SENIORS, SENIORS!

I'm so ready for hockey to start it's unbelievable. The start of a new season brings the hope for another national championship, another chance to be the best in the nation. In the years that have followed the two national championships, we have put together great teams that have made it so close yet so far. This year it maybe a different story. With the likes of Aaron Ness, Taylor Matson, and Jordan Schroeder, the Gophers look to make it to the Frozen Four after a three-year absence. Although with this new season we have new talent coming in, we are losing some players, that maybe wouldn't be considered standouts, but important none the less. Now lets take a look back at our departing seniors.

Brent Solei: First off what a classy guy. He comes in from Elk River high school knowing that he will only be a practice goalie. Maybe even an exhibition goalie. He never complained, he took his role on the team, and made the best of it. When I see people like Brent and then people, I’m sure I don’t have to say who, bitch about the ice time they get, it pisses me off. You may have been drafted in the first round, but if your not playing good then you don't deserve to play. I'm just going to leave it at that, because this is about Brent.

Although Brent wasn't brought here to be a game goalie he got his chance this year. Brent was a great team player and the way he interacted with the guys was awesome. He may not have been our number one goalie but he was still a great Gopher and he still will be missed.

Ben Gordon: Ben Gordon ,what isn't there to say about him. I think he was underrated. I always enjoyed watching him play with Blake Wheeler and Jay Barriball. I think he played the role that the coaching staff wanted him to. His role, to me, was more to set up players, be on the power play, but at the same time to score goals. Ben came through multiple times when the Gophers needed a goal. Not just this year but previous years also. This year he was asked to step up as a leader and he did. He was ranked second on the team in scoring with 15 goals to add up to 29 points on the season. With the year the Gophers had, Ben did great.

Mike Howe: Mike was sick a lot his freshman year but came back to assist on Barry Tallackson's overtime goal to send the Gophers to their most recent Frozen Four appearance. Mike was a consistent player. You could expect the status quo from him, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In his defense, he did have many health problems in his years as a Gopher. He missed seven games his Freshman year with an illness. He had a knee injury when the Gophers went to the West regional in 2007 and this past year he suffered a concussion. But despite all of that, he was a great player. We rarely ever think of the third and fourth line players as amazing players. But just because they aren't goal scorers or top line people doesn't mean they don't make their impact on the team. Even a little play can make an impact in the game. Those little impacts that Mike made in his years were what made him a great hockey player and what got him the unsung hero award this year. Mike was also a great student and a great guy.

Evan Kaufmann: Evan was one of my favorite Gopher players to watch. I was always confident in him and his play. He had great hands, great skills, and a great shot. He was never a top line kind of player but he still was one of the best players on the team this past year. He put his senior leadership out on the ice, consistently being a great player. The most important thing about Evan is that he was put into roles that didn't quite fit him, yet he still succeeded. I loved watching how hard Evan played and how much he loved to play hockey. Those are the kind of players that you want on your team. Along with being a great player he was also a great student.

Derek Peltier: Derek was our captain this year. If you would have told Gopher fans a couple years ago I doubt anyone would have believed it. Even last year, before the departure, people would have though Alex Goligoski was it. When Goligoski went pro, it left Derek as a great candidate. Despite the criticism that Derek got this year, he stepped up. With out a doubt he became a leader and held on through a bumpy season. When he was here, he wasn't a goal scorer, when you look at his stats; his overall points consisted of 15 goals and 58 assists. Most coaches will say assists are more important than goals. This year a huge burden was put on his shoulders to lead the team and the young defensive core. When the season started off slow many people questioned if Peltier had it in him, if he was the right choice for captain. As soon as he adjusted to playing against the top lines; Derek because a consistently, hard checking, moving people out of the way, defensemen. He was put into roles he probably wouldn't have been if it there had been no early departures. Much like the other seniors in his class, Derek did what was asked of him and played hard, well, and with pride of being a Minnesota Golden Gopher.

Tom Pohl: Tom Pohl will probably not be remembered for his play on the ice. He will most likely be remembered for the career-ending check during the WCHA play-offs in Mankato. Pohl suffered a fractured skull and underwent surgery the same night. Although it's sad that Pohl had to end his career that way, it may have fueled the Gophers end of the season run. Pohl was an outstanding student and he was the most carefree guy on the Gopher roster. He never complained about his lack of playing time nor did he ever make a fuss about where he played. He was just happy to be a Gopher. Even after the career-ending hit, Pohl never blamed or lashed out at the Mankato player who hit him. Tom was an outstanding person who was well like by his teammates and coaches. He was the free spirit of the locker room, the one who was still thankful and humble even after his horrific injury.

All the seniors this year brought their own ingredient to the mix that makes up a team. Although they will all be missed and remembered individually in different ways; as a whole, the class of 2008 will be remembered for their spirit, pride, and their will to stick together when nothing is going as planned.