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NCAA MEN'S FROZEN FOURApril 6, 2018Scott SandelinNick WolffHunter ShepardSt. Paul, Minnesota MODERATOR: We're joined by Minnesota Duluth. Questions for the student-athletes. Q. Nick, you played in the state high school tournament here for Eagan. How does this compare to the NCAA Frozen Four? And the second question is that you went to Juniors after high school for a couple of years. And you played in the championship game last year. Now this year, with all the seniors you lost on defense and one leaving early, I mean, isn't this unbelievable how these freshmen D have picked it up? NICK WOLFF: It's awesome. To see them go see them play shift after shift, game after game, how they are, it just shows that we had the confidence and ability and talent to do that. In terms of how this compares to high school, it's up there with the best weekend I can have in my lifetime. It's such a great experience to be here in front of you guys, in front of our community, in front of our city. And to represent UMD along with Eagan, I mean, it's just a great honor. Q. Can you talk about Louie Roehl's performance during the year and progression as the year has gone on? NICK WOLFF: He's one of my best buddies. He's my roommate on the road and house mate. He's my roommate at the house and he's a great guy. Always got a smile in the locker room. He's always one of the best competitors on the rink in practice and the games. And he's just a great influence to the other guys. COACH SANDELIN: I think his development is like a lot of other ones -- they've come in, they've gotten an opportunity to play. I agree 100 percent, I think, Nick and Louie are two of our fiercest competitors back there. We have other ones, but I think that's what separates those two for sure. They're not a fun group -- they're not fun guys to play against. But Louie's got good skating ability, can move a puck. Obviously it was a great goal last night. But we needed another right-handed defenseman and kind of got him later in the summer or midsummer when it all kind of came through. And he's obviously been a big part of this year and a big part of that D core and has played with a lot of confidence, and gives us what we need, obviously the competitive part, the puck-moving part and he's got some offensive ability as well. Q. Hunter, wondering about last season and what you learned kind of not having the opportunities, and now how did you grow the confidence to be able to lead your team back to this point? HUNTER SHEPARD: That was definitely a learning experience for me last year. Never really had to sit on the bench like that before. Coming up through high school and Juniors, got to play most of the time. But definitely a valuable thing, I think, for any goalie or player to go through, to get a little different perspective. Got a good year of practicing working with Brant and stuff and then the offseason. So, I mean, I played a lot of games like that in Juniors or high schools, so the workload wasn't a huge difference for me. But I think for me the more I play, the better I play. So getting that ice time this year has been a big thing for me. Q. Shep, we talked about the confidence that the players have in you. How much confidence do you have in these young defensemen? And how much chemistry do you have with them? HUNTER SHEPARD: As much as you could probably have at this point, to be honest. A lot of new faces at the beginning of the year, but especially the second half and down the stretch we've gelled really well. We trust each other back there, like you said, which is the main thing because I know they're going to be there to clear stuff for me and make plays defensively. And when there's been breakdowns -- maybe once or twice a game -- I've been there to make saves. I think that's a huge thing for our whole team in general, I mean, collectively even with the forwards. They've done a great job defensively, too. So knowing those guys are going to play like that in front of me every night is a huge confidence boost for me as well. Q. Nick, Scott mentioned it last night that when you guys kind of found out you were in the tournament, knew your scenarios and all that, it became like a second chance after you left this place. How has the team kind of embraced that and does the word destiny or the feeling of destiny kind of come up in your head at all? NICK WOLFF: I think we knew what we were getting into. We had the confidence in the locker room between the guys that when push comes to shove we're going to lay it on the line. We're a group of guys that believe in each other and believe in the process. And watching that game on the bus and in the locker room when we got home was a nail-biter. But once we knew Notre Dame scored and we were in the tournament, it was a full-court press. We're going to give it our all. Q. Did you watch the game last night, the second game? NICK WOLFF: We saw a couple of periods of it. Q. Hunter, I probably have seen you about 60, 70 times in high school. And your senior year you won best goalie of the year in Minnesota as a senior. What have you learned after high school to get you in this position today? HUNTER SHEPARD: I think in my hockey career, I mean coming up through youth hockey and high school and Juniors, I had a lot of second places. So good thing that's kind of -- all the other teams I've been on is winning the big one at the end. And that's our goal. Individual stuff, whatever. That's the thing about the guys in the locker room, nobody cares about that; it's been our goal to get back here and win what we didn't last year. Winning is the most important thing to me and the rest of the guys on the team. Q. Nick, just wondered, what did you know about Scott Perunovich coming into this season? And what has made the two of you guys click? And what do you like about playing with him? NICK WOLFF: Well, all I knew he was from Hibbing. So he's an Iron Ranger. No, I love playing with him. We have great chemistry together. It's kind of nice; I give him the puck and I follow behind him. Just make him do the work. He's got great vision, great hands, great feet. And I just gotta support him. He supports me. So it's that trust and that confidence between each other that we developed -- we developed pretty early. And hopefully throughout the next couple of years, tomorrow, Saturday, it will keep improving. And hopefully Saturday we'll bring home the big one. Q. You guys kind of find it ironic that the team that helped you get into the NCAA Tournament is the team that you're going to play for the championship? NICK WOLFF: Yeah, I do think it's ironic. I actually have a buddy on the team I was texting that to. They beat whoever it was -- I was like, man, you saved us, thank you -- Dylan Malmquist. And now it's like he's still a buddy, but when Saturday comes around he's not going to be. But no it is ironic. It will be good competition. They're a great team. And it will be a greatest for us. HUNTER SHEPARD: I mean, I guess we're watching in the locker room and everyone's kind of rooting for Notre Dame. We don't really root for anybody else often. So kind of pulling for them just for us to get into the tournament. And we're going to play them tomorrow. I mean, it is what it is, but it is a little ironic. Q. How tense are these one-goal games been for you guys? NICK WOLFF: I think it's probably more intense for this guy here (referring to Shepard). We've been in one-goal games for a long time. We've had a lot of them. All our playoff games this year and last year and I believe the year before were all one-goal games. It's nothing new to us. Again, we all have the confidence and believing in each other and trusting each other that if they score one on us, we'll get one right back. It's not too much pressure. Not too much -- we just gotta give it all we have. Q. Hunter, do you like one-goal games? HUNTER SHEPARD: If you win them, yeah. (Laughter). Q. Nick, Hunter is a very vocal goaltender. How big has it been not only for you but the entire defensive corps to have that communication back there all season? NICK WOLFF: It's great. We love to hear him scream in our ears and getting on us. But just to know what we have behind us and like who is driving, who is going to the net, who is going wide -- just that kind of, the little things. It's huge confidence booster for us. It helps us know where to go with the puck. It's just the extra eyes and ears that we have. It really helps us be successful in the D zone. And that really pays out in those one-goal games. MODERATOR: Thank you. Questions for Coach Sandelin. Q. Can you break down Notre Dame? Jeff said that he felt like these two teams maybe have more similarities than differences in the way they play. COACH SANDELIN: You know what, I haven't seen a ton of them. I saw a little bit -- obviously our focus was on Ohio State. But I saw a little bit, watched a little bit more last night. But again to me a team, an older team that's probably a little bit on a mission. I think they learned something last year in the semifinal game. But a team that just really stays with the game. I think they've got a real good group of forwards. Obviously their goaltending has been outstanding. Their D corps -- another team that doesn't have a lot of holes. They've been in a ton of one-goal games as well. They find ways to win them. They don't panic. They just keep playing their game. So it's a team that -- just a real good demeanor. I think that reminds me a little bit of our team last year where there was no panic. They just had a strong trust in each other that they can win any game. And that's kind of how their year's been. When you're in those games and you start winning those games that belief becomes even stronger. But they just played very well within their systems and obviously they can score goals and defend well. And for us it will be -- again another good challenge. I think both teams -- both teams will work hard. I think right now we're playing pretty well defensively. And wouldn't surprise me if it's another 2-1 hockey game. We can all surprise you and have a 5-4 game. But I'm just again expecting it to be a real tight, lower-scoring game. Q. You've played Jeff's teams. Didn't play them this year but you played them since the 2011 game here quite a bit. What do you like about playing Notre Dame, and what do they bring out for you guys? COACH SANDELIN: Well, I have a lot of respect for Jeff and their staff. I like the way they play the game. I think they play the game the right way. I think they feel the same way about us. That's why we've enjoyed playing each other. We've had some great games over the last four, five, six years. We're going to play them again next year at the end of October. So that will be fun. But for me it's just the way they play and enjoy playing those teams. And they're good teams every year. And, like I said, it's been fun and for me those are always good challenges. But I have a lot of respect for him and what he's done and not just at Notre Dame but wherever he's been. Obviously he's won before. But I just enjoy playing him. Q. You said that you both get a couple beers (indiscernible) for them (indiscernible)? COACH SANDELIN: I'll still get him one, though. (Laughter). Q. Would you call tomorrow a must-win game? COACH SANDELIN: It's just another hockey game, right? (Laughter) would you? Okay. Then you call it a must-win game. We're going to go try to play a real good hockey game. Q. Jared Thomas, what were your expectations when he first got to Duluth? And the last month or so, would you say he's met those expectations, exceeded those expectations? What have you seen out of him? COACH SANDELIN: I think he's had an outstanding year this year. Obviously offensively he's contributed a lot more this year. Coming in he had good offensive numbers coming out of high school and junior hockey. But like a lot of players that come out, it's hard. It's hard to score like you did in high school and maybe even junior. Every level you move up it's hard. And obviously he had opportunities. We played him on the power play a lot. He had chances. If those go in he's probably got a similar year, better year previous to his senior year. But I think his hockey the last month and a half, two months has probably been some of his best. And that's what you expect and hope out of your older players, your seniors. And even though he's not wearing a letter, he's showing a lot of leadership. And I thought his line with Karson and Swaney the last three games for us, they've been our best line. They were again last night. So they're stepping up and doing their part, but I think he's had a really, really good year, his best hockey probably, like I said, the last couple of months. Q. After the frozen faceoff, why did you guys decide to go with Kobe Roth in the lineup, and what has he done in the tournament to keep his spot in the lineup? COACH SANDELIN: Kobe was hurt before. He got hurt before that. So we held him out of that weekend. And once we knew we were in we threw him back in. So he's been good. He's been outstanding for us. I think he's a smart hockey player, can play a lot of different roles on our team, different spots. We've had him in different positions, second line, third line. But that line for me has been really good together, those three with Jade Miller and Billy Exell, they've scored goals for us, they bring energy. I thought they were good again last night when they played. But that was the reason that he didn't play that weekend. Q. Scott, what did you learn in winning, how difficult it was to win the NCAA championship? And along the way what things helped you to get to that? COACH SANDELIN: I've learned a lot. I mean, I've been fortunate, even before I got to Duluth, to be part of a couple at North Dakota with Coach Blais. And one of the things I learned as a head coach was back in '04 when we went to Boston, I think I was maybe a little too structured with our guys instead of just letting them kind of enjoy it and kind of keep your normal routine. And so when we got back to this tournament in '11 obviously it was great it was here. We have a lot of kids from Minnesota. We let them spend time with their families and do their normal routines like they do on a road trip and we weren't so maybe overstructured. And to me it's about -- they need to enjoy the experience. And I think I'm not saying that was the reason. But I think it's the same thing this year, was the same thing in Chicago. Because it's really important that they enjoy it. And obviously last two years or last three times we've been in we've been able to get to the final game, so you really enjoy the whole weekend and you're not going home on Thursday night or Friday. So that's important, too. But just keeping your normal routine, letting them do what they normally do, not getting out of routine, not over-coaching. I think that's important. And I hope the guys enjoy it and I hope they appreciate that, too. But that's some of the things I've learned. Q. Scott, how important was the leadership of your two captains, Parker and Karson in that first half, and how they handled working with a lot of the young players in getting this team where it is? COACH SANDELIN: Well, your leadership on your team is always important. I mean, we've been very fortunate to have some really good captains and leaders on our team for a lot of years. But this was a little bit more challenging, I think, for them, for the coaching staff, how everything's going to come together, when it's going to come together, how to handle some of those situations. I mean, obviously having a little more patience, all those things. I know there's certainly times where you're a little bit frustrated, and I know even having more meetings with those guys early in the year than we do now -- just how are things going? Doing those things. I think they learn, too. But they also shared the frustration. That's normal. But together you find a way to keep working through it and finding the best solution and I think together with those guys help. We did that. And they've become tremendous leaders for us. I think they've done a great job. And for us as coaches we've learned, too, along the way. But last year -- last year was totally different, it was with an older team. So that's what I love about college hockey; every year is different. Every year is different and you learn and you grow. Doesn't matter how many years you've been coaching, everything's different. But certainly this year didn't come with any -- it wasn't like everything was easy. There were some ups, down, adversity, but it all comes with the year. But those guys have done a great job. And they've played well. Those two guys, you know, Karson and Parker have played outstanding for us. Q. More on the same over there, Scott. Players that were on last year's team in the championship game, how can they help these freshmen in this championship game? And do you have more friends that need tickets now? (Laughter)? COACH SANDELIN: No, just my niece called me, that's about it. I think I said that going into the tournament. We've had some guys that have been here that went through it last year. I think those guys you certainly can lean on to let the guys know what it's about. But again to me it's everybody reacts differently to different experiences. And even though they've been there, it's still obviously the biggest game of the year. And for me, I think those guys will do their best, try and keep the guys focused and calm and get them ready, just like as coaches we'll try and do the same. We'll prepare a team as best we can. And when the puck drops, you know, it's 60 minutes or more of hockey and the kids go play. And right now there's not a ton you're going to change with your teams. There's going to be in-game things you have to. But for the most part they're going to play the way they've played all year, for the most part, and we're going to do the same thing, give or take a few things. So I think those guys will do that just like I think they've done all year and especially in the tournament so far. Q. How could you expect Scott Perunovich to have the season he did? What was your expectation level coming into the season considering he's already outscored his Junior pace? COACH SANDELIN: Well, we've seen Scotty play a lot, obviously. I've always known he has had great offensive ability. Now, did I think he would lead our team in scoring? No. I'm glad he did. He's had a real, real good year. Last year in Juniors their team struggled. He came out of Juniors certainly not as confident maybe as he probably would have liked. But he's come in here and just kind of played. And he did learn a lot last year in Cedar Rapids. I think Mark did a great job with him defensively. He didn't put up the numbers maybe that he would have if he stayed in high school, which I think for him was harder, but I think in the long run it was a good year for him to go through a little bit of that adversity. And coming in here we knew what kind of player he was going to be. We let him play. I still get mad at him for not getting up in the play more. Because I think he's like a fourth forward out there. But the biggest thing I've been impressed and I've said it a number of times, he's played well defensively. We knew he had offensive capabilities. But he's been really good defensively and obviously Nick has been his partner. I think that helps. Those guys have really done a good job together and they really have complemented each other. But he's been really, really good and consistent. So it's been an outstanding year for him for being a freshman. Q. Give a little bit of insight on what it's like to navigate the NCHC week in, week out and how it prepares you to get to this stage, or as I call it, the Octagon? COACH SANDELIN: We're fortunate we play in a really good league. It's been a lot of fun since we've been a part of that league every weekend. And I know a lot of leagues can probably say the same thing; it's like playoff hockey. There are no easy nights. And I think when you're pushed every week I think it keeps your kids focused on the week. We also try and play a really hard nonconference schedule to go along with that. So I think when you're pushed every week it forces you to get better. If you don't then you're probably out. So this year, like I said, for our younger players it was a learning experience every weekend. Everything was new. You see different teams. You see different styles. We're pretty fortunate we've got a lot of good hockey players and good teams in our league. It's only made us better. And I think it's helped us at least get to the tournament. And hopefully we're battle tested for the challenge on Saturday. MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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