V V V p U V lBw T - 8B - The Michigan Daily - FACEOFF 2001 - Thursday, October 4, 2001 -W w Thursday, October 4, 2001- FACEOI Great E pectations Playin together for three years at the Cube gives the freshmen from Team USA additional experience By Seth Klempner m Daily Sports Writer Ti I'S S Ht/wt: 5-8, 155 Position: Defenseman Hometown: Grosse Pointe Woods Former team: Sioux Falls Stampede (USUL) Stats: Recorded six goals and 36 assists last season, r c Werner Stats: Posted six goals and 28 assists in 60 games last season, 3 Ei Making new friends, finding a niche and adjusting to life away from home are just some of the problems that await most new students at Michigan. But for freshmen Dwight Helminen, Eric Nystrom and Jason Ryznar, these prob- lems have already been taken care of. As the three stood on the ice together after last Friday's Blue-White Intrasquad team scrimmage, they appeared to have everything under control. Their arms were draped around each other, and they wore grins that could swallow the world. No one could tell that their team had just lost the scrimmage 2-1. All one could see was their collective excitement after finally playing in their first collegiate game. At first glance, the three appear to be brothers. But Helminen is dwarfed by the 6-4 and 6-1 Ryznar and Nystrom. After watching the three fool around, one quickly realizes that while they may not be related by blood - they are clos- er than most broth- ers will ever get. They have metA each other's parents, and each know all that there is to know about the others. - I WOI Nothing is a secret myself a between the three My StrOng and all jokes are fair stone game. skating and Thp y evencom flying down 1 plete each other's 'UP ti sentences. "We know how each other play so we can rip on each other and it won't hurt each others feelings," Helminen said. Nystrom agreed that friendship eases the communication between the three freshmen. "I think there is more of a trust between the three of us because we've earned it from the past two years," Nystrom said. "There's a lot of respect between the three of us. That is some- thing you have to earn." The three played together at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube on the U.S. National Team Development Program for two years. With everyone on the team spend- ing time going to school, traveling and playing hockey together, it is easy to understand how they became so close. Helminen, a speedy winger and scor- er, and Nystrom, who likes to bang in front of the net, played on the same line last year and describe their relationship on the ice as a sixth sense. "We know where we are at all times - kind of like (Mark) Mink and (John) Shouneyia," Nystrom said. "You play with someone for such a long time and you just know where they are at all times." Despite this fact, Nystrom ran head into 5-9 Helminen late in the third peri- od as he was carrying the puck into the offensive zone. Later, Helminen shrugged and said he hadn't gotten out of the way fast enough - a credit to Nystrom's speed. Helminen, a quiet player who lets his actions do the talking, led the U.S. National Team in scoring last year with 64 points in 67 games. He also ranks first in career * games played for the Development Team with 81 and d descri be third in assists with a player: 44. 2 Nick Martens 5 Bra ti Ca Height: 6-0 Weight: 178 Pos.: Defenseman Hometown: Grand Prairie, Alberta Former team: Vernon Vipers (BCJHL) Stats: Tallied eight goals and 22 assists in his final year with the Vipers. Reilly Olson Height: 5-9 Weight: 186 Pos.: Forward Hometown: Brighton Former team.: US. NTDP Under-18 Stats: Led under- 18Steam in scoring with 21 goals and 43 assists in 67 games. Dwight Helminen assets are my Nystrom is a grit- ty, physical player speed. 1 like who prefers to work he wings and down low near the a ice. net. Last year he scored 15 goals for the Development Team while accumu- lating 32 points. He has also shown durability as he only missed one game in his two years with the Development Team. Not only is he outspoken and quick with a joke, Nystrom also has displayed leadership skills serving as the alternate captain last year. At 6-1, 194 pounds, it is difficult to ignore him on the ice either. Ryznar, a soft-spoken and introspec- tive Alaskan, plays bigger than the state he hails from. The 6-3, 204 pound for- ward is the biggest freshman on the team. Along with his mammoth num- bers, Ryznar also has particularly soft By J. Brady McColough Daily Sports Writer Freshmen prepared for the challenges that await them. When the Michigan hockey team takes the ice Saturday night in East Lansing, it will do so with 10 players who have never played an official col- lege hockey game. Ten freshmen will be counted on to block out the 72,000 voices, to skip over the nervous stage in their development and to play like seniors for 60 minutes. "This year, making up a majority of the team, there's a whole lot of pressure for us to perform," freshman forward Michael Woodford said. "It'll take us a little bit, but once that first game is underneath our belts we'll be ready to go." "We know we're a big class and we're going to be a big part of this team:" freshman defenseman Nick Martens said. "We've got a chance to break into the lineup every night. We've got to show up every day and work, and push the older guys. We've got to try and learn from them. As a group, we've all talked about having to come ready to work every day and give it all we've got." - Not only do the Wolverine freshmen haie to concentrate on hockey, but they also have the extra pressure of classes. After practices during the week, each player must attend a study table to make sure that they are doing their work. "It's definitely a shock:' Martens said. "Classes are starting to pick up nowadays, and we're starting to get a taste of what it's going to be like all year. We're here for hockey and to get a great education. We know we have to balance it out. We're going non-stop right now" "That's probably been the hardest thing for me," freshman forward Milan Gajic said. "I haven't been in school for a year or two, so get- ting back in the school thing - going to class, going to the rink, then going home and studying. I'm adjusting to it pretty quickly." The Michigan upperclassmen have been there before. They remember what it was like to put on that maize and blue jersey for the first time and to hear the pep band play "Hail to the Victors" as the team skated onto the ice at Yost Arena. "You just want to get out there and show them why they brought you here:" senior forward Craig Murray said. "You want to impress your coaches, your teammates. It's a little nerve- wracking being out there with the older guys try- ing to make the right play. It's just a quicker game than where they come from." But don't think for a moment that this class isn't prepared and talented enough to handle all of these pressures. "I think any class that comes in here you know they're recruited for a reason," Murray said. "They've got talent, they're good people. The chemistry seems to be there right away. I look for them tojump in early and make a big difference." "They've got strength in numbers," Michigan assistant coach Mel Pearson said. "This class is big, and they all bring a little different skill to the table. We're going to need some of these guys right off the bat to score for us." One of the keys to Michigan's success this fall will be the leadership of its captains and upper- classmen. While it will take some time for the Wolverines' freshmen to gel together on the ice, the chemistry-building has already begun off the ice. "This is the greatest group of older guys I've played with on any team," Martens said. "They really took to us, gave us that confidence, and took us under their wings. We spend time with everyone. We do a lot of team stuff together, go to places together. Everything we've done, we've done as a team." P 3 , DAVID KATZ/Daily Dwight Helminen (center), Eric Nystrom (right) and Jason Ryznar (left) are considered some of the top freshmen in the nation. 4 '1 hands and strong puck handling ability. "I like to get in front of the net and work the corners," Ryznar said. Then Nystrom loudly interjected, "And fill up the water bottles. You like doing that too," But Ryznar is not ashamed of his spe- cial duties. "Yeah, that has been my job for the past two years" explained Ryznar in a modest voice. "I have kind of gotten used to it and I kind of like it." The Development Team is considered one of the top programs of its kind in the nation and is known for producing intel- ligent and mature players. Many of its players are highly sought after by college hockey coaches. "Those National Team players come into college hockey and they are pre- pared to play at this level," Nebraska- Omaha coach Mike Kemp said. "They have shown that they can play at this level playing against some college teams a year ago. You list them among the elite of the elite." As members of the Development Team, the three have played against other top college programs even before they got to Michigan - giving them valuable experience over the other fresh- men. "It is good to see what it's like," Helminen said of the 12 college teams they played against last year. "Guys are bigger, stronger, faster and smarter." In some cases, the team even had suc- cess against top college programs. It was even able to upset Michigan State 6-4 last year. In that game, all three of the Michigan freshmen scored at least one point. Nystrom lead the team in scoring that game with three points and a crucial second period goal to tie the game at 3- 3. "You get out there and you realize - these guys aren't that good," Ryznar said. "I mean we've seen them on televi- sion before. And once we scored that first goal, we realized 'wow, we can score on them.' "It got chippy towards the end. We thought we were going to lose 10-0. But after the 2 second period it was a tie game, 4-4, we were like, How I w 'we might as well walk myself out of here and give it what we've got."' Working, How gdoesaonescore and in th on Michigan State's Hobey Baker Award- I think winning goaltender Ryan good w Miller? and Iax "Shoot the puck and two wa hope it goes in," wo wa Nystrom said. "But you got to crash the net, throw everything on net, get into him early. He's a good goalie and it isn't easy beating a good goalie." Neither has it escaped these freshmen what is expected of them or the similari- ties to the 1998 Wolverines that claimed the national title - a team that received key contributions from several freshmen standouts. "I think the supporters are some of the ones we have to prove ourselves to most too," Nystrom said. "Some people are looking at this freshmen class and giving us good press, and I think we have to live up to that. The last time they won a national championship, they had 10 freshmen and the Regionals were here. So there is something eerie about that." ,Jason Ryzna$ ould describe as a player: Mich I 21 Eric Nystrom How I would describe myself as a player: I am a pretty high energy player who likes to get the team up with a big hit or a hard working shift. Any time you can get the team up and raise the intensity level you can play a big TOM FELDKAMP/Daily part. Ht/Wt: 6-3, 183 Position: Forward Hometown: Dearborn Former tea r: Cedar Rapids Roughriders (USHL) Stats: Led Roughriders with 20 goals and 18 assists in 51 games David Moss Ht/Wt: 6-, 194 Position: Forward Hometown: Syosset, N.Y. For mer team: U.S. NTDP Under-I8 Stats: Ninth on team with 15 goals and 17 assists in 66 games 21 Eric Nystrom it down low e corners, I have a ork ethic. a good y player. TOM FELDKAMP/Daily 18 22 Jg - . :, , '7-7, ':-- 1- 1 - .1 ____j A 4 4