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 11^th 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.

Don Lucia’s Gopher hockey roster is made up of all Minnesotans but that is based on need, he said.  In the past there have been players from outside the state and will be again.

The Timberwolves rank last in espn.com’s NBA power rankings.  The Spurs are No. 1 and Celtics No. 2.

Lou Nanne reports first week book sales of over 2,500 for Minnesota North Stars: History And Memories With Lou Nanne.  The former North Stars executive and player said he has 33 future book signings.  A portion of proceeds from the book will benefit USA Hockey and also the Glen Sonmor scholarship at the University of Minnesota. The book, with Nanne and local author Bob Showers, is a celebration of the Minnesota North Stars’ 40^th anniversary.

Sporting News describes Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia as a “big game pitcher,” and refers to his 5-1 record this past season against rivals Johan Santana of the Twins and Justin Verlander of the Tigers.

If the Cubs make it to the World Series, stubhub.com is offering tickets at Wrigley Field costing up to $75,000.

Interesting stats: among the storylines of tomorrow’s Minnesota-Indiana football game in Bloomington will be sacks.  The Hoosiers lead the country in total sacks with 27.  The Gophers have given up only three sacks in 209 passing attempts, ranking first in the Big Ten Conference and fifth nationally.  Since 2002 the Gophers have finished either first or second in the conference in fewest sacks allowed.

Adrian Peterson was recognized earlier this week by the NFL as the Offensive Rookie of the Month for September.  He leads the NFC with 383 rushing yards. Peterson has averaged 137.2 yards per game from scrimmage with 549 combined rushing and receiving yards. In four games he tied Chuck Foreman’s Viking rookie record for 100 yard rushing games (three).

Two Concordia College seniors have been chosen by the MIAC as its men’s and women’s soccer athletes of the week. Midfielder Matt Klein scored the game-winning goal in Concordia’s historic victory over Saint Mary’s on Saturday. Klein’s goal in the second half against the Cardinals helped the Cobbers end a 35-game conference winless streak – a streak that dated back to October 25, 2003 and totaled 3,200 playing minutes and 1,433 calendar days.   Forward Rachel Lewis scored both the game-winning goals in Concordia’s 2-1 win over St. Kate’s and 3-0 victory over Saint Mary’s last week. She has been a major factor in the team’s four-game conference winning streak that has helped the Cobbers to second place in the MIAC standings. Through games of last weekend Lewis had five goals for 10 points and was tied for the MIAC lead in game-winning goals.

It will be a surprise to many if Tarvaris Jackson doesn’t start at quarterback for the Vikings when they resume play on Sunday, October 14 in Chicago against the Bears.  The guess here, too, is that Jackson starts the rest of the schedule if he avoids injury.

Jackson made a favorable impression in the season’s first game, a 24-3 win over Atlanta, but not so positive in game two against Detroit when he threw four interceptions in a 20-17 road loss.  While Jackson has been recovering from his groin injury, Kelly Holcomb hasn’t done enough to win the quarterback job in losses to Kansas City and Green Bay when the offense produced just two touchdowns.  Holcomb was off target with passes and at times appeared slow to make his throws.

Jackson, 24, represents an investment by team management who made an effort to scout and choose him in the second round of the 2006 draft.  He also brings an  athleticism to the position that most pro quarterbacks don’t have.  Whether he can consistently play with poise, put more touch on his passes and make other improvements will have much to do with whether the Vikings can move toward a .500 or better season after their 1-3 start, plus create more box office interest in the team.

Encouraging is the improvement in athleticism the Vikings have made in their offensive personnel from last season.  Jackson is night and day compared with 39-year-old Brad Johnson.  While Chester Taylor remains in the plan at running back, coach Brad Childress is going to alternate him with explosive rookie touchdown maker Adrian Peterson, fifth in the NFL in rushing after four games.

Rookie wide receiver Sidney Rice made an athletic, leaping catch in the end zone for the Vikings’ only touchdown on Sunday against the Packers.  Gone from last season’s team are wide receivers Billy McMullen and Marcus Robinson.  Jim Kleinsasser has been replaced at tight end by Visanthe Shiancoe, a much more elusive runner.

While the Vikings continue to have more than half a million Minnesotans following them in the media each week, ticket sales are less than in the past when the franchise was selling out the Metrodome.  A source reported that the next home games, against Philadelphia on October 28 and San Diego on November 4, aren’t sold out. Without advance sellouts, the games will not be televised locally.

Local TV executives, advertisers and Viking officials had to be pleased with last Sunday’s season high TV rating.  With a border rival game and Brett Favre going for an NFL career record 421^st  touchdown pass, the game had a 37.9 rating in this market (compared with 28, 30.5 and 26.6 ratings for the first three games).  A rating point is a percentage of households watching a particular program.  More than half a million people followed the game on TV alone, not to mention other electronic and print media.