The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
October 13, 2008 - 3B
Impact of serious
injury lasts longer
than this season
EISENSTEIN from page 1B
you can't take that away from him."
Kolarik, who graduated last
year after staying four -seasons,
remained upbeat about Mitera's
time at Michigan.
"I still think it's a success story,"
he said.
Yes, it's still a success story for
Mitera, who will earn his degree.
And yes, it's still a success story for
the four-year approach Berenson
has nurtured at Michigan.
But the reality is, Mitera will be
the newest in a long line of exam-
ples agents use when they push
athletes with tantalizingly high
potential to leave college early and
sign a pro contract.
The sight of Mitera falling to
the ice could have a huge impact
on a very talented sophomore
class. When Aaron Palushaj (a
second-round pick), Louie Capo-
russo (third-round) and Matt
Rust (fourth-round) are deciding
whether to stay or leave for the
NHL, they'll have seen what hap-
pens when you stay an extra year
and things don't work out.
The examples of Kevin Porter,
T.J. Hensick and Matt Hunwick
having career years as seniors
won't be the only examples that
come to mind. They'll have wit-
nessed the other side of the "why
to stay" pitch.
And that means, even if Mitera
never gets to skate in Yost again,
the example he sets for the rest of
the season could have an even big-
ger impact than anyone realizes.
Mitera is possibly the most
respected Wolverine in the locker
room. His play on the ice speaks
volumes, but his careful choice of
words off of it carries even more
weight, as it did for Porter, last
year's captain.
"You want to follow what he
does," sophomore defenseman
Tristin Llewellyn said.
While everyone watches to see
how the team reacts and recovers,
those young Wolverines will still
be looking to him for guidance.
They'll remember how he acts or if
he hints at any regret.
That will shape the players'
mindsets more than any win or
loss this season.
Kolarik went through a similar
situation last season, when he suf-
fered a serious groin injury just
before Michigan's postseason run.
The injury completely trans-
formed how Kolarik led. Working
hard in rehab replaced the effort
he could exert on the ice. And out-
side of Yost, he became even more
vocal and involved with his team-
mates.
Mitera is certainly up to the
task, but embracing this role for
the rest of the grueling season is
crucial, with his importance to the
future of the program even bigger
now.
Yes, Mitera staying is a success
story in itself, as it has been with
Hunwick, Hensick and Porter
before him. But we won't truly
know if Mitera's staying was a suc-
cess until a few years from now.
-Eisenstein can be reached
at mseisen@umich.edu.
Highlight-reel goal gives
Wolverines series sweep
COIFtREEDER/Daly
Sophomore goalie Bryan Hogan defends the net against St. Lawrence forward Mike McKenzie in Michigan's 5-3 win over the Saints on Saturday.
Blue goaltenders split time
in opening weekend wins
By CHRIS MESZAROS
Daily Sports Writer
It wasn't the third period soph-
omore goaltender Bryan Hogan
expected.
After shutting out St. Lawrence
through two periods, holding a
2-0 lead, Hogan and the Michi-
gan hockey team
seemed prepared NOTEBOOK
to sweep St. Law-
rence out of Yost Ice Arena.
But the second-ranked Wolver-
ines somehow found themselves in
a 3-3 tie late in a wild third period
before pulling away at the end for
a 5-3 win.
"From a goalie's perspective,
we would say that we gave up too
many goals," Michigan coach Red
Berenson said. "From a coach's
perspective, we are glad we found
a way to win. From a player's per-
spective, the third period was a
roller coaster."
The Michigan hockey team's
goaltending was sketchy at times
during this weekend's series
against St. Lawrence. Though
senior Billy Sauer and Hogan ulti-
mately came away with wins in
their respective games, neither
had jaw-dropping saves.
One of the Saints' late goals Sat-
urday was deflected off a Michi-
gan defensemen standing in front
of the net. Earlier, Michigan's
defense turned the puck over in
the defensive zone, leading to
St. Lawrence's first goal. But the
blame doesn't lie entirely on the
shoulders of the blue-liners.
"I know (Hogan) will be frus-
tratedby some of the goals," Beren-
son said. "A couple of the goals
were not even scoring chances, but
they found their way in. Itis tough
for agoalie when you give up those
types of goals. Otherwise, I liked
his poise. I liked his game."
InFriday'sseasonopener, senior
Billy Sauer started in net and had
problems of his own. Sauer gave
up three goals on 31shots, but two
of the goals he allowed came off
rebounds.
"I think Billy will probably
look at those rebounds and say 'I
should have controlled them,' "
Berenson said after Friday's game.
"I'm not going to say they were
bad rebounds, but they were juicy
rebounds. If a goalie can make the
save, that's No. 1, but then you con-
trol your rebounds."
Berenson plans to give both
goalies significant time in the
beginning of the season. Although
no rotation is set for the two,
Hogan will likely see more playing
time than last year, when he played
in six games.
Sauer started 38 games last sea-
son, partly because Hogan was
battling mononucleosis at the start
of the season. By splitting time
now, the Wolverines hope both
goalies will be ready for critical
games later.
"I think it's good that the team
gets confidence in both the goal-
ies, that they can play and help us
win," Berenson said.
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SCOR-
ING: Michigan defensemen scored
a total of six goals last season.
In this weekend's games, they
reached a third of that total.
Sophomore Chad Langlais
scored on a one-timer from
Matt Rust on Friday and in Sat-
urday's game, sophomore Tris-
tin Llewellyn scored a goal on a
bouncing shot from the top of the
left circle. It was the first career
goal for both players.
"To be honest, I really couldn't
believe it went in, I sat there and
thought 'What just happened?"'
Llewellyn said.
Michigan's defense looks to add
to the offense, especially after last
year's lack of production from the
blue line.
"The coaches, during the offsea-
son, during the fall, stressed that
we wanted to get the defensemen
involved offensively," Langlais said.
"We didn'tputup alotofpoints last
year in the defensive corps, so we're
trying to work in it this year."
INJURY UPDATE: Senior cap-
tain Mark Mitera sustained a seri-
ous knee injury during the final
seconds of the first period Friday.
He received an MRI that revealed
significant damage and he and his
family will consider surgery. Mit-
era will miss several months at
minimum. The Wolverines were
already depleted on defense this
weekend.
Freshman Brandon Burlon
didn't see action because of an
ankle injury in practice. Burlon,
who was wearing a boot on his left
foot Saturday, is week-to-week.
Sophomore Tristin Llewellyn,
who suffered concussion-like
symptoms in last weekend's exhi-
bition games, didn't play Friday. He
returned to the ice on Saturday and
scored Michigan's first goal of the
game.
SAINTS from page1B
individual move that was the differ-
ence in the game," Michigan coach
Red Berenson said.
Palushaj's linemate, sophomore
Matt Rust, called the goal "impres-
sive" and worthy of ESPN's daily
highlights.
The goal put Michigan ahead for
good after a see-saw third period
with six goals.
Junior forward Brian Lebler
tacked on a power-play goal with
8.9 seconds left in the game to seal
the victory. The tally ended Michi-
gan's O-for-17 weekend drought on
the man-advantage.
Though they struggled on the
power play, Palushaj and the Wol-
verines found success at even
strength.
Less than five minutes into the
second period, Palushaj scored his
first goal of the season on a tip-in
shot from Rust.
Sophomore forward Carl Hage-
lin, Palushaj and Rust make up
Michigan's top line - for now. In
the first two weeks of the season,
Berenson has switched up lines,
trying to find the best on-ice chem-
istry.
He already knew this trio had
it.
"Rust's line played a little more
together last year than our other
lines, and you can see that," Beren-
son said.
Last year, Hagelin, Palushaj
and Rust were the second line for
most of the season, so they are
very familiar with one another's
play. This season, though, brings
extremely high expectations as
they try to fill the void left by
Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik,
who graduated, and Pacioretty,
who left for pro hockey. Porter and
Kolarik combined for 63 goals last
year alone.
"We feel like we have to step
into the role where we produce
more," Rust said.
For Palushaj, that translates to
highlight-reelworthy goals instead
of perfect assists. And without
Michigan's defensive anchor, it
will need more of them.
Senior captain Mark Mitera
suffered a serious knee injury in
the final minute of the first peri-
od Friday night. Mitera and St.
Lawrence junior forward Augie
DiMarzo collided and lay on the
ice entangled for a moment. Two
teammates helped a limping Mit-
era back to the Michigan bench.
Mitera did not return after
the first intermission, and junior-
alternate captain Chris Summers,
who had been playing left wing
all preseason, moved back to the
blue line, where he played most of
the past two seasons. Team offi-
cials said Mitera will be out for an
extended period of time, and sur-
gery is a distinct possibility.
Michigan needed Palushaj and
the rest of the top line more than
ever, as they picked up the team
offensively after a whirlwind
weekend for the defensemen.
"Obviously, it was a big loss, a
big hitto our team," Summers said.
"We needed to come together this
weekend more now than ever.... As
a team, we won this weekend."
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