Coach Dan Morris on veteran leadership in the ACHA Tournament:
"It makes a lot of things easier as far as guys preparing themselves, but we still have new players that have never been there. I think playing in tough games, the day-in day-out grind of it, being away from school and home for an extended period of time, you need some veteran guys to drive the boat."
Morris on ability to handle adversity:
"We had some lapses last year during a couple periods, in particular in the first period against Arizona State and then obviously the third period against Iowa State. Those experiences are going to come in handy this year. In the CSCHL Tournament I thought we did a good job and actually played better as the score got closer. A lot of that has to do with the experience from the national tournament."
On early 10 a.m. game times:
"We practiced early this morning to see if there are certain guys that have to get up earlier. We skated at 6 this morning. I thought we responded pretty well. It looked like we got tired at the end of practice but I think that’s just guys going to bed at 12 o'clock rather than 10 o’clock. That’s why we practiced early today to see how the guys are reacting and I thought they reacted pretty well."
On team's ability to make a run for the title:
"There's not going to be many games won at a national tournament that are 8-1. These are tight games, close games, competitive games. You’ve got to rely on that. I think we've got a lot of experience in those areas. We have success and we have failures and you’ve got to learn from them. Over the last three years, our guys have played in some pretty big games. All that experience makes us better."
On players missing class:
"Everybody has attendance policies that they have to abide by. Some people do see athletic events as an excused absence and some people don’t. You try to work with the people that they're in class with and say 'Hey, this is an experience of a lifetime for these kids, we all need to work together and do what we can to help them out. Blackboard is a great tool. I remember when I first started 10 years ago taking an envelope of assignments the guys had to do to during the week. Technology has helped out greatly."
On the playoff beards:
"Sometimes they get haircuts. We’ve got some mullets going, we’ve got some beards going. I think guys like it, I think some guys that hate shaving everyday and can grow a beard pretty quick are pretty happy with not having to shave or anything. I tell the guys I got my playoff beard going. During the week I have to shave everyday for work but now if someone sees me and I have a scruff going I just tell them it’s a playoff beard and everyone understands what's going on. But I don’t think I could get away with it in the first week in October. But it saves me 5 minutes in the morning, I can get five minutes of extra sleep."
Tyler Pilmore on the beards:
"All of us have some facial hair of some sort. Shaving during playoffs is a no-no for anyone on the team. Some guys like to go with mustaches or goatees though. No one cuts their hair unless it's into something like a mohawk or this year's mullet trend.
On other superstitions:
"Everyone has superstitions that they carry on throughout the year into playoffs. How they tape their stick or how they get dressed. If we are on a winning streak i like to wear the same exact outfit for the games, but yes I do wash them."
Steve Osacky on the beards:
"Most guys have stopped shaving since we started the league playoff tournament. Some guys go with a wild haircut. (Michael) Schultz, (Zander) Dover, and (Duncan) Green have been rocking mullets since leagues and Tisdale sported quite the do at leagues which mimicked the style of a balding man with only hair around the sides of his head."
ro137807@ohio.edu
@Rob_Ogden
