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Western Michigan’s PJ Fleck Named Gophers Head Football Coach

Fox 9 has confirmed that PJ Fleck has been named Gopher Head Football Coach
Site Staff,

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP- FOX 9) – The Gophers officially announced PJ Fleck as their new football head coach Friday morning. The University of Minnesota and Fleck agreed to a five-year term. There will be press conference at 3 p.m. at the University of Minnesota to introduce Fleck. Fox 9 first learned of the hire Thursday night from multiple sources. Statements from…
College, News, News - Latest News, Sports

Tracy Claeys Fired as Gophers Football Coach

Fox 9 confirmed on Tuesday, January 3
Site Staff,

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) – University of Minnesota football coach, Tracy Claeys, has been fired, Fox 9 confirmed. The decision comes just days after Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle said he wanted to sit down with Claeys to talk about his “expectations” for the program. “Now that our football team has completed its season following an exciting win in Tuesday night’s Holiday…

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Northland College Coach Gives Back

Daryle Tucker Partnered with Samaritan's Feet to Bring Shoes to Those Who Need Them
Greg Chandler,

ASHLAND, Wis. – Daryle tucker looks like an average basketball coach.  However, this seemingly average coach has an above average heart. “I feel like if you have an opportunity to bless someone,” he says, “why not do it?” Watching Tucker coach though, you notice there is something different about him.  For the first time in his career, Tucker is coaching…
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Bulldogs Set to Battle Tough Bemidji State

UMD Wraps Up 2016 Against WCHA Leaders, Avery Peterson Makes Debut
Greg Chandler,

DULUTH, Minn. – This weekend, the University of Minnesota Duluth plays the Twin Ports’ last college hockey games of 2016 as the Bulldogs battle Bemidji State in a home and series. UMD, still ranked No. 1 in the nation, though that won’t matter to the Beavers.  The Bulldogs haven’t beaten Bemidji since 2011 and 0–4–1 against the Beavers over the…

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Dog Visits UWS Before Finals

Therapy dog in training visits UWS students before next week's finals
Andrew Kirov,

SUPERIOR, Wis. – With finals week on the way, students at the University of Wisconsin–Superior had a chance to de-stress today with a visit from a dog. Naddy is a therapy dog in training. She is 9–years–old and this is her fifth time interacting with students at UWS. The University hopes having a dog can help reduce student’s stress while…
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Minnesota Goes Home With Two Wins From UMD

The Bulldogs lost two in a row to the golden gophers
Adrienne Robbins,

Before Friday the bulldogs were on a three game win streak and looking like themselves again after a rough January. Then the golden gophers came to town and UMD took a hard loss last night to Minnesota 3 to 7. Saturday they went round two with Minnesota.
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Saints Relying on Strong Mix of Vets & Rookies

14-7 Start to Season
Nick Franck,

The St. Scholastica baseball team is preparing for it’s first two game conference home series of the season this weekend, when it welcome’s Crown University to town.The Saints are off to another great start to the their season thanks in part to strong veteran leadership and a dash of some really good young players.”Good mix of veterans and young guys willing to put in the effort every day, but there is definitely room to improve,” said junior Austin Colvard.”We have guys, juniors and seniors, who necessarily aren’t playing big roles on the field but provide great leadership when we are inside for our practice sessions. It’s a pretty good crew that we have from our rookies all the way to our veteran leaders,” said Saints coach Corey Kemp. 
College Sports-imported, Sports-imported, University of Minnesota - Duluth

UMD Men and Women Drop in Polls

Bulldog Men Ranked 7th, Women Ranked 9th
Greg Chandler,

Valentine’s Day was nothing but heartbreak for the bulldogs.Scott Sandelin called his team’s performance Saturday against St. Cloud State one of the worst he’d seen this season.Fortunately, UMD was going to be 4th in the NCHC no matter what happened Saturday. However, because of the loss, UMD is four points back of a three–way tie for 1st, instead of just one.The Bulldogs lead Denver by two points for fourth, and home ice advantage in the 1st round of the NCHC playoffs.The loss also dropped UMD one spot to 7th in this week’s USCHO Division I poll.North Dakota moved back in to the top spot, with Omaha 5th, Miami 6th, and Denver 9th.Meanwhile, the UMD women watched Minnesota celebrate another WCHA regular season title after the Gophers blanked the Bulldogs Saturday.The loss left UMD with only one shootout win against Minnesota in 13 meetings since the 2012-13 season.The Bulldogs can finish this season anywhere from 3rd-6th in the WCHA.UMD starts the final week of the regular season one point in front of 5th place Bemidji State for 4th, and two points clear of this week’s opponent Ohio State.The Bulldogs also dropped three spots to 9th in the USCHO poll.The Gophers are still 2nd, Wisconsin 4th, North Dakota tied for 7th, and Ohio State received votes.
College Sports-imported, Sports-imported, University of Minnesota - Duluth

UMD’s Hickel Named to Team USA

Bulldogs Co-Captain Also Named a Finalist for Hockey Humanitarian Award
Greg Chandler,

For UMD Women’s Hockey Co-Captain Zoe Hickel, Friday was a pretty good day.First, Hickel was named one of five finalists For the Hockey Humanitarian Award.Then the senior from Anchorage, Alaska was named to Team USA for the upcoming Women’s World Championships in Malmo, Sweden.The World Championships will be Hickel’s first time appearing for the U.S. Senior National Team. Hickel last represented her country at the 2010 Under 18 World Championships.
College Sports-imported, Sports-imported, University of Minnesota - Duluth

Banford Talks About Decision to Leave UMD

Softball Coach Turned Down a Contract Offer from the School
Greg Chandler,

UMD Softball opens its season Thursday, however hits, runs, and errors were far from the players’ minds as the Bulldogs boarded busses Tuesday, bound for Monticello, Arkansas.Their thoughts were with Coach Jen Banford and her decision not to accept UMD’s contract offer.That announcement came Monday shortly after Banford informed the school.Both sides confirm the offer included a pay cut. The school says the lower salary reflected Banford no longer holding the job of Director of Women’s Hockey Operations and was in line with other Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Softball coaches.Banford says her relationship with UMD Was damaged beyond repair because of the situation with Shannon Miller and the Women’s Hockey team.She says now she has to get her team focused on softball and having a successful season.”You have to tell your team that you can’t accept that offer,” said Banford. “I never want to disappoint them and let them down. As a coach leading in to the season, I don’t want the focus to be me, the focus needs to be them.””She’s a successful coach, a big person in the community, is very kind,” said Junior Ashley Lewis. “It doesn’t really make sense to us. It’s a very big distraction, especially the day before we leave when all we want to do is play softball.””If anything, I think it’s going to bring us closer together and act as motivation for us to go out and have a successful season and finish strong for coach,” added Junior Sami Schnyder. “We’ll have her go out with a bang.”

College Sports-imported, Sports-imported, University of Minnesota - Duluth

Banford Turns Down UMD Contract Offer

2015 Will Be Softball Coach's Last Season at UMD
Greg Chandler,

UMD Softball coach Jen Banford turned down the school’s contract offer Monday, and won’t coach the Bulldogs after this spring.The University’s announcement comes a couple months after Banford was told she wouldn’t be back as Director of Women’s Hockey Operations as part the school not renewing the contracts of Shannon Miller and her staff.2015 will be Banford’s 10th season as Softball coach.She led the Bulldogs to NCAA regionals in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012.Banford was also named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 2013 after the UMD won the league’s regular season title.Athletic Director Josh Berlo released a statement that read “We are sorry coach banford has not accepted an appointment to continue coaching umd softball. She leaves umd softball with a strong foundation. We appreciate coach banford’s contributions to umd athletics over the past nine years.”Banford has agreed to an interview with FOX 21 Sports Tuesday, this story will be updated then.

College Sports-imported, Sports-imported, University of Minnesota - Duluth

Hermantown’s Zuidmulder Leads UMD Recruiting Class

Bulldogs Add 26 New Football Recruits
Greg Chandler,

The college football year unofficially starts with National Signing Day.High school seniors from across the country faxed their Letters of Intent to schools from coast to coast.At UMD, Curt Wiese’s third recruiting class featured 26 new Bulldogs.But only one local.He’s Hermantown’s Kole Zuidmulder.A two season starter at Quarterback, Zuidmulder moves to Tight End in college.At 6’5″, 225 pounds, he’s athletic enough to pull off the switch.But again, Zuidmulder is one of 26 new recruits, and as you’d expect, Wiese is proud of the class he and his staff put together.”There’s a reason we recruited these young men,” said Wiese. “I think they’re tremendous people, they’re quality students and good football players. The real test will come in the fall when we have an opportunity to work with these guys and see how they fit in to our schemes. We feel really good about this class, feel good about the guys we have coming to campus. I think our staff has done a tremendous job.”

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CSS Hockey Coach Takes Leave of Absence

Mark Wick Out Indefinitely with "Medical Issue"
Greg Chandler,

With only four games left in the regular season, Saint Scholastica’s hockey team is without its leader.The school announced Wednesday Head Coach Mark Wick is taking an indefinite leave of absence because of medical issues.Wick’s 145 wins are the most in CSS program history.Assistant Coach Ben Gordon takes over on an interim basis, starting with this weekend’s series at St. Norbert.
College Sports-imported, Sports-imported, University of Minnesota - Duluth

Bulldogs Look to Improve League Standings

Both UMD Men and Women are 3rd in Their Respective Conferences
Greg Chandler,

UMD’s race to the top of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference has hit a couple speed bumps since the start of the 2nd half.The Bulldogs, who were so hot in the 1st half, have won only twice in six games since winter break.But UMD did snap a 5-game win-less streak, with last week’s win over the Gophers.Now, the ‘Dogs need to get back on track in conference.UUMD finished the 1st half tied for the NCHC lead.But the 2nd half swoon has left the bulldogs in 3rd and only four points in front of 5th place Denver.5th place is somewhere Scott Sandelin doesn’t want to be.He says the time to turn things around is now.”When you’re in a bit of a funk, we’ve got to get back to the things we need to do,” said Sandelin. “That’s pretty much all year, but really at this time I think you can put so much in their heads about what other teams have and what they do that you forget about what you need to do.”Like the men, the UMD women are also 3rd in their league.And in the next three weeks, Shannon Miller’s team will take on the other three teams in the WCHA’s top 4.The Bulldogs are coming off a weekend where they outscored Mankato 16–0, including a 12-spot friday.But a sluggish start Saturday led to Miller giving the ‘Dogs a little pep talk.”I challenged them,” Miller said. “I said you can either waste the opportunity today and just play well enough to win, or you can get down and get after it for the next 40 minutes and start playing like you want to be a champion.”