12B - The Michigan Daily - FACEOFF 2000 - Thursday, October 5, 2000
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The main event
The undercard
The Michigan Daily - FACEOFF 2
r as 'M' team leader
By Joe Smith
Daily Sports Writer
The stage: FleetCenter, Boston.
At stake: the 1998 national champi-
onship.
Wide-eyed Michigan freshman Geoff
Koch instinctively fights for position in
front of the Boston College net. Spinning
around his opponent, Koch draws anoth-
er Eagles defenseman who tries to cross-
check him out of the crease.
But Koch doesn't budge.
Meanwhile, Josh Langfeld takes a pass
behind the net and maneuvers to the slot.
He sends a wrist shot toward the Eagles
goaltender, who had turned away 32
shots already in the game.
But this shot was different.
In plain view of the netminder is the
distracting Koch, who continues to battle
with two defensemen.
The weird-angled shot then slips past
the pads of the surprised goalie -silenc-
ing the largely pro-Boston College sell-
out crowd and giving the Wolverines
their record ninth national title in the pro-
gram's history.
Koch didn't score that goal. but it did-
n't matter - goal-scoring is not what he
will be remembered for at Michigan.
Nor is it the reason why he was select-
ed by his teammates this year to be cap-
tain.
Being the captain is more than just
scoring goals, and Koch is a perfect
example. His tireless work ethic, depend-
ability on and off the ice and his sense of
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poise in every situation made him the
obvious choice to be the leader of the
Wolverines in their quest to get back to
title form.
What sets Koch apart is how he pre-
pares himself.
"The best part about him is his work
ethic," Langfeld said. "He's a monster in
the weight room"
Koch always comes into camp in great
shape. With the hockey season starting in
the end of September, the Wolverines
didn't have many days of practice to get
back into true form. Koch's preparedness
sets a good example for the others to fol-
low the same type of offseason regimen.
"I'm going to give every ounce of
energy I have towards the team and I
hope the rest of the guys see that," Koch
said. "I hope the rest of the guys know I'd
run through a brick wall for them."
His teammates agree that if they were
in a tough situation, on or off the ice,
Koch would be the one to turn to.
"He's a guy that will stick up for you,"
assistant captain Scott Matzka said.
"He'll go to bat for you if you have a
problem. Whenever you need something
you can always count on Kocher to come
help bail you out when you need him."
With dependability comes respect, and
that is definitely what Koch has earned
at Michigan - especially from his team-
mates, who were responsible for voting
him in as captain while choosing Matzka
and Dave Huntzicker to be the assistant
captains.
"Whether it's away from the rink or not
he's a good guy to follow," senior goalie
L.J. Scarpace said. "The three guys put
together are great for the team, a good
mix who complement each other well.
But Geoff's the centerpiece - the one
who orchestrated it and puts the pieces
together."
Whether it is the disappointment of
coming one game short of the Frozen
Four the past two years or the exhilara-
tion of beating Michigan State on the
road - Koch is one of the guys who
always seems to keep the team's emo-
tions in check.
"The biggest thing is that he stays on
an even keel," Matzka said. "We need a
captain who can keep things positive all
the time and keep encouraging every-
body."
GETTUING DEFENSIVE ,
Much like most recruits, Koch was
pursued because of his quickness, skill
and knack for putting the puck in the net.
Coming to Michigan ranking second on
his prep school's career scoring list, it
was expected that he would do the same
at the collegiate level.
But what Michigan coach Red
Berenson found was a player who was
eager to work at both ends of the ice.
"He was willing to work hard defen-
sively," Berenson said. "The hardest part
of hockey is backchecking, playing well
in your own zone and blocking shots.
Geoff Koch is the kind of person who is
going to get respect from his team not
because he leads the team in scoring, but
the little things he does every night."
These little things often require a plav-
er's body to take a ton of punishment, but
that's what Koch does every day.
"He does all the dirty work," Michigan
associate coach Mel Pearson said.
"That's the strength of his game. He
brings his lunch bucket, puts his hard hat
on and goes to work. I wish I had a guy
like him on every line."
Playing alongside playmakers Mike
Comrie and Andy Hilbert on the top line
last season, it would have been easy for
Koch to go unnoticed throughout the
season.
But coaches around the CCHA recog-
nized that Koch was the workhorse that
See KOCH, Page 15
And in this corner...
No.2Z
Michigan
'99-00 Record: 27-10-4
Lost to Maine in NCAA
semifinals
Notable: Michigan's nine
national titles is the most
among Divison I programs.
Players to watch: Forward
Scott Matzka, forward Andy
Hilbert, goalie Josh Blackburn
DID YOU KNOW?
The Wolverines defeated
North Dakota, 4-3 in over-
time at the 1998 regionals
en route to the national
championship.
No..1
North Dakota
'99-00 Record: 31-8-5
Won national championship
Notable: The Fighting Sioux
beat Boston College to win last
year's national championship.
Players to watch: Forward Jeff
Panzer, forward Lee Goren,
goalie Karl Goehring
MATCHUPS
Fri., Oct. 6
New Hampshire vs. North
Dakota (5:05 p.m.)
Michigan vs. Colgate (8:35 p.m.)
Sat., Oct. 7:
Third place game (5:05 p.m.)
Championship game (8:35 p.m.)
0Oo
am
. HOCKEY 4 i
DID YOU KNOW?
Darren Haydar knocked the
Wolverines out of the 1999
East regional with a wrap-
around game-winning goal
in a 2-1 New Hampshire
victory.
Colgate
'99-00 Record: 24-9-2
Lost to Michigan in NCAA
first round
Notable: Lost Hobey Baker
finalist and leading scorer Andy
McDonald to graduation.
Players to watch:
Defenseman Cory Murphy,
forward Sean Nolan
DID YOU KNOW?
Michigan captain Geoff
Koch's overtime goal beat
Colgate in the first round of
last season's NCAA
Tournament.
No. 9 New
Hampshire
'99-00 Record: 23-9-6
Lost to Niagara in NCAA first
round
Notable: Senior goalie Ty
conklin was named Hockey East
Player of the Year and was a
Hobey Baker finalist.
Players to watch: Forward
Darren Haydar, goalie Conklin,
forward Matt Swain
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
When it counts
Over his career, Michigan captain Geoff Koch has been at
his best when it counts the most:
Junior year - Scored overtime, game-winning goal against
Colgate in the first round of last season's NCAAs.
Freshman year - First two collegiate tallies were game-
winners. His first goal put the Wolverines ahead for good
in a 4-2 win over Bowling Green, and two days later he
used his backhand to beat Ohio State in overtime.
North Dakota defenseman Mike Comr
Sioux's 4-2 victory over Boston Colle
TOURNAME
Winning games against hig
each team's RPI ranking -
the NCAA Tournament. Wit
the five conference tournan
it will be more difficult for s
nament. Not even finishing
Michigan a berth in the tou
big wins over big teams.
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But wait, there's more...
Although the Ice Breaker is the highlight of Michigan's nonconference
schedule, it isn't the only tournament that the Wolverines will be taking
part in.
Three other in-season tournaments are featured on the Michigan slate:
Johnson Nissan Classic - (Anchorage, Alaska)
Fri.-Sat., Oct. 13-14
* Hosted by the University of Alaska-Anchorage
Joining Michigan and Alaska-Anchorage will be Merrimack
This is Michigan's first-ever appearance in the Johnson Nissan Classic
College Hockey Showcase - (Madison and Minneapolis)
Thu., Nov. 23; Sat., Nov. 25
Michigan and Michigan State travel to WCHA country over
Thanksgiving. The Wolverines play at Wisconsin on Nov. 23 while the
Spartans will take on Minnesota in Minneapolis. Then, on Nov. 25,
Michigan will play the Golden Gophers while the Spartans play the
Badgers.
g Last season, Michigan split the two games against the WCHA foes. The
Wolverines were trounced by Minnesota, 6-1, but came back the next
night and knocked off No. 3 Wisconsin, 4-1.
Great Lakes Invitational - (Detroit)
Fri.-Sat., Dec. 29-30
Will once again be played at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena
Michigan is joined in the two-day event by Michigan State, Michigan
Tech, and GLI newcomer Boston College
* Michigan will take on Michigan Tech in the opening round of the event.
* Michigan State will be attempting to win its third-consecutive Great
Lakes invitational championship.
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