12B - The Michigan Daily - FACEOFF 2000 - Thursday, October 5, 2000 A wwh AmV w w w w 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 /iutch 7EX )M Tf() ri0ill; ICE BI{EA 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. . I Good Good Good Good Food, __ Drinks, > Prices... Time Charley's After 11P.M. 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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. 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