April 10, 2008
No Hak Job: Close Again, But No Title For Sioux
by Dane DeKrey/Staff Writer
DENVER — With his team's most recent — and most embarrassing — Frozen Four loss, again at the hands of Boston College, Dave Hakstol's patience in winning a national championship must be wearing thin.
Right?
After all, his three fellow coaches at the 2008 Frozen Four — Red Berenson, Jeff Jackson, and Jerry York — all have won not one but two titles behind the bench. What's more, it's not like Hakstol hasn't had opportunities.
In the process of leading North Dakota to four Frozen Four appearances in each of his first four seasons as head coach, some players that Hakstol has coached: Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Drew Stafford and Jonathan Toews, all of whom play in the NHL, just to name a few.
But each and every year the storyline seems to be a carbon copy of the year that preceded it:
1) North Dakota comes to Frozen Four;
2) North Dakota loses to Boston College;
3) North Dakota goes home.
Recent results aside, however, Hakstol was quick to dismiss any notion of a BC-curse after the team's 6-1 loss to the Eagles in the semifinal game on Thursday night.
"Tonight, no, I'm not looking back to the last two years' games because every game's been different," said Hakstol, "Last year, it was a tie game with four minutes left to go in the hockey game, so it was a much different game. But tonight, they built a lead we just couldn't come back from. They did a very good job after they had that built that lead in preserving it, and tonight, we simply couldn't get back into the game."
Thus, with his perfect record in Frozen Four appearances as head coach, the question then becomes: How much more can Dave Hakstol do?
Aside from putting on a uniform himself, the answer appears to be not too much.
Had he put on a uniform, his best bet in Thursday night's game would have been to shadow BC's Nathan Gerbe. Gerbe, a Hobey Baker finalist, picked apart a UND squad that all year prided itself in its team defense. What's more, Gerbe picked apart Sioux goalie, Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, arguably college hockey's premier goaltender coming into the contest, notching a hat trick before the second period's end.
"He [Gerbe] played well," Hakstol said, in his usual succinct, to-the-point way. "He made some high impact plays and was certainly the difference in the hockey game."
This now the fourth consecutive year in which Hakstol has left the Frozen Four trophy-less, one can't help but wonder, with the likely departures of T.J. Oshie, Taylor Chorney, Joe Finley and even possibly Ryan Duncan, what are the chances that 2009 will be his year to end the goose egg?
In all likelihood, if all four were to go pro, the chances don't seem too promising. After all, it was only a year ago this time when the four — Oshie, Chorney, Finley and Duncan — made the collective decision to resist the temptation of signing a professional contract and come back to UND for their junior season to try and win a national championship.
Their plan, of course, didn't exactly work like they had wanted, but for the players' act of selflessness in the face of the ever-increasing business aspect of college hockey, Hakstol expressed his appreciation.
"Tonight was not the way we had envisioned to end the year, but that doesn't take away from the character and class of this group of guys on this hockey team," said Hakstol. "They're going to be a special group to us as a staff for a long time to come."
They might even be more special consider the possible circumstances for UND in the upcoming season, a season in which Hakstol will likely be absent a first round draft pick on his roster for the first time since becoming head coach.
Maybe, however, for Hakstol, 2008-09 will be a blessing in disguise, an opportunity to finally prove that he's as good a coach as his record indicates, even if that record is yet to include winning a national championship.
I think this is Karma for UND fans changing the words to the Star Spangled Banner...
Apr 11 2008, 1:23 am by Citizen of The U.S. First
are you serious?
Apr 11 2008, 2:19 am by dan st cloud
No, not really but I really hope the whole hockey thing works out for the UND players. Because that degree isn't going to do much for them. It was funny during the Princeton UND game when an Advertisement for UND came on in the rink and UND tried to brag about there academics. "UND one of the nation's top research colleges." Oh, man I'm sure those Princeton students are really regretting not going to UND. The sad part is you can actually get into UND with an 870 on the SAT, serious look it up or if you over achieve at get a 910 all you have to get is a 3.00. Even if you get a 4.00 in high school you still only have a 16% chance of getting into Princeton.
Apr 11 2008, 9:57 am by Citizen
Wow, Citizen good job on your research of comparing admission standards between UND and Princeton. So what's your conclusion genius, Ivy League Princeton is harder to get into than UND! Boy, your f#ck'in rocket scientist in figuring that one out! Now get back to your nobel prize work nerd as the world needs your brain power!
Apr 11 2008, 12:07 pm by D-Man, Denver
Amen D-Man....Amen.
Apr 11 2008, 2:29 pm by Sioux4ever
Well D-man I would agree with you however... When you say "So what's your conclusion genius, Ivy League Princeton is harder to get into than UND!," you are really referencing the major premise of the arguement not the conclusion. The conclusion of the arguement actually appears first, "I really hope the whole hockey thing works out for the UND players. (because the degree isn't going to do much for them)." Backed up with the major premise; that Princeton is harder to get into than UND and the minor premise is implied that harder schools to get into place more students in jobs. Anyway, thought if you were going to rag on someone, you might want to do it in an informed way.
Apr 11 2008, 2:51 pm by
the world is full of pricks like this citizen clown! Probably a womanless nerd/book worm with a lot of time on his hands, er rosie palms!
Apr 11 2008, 3:18 pm by SIOUX fan in MN.
Thank you for your helpful insight Mr. Wizard! The next time I rip on someone, such as yourself, I'll make sure that I'm cognizant of my sentence structure. Now, do you want to continue my English lesson or do you want to talk about how awesome the Princeton Tigers are going to be next year?
Apr 11 2008, 3:26 pm by D-Man, Denver
Is anyone going to talk about how poorly ND played yesterday or just about how Princeton is a better academic college than UND (stating the obvious). Really ticked at the way the guys played yesterday, some blame has to fall on Hakstol. Horrible send off for the seniors and anyone leaving early.
Apr 11 2008, 5:09 pm by Jimmy Dallas
Whats Hak going to do these guys are supposedly men, men decide these games, all Hak can do is to tell these men to hit #9 more and win the one on one battles, how about skating more and harder, I think he could say all these things but the fact of the matter is these KIDS play the game, are touching the pucks, and its up to them to make the plays, and the lack of plays for that matter
Apr 11 2008, 6:35 pm by BrettB in STL
Better check your research again. Zach Parise was NOT a member of any team of which Dave Hakstol coached in the Frozen Four. He left school to join the Devils in 2004, at the same time that Dean Blais resigned as head coach.
Apr 11 2008, 7:45 pm by Josh Fargo, ND
I am a Sioux fan to the core, but yesterdays hockey game was a complete embarassment for me! Was it a lack of coaching? Lack of effort? Or both!
Lammy showed that he is human! He has been saving their butts all season long, a little help would have been nice!
Its becoming eerily reminiscent of the Minnesota Vikings! hopefully some of these players will turn pro and allow some new blood on the team! Which to me is exactly what is needed! We all know that they are not getting it done with what they have now! I hate to say it, but, does the word underachievers come to mind to anyone else out there?
Apr 11 2008, 8:23 pm by Dan, Doran, MN.
Agree with Dan on a few points. They are reminding me of the Gophers under Woog, so much potential on paper and not getting it done on the ice. I doubt losing everyone will help but you have to question the drive of the players AND coaches after they lay an egg like that. Lammy was brutal yesterday. That 5 hole looked to easy for Gerbe, on other ones the puck was just going through him.
Apr 11 2008, 8:53 pm by Jimmy Dallas
I bought my tickets over a year ago and hoped North Dakota would make it to Denver. The pre-game was great but what a let down...ouch. Brett is wrong, the coach does coach these young men. The pro teams even have coaches now-a-days. Lammy had a bad game obviously but after watching Sauer get pulled during the early part of the Michigan-ND (the other) game. Michigan came back and tied it with a chance to win. Should Hak have prepared a 2nd goalie this season??
Apr 12 2008, 9:47 am by Robert - Denver
Sioux suck
Apr 12 2008, 10:50 am by pat,oslo
pat, oslo - u suck!!!!!
Apr 13 2008, 12:15 am by puckmeister
Sioux are the new Buffalo Bills.
Hockey gods are real fickle when it comes to karma.
7 titles, yes. But nothing in the near future folks.
Unless the title of B.C.'s B I T C H counts
Apr 14 2008, 1:36 am by PutHansonIN, Fargo
Hak should have let his other goalie play a little more this year. If that would have happened then maybe they might have had a chance in beating BC. But the way it looked to me is that the defense didn't show up at all. BC was just to fast and und's defense couldn't keep up. IF they would have maybe showed up then they would't have gotten beat so bad. If the four go pro, then next year we will see how good of a coach HAk is.
Apr 14 2008, 6:20 am by
PutHansonIN, Fargo
How did the Bison Hockey team do this year, Oh yeah they don't have one so shut the FU*K up dummy
Apr 16 2008, 7:31 pm by
Jimmy Dallas has it almost right making a comparison to the Doug Woog led Gophers of the 80's and 90's. All that needs to happen is another 10 or so years of the same thing happening. As a life time Gopher fan, it really sucks to have a "Doug Woog" coaching your talented team year after year, only to fall short EVERY year. UND-Beware!
Apr 20 2008, 12:31 am by jbuss, seattle
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