GBMWolverine: Michigan Hockey -- New Look -- Wolverine Hockey Eager for Season Opener -- with Niagara

Posted at 6:00am — 10/4/2011

GBMWolverine: Michigan Hockey — New Look — Wolverine Hockey Eager for Season Opener — with Niagara

#6 Michigan (29-11-4) vs. Niagara Purple Eagles (18-13-4)
7:35 p.m.Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor. TV: none.
Michigan leads the all-time series 5-1 including a win in the 2007-08 NCAA East Regional

Rewinding Michigan’s Previous Action:
The Wolverines split their exhibition games by losing to Ontario Institute of Technology (3-2) and by defeating the USNDT (Under 18) by a 3-1 score. Niagara defeated Queens University (N.Y.) 7-2 in their only exhibition action.

Scouting the Purple Eagles:
Niagara lost three of their top scorers from last season and only carries four Seniors. Still, their top line is potent and their speed will match the Wolverines. Look for a pair of Sophomores to lead their offense- Ryan Rashid (13-13-26) and Scott Arnold (16-6-22) who is fresh off of a hat trick in their exhibition win.
Goaltending is handled by committee, with four net-minders on the roster. The go-to guy is Senior Chris Noonan (8-3-2 2.94 GAA, .903 sv. %) who gets the bulk of the starts. A pair of Sophomores also saw quality action last season: Carson Chubak and Cody Campbell.

The Purple Eagles outscored opponents by an average of 4-3 last season, but are expected to be a middle of the pack Atlantic Conference team this season. (Air Force and RIT are the class of the league, where Bentley, Michigan’s opponent this weekend, is expected to finish below Niagara.) Their special teams sizzled last season, with a PP conversion of 22.4% and a PK of 82%. They scratched out a 3-3-2 non-league record last year also and traditionally have played Michigan tough at Yost.

Charting The Wolverines:
Michigan’s revamped roster has to answer the bell early on with three games in four nights, then a weekend series as well. So far the team has come out with mixed results- not unlike past seasons when slow starts hampered the Wolverines. Still, this season may not be as kind with the very young talent coming in and the lack of development from some of their experienced players. Scoring will definitely be an issue and the core of returning forwards must fill a tremendous gap left from graduation.

The most pressure will be on Senior David Wohlberg (15-6-21) who is coming back from a serious collarbone break that ended his season in the team’s first playoff game last year just as he was heating up. Junior Chris Brown (9-14-23) will be looked upon to increase his production and continue to play a physical, gritty role. Fellow Junior Kevin Lynch (11-5-16) is coming off of a terrific run in the NCAA playoffs and is seeking more consistent scoring than last year. Sophomore Luke Moffatt (5-8-13) is feeling more comfortable in a Michigan sweater and is my pick for a Wolverine to have a break out year. Junior AJ Treais (9-13-22) showed flashes of offensive talent in the second half of last season and will display his play-making skills with more ice time. Captain Luke Glendening enters his senior season as the Wolverines’ lock down force on the ice- and would like to contribute more than his 8-10-18 from last season. Keep an eye on two freshmen forwards, too: Zach Hyman and Phil DiGuiseppe. Both have displayed excellent offensive potential in the exhibition games.

On defense, the departure of Brandon Burlon and Chad Langlais has taken some of the offensive punch away from the blueline. The recent suspension of Sophomore Jon Merrill is a huge blow on both ends of the ice. But, with adversity comes opportunity- and there is young talent eager to fill in the gaps. Look for Senior Greg Pateryn to lead the defense along with Junior Lee Moffie as well as Sophomore’s Mac Bennett and Kevin Clare. Freshmen Brennan Serville, Michael Chaisson and Michael Szuma will have plenty of opportunity for ice time. There is also a possibility that a forward will also be dropped back to fill in on defense. None of the defensemen are the pure point’s machine that Merrill is, but Moffie and Bennett will be the leading candidates to push a transition from defense to offense.

Senior Shawn Hunwick (22-9-4, 2.21 GAA and .925 sv %) will man the pipes without worrying about splitting time this season. His back-ups are adequate but not quite as seasoned and will not see much action barring injury or rough outings for Hunwick.

Expectation:
Michigan’s hockey team is still trying to find itself and will get a rude shock if they decide to not put forth their best effort every shift. The team has talent as exhibited by the early USCHO ranking, but has little else other than potential to back that lofty spot. I expect the Wolverines to struggle on both ends of the ice, but will recover once the freshmen blend in and the leadership exerts itself. Niagara is no stranger to Yost and usually plays Michigan very competitively. The Wolverines have a bit more experience and firepower.

3-2 Michigan.

Yost Bits:

-Coach Berenson opens up the 2011-12 season in 6th place overall in coaching wins and needs just 17 more wins to assume 5th place.

-No word on why Berenson suspended all-star defenseman Jon Merrill other than the customary “violated team rules.” Speculation is rampant that Merrill will now explore signing with Plymouth of the OHL who own his rights. The Sophomore is said to have denied any interest in leaving the team.

-Freshman Michael Szuma was dinged up in the Saturday exhibition loss to OIOT and will most likely not dress on Tuesday night.

-The new scoreboard at Yost has already taken several in game “hits” with the puck. It is hanging lower than most scoreboards I have seen at any college rink. It is massive, but provides a terrific replay for the patrons.

Video Highlights:

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff — YostMeister

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