BREAKING IT DOWN
	A look at the Minnesota Golden Gophers:
	SOME HISTORY • Record: 26-8-9 • Coach: Don Lucia • For the second straight season, Minnesota and Michigan are meeting in the national semifinals. In last year's semis, the Golden Gophers won their first postseason game against Michigan en route to the national championship. The Golden Gophers returned to the Frozen Four after losing three key seniors from their national championship season in 2002: Hobey Baker winner Jordan Leopold, top scorer John Pohl and goaltender Adam Hauser. PROBABLE LINES Left-Center-Right • T. Vanek-Matt Koalska-Troy Riddle • G. Potulny-Gino Guyer-Barry Tallackson • Andy Sertich-Jerrid Reinholz-Tyler Hirsch • G. Smaagaard-Jake Fleming-Jon Waibel Left defense-Right defense • Paul Martin-Matt DeMarchi • Keith Ballard-Chris Harrington • Joey Martin-Judd Stevens Goaltenders • Justin Johnson-Travis Weber NHL DRAFT PICKS ON ROSTER • P.J. Atherton (T. Bay, 2002, 6th rd.) • Keith Ballard (Buffalo, 2002, 1st rd.) • Matt DeMarchi (N.J., 2000, 2nd rd.) • Matt Koalska (Nashville, 2000, 5th rd.) • Joey Martin (Chicago, 2000, 6th rd.) • Paul Martin (New Jersey, 2000, 2nd rd.) • Grant Potulny (Ottawa, 2000, 5th rd.) • Troy Riddle (St. Louis, 2000, 4th rd.) • Andy Sertich (Pittsburgh, 2002, 5th rd.) • Barry Tallackson (N.J., 2002, 2nd rd.) HOW THEY GOT THERE: • How they reached the tourney WCHA champion (West's No. 1 seed) • First Round Beat Mercyhurst, 9-2 • West Regional Final Beat Ferris State, 7-4

 
OFFENSE..................................................
A surprising source has emerged for Minnesota this season, freshman Thomas Vanek, who powers the Golden Gophers' top line and leads the team with 29 goals and 29 assists. The WCHA rookie of the year (he beat out highly touted Zach Parise from North Dakota) scored twice in the West Regional final vs. Ferris State. Even more scary for Michigan: the return of Grant Potulny. After missing the first three months of the season after ankle surgery, Potulny has found his shot and has nine goals and two assists in the playoffs. Pair him with Matt Koalska and Troy Riddle, and Minnesota has a solid second line.
 
DEFENSE......................................
Don Lucia has said the one constant his team has had during this turbulent season is his back four of junior Paul Martin, sophomore Keith Ballard, senior Matt DeMarchi and freshman Chris Harrington. All four have played excellent in their own end as Minnesota has allowed an average of just 2.8 goals per game. The Golden Gophers also have a .815 penalty-killing average.
 
GOALTENDING......................................
The Golden Gophers used the goalie tandem of sophomores Travis Weber and Justin Johnson all season, and that hasn't changed in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, the two players split duty -- Johnson in the first and Weber for the last two periods -- in Minnesota's 7-4 win over Ferris State. Weber has a 2.57 goals-against average, Johnson posts a 2.90. Weber lost his only start vs. Michigan this season, while Johnson has never faced the Wolverines.
 
THEY SAID IT.........................................
"They've got the right mix for a dynasty run. They really are kind of scary." -- Former Minnesota coach and Gophers TV color commentator Doug Woog told USCHO.com
 
DID YOU KNOW?....................................
Talk about a youth movement. Minnesota enter the Frozen Four with just one regular starter that is a senior, defenseman Matt DeMarchi. And with 17 underclassmen -- juniors and freshmen account for 75 percent of Minnesota's scoring -- it matches Michigan with the tourney's youngest squad.