“We are so proud… of what you’ve done, and the honor that you bring,” said Hermantown Representative Mary Murphy as Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed today “U-M-D Men’s Hockey National Champions Day” in Minnesota. Bulldogs Coach Scott Sandelin was asked what made the difference for his young team. “Quite frankly, the way we got into the tournament: The point-zero-zero-zero-one which you see everywhere, which is probably gonna be on the back of a t-shirt somewhere, was probably the best thing because it really made our guys appreciate,” Sandelin says. He adds they were excited about the incoming freshman but knew it would be difficult with the older players they lost. “There was doubt for a lot of people — maybe not in our locker room or not with the coaching staff — but I thought our young players, we knew we were gonna play ’em, they were gonna be able to grow. We had a good nucleus of forwards and older guys, a good mix, and we had great leadership that really developed over the year,” Sandelin says.
U-M-D won its second N-C-A-A Division One championship, beating Notre Dame 2-to-1 in the “Frozen Four.”