BleedGopher
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per Sansevere:
BS: Will you miss the WCHA?
DL: I played in the league for four years (when Notre Dame was in the WCHA) and I've coached in it for 20. So I will miss the rivalries. I will miss the tradition. I will miss going into the different buildings and the passion of the fans that made it such a great league. I've been in a lot of national tournaments and some of the best atmospheres I've been involved in as a coach were championship games in the WCHA Final Five.
BS: Will you miss the WCHA?
DL: I played in the league for four years (when Notre Dame was in the WCHA) and I've coached in it for 20. So I will miss the rivalries. I will miss the tradition. I will miss going into the different buildings and the passion of the fans that made it such a great league. I've been in a lot of national tournaments and some of the best atmospheres I've been involved in as a coach were championship games in the WCHA Final Five.
BS: How many rivalries with WCHA teams will be maintained.
DL: We're going to play our in-state schools. And we'll get North Dakota back. I think what you'll
see is some of the teams we've played traditionally in our league will be rotating on and off.
BS; Which road trip will you miss the least?
DL: Denver -- because we can never win out there. (Laughs.)
BS: I would have thought you'd say trips to Alaska.
DL: No. I don't mind that because I have family up there. Denver was one of those rinks where it was just my curse. We struggled to win out there. That's the one rink I won't miss.
BS: Which rink will you miss the most?
DL: I don't know if I can say one I missed the most. I pretty much enjoyed them all.
BS: I thought maybe Colorado College because you coached there.
DL: I didn't enjoy that the first couple of years. Coming here and having to go back -- it took a while for the kids (he recruited) to cycle out of that. Now I enjoy the trip because it's a great city to go to. I enjoyed going to (Michigan) Tech and the tradition of Tech. North Dakota. Duluth. It really doesn't matter. I enjoyed all the venues we had an opportunity to play in. They're all good rinks. There was the passion of the fans. The commitment from every institution to try to compete at the top is what made the league so special.
BS: You're still in contention for the WCHA regular-season championship. How important would that be to your program?
DL: It's always nice to hang a banner, but we don't control that. Obviously, we're hopeful we can still be in contention on Saturday for something. St. Cloud State controls it. But we have to do our part, too. For us, it's win Friday and then see where we're at Saturday.
BS: Five teams are in contention for at least a part of the regular-season title. Is this a great way to finish your final season in the WCHA?
DL: It's the way it should be. I guess it's fitting. It's been such a great league, such a competitive league. Go back the last seven or eight years: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, (Minnesota) Duluth, Bemidji have all played in a Frozen Four. That's incredible out of a league. A lot of times, out of a league, you'll have the same couple of teams that will make it. I think that's what makes it so unique, that depth. Denver's won it. We won it. Duluth has won it. North Dakota. Wisconsin. That's five teams since about 2000 -- different teams. You just don't see that in other leagues.
BS: Is your team playing at a level good enough to win the NCAA tournament?
DL: I think the NCAA tournament is as wide open as it's been in a long time. I think it's one of those years where it's about getting in and then it's about winning games. I think there are a lot of teams that can win it this year.
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22739413/gophers-mens-hockey-don-lucia-will-miss-passion
Go Gophers!!
BS: Will you miss the WCHA?
DL: I played in the league for four years (when Notre Dame was in the WCHA) and I've coached in it for 20. So I will miss the rivalries. I will miss the tradition. I will miss going into the different buildings and the passion of the fans that made it such a great league. I've been in a lot of national tournaments and some of the best atmospheres I've been involved in as a coach were championship games in the WCHA Final Five.
BS: Will you miss the WCHA?
DL: I played in the league for four years (when Notre Dame was in the WCHA) and I've coached in it for 20. So I will miss the rivalries. I will miss the tradition. I will miss going into the different buildings and the passion of the fans that made it such a great league. I've been in a lot of national tournaments and some of the best atmospheres I've been involved in as a coach were championship games in the WCHA Final Five.
BS: How many rivalries with WCHA teams will be maintained.
DL: We're going to play our in-state schools. And we'll get North Dakota back. I think what you'll
see is some of the teams we've played traditionally in our league will be rotating on and off.
BS; Which road trip will you miss the least?
DL: Denver -- because we can never win out there. (Laughs.)
BS: I would have thought you'd say trips to Alaska.
DL: No. I don't mind that because I have family up there. Denver was one of those rinks where it was just my curse. We struggled to win out there. That's the one rink I won't miss.
BS: Which rink will you miss the most?
DL: I don't know if I can say one I missed the most. I pretty much enjoyed them all.
BS: I thought maybe Colorado College because you coached there.
DL: I didn't enjoy that the first couple of years. Coming here and having to go back -- it took a while for the kids (he recruited) to cycle out of that. Now I enjoy the trip because it's a great city to go to. I enjoyed going to (Michigan) Tech and the tradition of Tech. North Dakota. Duluth. It really doesn't matter. I enjoyed all the venues we had an opportunity to play in. They're all good rinks. There was the passion of the fans. The commitment from every institution to try to compete at the top is what made the league so special.
BS: You're still in contention for the WCHA regular-season championship. How important would that be to your program?
DL: It's always nice to hang a banner, but we don't control that. Obviously, we're hopeful we can still be in contention on Saturday for something. St. Cloud State controls it. But we have to do our part, too. For us, it's win Friday and then see where we're at Saturday.
BS: Five teams are in contention for at least a part of the regular-season title. Is this a great way to finish your final season in the WCHA?
DL: It's the way it should be. I guess it's fitting. It's been such a great league, such a competitive league. Go back the last seven or eight years: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, (Minnesota) Duluth, Bemidji have all played in a Frozen Four. That's incredible out of a league. A lot of times, out of a league, you'll have the same couple of teams that will make it. I think that's what makes it so unique, that depth. Denver's won it. We won it. Duluth has won it. North Dakota. Wisconsin. That's five teams since about 2000 -- different teams. You just don't see that in other leagues.
BS: Is your team playing at a level good enough to win the NCAA tournament?
DL: I think the NCAA tournament is as wide open as it's been in a long time. I think it's one of those years where it's about getting in and then it's about winning games. I think there are a lot of teams that can win it this year.
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22739413/gophers-mens-hockey-don-lucia-will-miss-passion
Go Gophers!!