Derek Damon Quotations

He wins all the one-on-one battles for the puck. He makes you want to go out there and compete just as hard.

His numbers speak for themselves. He hasn't let up a goal in the NCAA tournament. So obviously we are going to have to make sure we are creating a lot of traffic for him.

We can't keep throwing these games away. Guys are not being smart with the puck in dangerous situations.

You know you can count on Ben back there. He's played well. He is definitely not playing like a freshman. That's what we need. We really need him to step up and make those big saves for us because in the NCAA tournament one bounce here or there could really cost you.

What are you trying to say, that I'm fat?

That's not how you want to be going to the NCAA Tournament.

They really stick to their systems. They are similar to us. We are really disciplined within our systems. And that is what it is going to tak: A team that is more disciplined in their systems and willing to do whatever it takes to win the game.

They really stepped it up in the second period. We could have laid down and let them keep their comeback coming, but we weren't going to. The third period is our best period.

They're going to pick me up Saturday and I'm going to pick them up Sunday. I just wish it could have been handled differently, but we have to move on. I have to pay the consequences for not going to class.

It's exciting, because if I go down there and play well, hopefully it will open up a lot of doors. I'm hoping to make a strong showing. And it's especially good to go down relaxed, show them what I can do, and not have to worry about coming in and messing anything up with a team's chemistry that's in the playoffs.

It's a young team we've got here. The guys are getting better but still, (the mistakes) are costing us. We've got to tighten that up if we want to do anything special this year.

It's frustrating to get 50 shots on goal, with just one power play, and not win the game.

It's really going to hurt but we have to pick each other up. Other guys will have a chance to step up and show they belong to be out there in key situations.

It's been good. It's nice to see all the excitement, the buzz around campus. They're anxious for us to get out there. That's the main thing, we're really anxious to get out there and get this thing going.

It's hard. There's nothing I want more than to be on the ice with them. Basically I made a mistake and have to pay the consequences. I've got to handle it like a man.

It will be important for us to have our heads on a swivel and focus on our jobs in the defensive zone.

They've really been there for me, and they know that that's not the type of person that I am. It's just a mistake that happened. It's just too bad that it happened at this time. But mistakes happen and you've got to live with them and learn from your mistakes. ... I'm a college student. I'm not the first person to miss classes.

This is it; I want to go out as champion.

Their speed makes them one of the faster teams in the country. They like to get up and down the ice. What we need to do is get in their way, really shut them down, play the body. That was pretty effective when we played them all three times this season.

He told us to focus on the prize, to focus on what it takes to be a winner in this league.

He really emphasized that the stretch run was the most important part of the season. The start and middle half of the season were to find out who could play with who and letting the new guys learn the systems.