College Hockey:
Press conference audio: Minnesota-Duluth and Michigan national championship game

By USCHO Podcasts • Podcasts • April 9, 2011

Minnesota-Duluth and Michigan players and coaches met with the media after UMD’s 3-2 overtime national championship win. For the Bulldogs, coach Scott Sandelin and forwards Max Tardy, Kyle Schmidt and J.T. Brown took questions; for the Wolverines, it was coach Red Berenson, forwards Louie Caporusso and Carl Hagelin and goalie Shawn Hunwick. This is unedited audio from each press conference.

Minnesota-Duluth press conference, April 9, 2011 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Michigan press conference, April 9, 2011 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Anonymous
Bittersweet – DaCosta went down :(
- HENH10
  I am happy for Merrimack, glad to see them having a great year. They looked very fast and talented last night, am hoping UNH can salvage a split, but Lawler is a tough place to play. Tough luck on DaCosta, hopefully he won’t miss much time. I was there, it was a nasty knee on knee, I’m surprised they both didn’t get hurt.
Gregoryfam1
Wow….. Go Warriors
B.D.
I disagree with your statement of “Merrimack currently wins PairWise comparisons with North Dakota and Denver.”
I believe it assumes an inflated level of quality in the teams Merrrimack has faced.
- B.D.
  Okay, I think I see what you are getting at. PWR = Gus beats john, who beat jim, who beat frank, who beat Sam, who beat howie, ergo Gus beats Howie.
  - Ed Trefzger
    No. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I know you want to believe in some sort of conspiracy, but this is all mathematics. Go to the Pairwise Rankings page linked above and click on Switch to Pairwise Rankings Comparison Grid. That grid page allows you to see the comparisons the NCAA uses for each pair of teams under consideration. Merrimack wins the comparison with those two teams by NCAA criteria.
    - Just askin
      Don’t waste your time. These UND guys are convinced the whole world is against them – and by now it probably is because they whine so much.
      - FightingSioux4ever
        Hey pal, opinions are like earholes: everbody has one. Your’s just stinks more.
      - Just askin
        You sure told me!
      - Bulldogs07
        Agreed. All I’ve heard from the get go is whining and complaining from NoDak fans about how their team has been disrespected. They’ve been moaning about east coast bias for years, and no league is good enough to match the WCHA in their eyes (ignoring the fact that Hockey East has had the last three champs).
        In short, let them whine…their racist team nickname is finally getting axed, and apparently the only thing to do in the High Plains is whine about teams that are better than theirs.
      - WCHA
        Must be a disgruntled Yale fan.
      - UND whines too much
        The “I know you are but what am I” defense. Are you five years old?
      - WCHA
        Six.
      - UND whines too much
        At least you have a sense of humor! But seriously, B.D. has no idea how the Pairwise works.
    - B.D.
      Ed:
      No insult or conspiracy intended, just recapping how the PWR methodology works. If team A beats Team B, then B Beats C, and C beats D, in theory A beats D.
      Its logic flow thus follows that everything gets thrown into flux if at the last game A loses to D. Correct?
    - B.D.
      If the model I listed above is accurate, then it does not take a strong schedule into effect. In effect, a pair of wins against two seperate highly ranked teams could hyper inflate ones standing in a PWR ranking while the team maintains a normal schedule of pretty substandard games.
      Just curious, how does the current model used adjust to strength of schedule?
      - Ed Trefzger
        There is a thorough explanation here:
        http://www.uscho.com/faq/pairwise-rankings-explanation/
        Your description is incorrect.
        RPI is one component. It takes strength of schedule into account. Merrimack loses to Denver and NoDak in that category.
        Another is record against teams under consideration and the RPI is the gatekeeper for which teams are in that category. So strength of schedule is a major factor again. Merrimack beats both in record against teams under consideration.
        Another is record against common opponents. Merrimack again beats both — those two losses to Maine loom large there for the Sioux in this comparison. Even if Merrimack loses its remaining games to Maine, it still will have a better record against them than North Dakota.
        Last is record head-to-head. Neither DU or North Dakota has played Merrimack.
wchafan
Is this the Merrimack team that gave up six goals in a loss to Mass-Lowell? A Mass-Lowell team that had lost 13 in a row? How’s that strength of schedule again?
- Trey
  As opposed to, say, North Dakota who gave up seven goals and lost twice to the fifth place team in Hockey East?
  - Anonymous
    Or BC who lost to Vermont. People have the dumbest arguments sometimes. Throw out Merrimack’s great season because they had a bad game against Umass Lowell. And ignore the fact that they beat UML in their two other games with them.
    - HENH10
      They are having a great season, nobody can take that away from them. Now, maybe they can upgrade some facilities and they can keep getting some good talent.
Anonymous
Merrimack has beaten the number one ranked team twice this season. This shouldn’t really surprise people. And the “no big road wins” argument just went out the door last night.
- Lefty
  Folks, you can wait until Monday afternoon to see the updated Top 20, but I’ll give it to you now in advance as I have a built-in pairwise calculator:
  Division 1 Men’s Poll (February 14, 2011)
  1. BC
  2. North Dakota
  3. Yale
  4. Denver
  5. MN-Duluth
  6. Merrimack
  7. Union
  8. Notre Dame
  9. UNH
  10. Wisconsin
  11. RPI
  12. Michigan
  13. Miami
  14. BU
  15. Nebraska-Omaha
  16. Dartmouth
  17. W. Michigan
  18. Maine
  19. Colorado College
  20. Ferris State
  - Beanpot101
    Yea…thanks for not having it 100% right
Timmay
The NCAA would never allow Denver to play in either the GB or StL regional.
- Jay
  I know DU had to go to Albany last year, but weren’t they in a western regional in 2009?
Jason
Yale has to lose to good teams to hurt themselves in the PWR. How dumb is that? They are losing RPI comparisons to only ND and BC. Since neither BC or ND played Yale H2H you throw out that portion it.
So….It comes down to ND or BC winning either Teams Under Consideration or Common Opponent vs Yale.
BC and Yale share Vermont and Colgate as COp’s. Yale 2-0-1, BC 3-1-0. BC loses the COp part because they lost a game to Vermont and Yale took care of buisness.
ND and Yale share just Colorado College as their COp. Yale 1-0-0, ND 1-1-0. ND loses because they didn’t sweep their series with CC and Yale beat CC in their only game.
So another words, Yale won’t lose the COp to either ND or BC.
TUC is remaining factor. Yales current TUC is .8000. ND is .7121. BC is .6875. Not possible for ND or BC to get up to .8000 with so few games remaining. So it comes down to Yale having to lose to good teams or there is a shift in the TUC and teams like Princeton and Quinnipiac drop out.
- tweak23
  Yale has to lose to good teams to hurt themselves in the PWR. How dumb is that?
  It’s the same rule that has been applied to everyone for years. As for Common Opponents, schedule more non-conference games. Going from memory, WCHA usually have 8 non-conference games. I think North Dakota played at least two of those games against WCHA teams. Yale did the same thing. I do give credit to North Dakota for showing willingness to travel (Cornell, Harvard, Maine in recent years). More teams need to do this. And against teams with whom they are fairly matched. Example, look at Wisconsin’s non-conference slate. Joke.
  - Jason
    I hear what you are saying. ND played Anchorage in a tournament early then Duluth for their rink opener Dec 30. Yale gets awarded for having a week nonconference schedule
    - HA HA HA
      I believe ND being swept by Maine is the reason.
      .CRYING AGAIN WHAT ELSE IS NEW IN SIOUX COUNTRY.
    - Crybabies
      And if they played a better non-conference schedule you would be complaining about the league schedule. Get over it. When all is said and done, the ECAC will get two teams in and UND will still be a one seed with a creampuff first round game.
      - Rangers99995
        There’s no such thing as a cream puff game in the NCAA Hockey Tournament.
      - Crybabies
        Point is, they are going to be a #1 seed. They get a #4 in the first round. And in all likelihood the bracket is not going to have perfect “integrity” i.e. 1 v. 8 in the second round, 2 v. 7 etc. So why get worked up about it?
Williamson
I think New Hampshire and UNO should be switched to eliminate the WCHA matchup in the regionals.
- Nodaksioux
  I don’t mind this WCHA matchup, UNO is so new to the league they still feel like a new opponent to UND, add to that some good games they have played against eachother this year, and the Blaiser coaching against his former team, I think it is a great potential matchup, league opponents or not.
  - sioux4ever
    the pairwise is so full of eastern bias it makes me want to puke. yale being the 1 overall seed is a joke. their schedule is a joke and their non conf schedule is a joke. who are they going to schedule for non conf opponents next season the northeastern bantam allstars or maybe thats too tough they’ll play the pee wee allstars. yale gets too much respect for a team that plays a powder puff schedule. play a schedule like n. dak. and see what yales record would be.
    - just go away
      Yes, simple math shows “eastern bias”. That’s what the NCAA set out to do decades ago. It was all part of a master plan to get Yale the top seed in 2011. What evil geniuses they are.
- Bruce
  Can’t move UNH. They host in manchester
YouSee
If that lineup holds up, Manchester will be packed with all those local teams there. Can’t spell “bubble” without bu.
KRATCH FAN
If Yale Does not win the ECAC and either ND or BC win thier conference it would take the commitee big NUTZ to give Yale the overall #1.
They played no one and beat no one. When your non conference is 3 Atlantic (Sacred Heart, Air Force “LOST” , Holy Cross), 1 HE (Vermont) and 1 WCHA (Colorado College) they are truly a 3 seed at best.
- It is KRACH
  If you can’t even get the spelling right your argument has no merit.
- Jay
  if Yale finishes #1 in PWR, not it won’t.
- Stal102
  Does it matter? There’s no way Yale even wins its regional at this point. Whoever is the #2 or #3 in that region is lucky – probably merrimack or notre dame
B.D.
I still think it would be more fair to move the second WCHA team to manchester.
Which currently looks like:
Northeast Regional (Manchester)
14 Dartmouth vs. 3 Boston College
11 New Hampshire vs. 7 Union
Either replace union or new Hamshire with UNO.
- Matt Dresens
  Cant move UNH they host in Manchester
  - Jay
    not to mention the committee doesn’t move teams to a different seed.
  - B.D.
    Just saying it would be fairer is all…
CollegeHockeyRules
In a way, one can argue that PWR is fair since it is predefined. That said, it is so obviously flawed that it is equally easy to argue that it is not fair. Under PWR Yale can continue to lose to crappy teams and they would still continue to hold the PWR advantage over BC and North Dakota since the teams they are losing to are not good enough to be teams under consideration. Also the fact that all TUCs are treated equal in PWR is another obvious flaw. Let’s face it, beating the a bottom half TUC is not as impressive as beating an upper half TUC.
bigred23
I’m a Cornell fan and Cornell is not going to win the tournament. Even if Yale gets eliminated this weekend (and Cornell gets Dartmouth or Harvard in the semifinals) Cornell has shown no ability to hang with Union.
SLU34
dont count SLU out!!! there upsetting everyone they can match with any team in the country rit now!
Rangers99995
What you said seems likely. I could see them squeezing in as the 15th though. If there no upsets in the tournaments I think they”ll be in. Who would be in instead of them ? Maine ??
simple math
Before you keep complaining about which teams are in you need to familiarize yourself with how the Pairwise works and then look at the individual comparisons. It’s not that hard.
Jason
There are a couple teams on the bubble in the TUC that if they drop out would hurt Yale quite a bit. Princeton and Quinnipiac. would drop them to 8-3.
learn how PWR works
How is it that Yale continues to be #1 when they are stumbling so badly to close the schedule.
Because Pairwise doesn’t take into account when you win or lose. It’s really simple.
Typical WCHA troll
North Dakota deserves to be number one because we have SEVEN NCAA TITLES. And 7 > 4. HAHAHAHAHAHA! And the WCHA is just so awesome!
Jason
Would probably clinch the number 1 seed for Yale in the PWR. HaHa
B.D.
I see you still donot have enough pride to use your own identity and refer to a sockpuppet instead.
Sad, it must be an eastern trait.
HA HA HA
Yale is that the same YALE that sent the Sioux home last year.Now thats funny HA HA HA
YALE WON GET OVER IT
Does it matter you moron North Dakota will still be a 1 seed in their regional so why you always crying .Did the Yale loss really disturb your rational thinking ? Get over it let the games begin.
SAY WHAT
I thought it was funnier when UNH sent them packing in Manchester 2 years ago.But that was in N.H. and the Sioux were tired from traveling and all the other excuses you come up with . LMAO
Jason
ouch
unbiased opinion
Problem is if BC Yale and UND all make it to Frozen Four, BC and ND would play each other…not fair. BC and UND shouldnt meet until champ game, should they both make it there. Undisputed #1 and #2 teams in nation
Typical WCHA troll
It’s sad you are resorting to ad hominem attacks now.
Unionalum
Cornell would have to win at Atlantic city to be in the final 16. Having said that I have stated before that RPI should not even be in consideration. The final numbers include early season games so if Cornell has to have their bad early start unclouded then RPI has to have their most recent poor performances included and not live on their laurels.
Rangers99995
The U is awesome this year. It’s nice to hear a Cornell fan give them credit. Watching U play this year reminds me of those Cornell teams with McKee in net where you knew they were just going to beat you somehow and give up only 15 shots. The scariest part is that most of their top players are underclassmen this year !
Rangers99995
Being in the tournament is about the body of work for the whole season, not just how they’ve played recently. It’s only fair to look at the entire schedule and compare it to the other teams that are on the bubble.
B.D.
But at least I use my own screen name rather than fall back to a sock puppet one.
Typical WCHA troll
What screen name are you talking about? Do you post as B.D. somewhere else? Whatever. You’re as anonymous as I am. And your posts are still weak. I read the junk you posted on the last bracketology story. Nothing even remotely connected to bracketology. And when you try to respond to other people you completely put words in their mouth and attack an argument they never made. Either you have a reading comprehension problem or you’re a complete troll. Which is it?
Inigo Montoya
Undisputed? You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
B.D.
I have always posted as “B.D.”
You were on the previous bracketology post? As what?
Oh thats right, “Sockpuppet.”
Guest
The TUC useless variable, who “determines” and why a team is a TUC ? how can so many T U C ‘s with 1 or 2 weeks remaining in the season be under .500 ?
Why isn’t N’EASTERN a T U C?
Another useless variable, “your opponents’ record ” vs all other teams. Whoa, what a misleading waste. The morons who put this system together chose the path of least work. They took a non-thinking system from at least one other sport, maybe more than one, poured it into a non-thinking, strictly “calculating computer”, and said-morons, “left the building”, they are not asleep at the wheel, they left the wheel unattended by any common sense and brain power, allowing their moronic system to run itself.
Bottom line foolishness: in the past 18 yrs , ZERO teams from the ECAC have made the final game, and only 4, count ‘em, F O U R teams from the ECAC have made the FROZEN FOUR, 4 teams out of 72 total spots. And YALE gets handed the # 1 spot in the country early, later the PWR # 1.
J O K E, does not describe this mess. It hurts the credibility of tyhe sport.
Bulldog
Bottom line foolishness: Yale was not handed the PWR ranking. They earned it. There is no voting in PWR, so no one can hand it to you.
Du_Fan
EVERY conference has strong and weak teams. Point being, when schedules come out there is no way to tell how strong your non-conference opponent will be. I know that Denver tries to schedule either Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire and BC or BU for home and home every other year. Singling out one or two teams for quality opposition if pretty useless in the long run.
crybabies
My point was only to counter what appeared to be a chief complaint of yours: that North Dakota played more TUC games. As I explained, I don’t think some are deserving. Or maybe I just hate that half of the teams in D1 are now TUC. Not that the old way was much better.