First practice today for U men's hockey

At 8 a.m. today, three hours before the kickoff for the Gophers-Indiana football game at the Metrodome, another University of Minnesota team will hold its first practice.

The men's hockey team will skate early this morning and again at 3 p.m. at refurbished Mariucci Arena, which has new glass and boards around the rink.

The Gophers will have a new look, too, with 12 freshmen -- and only two seniors -- on a 27-man roster.

"This is the most [freshmen] I've had," said coach Don Lucia, starting his 10th season at Minnesota. "Maybe 10 or so was the high before. This is unusual. With the rash of [early] departures the last two, three years, we have not been able to catch up."

The Gophers' available roster dipped to as low as 18 skaters because of injuries last season, when Minnesota placed seventh in the WCHA. This year, two preseason polls, one by the league coaches and one by the media, predicted Minnesota and Wisconsin would tie for fourth place. How odd.

His veterans -- not his rookies, Lucia said -- are the key to the Gophers' success.

"There is some talent there [among the freshmen]," Lucia said. "But our returning players will determine how well we play. History shows that."

Junior wing Ryan Stoa, the team captain, returns after missing all but four periods last season because of a knee injury.

"He is obviously excited, hungry and committed," Lucia said.

Then the coach mentioned six other returning forwards: "Can Jay [Barriball] rebound? Are [Mike] Hoeffel and Whitey [Patrick White] going to take a step up? Are [Mike] Carman, Tony [Lucia] and [Ryan] Flynn going to be better players?"

Barriball led the team with 20 goals and 43 points as a freshman but dropped to six goals and 21 points last season. Even so, that total still makes him the top returning scorer.

The top defensemen, Lucia said, are senior R.J. Anderson, junior David Fischer and sophomores Cade Fairchild and Kevin Wehrs.

"Obviously, Ness is a good player, and he'll step right in," Lucia said, referring to freshman defenseman Aaron Ness. "And Grant Scott, we're moving him to defense, so we will have to reteach him that position."

Scott, a 6-3, 219-pound freshman, played forward for the U.S. national team in Ann Arbor, Mich., last season.

Lucia anticipates using Stoa, Ness and freshman center Jordan Schroeder on the power play, a glaring weakness last season.

"Had we scored one goal a game on our power play last season, it would have made a big difference," Lucia said.

In goal, sophomore Alex Kangas set school records with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage his first season. He was especially sharp the second half of the season when he became the full-time goalie.

The Gophers beat Minnesota State Mankato on the road in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and reached the title game in the Final Five before losing. Their ensuing NCAA playoffs run was short; they lost to eventual national champion Boston College in their first game.

Lucia prefers to dwell on how his team finished rather than early and midseason woes.

"The league is so strong, one or two wins can make a difference of two, three spots in the standings," he said. "The big thing is not where you are in the WCHA standings, but what you do in the playoffs and getting back in the NCAA tournament."

After a home exhibition game with the University of British Columbia on Oct. 10, the Gophers open the season with a home-and-home series against St. Cloud State on Oct. 17-18, then play at Wisconsin Oct. 24-25.

"We don't have any layup nonconference games before we get into it," Lucia said, mixing his sports. "Alex [Kangas] has to be our stabilizing force back there. There will be mistakes in front of him. We need him to begin the year just the way he ended it last year."