Green Knights Show Guts

St. Norbert Green Knights: 2011 National Champions

As promised from the earlier article, I'm going to shed light on the NCAA Division III Hockey National Champion St. Norbert Green Knights.  If you love sports as much as we do here at SNO Tap, then chances are you love statistics and are always intrigued by eye-popping stats whether it be individual accomplishments or program success.  St. Norbert's hockey team has had both. 

When the horn sounded and the 3rd period came to an end on Saturday night at Ridder Arena in
 Minneapolis, the SNC Hockey team had added another piece of hardware to its already sophisticated decorated capsule inside the Schuldes Sports Arena.  The 2011 National Championship trophy will sit aside the 2008 National Championship trophy.  Consider that just below this shelf, sits multiple Runner-Up trophies from 2004, 2006, and 2010.  Resting peacefully beneath that hardware sits plaques recognizing DIII Frozen Four berths in 2003 and 2007.  For those counting at home, that means in the last 9 NCAA DIII Frozen Fours, SNC has been to seven.  Consider that the team the Knights fell to in '04 and '06, Middlebury, has eight National Championships and one Runner-Up trophy. 

HC Tom Coghlin is the wizard behind the bench.
(All photos courtesy of Green Bay Press Gazette)

Under Head Coach Tom Coghlin, the program's win-loss statistics are mind-boggling.  Since Coghlin was named head coach prior to the '94-'95 season, he has a record of 390-108-40, which makes him the winningest head coach in NCHA history.  Against NCHA opponents since that time, he has amassed a record of 192-54-26.  Who said Charlie Sheen knew about 'winning'? He has had 20+ wins in 13 of his 18 seasons.  In NCHA play, Coghlin's teams have been regular season champions 12 times, including seven straight from 2002-2008. 

They have won the Peters Cup, the postseason conference tournament, nine times; including the last two.  In their home games, local fans are have been treated to a record under Coghlin of 232-37-15. This year the Knights were 14-0 at home, the only collegiate hockey team in the nation to go undefeated and untied at home.  The only thing this guy hasn't done is fill the water bottles. 

The other category that Coghlin and his assistants should receive zambonis of credit is recruiting.  They have players on the roster from Canada (obviously) and Sweden, as well as Utah, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  However, the real backbone of their two recent National Titles have been anchored by 'Great Wall' goaltending and styming defense.  In 2008, Kyle Jones stole the show in net. Nick Tabisz, a freshman on the '08 team, played significant time that season and is a three-time 1st Team All-American.

B.J. O'Brien proved why he is the two-time MOP at the Frozen Four

 In net, Division 1 transfer, B.J. O'Brien wrapped up one of the more decorated resumes in school history.  In last year's National Championship game, O'Brien made a miraculous 70 saves in a 2-1 OT loss.  He earned the Most Outstanding Player award last year, and naturally secured the repeat by making 39 saves against Norwich in the semis and 18 in the title game. 

This year alone, B.J. was the NCAA DIII leader in GAA (goals against average), save percentage, and winning percentage and was tied for shutouts with four.  Along with Tabisz, they had the right recipe to secure the country's best scoring defense.

Nick Tabisz was the catalyst on defense.
Just so happens he tallied the GW Goal on Saturday to help
SNC secure its second title.

It's shouldn't be hard to predict how this team will turn out next year, but the Knights do lose 11 seniors including O'Brien, Tabisz, and a host of key members of the recent success for St. Norbert. Others include three-time letter recipients Adam Hammerbeck, Mike Bernardy, Scott Pulak, Dusting Walz, Brandon Longley, and Blake Bashor. Enforcer Taylor Langford also exits as a National Champion. 

A key area to keep an early eye on next year is what Coghlin and his staff have up their sleeve to challenge Mike Martin, the goaltender entering his Sophmore campaign.  Anchoring the last two titles have been out-of-this-world netminders.  Either way, expect St. Norbert to reload and be in the thick of things come next March.

-Patrick Luce