2002–03 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season

200203 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season
NCAA Division I National Champions
WCHA Tournament Champions
NCAA Championship Game, W 51 vs. New Hampshire
Conference T-2nd WCHA
Home ice Mariucci Arena
Rankings
USA Today/AHCA 2
USCHO.com 2
Record
Overall 2889[1]
Home 1446
Road 943
Neutral 500
Coaches and Captains
Head Coach Don Lucia
Captain(s) Grant Potulny
Alternate captain(s) Paul Martin
Nick Anthony

The 200203 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team represented the University of Minnesota in the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's hockey season, winning the Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament championship and the NCAA national championship. The team was coached by Don Lucia and played their home games at Mariucci Arena.

The WCHA tournament championship was Minnesota's twelfth and its first since the 199596 season. It was their fifth NCAA national championship and marked the first time the team had won back-to-back national championships.

Before the season

Roster

Goaltenders
# State Player Year Hometown (Previous School) Previous Team
31 Minnesota Travis Weber Sophomore Hibbing, MN (Hibbing High School) USNDT - NAHL
33 Minnesota Justin Johnson Sophomore Ham Lake, MN (Blaine High School) Lincoln - USHL
34 Minnesota Dustin Smieja Freshman St. Paul, MN (St. Paul Johnson High School)
Defensemen
# State Player Year Hometown (Previous School) Previous Team
2 Nova Scotia Peter Kennedy Freshman Brookfield, Nova Scotia (Cobequid Educational Centre) Ottawa Jr. Senators - CJHL
3 Minnesota Chris Harrington Freshman St. Cloud, MN (St. Cloud Apollo High School) Omaha - USHL
4 Minnesota P.J. Atherton Freshman Edina, MN (Edina High School) Cedar Rapids - USHL
6 Minnesota Judd Stevens Sophomore Wayzata, MN (Wayzata High School) Green Bay - USHL
10 Minnesota Paul Martin A Junior Elk River, MN (Elk River High School)
13 Minnesota Keith Ballard Sophomore Baudette, MN (Millard North High School) Omaha - USHL
19 Minnesota Matt DeMarchi Senior Bemidji, MN (Manly Central High School) North Iowa - USHL
20 Minnesota Joey Martin Junior Rogers, MN (Buffalo High School) Omaha - USHL
Forwards
# State Player Year Hometown (Previous School) Previous Team
5 Minnesota Jon Waibel Junior Baudette, MN (Pioneer High School) USNDT - NAHL
7 Minnesota Gino Guyer Freshman Coleraine, MN (Greenway High School)
9 Minnesota Andy Sertich Freshman Coleraine, MN (Greenway High School)
14 Minnesota Chad Roberg Senior Duluth, MN (Duluth East High School)
16 Minnesota Nick Anthony A Senior Faribault, MN (Shattuck-Saint Mary's) Twin Cities - USHL
17 Minnesota Garrett Smaagaard Sophomore Eden Prairie, MN (Eden Prairie High School)
18 North Dakota Grant Potulny C Junior Grand Forks, ND (Red River High School) Lincoln Stars - USHL
21 Minnesota Troy Riddle Junior Minneapolis, MN (Valley High School) Des Moines - USHL
23 Minnesota Tyler Hirsch Freshman Bloomington, MN (Shattuck-Saint Mary's)
24 Minnesota Matt Koalska Junior St. Paul, MN (Hill-Murray High School) Twin Cities - USHL
25 Minnesota Jerrid Reinholz Sophomore Ramsey, MN (Anoka High School) UMD, Des Moines - USHL
26 Austria Thomas Vanek Freshman Graz, Austria (O'Gorman High School) Sioux Falls - USHL
27 Minnesota Barry Tallackson Sophomore St. Paul, MN (St. Paul Johnson High School) USNDT - NAHL
28 Minnesota Brett MacKinnon Sophomore Wayzata, MN (Wayzata High School) Cedar Rapids - USHL
29 Minnesota Jake Fleming Sophomore Osseo, MN (Millard North High School) Omaha - USHL

Season standings

Note: PTS = Points; GP = Games Played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against

Conference Overall
GP W L T PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#5 Colorado College2819454312570423075190103
#2 Minnesota*2815673710681452889189122
#11 Minnesota State-Mankato2815673711610441201110155144
#13 North Dakota28149533103824326125172120
#14 Minnesota-Duluth28141043295804222155153119
St. Cloud State28121152996853817165124118
Denver28111162895854121146152102
Wisconsin2871441861101401323493134
Michigan Tech28718317771163810244109154
Alaska-Anchorage28022664111136128757143
Championship: Minnesota
indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion
Final rankings: USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Poll Top 15 Poll

Regular season

#DateOpponent#Rank#SiteScoreGoaltenderRecordPoints
1October 12*vs. #15 Ohio State#1Xcel Energy CenterSt. Paul, MN72Weber100
2October 18*@ #3 New Hampshire#1Whittemore Center ArenaDurham, NH55 (OT)Johnson101
3October 19*@ #3 New Hampshire#1Whittemore Center Arena • Durham, NH13Weber111
4October 25@ Michigan Tech#2John J. MacInnes Student Ice ArenaHoughton, MI54Weber / Johnson2112
5October 26@ Michigan Tech#2John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, MI33 (OT)Johnson2123
6November 1*Alabama-Huntsville#4Mariucci ArenaMinneapolis, MN121Weber312
7November 2*Alabama-Huntsville#4Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN42Johnson412
8November 8@ Minnesota State#3Alltel CenterMankato, MN23Weber4223
9November 9@ Minnesota State#3Alltel Center • Mankato, MN74Johnson5225
10November 15#7 Colorado College#8Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN37Johnson5325
11November 16#7 Colorado College#8Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN22 (OT)Weber5336
12November 22Michigan Tech#9Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN42Weber6338
13November 23Michigan Tech#9Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN21Weber73310
14November 29*Michigan State#9Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN55 (OT)Weber734
15December 1*#8 Michigan#9Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN13Weber744
16December 6@ Wisconsin#10Kohl CenterMadison, WI30Weber84412
17December 7@ Wisconsin#10Kohl Center • Madison, WI32Weber94414
18December 9*Team Italy (exh.)Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN42Weber944
19December 27*$Yale#7Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN73Weber1044
20December 28*$#6 Boston College#7Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN21 (OT)Weber1144
21January 3St. Cloud State#4Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN34Weber115414
22January 4@ St. Cloud State#4National Hockey CenterSt. Cloud, MN33 (OT)Weber115515
23January 10#1 North Dakota#7Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN24Weber116515
24January 11#1 North Dakota#7Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN63Weber126517
25January 17*U.S. Under-18 Team (exh.)Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN60Johnson1265
26January 24Minnesota State#8Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN22 (OT)Weber126618
27January 25Minnesota State#8Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN44 (OT)Weber126719
28January 31@ Alaska Anchorage#7Sullivan ArenaAnchorage, AK40Weber136721
29February 1@ Alaska Anchorage#7Sullivan Arena • Anchorage, AK41Johnson146723
30February 7@ #1 Colorado College#7World ArenaColorado Springs, CO26Weber147723
31February 8@ #1 Colorado College#7World Arena • Colorado Springs, CO32Johnson157725
32February 14Wisconsin#7Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN52Weber167727
33February 15Wisconsin#7Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN81Johnson177729
34February 21@ Minnesota-Duluth#6Duluth Entertainment Convention CenterDuluth, MN54Weber187731
35February 22@ Minnesota-Duluth#6Duluth Entertainment Convention Center • Duluth, MN45 (OT)Johnson188731
36February 28#13 Denver#7Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN33 (OT)Weber188832
37March 1#13 Denver#7Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN85Weber198834
38March 7@ #2 St. Cloud State#6National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, MN53Weber208836
39March 8#2 St. Cloud State#6Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN11 (OT)Weber208937
*Non-Conference Game. Hall of Fame Game. College Hockey Showcase. $Dodge Holiday Classic.
#Rankings from USA Today/American Hockey Coaches Association poll released prior to games.

Postseason

WCHA Playoffs

#DateOpponent#Rank#SiteScoreGoaltenderRecord
1March 14*Michigan Tech#6Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN31Weber2189
2March 15*Michigan Tech#6Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN52Weber / Johnson2289
3March 21vs. #9 Minnesota State#5Xcel Energy Center • St. Paul, MN32 (OT)Johnson2389
4March 22$vs. #1 Colorado College#5Xcel Energy Center • St. Paul, MN42Johnson2489
*WCHA First-Round (best of three). WCHA Final Five Semifinal. $WCHA Final Five Championship.
#Rankings from USA Today/American Hockey Coaches Association poll released prior to games.

NCAA Playoffs

#DateOpponent#Rank#SiteScoreGoaltenderRecord
1March 28*Mercyhurst#4Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN92Weber2589
2March 29#6 Ferris State#4Mariucci Arena • Minneapolis, MN74Johnson / Weber2689
3April 10vs. #4 Michigan#2HSBC ArenaBuffalo, NY32 (OT)Weber2789
4April 12$vs. #3 New Hampshire#2HSBC Arena • Buffalo, NY51Weber2889
*NCAA First-Round (West Regional). NCAA Quarterfinal (West Regional). NCAA Semifinal (Frozen Four). $NCAA Championship (Frozen Four).
#Rankings from USA Today/American Hockey Coaches Association poll released prior to games.

Season Stats

Scoring Leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Thomas Vanek4531316260
Troy Riddle4526265250
Keith Ballard4512294178
Matt Koalska419314026
Paul Martin459303932

Goaltending

Note: GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals Against Average

Player GP TOI W L SO Sv% GAA
Travis Weber3419941867.9022.50
Justin Johnson147651022.8852.90

Awards and records

References

  1. 200607 Minnesota Men's Hockey Yearbook. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics. 2006.
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