streak of six years for the WCHA, from a 2-0 deficit to stun Wisconsin 4-3 in the first but North Dakota dropped a 3-2 overtime game to semifinal. Boston College in the 2001 NCAA final. The Fighting North Dakota’s 5-3 playoff final victory over St. Sioux can be excused for that “misstep,” however, Cloud State secured the Sioux a spot in the 2006 because they had won the NCAA titles in 2000. NCAA tournament, while the league’s two high- The five straight titles, and six of the seven since est-ranked teams met in a third-place game that 2000, boost WCHA-affiliated teams to 39 national had more significance than either team might have championships in the 59 NCAA tournaments con- realized. Minnesota and Wisconsin both knew they ducted since 1948. Eastern colleges have won 13, were cinch selections for the NCAA tournament, with eight of them by teams that broke off to form so the outcome of their third-place game seemed the Association, while Central Collegiate meaningless. Or was it? Hockey Association teams had won seven. Of those Coach Mike Eaves, who lived through the most 20 non-WCHA national titles, seven came in the heated days of the Gopher-Badger rivalry as a player, 1990s, when North Dakota’s 1997 championship affirmed there is no way he could ever see any game was the only one claimed by a WCHA school in the against Minnesota as ordinary, and he also stressed eight-tournament span from 1992 through 1999. the need for the Badgers to come off their loss to The WCHA dominated the national rankings North Dakota and regain their playing rhythm. throughout the 2005-06 season, with Wisconsin Playing with much more enthusiasm, Wisconsin hogging the No. 1 spot most of the first half, and ripped Minnesota 4-0, which sent the Badgers soaring seeming to run away with the league title until star into the NCAA Regional, while Minnesota seemed to goaltender Brian Elliott was injured. As if operating lose its enormous edge in momentum with the two by tag-team, when the Badgers struggled, Minnesota losses in the Final Five. At Grand Forks, the Gophers came on with a rush to claim the No. 1 national rank- were unceremoniously upset by at-large entry Holy ing, and the Golden Gophers rode the momentum Cross, leaving the Gophers with an outstanding through the whole second half to capture the season 27-9-5 final record, ended by three straight losses. title. At the same time, Wisconsin recovered its touch, North Dakota beat Michigan and Holy Cross to gain DU, back-t0-back nCAA champs in 2004-2005, visit the white house and president george W. Bush Denver looked poised for a run at its third straight the Frozen Four. 106 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha

Wisconsin caPTURED A RECORD 36th NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE WCHA in Milwaukee IN 2006 North Dakota Celebrates It’s 2009 WCHA and MacNaughton Cup Championship in Grand Forks

Once at Milwaukee, a Wisconsin-North Dakota NCAA tournament. Minnesota captured the WCHA and hosted by the University of Denver. The Sioux All three WCHA teams that competed in the rematch in the final seemed likely, but the youthful regular season championship and MacNaughton Cup fell 6-1 to eventual champion Boston College in the national tournament also appeared in the 2009 Fighting Sioux were caught off-guard by Boston by four points over runner-up St. Cloud State and the first national semifinal as became only Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five, held March 19-21 at College’s quick-strike ability, which was ignited by a Golden Gophers also won the at the third coach ever to lead his first four teams to Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. Minnesota 3-0 BC lead in the first period, as the mercurial Chris the 2007 Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five. North Dakota berths in the Frozen Four. Duluth won the Broadmoor Trophy and earned the Collins got two goals of an eventual hat trick. The made it’s third consecutive appearance in the NCAA The WCHA also placed a Div. 1 conference record WCHA’s automatic bid into the NCAA tourney while Fighting Sioux, led by freshmen T.J. Oshie, Jonathan Men’s Frozen Four, this time in St. Louis, Mo., but the six teams into the NCAA tournament in 2008, with becoming the first team in the 17-year history of Toews and Brian Lee, staged a memorable comeback, Fighting Sioux’s bid for a sixth straight national title UND the No. 2 seed for the Midwest Regional in the Final Five to win three games. The No. 5-seeded from deficits of 3-0 and 6-3, but couldn’t quite pull on behalf of the WCHA fell short. Madison, MacNaughton Cup-winner CC the No. Bulldogs won 2-1 over Minnesota, 3-0 over No. 1 seed it off, and fell 6-5. Oshie was held off the scoresheet The league also had seven of it’s 10 member 2 seed for the West Regional in Colorado Springs, North Dakota, and 3-0 over No. 2 seed Denver in the but finished with 24 goals, including a nation-leading teams ranked among the nation’s top clubs in the playoff champ Denver the No. 2 seed in the Midwest championship game. The Pioneers reached the title seven game-winners, Toews scored his 22nd goal of final national polls, drew a record 1,606,686 fans to Regional, St. Cloud State the No. 2 seed for the East contest by downing No. 3 seeded Wisconsin, 3-0. The the season during the rally, and Lee, a defenseman, home games – including a record 88,900 to the an- Regional in Albany, N.Y., Minnesota the No. 3 seed for Fighting Sioux fell by a 4-1 count to the Badgers in assisted on the fourth Sioux goal and scored himself nual Final Five at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, UND’s the Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass., and Wis- the third place game. The 2009 Final Five drew a total with :13 seconds remaining to give the Sioux one last became the WCHA’s 13th Hobey Baker consin the No. 3 seed for the Midwest Regional. attendance of 82,065, the fifth best total in the 17-year gasp of hope, before they simply ran out of minutes Memorial Award winner, league-member teams At the conclusion of the season, the WCHA’s history of the event, and even outdrew the 2009 Big and their season ended 29-16-1. posted a 53-24-6 (.675) non-conference records, non-conference record stood at 49-22-10 (.667). And Ten Men’s Basketball tournament (68,098) for it’s four- Wisconsin, meanwhile, got two goals from Rob- five conference players earned All-American honors, in the final 2007-08 Div. 1 college hockey polls, the day run at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. bie Earl, and star goaltender Brian Elliott proved he and St. Cloud State’s Ryan Lasch was named the first WCHA had seven teams ranked among the nation’s In the final 2008-09 regular season WCHA stand- was in top form in a 32-save performance for a 5-2 National Rookie of the Year. top 17 with two others earning votes. UND was No. ings, North Dakota finished first with a 17-7-4 mark semifinal victory over Maine, and Eaves’ stress of In 2007-08, Colorado College claimed the 3, DU was No. 4, CC was No. 6, SCSU was No. 8, UM and 38 points over their 28-game log, followed by team defense continued to prevail in the final. program’s sixth WCHA championship since 1993 by was No. 10, MSU was No. 14, and UW was No. 17. Denver in second at 16-8-4 with 36 points, Wisconsin The Badgers outshot Boston College 39-22, but four points over runner-up North Dakota. The Tigers Both UMD and MTU also received votes. and Colorado College tied for third with 31 points they had to rally from a 1-0 deficit for Earl’s 24th were led by WCHA Player of the Year and Rookie of In home attendance, the WCHA again led the each, and Minnesota placing fifth at 12-11-5 with 29 goal early in the second period to gain a 1-1 tie, and the Year Richard Bachman in goal, WCHA Defensive nation with 1,508,499 fans, topping 1.5 millon for points. St. Cloud State wound up sixth with 28 points, senior defenseman Tom Gilbert strode in from the Player of the Year Jack Hillen on the blueline, and a record sixth straight season and 1,000,000 for a Minnesota Duluth was seventh with 27, Minnesota point to score the power-play game-winner midway all-league performer Chad Rau up front. record 15th straight season. State was eighth with 26, Alaska Anchorage was ninth through the third. An explanation of how hot Elliott At the 2008 Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five in Saint Six conference players earned All-American hon- with 23 points and Michigan Tech placed 10th with was through the stretch is that he won eight of his Paul, the Denver Pioneers took home the Broadmoor ors in West First Teamer’s Richard Bachman (G, CC), 11 points. nine starts since regaining his touch, with a .967 Trophy before 86,855 at Xcel Energy Center for the Jack Hillen (D, CC) and T.J. Oshie (F, UND). Named to In addition to UAA’s league best six-win, 11-point save percentage and an 0.81 goals-against average program’s third playoff crown in seven years. the West All-American Second Team from the WCHA gain in conference play from 2007-08, both UW and in those nine games. For the fourth consecutive season, North Dakota were DU defenseman Chris Butler, SCSU forward Ryan UM improved by four points and three victories, and The WCHA challenge in 2006-07 was to try to du- earned a berth in the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, which Lasch, and CC forward Chad Rau. UMD was four points and one win better. plicate the seemingly impossible scene from the 2005 was played April 10-12 at Pepsi Center in Denver CC goaltender Richard Bachman became the At the conclusion of the 2008-09 season, seven second straight WCHA player to earn the Hockey WCHA teams owned winning records overall in Commissioners’ Association National Rookie of the Denver (23-12-5, .638), North Dakota (24-15-4, .605) Year, joining inaugural (2006-07) winner Andreas and Minnesota Duluth (22-13-8, .605), Minnesota Nodl from SCSU. Three WCHA players were among the (17-13-7, .554), Colorado College (16-12-10, .553), Top 10 Finalists for the 2008 Hobey Baker Memorial Wisconsin (20-16-4, .550) and St. Cloud State (18- Award in UND goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, 17-3, .513). Four WCHA-member teams won at least SCSU forward Ryan Lasch and UND forward T.J. Oshie, 20 games overall in UND (24), Denver (23), UMD (22) and two WCHA coaches – MSU’s Troy Jutting and and UW (20). UND’s Dave Hakstol – were finalists for the AHCA In the final (March 23) USCHO.com/CBS College Men’s Div. 1 Coach of the Year. Sports XXL Div. 1 Men’s Poll for 2008-09, there are In 2008-09, and for only the fourth time in it’s five WCHA-member teams again ranked among the storied 57-year history, the WCHA was without a 20 in the nation. Denver is No. 4, North Dakota is No. team in an NCAA Men’s Frozen Four. The league’s 7, Minnesota Duluth is No. 8, Wisconsin is No. 17 and three national tourney qualifiers – Denver, Minnesota Minnesota is No. 19. Also receiving votes from the Duluth and North Dakota – all fell short in NCAA re- WCHA were Colorado College and St. Cloud State. gional play over the March 27-29 weekend. The three And in the final (April 13) USA Today/USA Hockey previous seasons that the WCHA was not represented Magazine Men’s Div. 1 College Poll, Denver was No. in a Frozen Four were 1992-93 in Milwaukee, 1997-98 7, Minnesota Duluth was No. 8, and North Dakota in Boston and in 1998-99 in Anaheim. was No. 13. Denver (23-12-5), accorded the No.1 seed in the West Regional at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, Editor’s Note: John Gilbert has covered the WCHA for fell 4-2 to No. 4 seed Miami in a semifinal matchup. 40 years, 30 of them with the Minneapolis Tribune Minnesota Duluth (22-13-8), the 2009 WCHA Final (later the Star Tribune) and continues to cover men’s Five and Broadmoor Trophy champions and the No. 2 and women’s college hockey for wcha.com. seed in the West Regional, won 5-4 in overtime over No. 3 seed Princeton before dropping a 2-1 decision to Miami in the regional championship tilt. North Dakota, the WCHA regular season and MacNaughton Cup champions and the No. 2 seed for the Northeast Regional at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, the celebrate their second straight wcha regular season N.H., dropped a 6-5 (ot) decision to No. 3 seed New Hampshire in their semifinal matchup. championship and macnaughton cup on ice at mariucci arena in march, 2007

107 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha ALL TIME TEAM RECORDS • All Games ALL TIME TEAM RECORDs • wcha games Team 1st Year Yrs GP W L T Pct. Team 1st Year Yrs GP W L T Pct. Minnesota 1922-23 87 2649 1606 874 169 .638 Minnesota 1951-52 57 1540 874 561 105 .602 Wisconsin 1963-64 46 1791 1044 639 108 .613 Wisconsin 1969-70 40 1185 653 449 83 .586 Denver 1949-50 59 2168 1225 829 114 .591 North Dakota 1951-52 57 1521 820 622 82 .566 North Dakota 1929-30 79 2256 1272 873 111 .588 Denver 1951-52 57 1473 759 629 85 .544 Minnesota State 1970-71 40 1328 694 511 123 .569 St. Cloud State 1990-91 19 560 260 245 55 .513 St. Cloud State 1931-32 74 1706 873 742 91 .538 Minnesota State 1999-00 10 280 113 130 37 .470 Colorado College 1937-38 70 2216 1053 1057 106 .499 Michigan Tech+ 1951-52 54 1431 606 733 92 .456 Minnesota Duluth 1930-31 65 2006 913 971 122 .486 Colorado College 1951-52 57 1475 624 783 68 .446 Michigan Tech 1919-20 87 2454 1089 1216 149 .474 Minnesota Duluth 1965-66 44 1270 517 665 88 .442 Alaska Anchorage 1979-80 30 1019 415 512 92 .452 Alaska Anchorage 1993-94 16 464 119 287 58 .319 ______

Michigan* 1951-52 29 896 491 382 23 .561 Michigan* 1951-52 29 646 325 307 14 .514 Northern Michigan* 1976-97 20 798 418 337 43 .551 Northern Michigan^ 1984-85 13 425 198 200 27 .498 Notre Dame* 1970 10 403 179 206 18 .467 Notre Dame* 1971-72 10 298 135 150 13 .475 Michigan State* 1951 29 852 378 452 22 .457 Michigan State* 1951-52 29 650 244 390 16 .388

* All Games records are while teams were members of the MCHL/WIHL/WCHA only * left WCHA following 1980-81 season; + left WCHA following 1980-81 season but returned to WCHA for 1984-85 season; ^ left WCHA following 1996-97 season

conference rankings by team • season-by-season

Team 1952 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 Colorado College 1 5 4 1 3 1 3 – 4 7 7 5 6 7 7 7 7 7 9 8 8 9 9 3 6 8 Denver 2 4 4 4 5 5 1 – 1 1 3 1 1 6 4 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 3 9 7 4 Michigan Tech 7 6 7 4 2 4 7 – 2 4 1 3 4 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 7 5 1 2 1 6 Minnesota 5 1 1 3 4 6 4 – 6 2 6 4 3 3 2 8 5 5 1 5 10 6 2 1 3 7 Minnesota-Duluth – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8 6 8 8 8 6 5 8 6 8 7 10 North Dakota 4 3 3 6 5 3 1 – 3 5 5 1 5 1 2 1 3 3 5 7 3 7 10 10 7 5 Wisconsin – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4 3 2 3 5 4 7 1 Michigan 2 1 2 2 1 2 6 – 5 3 2 7 1 5 5 4 4 4 6 9 6 10 7 6 4 3 Michigan State 6 7 6 7 7 7 5 – 7 6 4 5 7 4 6 5 6 6 7 4 4 4 4 5 2 8 Notre Dame – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8 2 8 7 5 2

Team 1978 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 Alaska Anchorage – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – a 6 10 9 9 9 6 7 9 6 10 Colorado College 5 8 3 7 6 6 6 6 7 6 8 8 7 8 4 9 1 1 1 4 3 2 5 4 4 1 Denver 1 6 10 4 4 5 5 5 1 3 3 5 5 9 9 6 9 2 3 4 8 3 9 6 1 7 Michigan Tech^ 3 7 7 2 – – – 8 8 7 4 6 8 7 6 4 10 8 7 10 7 8 10 8 10 9 Minnesota 4 2 2 1 3 1 3 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 4 2 1 6 5 6 3 3 2 Minnesota Duluth 7 3 6 8 5 4 1 1 4 7 6 7 5 5 5 1 7 7 4 6 5 9 8 10 9 5 Minnesota State – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4 7 6 2 North Dakota 5 1 1 5 1 2 2 4 6 1 5 3 3 4 7 8 8 5 4 1 1 1 2 1 6 4 St. Cloud State – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5 7 7 4 5 8 3 4 7 3 2 2 6 Wisconsin 2 3 9 2 2 3 4 3 3 3 2 3 1 3 2 2 3 2 6 7 2 4 1 5 5 8 Michigan* 7 10 4 5 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Michigan State* 10 8 8 10 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Northern Michigan+ – – – – – – – 7 5 5 6 2 4 1 3 5 5 9 10 8 – – – – – – Notre Dame* 7 5 5 9 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Team 2004 05 06 07 08 09 Alaska Anchorage 8 7 10 10 10 9 Colorado College 7 1 4 5 1 T3 Denver 4 1 2 4 3 2 Michigan Tech 10 10 8 T6 9 10 Minnesota 4 3 1 1 7 5 Minnesota Duluth 2 6 9 9 8 7 Minnesota State 9 8 7 8 T4 8 North Dakota 1 5 4 3 2 1 St. Cloud State 6 9 6 2 T4 6 Wisconsin 3 3 2 T6 6 T3

a - affiliate member; * left WCHA after 1980-81 season; ^ left WCHA after 1981 season but returned with 1984-85 season; + left WCHA after 1996-97 season

108 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha season summaries • 1951-2008

tony frasca • cc john mayasich • um jim mattson • um phil hilton • cc bill reichart • und doug silverberg • cc

he history of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association dates to 1951, when the forerunner of the WCHA was first formed as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League, or MCHL, with 1953-54 wihl standings seven original members in Colorado College, Denver, Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan T Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pts GF GA Tech, Minnesota and North Dakota. 1 Minnesota (23-6-1/.783) 20 16 3 1 20 1/2 117 61 The MCHL was then re-christened the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League, or WIHL, 2 Michigan (15-6-2/.696) 16 12 3 1 18 1/2 83 54 beginning with the 1953-54 season. 3 North Dakota (14-12-1/.537) 16 9 6 1 14 1/2 70 47 In 1958-59, the WIHL disbanded for one season and then was reformed as the Western 4 Denver (16-9-0/.640) 14 7 7 0 11 74 71 Collegiate Hockey Association, or WCHA, beginning with the 1959-60 campaign. Colorado College (14-9-1/.604) 14 6 8 0 11 48 58 6 Michigan State (8-14-1/.370) 18 4 13 1 6 1/2 56 69 The first expansion of the WCHA came with the 1965-66 season with the inclusion of Min- 7 Michigan Tech (7-17-1/.300) 18 2 16 0 2 36 114 nesota Duluth as the eighth member. In 1969-70, Wisconsin was added to the WCHA membership to bring the total number of teams Note: All games played by league members counted in the standings. When teams played each other twice, to nine, followed by Notre Dame as the 10th member school for the 1971-72 campaign. two points were awarded for a win, one point for a tie. When teams met each other four times, one point was Following the 1980-81 season, Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Notre Dame awarded for a win, one-half point for a tie. Maximum 24 points available. left the WCHA for membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), leaving WIHL/WCHA Champion: Minnesota. NCAA 2nd Place: Minnesota. WIHL/WCHA Scoring Champion (all the WCHA with just six teams for the next three years. games): John Mayasich, F, UM (28 gp, 29-49–78). WIHL/WCHA Goaltending Champion (all games): Jim Michigan Tech then rejoined the WCHA as of the 1984-85 season and Northern Michigan Mattson, UM (26 gp, 2.76 gaa). Denver Post All-WIHL/WCHA First Team: G - Jim Mattson, UM; D - , was added as a new member to bring the total number of teams back to eight. Michigan; D - Ken Yackel, UM; F - Ben Cherski, UND; F - Dick Dougherty, UM; F - John Mayasich, UM. Denver For the 1990-91 season, the WCHA added a ninth member in St. Cloud State, followed by Post All-WIHL/WCHA Second Team: G - Gerald ‘Spike’ Schultz, UND; D - Bill Abbott, DU; D - Phil Hilton, CC; F the admittance of Alaska Anchorage for 1993-94. - Jack Smith, DU; F - Bill MacFarland, Michigan; F - George Chin, Michigan; F - Doug Mullen, Michigan. First Team After the 1997-98 season, Northern Michigan left the WCHA to join the CCHA, and Mankato All-Americans: G - Gerald ‘Spike’ Schultz, UND; D - Ken Yackel, UM; F - John Mayasich, UM; F - Dick Dougherty, UM; F - Ben Cherski, UND. Second Team All-Americans: D - Jim Haas, Michigan. State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato) was granted membership as the 10th team for the 1999-2000 season. 1954-55 wihl standings

Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct Pts GF GA 1951-52 mchl standings 1 Colorado College (22-6-0/.786) 18 14 4 0 .778 19 73 48 2 Michigan (18-5-1/.771) 18 13 5 0 .722 16 78 55 Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pts 3 Minnesota (16-12-2/.567) 24 10 12 2 .458 11 98 96 1 Colorado College (19-5-1/.780) 12 10 2 0 20 4 Michigan Tech (12-13-1/.481) 20 8 11 1 .425 10 1/2 72 68 2 Denver (18-6-1/.740) 12 9 3 0 18 Denver (18-11-1/.617) 18 8 9 1 .472 10 1/2 83 68 Michigan (22-4-0/.846) 12 9 3 0 18 6 North Dakota (14-13-1/.518) 22 9 12 1 .432 9 1/2 63 100 4 North Dakota (13-11-1/.540) 12 6 6 0 12 7 Michigan State (9-17-1/.352) 20 5 14 1 .275 7 1/2 62 94 5 Minnesota (13-13-0/.500) 12 5 7 0 10 6 Michigan State (7-13-0/.350) 12 3 9 0 6 Note: All games played between league members counted in the standings. When teams played each other 7 Michigan Tech (2-18-0/.100) 12 0 12 0 0 twice, two points were awarded for a win, one point for a tie. When teams met each other four times, one point was awarded for a win, one-half point for a tie. Maximum of 24 points available. MCHL/WCHA Champion: Colorado College. NCAA Champion: Michigan. NCAA 2nd Place: Colorado Col- lege. MCHL/WCHA Scoring Champion (all games): Ron Hartwell, F, CC (23 gp, 40-27–67). MCHL/WCHA WIHL/WCHA Champion: Colorado College. NCAA Champion: Michigan. NCAA 2nd Place: Colorado College. Goaltending Champion (all games): , Michigan (26 gp, 2.66 gaa). Denver Post All-MCHL/WCHA WIHL/WCHA Scoring Champion (all games): John Mayasich, F, UM (30 gp, 41-39–80). WIHL/WCHA Goal- First Team: G - Ken Kinsley, CC; D - Eddie Miller, DU; D - Don Burgess, DU; F - Tony Frasca, CC; F - Ron Hartwell, tending Champion (all games): Jeff Simus, CC (24 gp, 2.92 gaa).Denver Post All-WIHL/WCHA First Team: G CC; F - Omer Brandt, CC. Denver Post All-MCHL/WCHA Second Team: G - Willard Ikola, Michigan; D - Joe - Bob McManus, MTU; D - Phil Hilton, CC; D - Ken Yackel, UM; F - Clare Smith, CC; F - Bill Reichart, UND; F - John deBastiani, MTU; D - Elwood Shell, UND; F - John Mayasich, UM; F - John McKennell, Michigan; F - Bill Abbott, Mayasich, UM. Denver Post All-WIHL/WCHA Second Team: G - Jeff Simus, CC; D - Bill Abbott, DU; D - Bob DU. First Team All-Americans: D - Eddie Miller, DU; F - Tony Frasca, CC; F - Ron Hartwell, CC. Second Team Schiller, Michigan; D - Doug Silverberg, CC; F - Jack Smith, DU; F - Bill MacFarland, Michigan; F - Bunt Hubchik, All-Americans: G - Ken Kinsley, CC; D - Joe deBastiani, MTU; D - Jim Haas, Michigan; F - John Mayasich, UM; F CC; F - Jack McManus, MTU. First Team All-Americans: D - Phil Hilton, CC; D - Ken Yackel, UM; F - John Mayasich, - Ben Cherski, UND; F - Omer Brandt, CC. UM; F - Clare Smith, CC. Second Team All-Americans: D - Doug Silverberg, CC; F - Bill Reichart, UND. 1952-53 mchl standings 1955-56 wihl standings

Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pts Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct Pts GF GA 1 Minnesota (23-6-0/.793) 20 16 4 0 19 1 Michigan (20-2-1/.891) 18 15 2 1 .858 19 80 37 Michigan (17-7-0/.708) 16 12 4 0 19 2 Michigan Tech (21-7-0/.750) 20 14 6 0 .700 17 82 61 3 North Dakota (15-5-0/.750) 16 11 5 0 17 3 Colorado College (17-11-0/.607) 18 10 8 0 .556 14 72 66 4 Denver (17-6-1/.729) 16 10 6 0 15 4 Minnesota (16-12-1/.569) 22 11 10 1 .523 12 63 60 5 Colorado College (9-11-0/.450) 14 4 10 0 8 5 North Dakota (11-16-1/.411) 20 7 13 0 .350 10 67 93 6 Michigan Tech (6-13-0/.316) 16 3 13 0 4 Denver (12-11-3/.519) 16 6 8 2 .438 10 58 58 7 Michigan State (5-16-1/.250) 18 2 16 0 2 7 Michigan State (5-18-0/.217) 18 1 17 0 .056 2 35 82

MCHL/WCHA Champion(s): Minnesota, Michigan. NCAA Champion: Michigan. NCAA 2nd Place: Minnesota. Note: All games played between league members counted in the standings. When teams played each other MCHL/WCHA Scoring Champion (all games): John Mayasich, F, UM (27gp, 42-36–78). MCHL/WCHA Goaltend- twice, two points were awarded for a win, one point for a tie. When teams met each other four times, one point ing Champion (all games): Jim Mattson, UM (27 gp, 2.36 gaa). Denver Post All-MCHL/WCHA First Team: G was awarded for a win, one-half point for a tie. Maximum of 24 points available. - Jim Mattson, UM; D - Eddie Miller, DU; D - Tom Wegleitner, UM; F - Ben Cherski, UND; F - Dick Dougherty, UM; F - John Mayasich, UM. Denver Post All-MCHL/WCHA Second Team: G - Willard Ikola, Michigan; D - Elwood WIHL/WCHA Champion: Michigan. NCAA Champion: Michigan. NCAA 2nd Place: Michigan Tech. WIHL/WCHA Shell, UND; D - Alex MacLellan, Michigan; F - Gene Campbell, UM; F - John Matchefts, Michigan; F - Bill Abbott, Scoring Champion (all games): John Andrews, F, CC (27 gp, 27-25–52). WIHL/WCHA Goaltending Champion DU; F - Joe deBastiani, MTU. First Team All-Americans: G - Jim Mattson, UM; D - Alex MacLellan, Michigan; D (all games): Lorne Howes, Michigan (22 gp, 1.95 gaa). Denver Post All-WIHL/WCHA First Team: G - Lorne - Bob Monahan, MTU; F - John Mayasich, UM; Ben Cherski, UND. Howes, Michigan; D - Doug Silverberg, CC; D - Ken Yackel, UM; F - Jack McManus, MTU; F - Bill Reichart, UND; F - Bill MacFarland, Michigan. Denver Post All-WIHL/WCHA Second Team: G - Bob McManus, MTU; D - Bob

109 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook historyseason summaries of con’t the wcha

bill ‘red’ hay • cC lorne howes • michigan bill masterton • du marty howe • du george konik • dU reg morelli • und

Pitts, Michigan; D - Ed Zemrau, DU; F - Clare Smith, CC; F - Tom Rendall, Michigan; F - John Andrews, CC. First Team All-Americans: G - Lorne Howes, Michigan; D - Bob Schiller, Michigan; D - Doug Silverberg, CC; F - Bill 1959-60 wcha standings MacFarland, Michigan. Second Team All-Americans: F - Jack McManus, MTU; F - Ken Yackel, UM. Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA 1 Denver (27-4-3/.838) 22 17 4 1 .795 128 55 2 Michigan Tech (21-10-1/.672) 22 15 6 1 .705 107 72 1956-57 wihl standings 3 North Dakota (19-11-2/.625) 22 14 7 1 .659 93 80 4 Colorado College (8-17-1/.327) 20 8 12 0 .400 72 101 Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct Pts GF GA 5 Michigan (12-12-0/.500) 18 7 11 0 .389 63 71 1 Colorado College (25-5-0/.833) 18 14 4 0 .778 19 93 69 6 Minnesota (9-16-2/.370) 24 8 15 1 .354 102 109 2 Michigan (18-5-2/.760) 18 13 4 1 .750 16 1/2 76 55 7 Michigan State (4-18-2/.208) 24 4 18 2 .208 53 130 3 North Dakota (18-11-0/.621) 22 13 9 0 .591 13 82 72 4 Michigan Tech (14-9-5/.589) 20 8 8 4 .500 12 1/2 80 76 WCHA Champion: Denver. WCHA Playoff Champions: Denver, Michigan Tech. NCAA Champion: Denver. 5 Denver (12-14-2/.464) 18 6 11 1 .361 9 64 74 NCAA 2nd Place: Michigan Tech. WCHA Scoring Champion: Bill Masterton, F, DU (17 gp, 17-27–44). WCHA 6 Minnesota (12-15-2/.448) 24 7 15 2 .333 8 69 92 Goaltending Champion: George Kirkwood, DU (22 gp, 2.32 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: None Selected. 7 Michigan State (7-15-0/.318) 20 5 15 0 .250 6 42 68 WCHA Sophomore(s) of the Year: Lou Angotti, F, MTU; George Kirkwood, G, DU. WCHA Coach of the Year:

John MacInnes, MTU. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - George Kirkwood, DU; D - Henry Akervall, MTU; D Note: All games played between league members counted in the standings. When teams played each other - Marty Howe, DU; F - John Kosiancic, MTU; F - Bill Masterton, DU; F - Reg Morelli, UND. Denver Post All-WCHA twice, two points were awarded for a win, one point for a tie. When teams met each other four times, one point Second Team: G - George Cuculick, MTU; D - George Konik, DU; D - Guy LaFrance, UND; F - Paul Coppo, MTU; F was awarded for a win, one-half point for a tie. Maximum 24 points available. - John MacMillan, DU; F - Gerald Fabbro, MTU. All-Americans: G - George Cuculick, MTU; D - Marty Howe, DU; D - George Konik, DU; F - Paul Coppo, MTU; F - Reg Morelli, UND; F - Bill Masterton, DU. WIHL/WCHA Champion: Colorado College. NCAA Champion: Colorado College. NCAA 2nd Place: Michigan. WIHL/WCHA Scoring Champion: Bill Reichart, F, UND (22 gp, 24-16–40). WIHL/WCHA Goaltending Champion: Ross Childs, Michigan (11 gp, 2.73 gaa). Denver Post All-WIHL/WCHA First Team: G - Jack McCartan, UM; D - Don Wishart, CC; D - Bill Steenson, UND; F - Bob McCusker, CC; F - Bill Reichart, UND; F - Bill ‘Red’ Hay, CC. Denver 1960-61 wcha standings Post All-WIHL/WCHA Second Team: G - Tom Yurkovich, UND; D - Bob Schiller, Michigan; D - Bob Pitts, Michigan; F - Tom Kennedy, MTU; F - Tom Rendall, Michigan; F - Jack McManus, MTU. First Team All-Americans: G - Jack Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA McCartan, UM; D - Don Wishart, CC; F - Bill ‘Red’ Hay, CC; F - Bill Reichart, UND. Second Team All-Americans: 1 Denver (30-1-1/.953) 18 17 1 0 .944 127 31 D - Jack Petroske, UM; D - Bill Steenson, UND; F - Bob McCusker, CC. 2 Minnesota (17-11-1/.603) 20 14 6 0 .700 100 68 3 Michigan (16-10-2/.607) 24 15 8 1 .646 97 79 4 Michigan Tech (16-13-0/.552) 24 13 11 0 .542 92 58 5 North Dakota (9-19-1/.328) 24 7 16 1 .313 81 133 1957-58 wihl standings 6 Michigan State (11-16-0/.407) 20 5 15 0 .250 55 90 7 Colorado College (4-20-0/.167) 22 4 18 0 .182 68 161 Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct. Pts GF GA 1 North Dakota (24-7-1/.766) 20 15 5 0 .750 16 87 60 WCHA Champion: Denver. WCHA Playoff Champions: Denver, Minnesota. NCAA Champion: Denver. WCHA Denver (24-10-2/.694) 22 12 10 0 .545 16 74 80 Scoring Champion: Jerry Walker, F, DU (18 gp, 29-15–44). WCHA Goaltending Champion: George Kirkwood, 3 Colorado College (17-12-1/.583) 20 11 9 0 .550 15 97 74 DU (18 gp, 1.72 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Jerry Walker, F, DU. WCHA Sophomore of the Year: Jack 4 Minnesota (16-11-0/.593) 24 13 11 0 .542 13 90 81 Wilson, D, DU. WCHA Coach of the Year: Murray Armstrong, DU. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - George 5 Michigan State (12-11-0/.522) 20 9 11 0 .450 10 57 68 Kirkwood, DU; D - George Konik, DU; D - Marty Howe, DU; F - Jerry Walker, DU; F - Bill Masterton, DU; F - Gordon 6 Michigan (8-13-0/.381) 18 7 11 0 .389 9 53 63 ‘Red’ Berenson, Michigan. Denver Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Bill Rowe, MTU; D - Henry Akervall, MTU; D 7 Michigan Tech (11-16-1/.411) 20 5 15 0 .250 5 50 80 - John Palenstein, Michigan; F - Jerry Sullivan, MTU; F - Bill Colpitts, UND; F - Lou Angotti, MTU. All-Americans:

G - George Kirkwood, DU; D - Marty Howe, DU; D - Grant Munro, DU; F - Gordon ‘Red’ Berenson, Michigan; F Note: All games played between league members counted in the standings. When teams played each other - Bill Masterton, DU; F - Jerry Walker, DU. twice, two points were awarded for a win, one for a tie. When teams met each other four times, one point was awarded for a win, one-half for a tie. When teams met eight times (Denver and CC), one-half point was awarded for a win, and one-fourth point for a tie. 1961-62 wcha standings WIHL/WCHA co-Champions: North Dakota, Denver. NCAA Champion: Denver. NCAA 2nd Place: North Dakota. WIHL/WCHA Scoring Champion: Bill ‘Red’ Hay, F, CC (16 gp, 16-32–48). WIHL/WCHA Goaltending Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA Champion: Bob Peabody, UND (15 gp, 3.13 gaa). Denver Post All-WIHL/WCHA First Team: G - Jack McCar- 1 Michigan Tech (29-3-0/.906) 20 17 3 0 .850 101 58 tan, UM; D - Ed Zemrau, DU; D - Bill Steenson, UND; F - Bob McCusker, CC; F - Ike Scott, CC; F - Bill ‘Red’ Hay, 2 Michigan (22-5-0/.815) 18 15 3 0 .833 95 48 CC. Denver Post All-WIHL/WCHA Second Team: G - Joe Selinger, Michigan State; D - Mike Pearson, UM; D 3 Denver (17-11-2/.600) 18 11 7 0 .611 83 71 - Bob Watt, Michigan; F - Murray Massier, DU; F - Jim Ridley, UND; F - Dick Burg, UM. All-Americans: G - Jack 4 Michigan State (13-11-1/.540) 16 6 9 1 .406 57 71 McCartan, UM; D - Bill Steenson, UND; D - Ed Zemrau, DU; F - Dick Burg, UM; F - Bill ‘Red’ Hay, CC; F - Bob Mc- 5 North Dakota (9-17-0/.346) 18 7 11 0 .389 62 71 Cusker, CC; F - Bob White, Michigan. 6 Minnesota (9-10-2/.476) 16 5 10 1 .344 69 61 7 Colorado College (0-23-0/.000) 18 0 18 0 .000 56 143

WCHA Champion: Michigan Tech. WCHA Playoff Champion: Michigan Tech. NCAA Champion: Michigan 1958-59 • no league play Tech. WCHA Scoring Champion: Gordon ‘Red’ Berenson, F, Michigan (18 gp, 24-17-41). WCHA Goaltending Champion(s): Dave Butts, Michigan (9 gp, 2.67 gaa); , Michigan (9 gp, 2.67 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Note: The Western Intercollegiate Hockey League (forerunner of the WCHA) disbanded in March, 1958 for one Player: Gordon ‘Red’ Berenson, F, Michigan. WCHA Sophomore of the Year: Gordon Wilkie, F, Michigan. WCHA year, and thus there was no formal league play. However, most of the WIHL/WCHA teams still played home- Coach of the Year: John MacInnes, MTU. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Garry Bauman, MTU; D - Jack and-home schedules. North Dakota and Michigan State earned trips to the NCAA Championship. Wilson, DU; D - Henry Akervall, MTU; F - Lou Angotti, MTU; F - Jerry Sullivan, MTU; F - Gordon ‘Red’ Berenson, The seven original WIHL teams then resumed formal league competition in 1959-60 under the new name Michigan. Denver Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Bob Gray, Michigan; D - Don Rodgers, Michigan; D - Elov of Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Listed here are the 1958-59 overall records for the teams Seger, MTU; F - Gordon Wilkie, Michigan; F - Trent Beatty, DU; F - Gene Rebellato, MTU. All-Americans: G - John that were in the WIHL in 1957-58 and went on to form the WCHA in 1959-60: Denver (22-5-1/.804); Michigan Chandik, Michigan State; D - Henry Akervall, MTU; D - Elov Seger, MTU; F - Lou Angotti, MTU; F - Gordon ‘Red’ State (17-6-1/.729); North Dakota (20-10-1/.661); Michigan Tech (16-10-1/.611); Minnesota (12-10-2/.542); Berenson, Michigan; F - Jerry Sullivan, MTU. Michigan (8-13-1/.386); Colorado College (6-14-3/.326).

NCAA Champion: North Dakota. NCAA 2nd Place: Michigan State. All-Americans: G - Joe Selinger, Michi- gan State; D - Bill Steenson, UND; D - Bob Watt, Michigan; F - John Kosiancic, MTU; F - Bob White, Michigan; F - Murray Williamson, UM.

110 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook history of the wcha

red berenson • michigan don ross • und doug volmar • michigan state keith magnuson • du bob collyard • cc george lyle • mtu

1962-63 wcha standings 1965-66 wcha standings

Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA 1 Denver (23-9-1/.712) 18 12 6 0 .667 77 54 1 Michigan Tech (23-6-1/.783) 20 15 4 1 .775 77 48 North Dakota (22-7-3/.734) 18 11 5 2 .667 76 62 2 North Dakota (17-12-1/.583) 22 13 9 0 .591 97 85 3 Michigan Tech (17-10-2/.621) 20 11 7 2 .600 68 53 Minnesota (16-11-0/.593) 22 13 9 0 .591 92 76 4 Minnesota (16-7-4/.667) 20 10 7 3 .575 87 67 4 Denver (18-11-3/.609) 20 10 7 3 .575 81 61 5 Colorado College (12-11-0/.522) 16 6 10 0 .375 70 91 5 Michigan (14-14-0/.500) 18 9 9 0 .500 74 72 Michigan St ate (11-12-0/.478) 16 6 10 0 .375 60 90 6 Michigan State (16-13-0/.552) 20 9 11 0 .450 88 85 7 Michigan (7-14-3/.354) 20 3 14 3 .225 62 89 7 Colorado College (9-18-2/.345) 18 4 12 2 .278 51 93 8 Minnesota Duluth (7-19-2/.286) 20 3 15 2 .200 60 100 WCHA co-Champions: Denver, North Dakota. WCHA Playoff Champion: Denver. NCAA Champion: North Dakota. NCAA 2nd Place: Denver. WCHA Scoring Champion: Lou Nanne, D, UM (20 gp, 9-23–32). WCHA WCHA Champion: Michigan Tech. WCHA Playoff Champions: Michigan State, Denver. NCAA Champion: Michi- Goaltending Champion: Garry Bauman, MTU (20 gp, 2.65 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Lou Nanne, D, gan State. WCHA Scoring Champion: Doug Volmar, F, Michigan State (20 gp, 18-23–41). WCHA Goaltending UM. WCHA Sophomore of the Year: George Hill, F, MTU. WCHA Coach of the Year: Barry Thorndycraft, UND. Champion: Tony Esposito, MTU (12 gp, 2.0 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Mel Wakabayashi, F, Michigan. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Garry Bauman, MTU; D - Don Ross, UND; D - Lou Nanne, UM; F - George WCHA Sophomore of the Year: Gary Gambucci, F, UM. WCHA Coach of the Year: John MacInnes, MTU. Denver Hill, MTU; F - Gary Butler, Michigan; F - Dave Merrifield, UND; F - Bill Staub, DU.Denver Post All-WCHA Second Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Tony Esposito, MTU; D - Bruce Riutta, MTU; D - Wayne Smith, DU; F - Dennis Team: G - Joe Lech, UND; D - Jack Wilson, DU; D - Gary Begg, MTU; F - Al McLean, UND; F - John Ivanitz, MTU; Hextall, UND; F - Terry Casey, UND; F - Doug Volmar, Michigan State. Denver Post All-WCHA Second Team: G F - Dominic Fragomeni, DU. All-Americans: G - Garry Bauman, MTU; D - Lou Nanne, UM; D - Don Ross, UND; F - John Lothrop, UM; D - Bob Hill, UMD; D - Dennis Huculak, MTU; F - Gary Gambucci, UM; F - Mel Wakabayashi, - George Hill, MTU; F - Al McLean, UND; F - Dave Merrifield, UND; F - Bill Staub, DU. Michigan; F - Wayne Weller, MTU. All-Americans: G - Tony Esposito, MTU; D - Bob Hill, UMD; D - Bruce Riutta, MTU; D - Wayne Smith, DU; F - Terry Casey, UND; F - Bob Lindberg, CC; F - Doug Volmar, Michigan State. 1963-64 wcha standings 1966-67 wcha standings Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA 1 Michigan (24-4-1/.845) 14 12 2 0 .857 90 37 Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA 2 Denver (20-7-4/.710) 10 7 2 1 .750 33 17 1 North Dakota (19-10-0/.655) 22 16 6 0 .727 84 70 3 Minnesota (14-11-0/.560) 16 10 6 0 .625 65 65 2 Denver (22-8-0/.733) 16 11 5 0 .688 75 47 4 Michigan Tech (14-12-1/.537) 16 9 7 0 .563 57 47 3 Michigan Tech (18-11-1/.617) 22 14 7 1 .659 96 61 5 North Dakota (12-11-2/.520) 14 5 8 1 .393 37 41 4 Michigan (19-7-2/.714) 18 11 6 1 .639 82 68 6 Colorado College (11-14-1/.442) 16 4 11 1 .281 57 84 5 Michigan State (16-15-1/.516) 20 8 11 1 .425 72 81 7 Michigan State (8-17-1/.327) 14 1 12 1 .107 42 90 6 Minnesota Duluth (12-16-0/.429) 23 8 15 0 .348 90 114 7 Colorado College (15-13-1/.534) 18 6 12 0 .333 55 86 WCHA Champion: Michigan. WCHA Playoff Champion: Denver. NCAA Champion: Michigan. NCAA 2nd 8 Minnesota (9-19-1/.328) 23 5 17 1 .239 88 115 Place: Denver. WCHA Scoring Champion: Gordon Wilkie, F, Michigan (14 gp, 8-22–30). WCHA Goaltending Champion: Buddy Blom, DU (10 gp, 1.70 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: None Selected. WCHA Sopho- WCHA Champion: North Dakota. WCHA Playoff Champions: Michigan State, North Dakota. WCHA Scor- more of the Year: Tom Polonic, D, Michigan. WCHA Coach of the Year: Al Renfrew, Michigan. Denver Post ing Champion: Keith ‘Huffer’ Christiansen, F, UMD (23 gp, 15-31–46). WCHA Goaltending Champion: Tony All-WCHA First Team: G - Garry Bauman, MTU; D - Tom Polonic, Michigan; D - Norm Wimmer, MTU; F - John Esposito, MTU (11 gp, 2.45 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Keith ‘Huffer’ Christiansen, F, UMD. WCHA Simus, CC; F - Gary Butler, Michigan; F - Gordon Wilkie, Michigan; F - Bill Staub, DU. Denver Post All-WCHA Sophomore(s) of the Year: Keith Magnuson, D, DU; Bob Munro, F, UND. WCHA Coach of the Year: , Second Team: G - Buddy Blom, DU; D - Carl Lackey, Michigan State; D - Jim Kenning, DU; D - Wayne Smith, UND. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Tony Esposito, MTU; D - Jerry Lafond, UND; D - Keith Magnuson, DU; F - George Hill, MTU; F - Scott Watson, MTU; F - Craig Falkman, UM. All-Americans: G - Garry Bauman, DU; F - Tom Mikkola, Michigan State; F - Jim Wiste, DU; F - Keith ‘Huffer’ Christiansen, UMD. Denver Post All- MTU; D - Carl Lackey, Michigan State; D - Tom Polonic, Michigan; F - Craig Falkman, UM; F - John Simus, CC; F WCHA Second Team: G - Rick Best, MTU; D - Bruce Riutta, MTU; D - Paul Domm, Michigan; F - Bob Lindberg, - Gordon Wilkie, Michigan. CC; F - , MTU; F - Bob Toothill, MTU. All-Americans: G - Rick Best, MTU; G - Tony Esposito, MTU; D - Jerry Lafond, UND; D - Bruce Riutta, MTU; F - Keith ‘Huffer’ Christiansen, UMD; F - Bob Lindberg, CC; F - Gary Milroy, MTU; F - Jim Wiste, DU. 1964-65 wcha standings Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA 1967-68 wcha standings 1 North Dakota (25-8-0/.758) 16 13 3 0 .813 75 48 2 Michigan Tech (24-5-2/.806) 18 12 5 1 .694 78 47 Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA 3 Minnesota (14-12-2/.536) 18 10 8 0 .556 86 78 1 Denver (28-5-1/.838) 18 15 3 0 .833 84 32 4 Michigan State (17-12-0/.586) 14 7 7 0 .500 69 61 2 Michigan Tech (22-9-1/.703) 20 15 5 0 .750 76 47 5 Michigan (13-12-1/.519) 18 7 11 0 .389 68 94 3 North Dakota (20-10-3/.652) 22 13 8 1 .614 78 57 6 Denver (18-8-2/.679) 12 4 7 1 .375 34 37 4 Michigan (18-9-0/.667) 18 11 7 0 .611 83 60 7 Colorado College (7-17-1/.300) 16 2 14 0 .125 51 96 5 Minnesota (19-12-0/.613) 22 13 9 0 .591 98 71 6 Michigan State (11-16-2/.414) 20 6 13 1 .325 57 82 WCHA Champion: North Dakota. WCHA Playoff Champion: Michigan Tech. NCAA Champion: Michigan 7 Colorado College (9-20-0/.310) 20 4 16 0 .200 40 106 Tech. WCHA Scoring Champion: Mel Wakabayashi, F, Michigan (18 gp, 13-17–30). WCHA Goaltending 8 Minnesota Duluth (5-23-0/.179) 24 4 20 0 .167 54 109 Champion: Tony Esposito, MTU (10 gp, 2.00 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Gerry Kell, F, UND. WCHA Sophomore of the Year: Gary Milroy, F, MTU. WCHA Coach of the Year: R.H. ‘Bob’ Peters, UND. Denver Post WCHA Champion: Denver. WCHA Playoff Champions: Denver, North Dakota. NCAA Champion: Denver. All-WCHA First Team: G - Tony Esposito, MTU; D - Wayne Smith, DU; D - Don Ross, UND; F - Doug Woog, UM; NCAA 2nd Place: North Dakota. WCHA Scoring Champion: Bill Klatt, F, UM (22 gp, 18-12–30). WCHA Goal- F - Mel Wakabayashi, Michigan; F - Gerry Kell, UND. Denver Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Joe Lech, UND; tending Champion: Gerry Powers, DU (18 gp, 1.78 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Keith Magnuson, D, D - Tom Polonic, Michigan; D - Dennis Huculak, MTU; F - Doug Roberts, Michigan State; F - Gary Milroy, MTU; DU. WCHA Sophomore of the Year: Murray McLachlan, G, UM. WCHA Coach of the Year: Murray Armstrong, F - Dennis Hextall, UND. All-Americans: G - Tony Esposito, MTU; D - Don Ross, UND; D - Wayne Smith, DU; F DU. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Mike Curran, UND; D - Terry Abram, UND; D - Keith Magnuson, - Doug Roberts, Michigan State; F - Mel Wakabayashi, Michigan; F - Doug Woog, UM. DU; F - Gary Gambucci, UM; F - Jim Wiste, DU; F - Bob Munro, UND. Denver Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Gerry Powers, DU; D - Dick Sieradzki, MTU; D - Dick Paradise, UM; F - Al Karlander, MTU; F - Cliff Koroll, DU; F - Bill Klatt, UM. All-Americans: G - Jim Keough, Michigan; D - Terry Abram, UND; D - Keith Magnuson, DU; F - Gary Gambucci, UM; F - Bob Munro, UND; F - Jim Wiste, DU.

111 2009-10 wcha men’s yearbook historyseason summaries of con’t the wcha

ron grahame • du tom ross • michigan state • notre dame mike eaves • uw mark johnson • uw bob iwabuchi • und

1968-69 wcha standings 1971-72 wcha standings

Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pts GF GA 1 Michigan Tech (21-9-2/.688) 20 14 5 1 .725 86 56 1 Denver (27-11-0/.711) 28 19 9 0 54 148 104 2 Denver (26-6-0/.813) 20 14 6 0 .700 94 50 2 Wisconsin (27-10-1/.724) 28 20 8 0 48 134 87 3 North Dakota (18-10-1/.638) 22 15 7 0 .682 97 89 3 North Dakota (21-14-1/.597) 28 18 10 0 44 130 109 4 Michigan (16-12-0/.571) 18 10 8 0 .556 75 63 4 Michigan State (20-16-0/.556) 28 15 13 0 42 119 103 5 Minnesota (14-13-3/.517) 22 11 9 2 .545 74 60 5 Minnesota Duluth (16-18-1/.471) 28 15 13 0 40 129 123 6 Michigan State (11-16-1/.411) 18 7 10 1 .417 51 57 6 Michigan (16-18-0/.471) 28 12 16 0 32 108 163 7 Colorado College (12-16-0/.429) 18 4 14 0 .222 47 94 7 Michigan Tech (16-17-1/.485) 26 11 15 0 30 120 124 8 Minnesota Duluth (6-23-0/.207) 22 3 19 0 .136 64 119 8 Notre Dame (14-20-0/.412) 26 10 16 0 28 120 121 Colorado College (13-19-0/.406) 28 11 17 0 28 140 165 WCHA Champion: Michigan Tech. WCHA Playoff Champions: Michigan Tech, Denver. NCAA Champion: 10 Minnesota (8-24-0/.250) 28 7 21 0 14 83 132 Denver. WCHA Scoring Champion: George Morrison, F, DU (20 gp, 26-13–39). WCHA Goaltending Champion: Rick Duffett, Michigan State (10 gp, 2.40 gaa).WCHA Most Valuable Player: Murray McLachlan, G, UM. WCHA WCHA Champion: Denver. WCHA Playoff Champions: Denver, Wisconsin. WCHA Scoring Champion: Doug Sophomore of the Year: George Morrison, F, DU. WCHA Coach of the Year: John Matchefts, CC. Denver Palazzari, F, CC (28 gp, 27-30–57). WCHA Goaltending Champion: Jim Makey, UW (21.3 gp, 3.29 gaa). WCHA Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Murray McLachlan, UM; D - Terry Abram, UND; D - Keith Magnuson, DU; F - Al Most Valuable Player: Doug Palazzari, F, CC. WCHA Freshman of the Year: , D, UND. WCHA Karlander, MTU; F - Bob Munro, UND; F - George Morrison, DU. Denver Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Gerry Coach of the Year: Jeff Sauer, CC. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Jim Watt, Michigan State; D - Bob Powers, DU; D - John Marks, UND; D - Paul Domm, Michigan; F - Bob Collyard, CC; F - Tom Miller, DU; F - Dave Winograd, CC; D - Alan Hangsleben, UND; F - Tom Peluso, DU; F - Doug Palazzari, CC; F - Jim Cahoon, UND. Kartio, UND. All-Americans: G - Rick Duffett, Michigan State; D - Keith Magnuson, DU; D - John Marks, UND; F Denver Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Jim Makey, UW; D - Rick Wilson, UND; D - Bob Boyd, Michigan State; - Bob Collyard, CC; F - Al Karlander, MTU; F - George Morrison, DU; F - Bob Munro, UND. F - Don Thompson, Michigan State; F - Bernie Gagnon, Michigan; F - Walt Ledingham, UMD. All-Americans: G - Jim Watt, Michigan State; D - Jeff Rotsch, UW; D - Alan Hangsleben, UND; D - Bob Winograd, CC; F - Walt Ledingham, UMD; F - Doug Palazzari, CC; F - Tom Peluso, DU. 1969-70 wcha standings Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA 1972-73 wcha standings 1 Minnesota (21-12-0/.636) 26 18 8 0 .692 106 86 2 Denver (21-10-1/.672) 22 13 8 1 .614 96 78 Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pts GF GA Michigan Tech (19-12-3/.603) 22 12 7 3 .614 98 79 1 Denver (29-9-1/.756) 28 20 8 0 52 141 85 4 Wisconsin (23-11-0/.676) 22 12 10 0 .545 84 72 2 Notre Dame (23-14-1/.618) 28 19 9 0 48 150 119 5 North Dakota (14-15-1/.483) 26 12 13 1 .481 98 114 3 Wisconsin (29-9-2/.750) 28 18 9 1 47 134 101 6 Michigan (14-16-0/.467) 24 11 13 0 .458 106 104 4 Michigan State (23-12-1/.653) 26 16 9 1 47 132 114 7 Michigan State (13-16-0/.448) 22 10 12 0 .455 86 92 5 Michigan Tech (24-13-1/.645) 26 16 10 0 44 135 106 8 Minnesota Duluth (13-15-1/.466) 24 10 13 1 .438 89 93 6 Minnesota (15-16-3/.485) 28 12 13 3 35 94 102 9 Colorado College (7-22-1/.250) 20 3 17 0 .150 70 115 7 North Dakota (17-17-2/.500) 30 13 15 2 32 124 131 8 Minnesota Duluth (19-17-0/.528) 28 13 15 0 30 123 131 WCHA Champion: Minnesota. WCHA Playoff Champions: Michigan Tech, Wisconsin. WCHA Scoring 9 Colorado College (10-24-0/.294) 28 5 23 0 14 103 171 Champion: George Morrison, F, DU (22 gp, 18-19–37). WCHA Goaltending Champion: Wayne Thomas, UW 10 Michigan (6-27-1/.191) 30 4 25 1 11 116 183 (13 gp, 3.00 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Murray McLachlan, G, UM. WCHA Sophomore of the Year: Don Thompson, F, Michigan State. WCHA Freshman of the Year: Murray Keogan, F, UMD. WCHA Coach of WCHA Champion: Denver. WCHA Playoff Champions: Denver, Wisconsin. NCAA Champion: Wisconsin. the Year: Glen Sonmor, UM. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Murray McLachlan, UM; D - Ron Busniuk, NCAA 2nd Place: Denver. WCHA Scoring Champion: Eddie Bumbacco, F, Notre Dame (28 gp, 31-34–65). UMD; D - John Marks, UND; F - Bob Collyard, CC; F - Murray Keogan, UMD; F - George Morrison, DU. Denver WCHA Goaltending Champion: Ron Grahame, DU (27 gp, 2.93 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Ron Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Wayne Thomas, UW; D - Wally Olds, UM; D - John Jagger, UW; F - Tom Gilmore, Grahame, G, DU. WCHA Freshman of the Year: Mike Zuke, F, MTU. WCHA Coach of the Year: Charles ‘Lefty’ DU; F - Murray Heatley, UW; F - Bernie Gagnon, Michigan. All-Americans: G - Murray McLachlan, UM; D - Ron Smith, Notre Dame. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Ron Grahame, DU; D - Bruce Affleck, DU; D - Bob Busniuk, UMD; D - John Jagger, UW; D - John Marks, UND; D - Wally Olds, UM; F - Bob Collyard, CC; F - Murray Boyd, Michigan State; F - Peter McNab, DU; F - Eddie Bumbacco, Notre Dame; F - Rob Palmer, DU. Denver Keogan, UMD; F - George Morrison, DU. Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Jim Makey, UW; D - , MTU; D - Bill Nyrop, Notre Dame; F - Pat Boutette, UMD; F - Norm Cherrey, UW; F - Ian Williams, Notre Dame. All-Americans: G - Ron Grahame, DU; D - Bob Boyd, Michigan State; D - Bill Nyrop, Notre Dame; F - Pat Boutette, UMD; F - Eddie Bumbacco, Notre 1970-71 wcha standings Dame; F - Rob Palmer, DU.

Rk Team (Overall/Pct.) GP W L T Pct GF GA 1 Michigan Tech (25-6-2/.788) 22 18 4 0 .818 112 62 2 Denver (25-10-1/.708) 22 15 7 0 .682 114 92 3 Wisconsin (20-13-1/.603) 22 13 9 0 .591 102 77 4 Michigan State (19-12-0/.613) 22 12 10 0 .545 101 97 5 Minnesota (14-17-2/.455) 22 9 12 1 .432 77 88 6 Minnesota Duluth (16-17-1/.485) 24 10 14 0 .417 98 106 7 North Dakota (14-17-2/.455) 26 10 15 1 .404 92 116 8 Colorado College (11-17-1/.397) 18 7 11 0 .389 81 100 9 Michigan (9-21-0/.300) 22 5 17 0 .227 77 116

WCHA Champion: Michigan Tech. WCHA Playoff Champions: Minnesota, Denver. NCAA 2nd Place: Minne- sota. WCHA Scoring Champion: Vic Venasky, F, DU (22 gp, 14-25–39). WCHA Goaltending Champion: Morris Trewin, MTU (11 gp, 2.55 gaa). WCHA Most Valuable Player: Rob Murray, D, MTU. WCHA Freshman of the Year: Mike Usitalo, F, MTU. WCHA Coach of the Year: John MacInnes, MTU. Denver Post All-WCHA First Team: G - Morris Trewin, MTU; D - Rob Murray, MTU; D - Mike Christie, DU; F - Bob Collyard, CC; F - Don Thompson, Michigan State; F - Walt Ledingham, UMD. Denver Post All-WCHA Second Team: G - Glenn ‘Chico’ Resch, UMD; D - Wally Olds, UM; D - John Jagger, UW; F - Mike Usitalo, MTU; F - Vic Venasky, DU; F - Murray Heatley, UW. All-Americans: G - Morris Trewin, MTU; D - Mike Christie, DU; D - Rob Murray, MTU; F - Walt Ledingham, UMD; F - Don Thompson, Michigan State; F - Vic Venasky, DU.

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