"If we don't start meeting that standard, we will sit down and have some serious discussions after this season," Christensen said. "There will be changes. I'm not prepared to say at this moment what that will be. A lot of things go into a season and how it plays out.
"Our team lost a lot of talent. But every team loses talent. It's time for our program to play at a high level."
"Mike has shown he can build a good program. But there are builders and there are finishers. It's time to deliver."
Right or wrong, that's where UNO hockey is now. A fantastic start, making it to the CCHA championship game in just their third season. In recent years, they've been ohhh-so-close to getting to that 4th spot several times, but haven't made the cut, finishing fifth in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Why fourth? The CCHA playoff format makes the divide between fourth and fifth place huge. Fourth place gets you a first round bye, and a home series in the second round. Fifth place gets you a home series in the first round, and if you win, you play the fourth place team on their home ice. Win that second round series, and it's off to the Joe Louis Arena for the CCHA semifinals.
Not to mention that in the last five years, an average of four CCHA teams have made the NCAA tournament each year. Christensen sums it up:
"If you finish in the top four every year, those things (championships and Frozen Four berths) are going to come."
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