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NCAA MEN'S FROZEN FOURApril 4, 2012Don LuciaTaylor MatsonNate SchmidtTAMPA, FLORIDA MODERATOR: We're joined by head coach Don Lucia, Taylor Matson and Nate Schmidt. Coach, an opening statement. COACH LUCIA: Like every team, we're certainly excited to be here. It was a great journey for our players so far this year. I'm really proud of what they've been able to do with winning the regular season title and bouncing back from the final five and winning our West Regional against a couple of opponents in Boston University and certainly North Dakota. We're excited to play Boston College. We see and understand how well they've been playing, and it's going to be a great challenge for our players. And just looking forward to seeing how they're going to respond here in a game tomorrow night. Q. Taylor, could you just go over this season in terms of how different it was from the last couple of seasons, and specifically what made the difference in making this a special season compared to what you went through the first few years at Minnesota? TAYLOR MATSON: Absolutely, this year's been something special. We started pretty much a year ago from now, our teams have really come together through‑‑ since last April and really worked hard together. Through the whole summer program we have weightlifting, training, everything like that. So this team seems to come together on the ice and just motivates guys harder than I've ever seen guys push each other. And everyone just is great in the locker room too. Everyone gets along. There's no cliques or anything like that. Just a great team to come to the rink every day and have fun with. Q. Taylor, was there a certain point in the season where you thought this would be possible, that things were clicking to the point where NCAA was not just a dream but maybe something that you needed to get to? TAYLOR MATSON: Yeah, absolutely. We had a lot of sweeps this season, which is awesome to get. And especially winning the MacNaughton Cup, the WCHA champions is really something special, and we kind of figured out we had a really good group of guys and something we could do, something special this season. So after the MacNaughton Cup champs, we just wanted to stay the course, keep preparing every week, like just keep looking forward to every game that came in Friday, and that's what we've done so far and it's been great. Q. You get off the plane last night. It's sunny, it's warm. Palm trees. Are you able to separate the setting from the task at hand and how have you done that? NATE SCHMIDT: I think it was pretty exciting when we first got off the plane. But I think the one thing that coaching staff and all the players, the captains, seniors have really emphasized is make sure that as soon as we stepped inside the rink today it's all business until tomorrow night. Obviously we want to enjoy the time we have here, but that was in the last‑‑ the first couple of hours of the day obviously is a little bit of an exciting adventure that we're here. But at the same time guys like Taylor make sure that everyone knows that we are focused, dialed in and ready to go, and have a good practice today and be focused for the next 48hours. Q. Nate, how are you going to stop all those BC scorers? And do they remind you of anything about the forwards that the Gophers have, any similarities? And also what did you think of the big picture of Taylor on the building here? NATE SCHMIDT: Let's start off with‑‑ first with Boston College. Obviously I think they're a very talented team. They have the three really good scoring depth, forward lines. And I think that's one thing that might benefit us is that we as defensemen go against a very talented group of forwards each and every day in our own forwards, so I think that we're up for the task obviously. They have big, strong forwards as well and good drill, similar size, a guy like Kyle Rau, Kreider is a big guy, kind of like (indiscernible). Obviously you see the same type of players obviously. The caliber doesn't change very much from championship‑caliber teams such as Boston College and ourselves. And I think it's one thing to make sure that we just stay focused, because they have three solid lines that if you don't‑‑ aren't aware of them on the ice at all times, obviously they can make an impact. With the Taylor Matson question, it was kind of fun when we pulled up, everyone obviously gave Taylor a little bit of grief. But he's a well‑deserving kid to be up there, probably the hardest working kid I've ever played next to. MODERATOR: Questions for Coach. Q. I know you don't play Boston College a lot. But is there kind of like a rivalry reputation, rivalry of tradition between these two programs? COACH LUCIA: I don't know if there's as much rivalry as respect. Certainly look at what they've done in their history, very similar to Minnesota over the years. They've had a lot of U.S. kids, Mass kids, we have Minnesota kids and won over the years that way. And Jerry got there and they've been on a phenomenal run. Very elite players. They play a style where they want to recruit talented players and let them get up and down the rink and let them play. And I think we try to do the same thing, is that we try to recruit skilled players and allow those skilled players to make plays and play pressure hockey. That's why tomorrow should be highly entertaining. When you don't play each other for years, you read about the names, but until the puck drops you really don't have a great feel of what the opposition is like until the game really begins. You can watch tape, but then you start to identify and see how matchups go during the course of the game. Q. Can you talk about what the luxury is of having Kent coming into the season, knowing he's the starter, knowing he's a known commodity there, and then not having to worry about it through the season, even though there's some bumps here and there? COACH LUCIA: You know, when the year began the biggest question mark probably in our group was our young D corps. We didn't have a senior. We had one junior. We had a couple of sophomores that played bit pieces last year. And that was going to be our group. And obviously Mike's done a great job with that group and developing them over the course of the season. But they've played extremely well. And a big part of that early was Kent. He got off to a great start with our team. Helped us get some wins early in the season. Especially when we opened up the season at UMD, they're the defending national champs and we scored a goal in the last minute to tie it and won it in overtime and went on to win the next game. That was probably the most important week of our season. Because we talked about we had slow starts the previous few years, and here you have to go at a very difficult opening road trip within your league and to be able to win those two games, I think, really gave us confidence, gave us confidence in Kent that he could steal a game for us and‑‑ until our younger guys continue to improve. And I think they've done that. Q. Slightly off topic, but can you talk about the growth of the Frozen Four as an event maybe over the last 10, 15years, how is this experience different now than when you first saw one? COACH LUCIA: It's more an event. The first one I was at was in Cincinnati in 1996. And it was a little bit more of‑‑ I can't say it was a traditional area‑‑ but there's probably, I don't know, 12‑, 14,000 people at the game. The next year, at the Bradley Center, Milwaukee, if I remember correctly, it was a sellout, we had great crowds. But it seemed to kind of grow from that point to where it's become a real big event. You have a lot of people that kind of make it part of their‑‑ they go every year. There's a great nucleus of probably 8‑ or 10,000 fans almost it seems like, makes it an annual event, going to make it their vacation and go to a Frozen Four. As I've gone through from 1996 until now to see some of the changes, how it has become bigger, we get off the plane last night and there's a band sitting on the tarmac waiting to play, and those things certainly didn't take place years ago. And I know last year they put in the red carpet event, coming into the rink, and that went over really big. And I think it's an event where cities want to bid on. We're in Tampa. It's been in Washington D.C. It's been in Anaheim. So I think it's important to have it in traditional areas, but I think it's great to have it in some nontraditional areas at times, too, because it does open up some eyes. It's a great market with Tampa here, won a Cup not too long ago. And it's become a real treat for your players. Obviously you have more media attention and everything like that, but what the host community does and the arena does, that's where I think it's really grown. It's always been a great experience, I think, for the fans but I think it's really grown as far as the player experience. Q. Do you take any measures to separate the site and the atmosphere from the task at hand as far as palm trees and sun and all that? COACH LUCIA: It is different. You get off the plane and there's not trees with no leaves on them. And there's palm trees. So it's not like we're going to get to spend a lot of time. You're sitting with shorts and the media gets to enjoy, probably get some sun and get a little suntan. Especially the guys from (indiscernible), I don't know if they tan up there. But it's not like our guys can go hang out by the pool today and let the sun zap their strength. So I think it's going to be a lot of fun for the fans to have the warmth and be able to walk around outside and all that. But for the players, really, it's the hotel and getting to the rink and the focus of trying to play games and trying to win games. I don't think that changes no matter where you're at. Q. The contract extension over the summer, did that contribute in any way, you think, to the season you had this year versus the last couple? COACH LUCIA: I don't know, Joe, what do you think? (Laughter). You know what, I'm certainly appreciative of Joel and President Bruininks to extend it. You still have to win. We hadn't been to the NCAAs the last few years, and there's obviously pressure on us to try to get back here this year. And certainly for the players. But the one thing I didn't want to have happen is I didn't want the players to feel any of that pressure. I just wanted them to go out and be able to play and work and develop as a team, which is what you try to do each and every season. And the guys have had a great attitude from day one. I think they were highly motivated. It's great a guy like Taylor Matson, our senior and captain, this is the first year he's had a chance to play in the playoffs. He's been hurt every year. We were fortunate this year that we stayed healthy. We lost very few guys to injury all season long, even for practices, only a handful of practices where we didn't have five lines and eight defensemen, and that helps. And so I'm really happy for the players. I've said it, you see the joy in the locker room when you get that big win, especially when you beat North Dakota to advance to the Frozen Four, because, unless you're Boston College, you don't get here every year. So you better enjoy the opportunities you get when you do come. And we wanted to make sure that for the guys that when we come on this trip, we want it to be business but we want them to have fun, we want them to have memories. We don't want them to be uptight. We didn't want them to be uptight all season long. I think the guys have done a good job with that. Q. What aspect of this season is the most rewarding part for you, and maybe the part that you're most proud of from this team? COACH LUCIA: To see so much hard work get rewarded. When the season ended last year, had we won the first round, we were in the NCAA. And last year was frustrating because we lost Budish for the year and it just seemed like‑‑ you know, we didn't have Taylor at the end of the year. We had to go through that last year. So we never felt we really had a chance to see what the team could do. We knew we had a lot of young guys coming back, large nucleus of freshmen that were going to be sophomores that had much more experience. And they just went to work last spring. And we talked about being a class of seniors that you don't want to go through the University of Minnesota for four years and not get to play in the NCAA Tournament. So that was a guiding light and motivation all season long. Winning the MacNaughton Cup was great, but I think the most important thing to this group was to get to the NCAA Tournament. We all come, and every player that's at the University of Minnesota has come because we have great tradition here. And what you want to be able to do when you leave over your four‑year, or two‑ or three‑, this day and age, is be able to say I added to the tradition. And this group now, by winning a WCHA regular season title, by getting back to the NCAA Tournament, to getting to a Frozen Four, they're going to be able to say I added to this tradition, great tradition we have here at the U. Q. Have you spoken to Troy Jutting at all and any reaction to his being removed in his coaching duties at Minnesota State? COACH LUCIA: Actually, when I found out, I think Paul texted me Sunday night. I texted him right away that night. And he appreciated that. And he said: You got more important things to worry about than me. And I said I texted him back, I said: Nothing's more important than friends and family. And I've always liked Troy and gotten along very well with him. I feel bad for him because they had a year where they got devastated by injuries the first half of the season. They have a lot of good young players, and I think their top scorers are all freshmen and things are set up to have a pretty darned good year. And I think you'll see them have a bounceback year similar to what they had at Tech because they had the same thing happen with the injuries and a lot of good freshmen that were going to become sophomores. So it's part of what we do. I think we all understand that, that you coach long enough, very few get to leave on their own terms in not just hockey, but any sport, pro, college, whatever, it's just the nature of what we do. Q. Are you and Boston College two of the fastest teams, and can you keep up with their speed? COACH LUCIA: I don't know, talk to me about 8:30 tomorrow night. They're obviously a talented team. I've seen them play a couple of times during the season. We haven't played them since the '08, and I thought we actually played pretty well at Wooster, and it was a good game up and down. I remember walking in and telling our players‑‑ I asked them if they watched the championship game at the Beanpot, BU and BC game, because I thought it was a heck of a game, the pace, the hitting. Obviously two big rivalries, and that was as good a college game as I've seen all season long. And you don't think a couple months later you're going to be seeing them in the Frozen Four. So it's going to be a great challenge. But, you know what, you get to this time of the season, you're going to see good teams. And you look at BU, North Dakota, BC, it doesn't get any better than that, three straight games. Q. Obviously you saw what BC was able to do against UMD defensively, that's been their strength over this 17‑game winning streak. What are you guys going to have to do offensively to be able to counter that? COACH LUCIA: First thing we have to do is manage the puck; you can't turn pucks over to BC and shorten the rink for them. That's something that's going to be really important to try to get pucks behind their defensemen and trying to make them go 200feet. We're going to have to pick our spots, obviously, from an offensive standpoint; but at the same time, I don't think we can just sit back and let them have the puck all night long because they're too talented. We have an opportunity. We have to try to establish some offensive zone time and don't be overselective. I think sometimes you try to get too cute, maybe, when the goaltender is hot or the team's playing‑‑ or think you have to have the perfect shot. You don't. Let's get pucks to the net and let's see if one can go off a shin pad or one off a skate, try to get to some rebounds. So those are some of the things that we're going to have to do. Q. Let me ask you, you've been through this so many times. Is this team particularly close as a team, a bunch of guys, and how important is that? COACH LUCIA: Yeah, I think they're close. But I don't know if that's the overriding factor. You can have good teams that some teams get along better than others. It's kind of the way it is. But I think this team has worked hard together. And I think they've developed that bond through their work. We're a young team. We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores in very important positions. When the year began, I said I think we're a good team, I can't say this is a great team we have this year but we're a good team, we have a good senior goaltender that gives us a chance; we get some timely scoring and we get balanced and then we can be pretty good. And I think the guys have shown that this year. I think they enjoyed being together. I think they enjoy working together, and I think they've enjoyed the success they've had together. Q. That third line last game was awesome, the three goals, three assists. Are you happy you put them together? And can they give BC some trouble? COACH LUCIA: They're going to have to. One of the things that's different when you play BC is most teams aren't three line deep offensively. And that's what separates, I think, Boston College from almost everybody else, that some teams, you have one real good line and good teams have two really good lines that are scoring lines, and maybe their 3s and 4s don't score a whole lot. But what makes it much more difficult, and you can control matchups a little better when you have that, but all of a sudden you play Boston College when all three lines are probably pretty equal and can all score. So it's going to put more pressure on that line, not only be good offensively but maybe, more importantly, to be good defensively. And it's going to be a big test for Travis tomorrow, that no matter who he's up against, he's going to have to do a great job defending. If he struggles, we can easily move Taylor back to the middle as a senior that's been through it a little bit more and give us a little flexibility that way. But when we've been the most successful this year is when we have balanced scoring. And that happened a lot the first half of the year. The second half we won a lot of 3‑2, 2‑1 games. We were struggling offensively. Because it seemed like one night it was Bjugstad's line that scored and next night it was Haula's line and they took turns. In the last few games, all of a sudden the D are chipping in and the black line, Boyd's line, scored the three goals. That's why we won last weekend. We have to have everybody going for us to be successful. We're going to play Boston College tomorrow, even the fourth line is going to have to play some shifts, and they may have to play some shifts against the top three lines. And we're not going to expect them to score, but they have to be able to hold their own, because they have the matchups. We don't. MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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