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4B - The Michigan Daily - FACEOFF 2000 - Thursday, October 5, 2000
Training at the Yost Gym
The main event
The Michigan Daily - FACEOFF 2000 -
ICers stacked despite
loss of star Comne
Andy Burnes and
Mike Komisarek give
1. Michigan State (19)
2. Michigan (20)
3. Lake Superior
4. Northern Michigan
5. Nebraska-Omaha (1)
6. Notre Dame
7. Bowling Green
8. Ferris State
9. Miami (1)
10. Ohio State
11. Western Michigan
12. Alaska Fairbanks
467
460
350
343
315
,270
222
202
183
163
153
70
,e amoints
1. Michigan (11) 143
2. Michigan State (1) 132
3. Nebraska-Omaha
4. Lake Superior
5. Notre Dame
6. Miami
7. Ferris State
8. Northern Michigan
9. Bowling Green
10. Ohio State
11. Western Michigan
12. Alaska Fairbanks
106
97
92
79
74
71
49
44
34
15
1. North Dakota (24)
2. Michigan (7)
3. Wisconsin (6)
4. Boston College (3)
5. Michigan State
6. St. Lawrence
7. Boston University
8. Maine
9. New Hampshire
10. Cornell
11. Minnesota
12. St. Cloud
Pots
765
715
685
674
617
592
582
521
483
380
373
293
By Joe Smith
Daily Sports Writer
Losing a leading scorer and team
MVP just three weeks before practices
begin would usually send chills up any
coach's spine.
Unless that coach is at the helm of this
year's Michigan hockey squad.
Although star center Mike Comrie
left the Wolverines in early August to
play major juniors, the depth and tal-
ent that will return to the Wolverines
has the coaches and players alike feel-
ing very optimistic heading into this
season.
"I feel just as good about the team
now as I did before (Comrie) made the
decision," Michigan coach Red
Berenson said.
And why not?
His Wolverines are led by a tourna-
ment-savvy group of seniors that won
the national title as freshmen, and are
hungry to get back to title form one last
time.
"We came in here as freshmen and
won the national championship and we'd
also like to leave here national champi-
ons," assistant captain Scott Matzka
said. "I feel that everything is better the
second time around.",
In order for the seniors to feel that
See PREVIEW, Page 1016
DAILY
HOCKEY
WRITERS'
PRESEASON
PICKS
Michigan CCHA finish
CCHA champion
CCHA runner-up
S
a
ARUN GOPAL
1st
Michigan
Michigan State
CCHA tournament winner Michigan State
CCHA player of the year Josh Blackburn (UM)
GLU champion Michigan Tech
OCHA Coach of te Year Mike emp (UNO)
RYAN C. MOLONEY
Est
Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan State
Jason Deskins (Miami)
Michigan
Dave Poulin (ND)
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Maine
Boston College
Northern Michigan
Jeff Jillson
Ist
Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan
Andy Hbert (UM)
Boston College
Enrico Blasi (MU)
St. Lawrence
Michigan
Boston College
New Hampshire
Miami
Andy Hilbert
JOE SMITH
1st
Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan State
Adam Hall (MSU)
Michigan
Bob Daniels (FSU)
New Hampshire
Boston College
North Dakota
Michigan
Miami
Mike Cammalleri
2000-2001 Michigan hockey schedule
Date
Oct. 6
Oct. 7
Opponent
NCAA Frozen Four
(Champion in bold)
Surprise CCHA team
Michigan MVP
North Dakota
Michigan
New Hampshire
Boston College
Northern Michigan
Josh Blackburn
Oct. 13
Oct. 14
Oct. 20
Oct. 22
Oct. 27
Oct. 28
Nov. 4
Nov. 10
Nov. 11
Nov. 17
Nov. 18
Nov. 23
Nov. 25
Dec. 1
Dec. 2
Dec. 8
Dec. 9
Dec. 29
Dee. 30
Jan. 5
Jan. 6
Jan. 12
Jan. 13
Jan. 19
Jan. 20
Jan. 23
Jan. 27
Feb. 2
Feb 3
Feb. 9
Feb. 10
Feb. 16
Feb 17
Feb 22
Feb 24
Mar 2
Mar 9-11
Mar. 16-17
Mar. 23-24
Mar. 24-25
Apr. 5-7 1
Michigan vs. Colgate*
Third-place game *
Championsip game *
vs. Merrimack *!
vs. Alaska-Anchorage *!
at Bowling Green
at Bowling Green
Miami (Ohio)
Miami (Ohio)
Michigan State
Ferris State
at Ferris State
Alaska-Fairbanks
Alaska-Fairbanks
at Wisconsin *!@
at Minnesota *!@
at Northern'M ichigan
at Northern Michigan
St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence
Michigan Tech *!@ #
Boston College or Mich. State *!@#
Lake Superior
Lake Superior
at Ohio State
at Ohio State
Western Michigan
at Western Michigan
Notre Dame
Michigan State **
at Nebraska-Omaha
at Nebraska-Omaha
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Notre Dame
vs. Michigan State **
at Lake Superior
vs. Lake Superior **
at Michigan State
CCHA First Round Series
CCHA Championship (Detroit)
NCAA East Regional (Worcester)
NCAA West Regional (G. Rapids)
NCAA Frozen Four (Albany)
Time
8:35 p.m.
5:05 p.m.
8:35 p.m.
5:05 p.m.
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4 or 7:35 p.m.
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TBA
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Michigan some ...
By Arun Gopal
Daily Sports Writer
Hockey.
For thousands of kids across the
northern United States and Canada,
hockey is, quite simply, life.
From the time that they are old
enough to lace up a pair of skates, these
youngsters aspire to one thing that
someday, somehow, they might be
famous hockey players, playing in front
of thousands of rabid fans, living out a
dream.
The childhood vision has become a
reality for two Michigan freshman
defensemen. Mike Komisarek and Andy
Burnes have traveled different roads, but
they have both ended up in Ann Arbor as
centerpieces of coach Red Berenson's
latest recruiting class. For these two
players, the realization of a lifelong goal
is only 24 hours away.
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS HOCKEY
Although they might have had some
other interests growing up, one thing
was for sure: Andy Burnes and Mike
Komisarek were born to be on the ice.
"I started at age 3," Burnes said. "It
was probably the first sport I ever
played. My dad played hockey growing
up, and he got me into it. Every winter I
played hockey, every spring I played
hockey - it's definitely become a part
of my life:'
"I always played sports when I was
little - soccer, baseball, basketball,"
Komisarek added. "But when I was 10
or I I I started playing for a hockey club,
and I just loved it. I dropped all of those
other sports and started playing hockey,
and I've been playing ever since"
From these humble beginnings,
Burnes and Komisarek embarked on the
long, winding road known as junior
hockey. Playing in countless little towns
throughout the United States and
Canada, Burns and Komisarek honed
the skills that would make them prized
collegiate recruits.
But, the trip has not been easy. One of
the consequences of playing junior
hockey is that players must spend long
stretches away from home, something
that has held true for both freshmen.
"I've lived away from home since my
sophomore year in high school," Burnes
said. "I lived over in Detroit and played
for Compuware, which wasn't too far
from home so that made it easier."
"Freshman and sophomore year I
stayed at home and played on Long
Island," Komisarek said. "Junior year I
went up to Connecticut and played up
there, and then this past year I lived in
Ann Arbor and played for the U.S.
Under-18 team. It wasn't that bad - my
parents would come every weekend."
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE
Ward. Tamer. Frescoln. Berenzweig.
Huntzicker. Jillson.
The names, past and present, are a
constant reminder of a staple of
Michigan hockey: strong defensive play.
Many a former Wolverine defenseman
PV
F
every year and to find a little bigger role
on the team every year, just like Jeff
Jillson and David Huntzicker havm:,"
Berenson said. "They both have a
chance to get some quality ice time this
year, and hopefully they'll learn how to
play the kind of game that Michigan has
to play to be successful."
Burnes and Komisarek are both fresh-
man defensemen, but that's about where
the similarities stop. At 6-4, 225 pounds,
Komisarek is a behemoth on the ice. His
size, power, and savvy have brought up
comparisons to Jillson. Meanwhile,
Burnes - who stands 6-0, 195 - relies
more on speed and technique to thwart
an onrushing forward. But, while they
may differ in stature, they are equally
effective at preventing the puck from
reaching the Michigan net.
"Obviously, with Komisarek, his size
is going to jump out at you the most,"
Jillson said. "But, they're both good all-
around players, and they work really
hard, so there's- no complaints. They're
both good kids off the ice as well."
The learning curve for Komisarek
and Burnes will be accelerated, thanks
to the presence of Huntzicker and
Jillson, two of the top defensemen in the
nation. These two veterans understand
the rigors inherent in a Division I hock-
ey schedule and have been a valuable
source of advice for the two freshmen.
"I think these new guys will be just
fine," Huntzicker said. "There's a reason
why the coaches brought them in here.
I've been really impressed with them so
far, and as far as I'm concerned, they've
got a lot to look up to."
One of the toughest adjustments for
an incoming freshman is the transition
from a more relaxed junior schedule to
the frantic pace of Division I hockey.
See FRESHMEN, Page 14B
i
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has found his way into the National
Hockey League, with a current pair
(Huntzicker and Jillson) on the fast
track to professional hockey.
Presiding over this run of outstanding
blueliners has been Michigan head
coach Red Berenson, who, in 17 sea-
sons, has transformed the Wolverines
from laughingstocks to powerhouses
and who has restored the mystique to
Michigan hockey. If anyone knows a
good defenseman when he sees one, it is
Berenson, and he appears to have found
a couple of gems in Burnes and
Komisarek.
"We expect these two to improve
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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