' - - - 14B -.MichiganDaily -c '99 - Thursday, Octobe, 1A999 9 z The Class 0 ursda y October 14,1999 - c1 RENAISSANCE MAN BY STEPHANIE OFFEN * DAILY SPORTS WRITER Irish near turnaround I Exam schedule I 5 ophomore defensman Jeff Jillson is considered a Renaissance man on the ice. "We just have to make sure he doesn't do too much," Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson said. "He can carry the puck, he can shoot it, he can add to our offense, he's a physical presence on the ice, and he has to be one of our top defensemen for us to survive." That is not an exaggeration. As a freshman, Jillson led the team in plus/minus rating, making his very pres- ence on the ice a threat to the opposition. Jillson's strong presence on the ice started at an early age. Before he even began kindergarten, Jillson was on skates. Using only a chair to hold him up, he was quickly discour- aged by the game. "I started when I was four and I didn't like it at all," Jillson said. "I used to cry all the time." But two years later, the tears went away and he decided to try hockey once again. And it was on his own two feet, without the chair for support, that he began his complete understanding of the entire game. What's unusual about Jillson's hockey experience prior to attending Michigan is that unlike the majority of college players, he didn't play for a junior league club. Junior clubs weren't prevalent on the East Coast, so Jillson played for his high school squad in his hometown of North Smithfield, R.I. The competition may not have been as stiff for Jillson during his high school career, but his team helped him prepare for his years at Michigan. Instead of playing a lot of games during the week, ,like they do in the junior leagues, Jillson's school followed essentially the same routine of college teams and had standard Friday and Saturday matchups. But once Jillson stepped on the ice at Michigan, everything that may have sep- arated him from the former junior league players disappeared. Berenson said Jillson improved when he arrived at Michigan and in a short time became a leader. And that tremendous improvement is what led Jillson to be selected for the U.S. national team at the 1999 World Junior Championships. During winter break last season, he had an opportunity to represent his country along with other high school and college players from around the. nation. The only challenge was having to adjust to a whole new group of guys in just a few weeks. "It was weird at first playing with guys that you usually compete against," Jillson said of his experiences with Team USA. "We would joke around about who had the better team or record." The selection by the national team came as a surprise, as he was not even considered for the squad at first. He wasn't expected to make the team, but his performance at Michigan in his first few months was impressive enough to claim a spot. "He was a player that wasn't expected 4f DANA LINNANE/Daily Defenseman Jeff Jillson is both an offensive or defensive power on tee ice. With a freshman season that included a first round draft pick and a spot on the U.S. Junior National Team, is theirP' g this sophomore can't accomplish? Notre Dame's Joyce Center is a far cry from a legitimate ice hockey rink. In fact it could better be described as a conven- tion center with an ice rink plopped right down in the middle of it. Nevertheless the team that plays there is on a slow but steady climb to the top of the CCHA. Notre Dame coach Dave Poulin played in 724 NHL games and three Stanley Cup finals before returning to take over the reins at his alma matter in 1995. In four years, Poulin has turned the program around. In 1995-96, the Fighting Irish went 9-23-4, but in the 1998-99 cam- paign the team went 19-14-5. Last season, the Irish lost eight key players, three of whom accounted for 40 percent of the Irish offense. To counter- balance that loss, Notre Dame had one of the top recruiting classes in the coun- try. As a result, this year much of the weight will be shouldered by the fresh- man class which features four players who were in the USA Developmental Program. Besides filling crucial leadership roles, the Irish will also have to answer some questions in goal. Sophomore Jeremiah Kimento will get the starting nod, but freshman Tony Zasowski will be waiting in the wings. Notre Dame's biggest strength will be senior captain Ben Simon who led last year's team in scoring. Simon is also a candidate for this year's Hobey Baker Memorial Trophy. "I think we're going to be a good hockey team," Poulin said. "We have more depth than we've ever had. We have great leadership in this year's senior class. - Uma Subramanian to make the team," Berenson said. "Yet his performance here convinced the peo- ple at USA hockey that this kid is as good or better than some of the players that they had their eyes on." But even the experience of USA Hockey did not compare to Jillson's first experiences at Yost. "When you step on the ice for the first time it's a feeling like no other," Jillson said. "It just makes you play that much better." Yost keeps the noise level in, enhanc- ing the volume of the cheers, which are appreciated by the players. "When you have a bad shift, the crowd can get you back into it," Jillson said. "It makes it a lot easier for us and a lot tougher for the opponents. If I were wearing a different sweater, I think it would be the toughest place to play in the country." It was those cheers that helped Jillson to his 24 points last season, making him the second-best scoring defenseman, and the fifth leading scorer overall on the team. Jillson finished his freshman season with a bang. If becoming a premier defensman for the CCHA champs and earning a spot on the USA junior nation- al team wasn't enough excitement for his first year with the team, Jillson earned the honor of being the first col- lege player selected in the NHL draft this summer, when he was picked 14th overall by the San Jose Sharks. Even though he was too busy to think --- -_._ HCI E-commerce Library Studies Archives rp Right School, Right Now Highly ranked progressive education in the information sciences. Outstanding research university. One of the best college towns. World-renowned faculty. Practical experience in the community. Students from all academic backgrounds. Graduates in demand. Master of Science in Information * Archives and Records Management " Human-Computer Interaction * Information Economics, Management and Policy " Library and Information Services School of Information www.si.umich.edu/rightnow * si.admissions@umich.edu " 734 763-2285 about the draft during the season, his teammates noticed that he was going to be a hot prospect. "We all knew he would be a first- rounder because of how good a player he was," sophomore forward Mike Comrie said. "Being selected in the first round was something that he wanted to do and he showed that during the season." But Jillson hasn't let the honor go to his head. "Some players get a big head and they start slipping the other way," Berenson said. "But Jeff is looking at it the right way, trying to live up to it rather then on it." And that could sum up Jillson's entire career. Now, with the unexpected loss of three defensmen, Jillson is expected to contribute even more than before. Comrie said the team will be looking more toward Jillson on the power-play and penalty-kill units. But Jillson doesn't mind the extra challenge. "With the losses that we have the defensmen will just have to step up and, play a bigger role," Jillson said. "But you just have to expect it and whatever role the coaches give you, you have to go out and play and not worry about. other distractions. And try not to let the pressure of the losses that we have both- er you." They don't seem to bother Jillson. They don't seem to bother Berenson. All he has to worry about is his Renaissance man doing too much. "Don't let your H ARIAR get ahead of ,r ARBERS' ESTABLISHED 1939 615 E. LIBERTY OFF STATE 668-9329 M-F 8:30-5:20 SAT UNTIL 4:20 Bi fo 6 I gquestions in goal r Bowling Green Masters as a leader with a good CCHA Rank - Media Poll glove, and Lawson as a large goal- tender that will fill the net well. With an extremely difficult con- ference this year, Bowling Green season, Bowling Green was expects to be right in the middle of st improved team in the the pack. The Falcons are hoping for a home alcons went from their last berth for the CCHA Tournament. inish in the conference in With the right balance of familiar o a seventh place finish in faces and new talent they could ev finished 13-14-3 in the make a run at it. Lasts the mo CCHA. The F place fi 1998, to '99 Th " " I CCHA. With the return of 19 letterwinners from last years squad, the Falcons believe they have the perfect blend of vets and youth to rise in the rank- ings once again. First-team All-CCHA member AdansEdinger returns to lead the offense. Bowling Green coach Buddy Powers said Edinger, along with key returnees Ryan Murphy, Mike Jones and Grady Moore will be the key to the team's success this season. The big question for-the Falcons will be in goal. The goaltender position was vacat- ed last season by Mike Savard and will have three players competing for the spot. Junior Shawn Timm is the fron- trunner for the position, but will be challenged by two newcomers. Tyler Masters and Tom Lawson give the Falcons two different styles of goaltending to choose from, - Stephanie Offen