The Outlook: Six teams could win CCHA league title The Michigan Daily-Friday, October 9, 1987- Page 13 .-1 By DOUGLAS VOLAN The 1987-88 season should be another banner year for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Rapidly becoming one of the most respected conferences in college hockey, the CCHA sports five teams, which won over 20 games last season. Two of them, Bowling Green and Michigan State, won 33 games apiece. The Spartans made it to the NCAA final game b e f o r e succumbing to North Dakota. With powerhouses Bowling Green and Michigan State suffering key personnel losses, the race this year appears wide open. Any of six teams are capable of taking the title. "There's a lot of unknowns within many of the teams this year," said Michigan State head coach Ron Mason. "I think there's a chance for anyone to finish in the upper division." With that in mind, here are the members of the CCHA: Michigan State - Despite his team ranking first in the CCHA preseason coaches poll, Mason is concerned about the upcoming season. "I think that our reputation probably is why people chose us (first)," he said. "(The ranking) was not based on an analysis of our team." Mason has good reason to be worried. The nation's best goaltending tandem, Bob Essensa and Norm Foster, has graduated. Team captain Don McSween also graduated, along with high-scoring forwards Mitch Messier, and Bill Shibicky. "Our offense is suspect, and we're going to be breaking in two new goaltenders," said Mason. "So certainly, we're not going to be as strong as last year at the beginning of the season." Bowling Green - The Falcons are looking to defend their regular-season conference championship despite losing many players such as All-American goalie Gary Kruzich. Appropriately, the coaching staff is concerned. "We lost a lot of key people from last year so we're sort of waiting for the first couple of weeks of the season just to see where our team is," said assistant coach Terry Flanagan. The frontline is Bowling Green's strength. Senior Don Barber and sophomore center Nelson Emerson, the CCHA's Rookie-of-the-Year last Oeason, lead the offense. Western iehigan Uniersity Western Michigan - Despite a fifth-place finish last year, Western Michigan should be vastly improved. With close to 20 sophomores and newcomers, the Broncos are an up- and-coming squad. "The key to our team," said assistant coach Tom Newton, "is that our strong freshman class from last year continue to play and improve. And our freshman this year have to get oriented and establish themselves as Division I players." The Broncos, however, were also not without key losses. Two time All-American defenseman Wayne Gagne graduated. "We don't have anyone game-in and game-out who is going to do what Wayne Gagne did. But we hope that someone in our program will rise to the occasion," said Newton. sophomore Kord Cernich, the Lake Superior expect to avoid high- scoring affairs. This might not be so easy, however, with the loss of goalie Randy Exelby to graduation. Sophomore Mike Greenlay will start between the pipes. The Lakers have a strong rookie class with defensemen Karl Johnston and David DiVita, both of whom could earn regular spots. Michigan - Despite its 14-25- 1 record of a year ago, Michigan's 6- 2-1 streak late in the season gives reason for optimism. "Michigan's got an excellent chance to make a solid move," said Mason. "The last couple of years they've been close, but this year with their experience, they could finish near the top." "Michigan's going to be a real strong opponent," added Flanagan. "They were picked fifth in the polls, but they're a team that could win the league. rws FLAMES Illinois-Chicago - The Flames are the last of the six teams with a realistic shot at the CCHA title. Illinois-Chicago comes off a 21-17-1 season and returns 16 lettermen. The Flames are well balanced be- tween offense and defense. They return two experienced CCHA goaltenders in senior Brad Ryan and sophomore Dave DePinto. Also returning are their top six goal scorers from last year. Senior captain Darin Alexander leads a defense that was second best in the CCHA last season, allowing just 3.69 goals per game. The Flames also possess a good penalty killing unit, allowing a goal only 19 percent of the time they skated shorthanded last season. Ohio State - The Buckeyes will have to get defensive to have any kind of success in the conference this year. Six of their top defensemen and their top two goalies return. The problems lie with Ohio State's offense, which lost three wingers and four centers. But the Buckeyes remain optimistic after a strong finish last season, which saw them finish third in the CCHA playoffs. Nevertheless, the holes up front may be just too large to fill. The goaltending duo of juniors Roger Beedon and Todd Fanning, both NHL draft choices, is solid. STATE J Ferris State - With an experienced core of 15 returning players to build around, the Bulldogs are looking forward to the 1987-88 season. "I think we're going to be much improved this season," said head coach John Perpich. "We've got a nucleus of experienced players that we're hoping will be the real heart of our team." Among the returnees are eight sophomores who figure prominently in the Bulldog's plans. "That extra year of experience for those players is really going to help our team," said Perpich. Defenseman Alex Roberts tries to clear the crease in last Thursday's intrasquad scrimmage. Michigan surrendered 220 goals last season, but with five lettermen returning, the Wolverines defense should be stingier this year. Defense has potential COming of age: to be Berenson s best . By KEN GOLDBERG Although last season's captain and team MVP, Jeff Norton, will skate not for the maize and blue, but for the red, white, and blue this season, the Wolverine defensive unit may be the strongest in head coach Red Berenson's four-year tenure at Michigan. With six lettermen returning, the defense will be more experienced and confident than last season's squad, which featured four newcomers. "There's no question that we have a talented group of defensemen," said Berenson. "As a unit we move the puck very well. Last season we lost quite a few games due to inexperience and defensive breakdowns. "This year we should be more consistent defensively and play with a stronger team effort, simply because the guys have played with each other now and feel more comfortable on the ice." WITH NORTON now playing with Team USA, junior Myles O'Connor, an honorable mention all-CCHA defenseman last season, is poised to assume a leadership role this season. After spending much of his first two seasons as Norton's partner, the Calgary native is prepared to stabilize the defensive unit. "There's no question that Jeff is a great player, leader, and individual. Our team will miss him," said O'Connor, who tallied 15 goals and 30 assists last season. "But at times I felt like I was playing in his shadow. The opportunity is there now for the rest of us to take charge. "As a unit, we may even be more solid this year than last, simply because five of us have played at this level before, while last year we had four freshman." Paired with O'Connor is sophomore Alex Roberts, who set a Michigan record for penalties with 55 last season. The 6-2, 195- pounder was targeted by other teams last season as easy prey to draw a penalty. But Roberts has solid defensive skills, and with a season of experience, Roberts, who Berenson characterizes as a "stay-at-home defenseman," should complement O'Connor's aggressive offensive style. ANOTHER key Wolverine defenseman is Todd Copeland, a second-round draft choice of the New Jersey Devils in 1986. Copeland was expected to have more of an immediate impact than his two goals and 11 assists of a year ago; however, the sophomore improved considerably over the second half of the '86-'87 season. After just missing the final cut for the U.S. Olympic squad this summer, Copeland is eager for CCHA action. "I had a very competitive summer of hockey, and I feel great," Copeland said. "This season should be a big step for Michigan hockey." Sophomore Randy Kwong will pair with Copeland. At 6-0, 181 pounds, Kwong will not dish out checks like his 205-pound linemate. "Kwong is not a big defenseman, but he is an agile skater with good lateral movement and good stick-handling ability," said Berenson. "He won't knock many guys down, but he will take people out of the play. That's often just as effective. Size is important, but talent and character are even more so." ONE PLAYER who will knock people down is Brad Turner, a third-round pick of Minnesota in 1986. The sophomore from Calgary finished last season with 3 goals and 13 points. The 6-2, 200-pounder was the only Michigan defenseman to see action in all 40 regular-season games last year. Historically Turner's strength has been at the offensive end of the ice. But it is primarily his defensive skills which he hopes to improve. "Last season I learned a lot about the defensive aspects of hockey," said Turner. "Sure, I'd like to score more points, but- the offense will come pretty much on its own. Our team is skilled enough that we'll get our share of goals. "The real test will coime in stopping our opponents from scoring, and based on the practices and the attitudes of the guys on this team, we should see significant improvement." The lone newcomer on the blueline, Mark Sorensen, will team with Turner. Sorensen should ease into the lineup with more experienced players surrounding him. Senior Gary Lorden should see spot duty as the seventh defenseman. NEW COACH SPECIALIZES IN RECRUITING Pedrie dishes o ut youwig talent BY ADAM SCHRAGER A diamond in the rough. A needle in a haystack. A good, sincere, dedicated recruiter that plays by the rules. To find one of those recruiters is difficult, but Michigan head coach Red Berenson did when he hired Larry Pedrie. Pedrie, the new Michigan assistant hockey coach, is a recruiting guru who does not resort to illegal tactics like certain other NCAA schools. "You have to be a lawyer in order to understand these rules," said Berenson, while holding a copy of the NCAA's 300 page rule book. "It's admirable and a credit to Larry that he has had such success recruiting without accidentally violating one of these rules." IN HIS previous job with the University of Illinois-Chicago, Pedrie also drew rave reviews. "It's Larry's enthusiasm and dedication that make him such a great recruiter," said Flames head coach Val Belmonte. "It's a shame that he left because the last class he recruited was the best freshman class, talent-wise and character- wise, that I have ever had." Enthusiasm and dedication are inherent characteristics of Pedrie's personality. A four-year letterwinner at Ferris State (1977- 81), Pedrie was a diligent worker. He was named the Bulldog's Most Improved Player Award in his senior season. "I think that my dedication to recruiting has allowed me to be successful, but I don't believe in over-recruiting at all," said Pedrie, once a strong-armed defenseman. "There are some guys who will telephone a kid four or five times and write two or three letters a week. I pride myself on not making a prospective player uncomfortable. "I try to impress him from a human standpoint. I want to get to know the player and vice-versa. I do not believe in recruiting players with blinders on. When a player agrees to attend a university program, I want them to understand what they should expect from the university and what the university expects in return." AFTER - LEAVING college, he stayed at his alma mater as an assistant for three years. He spent the past three years in Chicago. In those six years as an assistant, Pedrie was forced to fulfill many obligations that normally would not have been asked of a coach. Administrative duties, for example, went along with the recruiting and coaching at his previous CCHA stops. Pedrie, however, was properly qualified for those responsibilities because he holds a B.S. degree in Business Management from Ferris State. "The Michigan athletic environment is so much more than I expected," explained Pedrie. "We were not really given what was truly needed at Ferris and UIC, but that is not the situation at all here in Ann Arbor. This system is advanced and constructed in such a matter that I can concentrate on what I should be concentrating on - recruiting and coaching." Pedrie has proven that he is a good coach and an even better recruiter. "He has contacts all over the North American continent," said Pedrie ... recruiter extraordinaire "You want to find a player that is dedicated to the team more than the individual. If you can develop this, then that is what success is all about." Success is something that Pedrie has already accomplished in his own mind, but further dedication and his ambition have not been stymied. A head coaching job is inevitable for Pedrie, but when? "Eventually, I would love to be a head coach," said Pedrie. "I want a 0