Jewish. Stars
Nystrom Skating
To Different Role
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Special to the Jewish News
le
ric Nystrom is one of the
most closely watched college
hockey players. The
University of Michigan junior
forward has already appeared on the
cover of the Hockey News, was featured
on the NHL Cool Shots TV
show and was the 10th
overall pick in the 2002
NHL Entry Draft.
Nystrom, whose father
Bob won four Stanley Cups
with the New York
Islanders, says the attention
he receives "is tough at
times ... If somebody's
watching me specifically
because of my last name, or
because I was drafted high,
then I'm going to try to
Nystrom
show them what type of
player I am, night-in and
night-out."
His statistics are down this year (nine
goals and eight assists through 32
games), but the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder is
pleased with his overall game.
"This is my best year since my fresh-
man year," he says. "Not sta-
tistically, but I just feel good
out there. I feel like I'm
skating hard, playing good
defense. I have a few goals
and I have some points but
that's not really my game.
"I'm trying to work on
driving to the net and creat-
ing some space for my line-
mates. I'm playing a physical
Bluestein
role. I'm not a gifted goal-
scorer and I'm not a gifted
skill guy but there's a lot more intangi-
bles to the game than that. You have to
have a good mix."
The versatile Nystrom leads U-M with
six power play goals and also kills penal-
ties. A physical player, Nystrom says the
most improved part of his game is "my
skating. I've been working hard in the
summer trying to get as much of an
advantage as I can, working on being
powerful and strong on my skates. And I
think I've matured as a player; every-
thing in my game has kind of developed
a little more each year."
Nystrom calls this Wolverine squad
"the best team I've been on ... we have
some serious depth, both offensively,
defensively and in net."
Will return to U-M as a senior, or sign
with the Calgary Flames? "I haven't really
thought about it. If there's going to be
an NHL lockout, there's no sense of
even considering it. But I made a four-
year commitment to this school and I'd
like to stick to my word
on that."
On the high school
level, junior forward Max
Bluestein leads Milford's
hockey team with 14 goals
and 26 assists for 40
points in 21 games.
Milford coach .Gary
Quitiquit calls Bluestein "a
hard worker and excellent
skater with great hands."
Bluestein, who also plays
AAA travel hockey, is in
his first varsity season.
West Bloomfield's vol-
leyball team includes two Jewish starters,
both defensive specialists. Senior Erica
Lewis averages 2.5 digs per match and
serves at 99 percent. Meredith Milstein,
a junior, averages four digs per match
and has a 95 percent serving average.
Jason Gold is in his fifth year
as the Lakers' head coach. He
coaches teams at Our Lady of
Refuge and Orchard Lake
Middle School.
Bloomfield Hills
Cranbrook-Kingswood soph-
omore Gabe Schubiner fin-
ished fourth and swam a state
qualifying time of 56.66 in
the the 100 backstroke at the
Oakland County swim meet.
He also swam in the 100 but-
terfly, 200 medley relay (11th
place) and 400 freestyle relay (ninth
place).
Roman Sandler of Birmingham
Groves was fourth in the 100 breast-
stroke (1:03.25) and fifth in the 200
individual medley (2:04.88). Junior
Ryan Cohn of Bloomfield Hills Andover
was 13th in one-meter diving with
274.55 points. Other Andover swim-
mers this season include sophomore
freestyler Elliott Weingarten and fresh-
man sprint freestyler Josh Saginaw. ❑
To contact the Jewish Stars column,
e-mail: sports@thejewishnews.com
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