LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Notes from the NCAA Division III men’s championship game on Saturday, Adrian’s 5-2 victory against Geneseo.
The overseer
Adrian athletic director Michael Duffy has been with the school for 38 years. He started as a football coach for 22 years before transitioning to athletic director 16 years ago. He guided the school from 16 programs to 50 programs, including hockey.
“What a great group of guys,” Duffy said of his men’s hockey team. “[Coach] Adam [Krug] is a class act. Probably one of the best coaches I had as an administrator. I have to give some kudos for Ron Fogarty. He started the program and got us rolling. He built something special and then went to Princeton. Adam took over and never missed a beat. We knocked on the door a few times and we finally got our opportunity this year.”
Duffy also played football for Adrian.
The retiree
Meanwhile, on the runner-up side, Geneseo’s athletic director Mike Mooney is retiring this year. He started at the school 35 years ago as the men’s soccer coach, making it as far as the national semifinals in 2004.
Mooney was hoping for the best retirement gift from the men’s hockey team, but will have to settle for Geneseo’s best finish as runner-up.
Staying home
Both coaches played at the school they are currently coaching.
Adam Krug originally went to Wayne State but when its program disbanded, Krug transferred to Adrian for his junior and senior years, the first two years of the Bulldogs’ program. Fogarty originally recruited Krug for Bowling Green before Krug decided on Wayne State. Eventually, the two paired up and became two key figures in Adrian’s rise to national champion.
Chris Schultz played for Geneseo and eventually came back to coach his alma mater.
A first timer either way
Both schools were playing for their first national championship.
Adrian won its first in any sport. Both the men’s (2011) and women’s (2017) hockey teams made it as far as national runner-up, before the men finally broke through Saturday.
Geneseo has won a national championship in women’s cross country in 2005. For the men’s hockey team, the runner-up spot it had to settle for this year is as far as it has gone.
Renovations
The Lake Placid Olympic Center and surrounding facilities are going through a major revitalization. The speed skating oval updated its refrigeration unit and built a new support building. Whiteface and the ski jumps have been updated.
The hockey rinks are going through major updating, including renovation in all of the 1980 and 1932 hockey locker rooms, replacing all of the seating, public restrooms, renovating concessions stands, hospitality suites and renovating the general concourse area of 1980 Herb Brooks Arena. There is still a lot of work being done as many areas were cordoned off.
For hockey fans, there were two noticeable changes. The original, historic scoreboard has finally been replaced with a modern style which includes video boards. More importantly, the ice rink now has the capability to move the boards to convert it between Olympic size and NHL size. For the NCAA Division III men’s hockey national championship, it was set up for NHL size. It’s the first time this tournament has been held on the traditional NHL size in Lake Placid.
All of this work is geared towards 2023 when Lake Placid hosts the World University Winter Games from Jan. 12-22.
All-tournament team
Forward/Most Outstanding Player: Sam Ruffin (Adrian)
Forward: Trevor Coykendall (Adrian)
Forward: Dan Bosio (Geneseo)
Defense: Matt Eller (Adrian)
Defense: Matthew Doran (Geneseo)
Goaltender: Cameron Gray (Adrian)
