Page 4-The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - October 12, 1992

AI

teJP layer.

Blue

hockey

CENTER


No.
16
15
9
7
10

Player
Brian Wiseman
Mark Ouimet
Dave Roberts
Ron Sacka
Kevin Hilton

Ht.
5-6
5-10
6-1
5-10
5-11

Wt.
175
170
185
175
170

Yr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
So.
Fr.

Wiseman and Ouimet are two of the best centers in
the CCHA. The addition of Roberts to this group
gives Berenson incredible depth here. Hilton is
talented, but young at 17.

Wiseman

RIGHT WING

26 David Oliver 5-11 185 Jr.
22 Mike Knuble 6-3 210 So.
8 Dan Stiver 6-0 180 Sr.
14 Anton Fidorov 6-0 185 So.
20 John Arnold 5-10 192 Fr.
Oliver may be the team's best goal scorer. Knuble
is a physical presence and will see more minutes.
Fiodorov will be asked to hit a little.


Oliver

LEFT WING

ranked
by Tim Rardin
Daily Hockey Writer
Last year the Michigan hockey
team captured its first-ever Central
Collegiate Hockey Association
regular season title, but failed to take
the CCHA tournament crown.
Last year, too, the Wolverines
reached the NCAA Final Four for
the first time since 1977, but missed
a shot at a national championship
with a 4-2 semifinal loss to
Wisconsin.
This year, Michigan, which is
ranked #1 in The Sporting News
preseason Top 20, is determined to
erase those "buts" from its resume.
With 18 lettermen returning from
the team that came so painfully
close to the NCAA final, the
Wolverines now know what it takes
to make the next step.
"We have a lot of guys back who
went through that loss last year to
Wisconsin, so we all know what it's
going to take," junior defenseman
Aaron Ward said. "Now we know
what we have to do to go a step
beyond."
Of course, there a few guys who
won't be back this time around.
Defenseman Doug Evans, and
wingers Ted Kramer (31 points) and
Mike Helber (21) are gone. But
without question the biggest loss for
the Wolverines is that of Denny
Felsner (94), Michigan's all-time
leading scorer.
Felsner's potent scoring touch
will certainly be missed, but the
Wolverines may actually be stronger
as a team without him.
"I think the team relied on Denny
from time to time more than it
should have," Michigan coach Red
Berenson said. "I don't expect
anyone to step up and score 40 goals
now that he's gone, although I think
we do have some guys capable of it.
I do expect a lot of kids to step up
and increase their production and
their contribution to the team
significantly."
With the absence of a standout
player like Felsner, the Wolverines
present a deeper, more balanced

No.

21 Cam Stewart 5-11 195 Jr.
12 Mike Stone 6-0 175 Jr.
11 Rick Willis 6-0 190 So.
17 Ryan Sittler 6-2 195 Fr.
Stewart will make his presense felt on special
teams. Willis should make a larger impact this
season. Sittler will star when he adapts to the
college game.

1


attack up front. Instead of just two
offensive lines expected to do the
damage, Michigan now has three or
four experienced lines that it can
throw at its opponents.
Junior forwards David Oliver
(58) and Brian Wiseman (71) should
return to the first line that included
Felsner last year. Seniors Mark
Ouimet (29) and David Roberts (58),
and junior Cam Stewart return to
give the offense some added scoring
punch, while leftwingers Rick
Willis and Mike Stone, and
rightwingers Dan Stiver and Mike
Knuble provide depth for the
Wolverine attack.
Freshman forward Ryan Sittler,
the fifth pick in this year's NHL
draft - the highest any Michigan
player has ever been drafted - could
also make an early impact in the
Wolverines' offensive scheme.
The loss of Felsner could also
affect the defense, which may need to
pick up its level of play without a
consistent scoring threat of Felsner's
caliber up front.
"There's room for improvement
defensively," Berenson said. "We
gave up too many goals from time
to time, and then there were times
when we couldn't score, and that's
when you need your defense and
goalkeeping to be solid. We will
need to improve defensively this year
to be the team we can be."
Michigan's depth is probably
most apparent on defense, where six
experienced players return for
Berenson. Senior captain David
Harlock, who employs a more
defensive-oriented game, will likely
be teamed with fellow senior Patrick
Neaton (30), who poses a solid
offensive threat.
Senior Chris Tamer and junior
Aaron Ward provide a very physical
defensive duo, and sophomores Al
Sinclair and Tim Hogan return after
a year of experience to give the
Wolverines three solid defensive
combinations. Sophomore Mark
Sakala and freshman Steve Halko
could also see some playing time
this year.

Stone

DEFENSE

Puck makes its return o Yost
Steve Shields (35) and Patrick Neaton (4) guard against Mike Knuble in Friday.,

33
4
5
6
23
3
, 2
,24

David Harlock
Patrick Neaton
Aaron Ward
Chris Tamer
Tim Hogan
Alan Sinclair
Mark Sakala
Steven Halko

6-2
6-0
6-2
6-2
6-2
6-3
6-0
6-1

185
180
200
195
180
210
~195
185

Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
Sr.
So.
So.
So.
Fr.

This group has the potential to be the nation's best.
As they play, so will Michigan. Neaton and Ward
will be counted on to score. Berenson says Halko
was the best defenseman in his league last year.

Harlock

Guarding the net for the
Wolverines will be the CCHA's top
returning goalie in junior Steve
Shields (2.84 goals against average,
.887 save percentage), who set a
Michigan record last year for wins in
a season with 27. The return of an
experienced goalie like Shields could
be a huge advantage for the
Wolverines in the CCHA, where
only two of the top five finishers
last year, including Michigan State
and Lake Superior State, enjoy such
a luxury.
Behind Shields are junior Chris
Gordon, who saw considerable ice

time last year, and sophomore Al
Loges, who saw action last season
in just one period.
The Wolverines definitely ho
the talent and experience to take the
next step. Inconsistency plagued
Michigan in key games last year,
but this year's squad is looking to
learn from those mistakes.
"The biggest thing we learned
from last year was that we have to
take things one game at a time,"
Ward said. "We adopted a philosophy
this year to take the season game
game. Teams will be gunning
us, but we know we can handle it."

GOALIES

31
35
30

Steve Shields
Chris Gordon
Al Loges

6-3
6-1
6-2

210
165
175

Jr.
Jr.
So.

Shields and Gordon are both solid but not stellar -
another reason the defense needs to play well.
Loges saw limited action last season but will play
more this year.

CCHAv p

i
Shields

M

icers primed to repeat in the CCHA.


Octobe

1992-93 MICHIGAN HOCKEY SCHEDULE

by Tim Rardin
Daily Hockey Writer

er

November

December

17
23
24
30
31
6
7
13
14
27
28
4
5
11
12
26
27
2
3
8
9
15
16
23
29
30
5
6
13
19
20
26
27

NOTRE DAME
Ferris State
Ferris State
Western Michigan
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Lake Superior
Lake Superior
MIAMI (OH)
MIAMI (OH)
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Notre Dame#
MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State
KENT STATE
KENT STATE
Great Lakes Invitational*
Great Lakes Invitational*
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
Illinois-Chicago
Illinois-Chicago
OHIO STATE
BOWLING GREEN
Notre Dame
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
Michigan State*

January

Last year, the Central Collegiate
Hockey Association saw three of its
teams - Michigan, Michigan State,
and Lake Superior State - advance
to the Final Four of the NCAA
postseason tournament, and one of
them - Lake State - take the na-
tional title.
This year, the Lakers and
Spartans, as usual, are very good,
but Michigan appears to be in a
class all its own this time around.
This season also welcomes to the
CCHA former independents Kent
State and Notre Dame. As a result,
teams will play each other only three
times instead of four. Other than
that, don't expect the Golden Flashes
or the Irish to have much of an im-
pact in the league.
Here's a look at the ten teams
that will be shooting for the
Wolverines this year.
Lake Superior State (20-8-
4 in the conference last
year/2nd, 30-9-4 overall,
coach Jeff Jackson): Last year,
the Lakers rode their CCHA tourna-
ment title into the NCAA tourna-
ment and came away with the na-
tional championship. But with the
loss of its top four scorers, as well
as goalie Darrin Madeley (2.07 goals
against average, .917 save percent-
age), from that team, Lake State
doesn't appear to be as good as last
year, at least on paper.
"Our biggest question mark will
be at goal, but I think we have some
adequate replacements," coach Jeff
TJcksAn vsid. "We shonild h etron

turns, but goaltending and defense
remain question marks.
Western Michigan (14-12-
6/4th, 16-14-6, Bill
Wilkinson): The key for Western
Michigan this year is depth. The

That experience will certainly help
the Redskins, but coach George
Gwozdecky is still looking for an
adequate replacement for goalie Mark
Michaud (4.26, .857%).
"I sense on this team for the first
time since I've been here a winning

6/7th, 10-20-6, Larry Pedrie):
Expectations are unusually high for
UIC this year, fielding a team that
The Sporting News has ranked 13th
in its national preseason poll. The
word for the season in Chicago is
youth, as the Flames' top six return-
ing players, including goalkeeper
Jon Hillebrandt (4.14, .877%), are
all sophomores. Last year's frc
now have a year under their belt, so
the Flames may reap the rewards of
last year's hardship this season.
Ohio State (8-19-5/8th,
12-21-5, Jerry Welsh): Things
don't look much better for Ohio
State after an 8th-place finish a year
ago. Graduation hit the Buckeyes
hard, and the loss of two early-de-
parting juniors - goalie Mike Bales
(5.24, .853%) and forward Brio
Loney (55) - doesn't help matters
in Columbus.
Bowling Green State (7-
20-5/9th, 8-21-5, Jerry
York): After a disappointing sea-
son in which both the coaches and
media preseason CCHA polls picked
them to finish third, the Falcons are
looking to bounce back. Defense
appears to be Bowling Gree
biggest bright spot, with big quP
tion marks still looming at goal and
with the offense.
"Looking back at last year, I
think that consistency was what we
were lacking as a team," coach Jerry
York said. "That's what we're striv-
ing for this year."
Kent State (15-14-2 as an:
independent, Bill Switaj):
Kent State lost only three letterm
while returning 22. That kind of e
perience can only help the Golden,

February

Ohio State
Miami
Bowling Green
FERRIS STATE
BOWLING GREEN
LAKE SUPERIOR
NOTRE DAME

Lake Superior State figures to again be Michigan's toughest CCHA foe.

March

5
6
I% I IA

Kent State
Ohio State
CCHA Plavyffs

Broncos lost leading scorer Keith
TnnPC (5AN hit Due-mP11 fr.eh

attitude and a confidence that we can
-mntPwith he t tane in anr

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