Call it nostalgia or karma, but Lucia heads home optimistic

WORCESTER, MASS. - Gophers coach Don Lucia, near the end of his postgame news conference late Saturday night, offered a little historical insight on next season. "The last time we were out here and lost," Lucia said, "things turned out pretty good the next two years."

Hard to argue. In 2001, the Gophers lost to Maine 5-4 in overtime in a first-round regional game in Worcester. The next two seasons, Lucia led Minnesota to back-to-back NCAA titles.

Obviously, the coach is cautiously optimistic about 2008-09. The reason: One hockey website rated the Gophers' incoming recruiting class the nation's best. It probably is the largest, too, with 10 players.

As for this season, the Gophers played some of their best hockey in the WCHA playoffs, then ran into a highly motivated, veteran Boston College team. The Eagles eliminated the Gophers 5-2 in a first-round game of the Northeast Regional at the DCU Center.

After going 4-2 in six consecutive one-goal games in the WCHA playoffs always wearing their maroon (dark) jerseys -- the color of the underdog, or lower seed -- the Gophers could not keep the BC game close at the end.

The Eagles, national runners-up the past two seasons, scored twice in the first nine minutes of the third period to open a 4-1 lead. Even a bizarre finish, in which an Eagles goal was erased with 45 seconds left, a Gophers goal added and almost three minutes restored on the clock, could not overcome that big a deficit.

"I'm happy for our players," Lucia said. "When you coach, it's not how many games you win or how many championships. It's did we get as much as we could out of the group we had? I think we did.

"When we were not scoring many goals in January and early February, they could have packed it in. But they dug deeper and found ways to win."

The offensively challenged Gophers (19-17-9) played in 16 overtime games. They won only three, but the victories came at the best time, in the playoffs.

The team thrived on its defense. "The key was Alex [Kangas] and how well he played" in goal, Lucia said.

Kangas, a freshman, started the Gophers' final 21 games after playing in only five of the first 17. He finished with a goals-against average of 1.98 and a save percentage of .930, both school records.

As for scoring goals, even the power play was often punchless. It was 2-for-30 in the playoffs, counting Ben Gordon's last-gasp, initially missed goal with 3:27 left against Boston College.

"The last four years have been years I'll never forget," said assistant captain Mike Howe, one of the team's six seniors. "Losing the way we did [Saturday] -- we fought real hard. We just didn't get a couple bounces to go our way. Playing for the University of Minnesota has meant the world to me. It's sad to say goodbye this way."

Among those Lucia will say hello to next season are Roseau defenseman Aaron Ness, who plans to sign next month, and center Jordan Schroeder, who played for the national development team in Ann Arbor, Mich. Junior first-line winger Ryan Stoa, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game, also will return.

Those three alone should make the offense better even if junior center Blake Wheeler signs with Phoenix of the NHL in the offseason. If he does not, Lucia said Wheeler will move to wing, a better position for him.

Five of six defensemen return in front of Kangas. Three played extensively as freshmen.

"We have good building blocks for next season," Lucia said, "but we have to score goals and get the power play working."