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NCAA MEN'S FROZEN FOURApril 10, 2013Keith AllainColin DueckAndrew MillerJesse RootPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, and welcome to Pittsburgh, the 66th annual men's ice hockey championship, and the culmination here this weekend in the Frozen Four. Kind of ironic that the 66th annual thing were in the house that 66 built for the very first time in the Frozen Four and Pittsburgh. On behalf of our host, Robert Morris, the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship Committee, and certainly the folks here at the CONSOL Energy Center and the Pittsburgh Penguins, we welcome you, and we're here to make this job covering this great event as easy as possible. Let's hear from the head coach of the Bulldogs to get us going. COACH ALLAIN: Yeah, well, I'd just like to say on behalf of our guys, we're thrilled to be here, to be in a position to compete for a National Championship. I think it's important to say that the single most important reason that we're here is because of the commitment that our team made and they put in over the summer and the work they put in through the ups and downs of the normal hockey season, because of their commitment and their ability to play as a team that we have a chance to win a National Championship. THE MODERATOR: We'd like to provide you with useless tidbits of information as we go along here. You have the useful stuff, so we give you the useless stuff. But there have been three previous head coaches with the last name that begins with A that have made the Frozen Four. All three of them have won a National Championship, Coach Allain, so I think you're in good shape. They are Murray Armstrong, Frank Anzalone, and Mike Addesa. So there you have it. More to come of that useless information for you as we go through. Colin, your thoughts? COLIN DUECK: I'm going to echo a lot of what Coach said. We're really excited to be here. It's taken a few years for us to get here, and now that we're here, we're excited and we've earned it. And we're trying to keep those going. Yeah, make some noise. We're so happy to be here, but the job's not over yet. ANDREW MILLER: It's an honor to be representing our school. We've worked hard just like every other team here. We're excited to play on Thursday and excited to be to play in this great rink and this great host of Pittsburgh. JESSE ROOT: As Coach, Colin, and Andrew said, we're excited for a great couple of days. THE MODERATOR: A gallon of gas was 20 cents. The average price of a house, $228. The Detroit Lions won the NFL championship, the Detroit Red Wings were the Stanley Cup champions, that was 1952. And as everybody knows, Yale is the only team with any experience here at the Frozen Four. Their lone appearance at this event back in 1952. Coach Allain, how old were you back then? COACH ALLAIN: I wasn't born yet. THE MODERATOR: All right, we'll take your questions. Q. Coach, what did you learn about your kids specifically from the two games to get here? In other words, what two or three things impressed you most about that weekend? COACH ALLAIN: Well, I think the one thing that was most impressive, but I can't say that I learned it that one weekend, we've been together a lot over the last few months. But their tenacity, their inner belief that if they stick with a plan they'll be successful, and just the commitment that they've made to one another and how close they are as a group I think shows through in a weekend like that. Q. What was your thought process last year as you headed into this? Did you watch the Frozen Four? Did you pay attention? I'm assuming it was a goal to be here, but what was the mindset. ANDREW MILLER: Every time we don't get to compete for a National Championship is a disappointment in our eyes, and last year we weren't able to do that. So the season started the day after we lost that season, and we've been working hard to get back to this point every day since. THE MODERATOR: Jesse? JESSE ROOT: We really wanted to get to the Frozen Four, and we said the season really did start now. So we spent five, six days a week in the gym getting ready for it, and a lot of guys stayed in the summer, and I think that really helps out. So we had a great strength coach in Joe Maher that really helped us get to where we are today. THE MODERATOR: Colin, who were you rooting for in the Frozen Four last year? COLIN DUECK: I've got to be honest, I'm not sure I was rooting for anyone. I was back in the gym with these guys trying to think about getting here this year. Q. Coach Allain, who were you rooting for? COACH ALLAIN: I had no interest. No rooting interest, let's put it that way. I had a fan's interest. Q. Your goaltender is playing for a pedigree as far as goaltending coaches and his own career, so that obviously takes quite a bit of mental fortitude to be able to live up to what your coach is asking him to do. Can you talk about what Andrew's been able to do this year and what he's been able to give you just in a sense of stability and in a year where you've had to build a whole lot from the start of the season? JESSE ROOT: Yeah, Jeff does a great job for us. I think obviously he gives us the confidence. We don't have to do too much outside of ourselves and I think that's the biggest thing for us. COLIN DUECK: Yeah, I think we've really seen Malcolm come into his own. He's really emerged as a wall back there. Like Jesse said, we're just confident in front of him. We play our game, he plays his, and it works out. Q. Going back to Jeff, you guys hit kind of a rough patch in February without him. Was it a loss of confidence knowing that he wasn't back there, and what changed when he did come back for you guys? JESSE ROOT: Yeah, I'd still like to say that part of it was coincidence. I don't think we played as well. I don't want to blame any of the back‑up goalies. I don't want to say we weren't confident with them in. But it was a bit of a tough stretch, and he came back. I think that did help our confidence, but we also played our game better again and obviously picked up where we left off. So, it was tough without him; but like I said, we have confidence in any goalie that goes in, so it shouldn't make that big of a difference. ANDREW MILLER: I think you need a goalie to make two or three big saves in order to win. I think at any certain time he makes a premier, premier save, and Joshua does a really good job of doing that, and he puts us in a position to win. It gives us confidence, as Jesse said. It's great to have him back there. Q. Jesse, can you speak to‑‑ we already heard that you're a local product. Can you speak about growing up here in Pittsburgh, playing hockey, and now being back here with the possibility of winning a championship? JESSE ROOT: Yeah, I couldn't be more excited. I was a little sad on the trip. I spent a lot of great years with my dad and my brother going to games. My dad had season tickets growing up. I was a huge Mario fan, a huge Jagr fan. So it played a huge role in developing my passion for the game. Q. So which rink is better, this one or the old one? JESSE ROOT: This is a beautiful rink. Q. Do you guys consider yourselves to be underdogs, and if so, do you relish that role? COLIN DUECK: I personally don't see us as underdogs. I think people might choose different teams for different reasons, but I think we're very confident coming in we've played some pretty good teams in Grand Rapids, and we came out of that. So like I said, we're riding some confidence, and we're just going to do what we do. We're going to play our game and worry about us. ANDREW MILLER: I think we've beaten some really good teams this year, and we've lost to some good teams. But the Frozen Four, and obviously that shows that you're a good team so you can't take anybody lightly. JESSE ROOT: I completely agree. I think it is a level playing field. I think you need to bring your best effort and make sure you execute. COACH ALLAIN: I think any team here can win it and I like our chances. Q. You guys have been here maybe a little under 24 hours. Is there anything that's stood out to you as the wow factor that's different from an average road trip? JESSE ROOT: We treat it as another game. We have to bring our focus and not really be distracted by all that's here. ANDREW MILLER: I think just playing at this beautiful rink is an unbelievable facility, unbelievable ice. It's a big stadium, so that doesn't really affect anything that goes on between the glass for us. COLIN DUECK: Yeah, I really have nothing more to add. Just a chance to play the same game we always do, but like they said, in a beautiful facility and maybe in front of a few more people. But it's still the same game. Q. Obviously your body of work throughout the season is what got you into this tournament. But that said, it did come down to the Notre Dame‑Michigan game. I'm just curious whether you guys watched the game? Whether you didn't want to watch it? Whether you watched it together? If you could walk through what that game was like? COLIN DUECK: I didn't watch it. I was keeping track, I was following it. That was our season on the line too, so I did pay attention. ANDREW MILLER: I stayed so far away from it. JESSE ROOT: It got pretty intense at times, but we were happy that Notre Dame was able to run for it. COACH ALLAIN: I didn't watch it. I followed it on the computer, but obviously I was interested in the outcome. Q. Could you take us back four years at Yale and just describe what you've been through as an athlete and as a student and when you arrive there? And the program from the time you started to where it is now? ANDREW MILLER: Coming in as a freshman, I had a great group of guys, a lot of guys playing in the NHL and games in the NHL right now who I look up to who were really good for me. And Coach Allain had set up a system and a culture of Yale hockey that we were set up to thrive. Throughout my four years, we've had some really good teams and really good players. It's been an honor to be a captain now, and I really cherished my experience here. We've come close to making the Frozen Four, and actually doing it is a great accomplishment. But not just being here is not okay, we're here to win and this is going to be an exciting game. THE MODERATOR: Puck will drop at 4:35 tomorrow. Q. Coach, in preparing for Lowell, anybody comparative that you faced this season that maybe reminds you a little of Lowell in terms of getting ready? COACH ALLAIN: I wouldn't say anybody specifically that we faced this year. But I think we have a pretty good idea of what Lowell is good at, and they defend extremely well. They compete hard on the puck, and they transition quite well when they get it back going from defense to offense. So we'll have to be on our toes. Q. This is a special situation. There is a lot of hoopla, a lot going on, all the media here and everything. What do you do in terms of preparation for a goaltender? What goes into getting a guy ready when it is a special situation like this, when it isn't just another game with all the other stuff surrounding it? COACH ALLAIN: I don't think the goaltender is any different than anybody else. We establish a routine in how we prepare and we do it all year long. We treat every game like it's a huge game because it is. And another reason we do that is so that when you get into championship environments, you've prepared in a certain way, and that's what we do with Jeff and all of our players. You mentioned preparing Jeff, I just want to make sure you know our volunteer assistant coach, Josh Sambeeda, works exclusively with our goaltenders. He came on board this time last year, and I think he's done an outstanding job. He's developed a great relationship with all three of our goaltenders. They trust him and work for him; and I think if Jeff were up here, he'd tell you that Josh has a hand in his success this year. Q. How has life been a little bit different after you guys won and a whole week of preparation on campus? What's the student life been like? And has there been a lot of alumni outreach to you guys. JESSE ROOT: On campus, it's been great. From our preparation, nothing's really changed. If anything, we've got a couple more phone calls, but everything on campus has been outstanding. ANDREW MILLER: Trying to go to Grand Rapids and take a little break from school. So getting back the last few weeks we're playing catch‑up and taking very little time off this week. Coaches aren't the most lenient, so we're playing hockey and preparing. But we've been doing that the last four years. It comes secondhand now. COLIN DUECK: Yeah, like they said, the students have been great, and faculty and even some of the professors, maybe not all of them. But they're excited. Everyone's excited. But like he said, we've still got to take care of school in the meantime. COACH ALLAIN: I've had emails, calls, texts, the response has been tremendous. I guess for me, one of the nice things about the work we do and the effort we put in is that we can bring pleasure to so many people who are connected with Yale and the Yale hockey program. That's very, very gratifying. Q. What are your thoughts, Jesse and Andrew, to talk about the skill that Kenny Agostino brings to that line? ANDREW MILLER: Kenny's a great left winger, incredibly skilled, a great shot and great passer. He works so hard day‑in and day‑out, and he's so excited to be at the rink. There is a great quality about him, his personality and his work ethic. JESSE ROOT: I can't say more about anyone else in hockey. Whenever we're in the room he's watching the NHL Network and NHL on the Fly. He loves the game. You can see that when he plays. As a player, he's one of the best puck protectors I've played with. As a line mate, that opens up a lot for us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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