The Gopher hockey team officially begins practice at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning and coach Don Lucia’s players will start working toward what they hope will be a third consecutive WCHA championship. Junior goalie Jeff Frazee may be a difference maker in pursuing that objective.
Lucia said last season there were six senior goalies in the 12 team WCHA including Minnesota’s Kellen Briggs who shared time with Frazee. Having a potential high impact returnee like Frazee is an asset for the Gophers who lack experience and depth among their defensemen.
Last season Frazee ranked first in the WCHA in winning percentage (.806), ninth in goals against average (2.35) and 11th in save percentage (.903). Former Gopher coach Glen Sonmor, now the color commentator on the team’s radio broadcasts, thinks Frazee could be among college hockey’s best goalies this season.
Earlier this week Lucia talked about his three goalies, Frazee, freshman Alex Kangas and senior Brent Solei. “Jeff Frazee comes in as (the) No. 1 guy,” Lucia said. “Alex Kangas had a very good junior career and Brett Solei has looked very good in practice. He may be the hardest working guy we have on our team so I think this year he deserves an opportunity to at least get some time in there as well. …I don’t determine who plays, the goalies will. …
“I thought he (Frazee) had a very good year last year. …One of the things is you look at Jeff and his whole career…he usually plays best in the big games. ….He played very well for us and was the winning goalie in…the championship game of the WCHA Final Five. …I think we’ll be in very good hands there.”
The Gophers have been picked to finish second in the WCHA for 2007-08, according to the Grand Forks Herald’s annual preseason coaches’ poll. The Gophers received three of the 10 first-place votes while WCHA favorite North Dakota received the other votes. North Dakota’s Ryan Duncan was named the Preseason WCHA Player of the Year, and Kyle Turris of Wisconsin was selected as the league’s Preseason Rookie of the Year. Minnesota sophomore Kyle Okposo also received a vote for WCHA Preseason Player of the Year.