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:TALE OF THE TAPE

C OAC N EER2- *S*
CCHi.A CO NTENDERS

Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish have some
huge holes to fill. Not only did
they lose their record-setting
goaltender Jordan Pearce, a
CCHA Player of the Year final-
ist, but they also lost last sea-
son's captain and leading scorer
Erik Condra. Freshman Kyle
Palmieri, a first-round pick in
the NHL Draft, will make up
some of the offensive produc-
tion. Palmieri, the MVP of the
U.S. Development Team a year
ago, will join Calle Ridderwall
and Billy Maday to contribute
offensive power for the Fighting
Irish. The biggest question will
be whether or not junior Brad
Phillips can fill the void in net.
Freshman Mike Johnson would
step in if he falters.
STAFF PICKS
The Daily hockey
writers take their best
shot to predict what will
happen in the world
of college hockey
during Michigan's
2009-10 campaign.

Miami (Ohio)
Make no mistake about it:
whatever happens this year, the
memory of a last-minute col-
lapse in the national champion-
ship game last season against
Boston Universitywill hauntthe
RedHawks for years to come.
No. 1 Miami (Ohio) returns
seven of its eight top point-
scorers. It also returns both
freshmen goalies from last
year's Frozen Four run - Con-
nor Knapp and Cody Reichard.
Each tallied over 1,000 minutes
last season and should battle for
the starting gig all year.
If the RedHawks can men-
tally overcome last year's night-
mare, pencil them in as the
frontrunner for a conference
title.

Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska-Fairbanks has a slow,
methodical, and defensive-
oriented system. It clogs the
neutral zone and forces turn-
overs as well as any team in the
league. Alaska's only problem is
its inability to consistently light
the lamp.
Alaska has to replace gradu-
ating senior goalie Chad John-
son, who was a Hobey Baker
Award finalist and CCHA Play-
er of the Year. Sophomore Scott
Greenham took over this season
in goal and shut out Michigan
2-0 in the Wolverines' season
opener.
If Alaska can improve on its
1.90 goals scored per game, it
will have a legitimate chance of
winning the CCHA.

Nebraska - Omaha
With Mike Kemp out after
12 years and Dean Blais in, the
Mavericks now have a head
coach with a pedigree of suc-
cess nationally. Blais took North
Dakota to the Frozen Four as
head coach in 1997 and 2000.
That's great news for a team
with one NCAA Tournament
appearance this decade. The
had news for No. 16 Nebraska-
Omaha is a lack of offensive
punch. But if Nehraska-Omaha
can muster up enough offense
in front of sophomore goalie
John Faulkner against the con-
ference's stout defensive units,
then Nebraska-Omaha is a top-
15 team. If not, then Blais's tour-
nament experience with the
Fighting Sioux won't matter.
ca utryngofes
Kare

Northern Michigan
The biggest change for the
Wildcats this season is that they
are no longer underdogs - they
are a team expected to win.
Northern Michigan is return-
ing four of its top five 'scorers
from its breakout season a year
ago, including Mark Olver and
Erik Gustafsson. The experi-
enced play of senior goalie Brian
Stewart, who was a first-team
all-conference selection, will
be paramount to whether or not
the Wildcats can improve on
last year's third-place finish in
the Mason Cup race.
Northern Michigan has fallen
into a trend of starting slow and
finishing strong. Bucking the
trend would make it a CCHA
contender.

The Michigan hockey defensemen all share a row of lockers deemed "D-ROW" in the Wolverines' dressing room.

Like any other team, the Michigan
hockey team has its unspoken rules -
and this one has become a tradition.
Freshmen defensemen must pay their
dues, whether it's getting the sauna
ready after practice, carrying equip-
ment off the ice, or recycling bottles in
the locker room. But every defenseman,
regardless of year, is responsible for one
job - the have to protect the tape.
This year's lone freshman defender,
Lee Moffie, is entrusted with making
sure the team's forwards don't use the
clear tape. The playful rivalry is just
part of the tradition that contributes
to the great camaraderie of this year's
defensive corps.
"They don't let us use their clear tape
before practice," junior forward Louie
Caporusso said. "I don't know why. I
think it's pretty immature, if you ask
me. They have their own ways of going
about things."
It's a rivalry that lasts. Senior Scoot-
er Vaughan was switched from defense
to offense this season, and he said that
he steals the tape just to frustrate his
former unit.
Keeping the tape away from the for-
wards is just the beginning of the rival-
ry the two units have on and off the
ice. Joking with each other and taking
extra shots at forwards in practice are
little ways the fraternity evokes itself.

The defense hangs out on and off the
ice, on road trips, during team meals.
The group of defenders even has its
own line of lockers in the team's dress-
ing room, which they call "D-Row."
"We went to that after a while,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said of
the locker configuration. "We like that.
All the defensemen, their conversa-
tions are hopefully about defense. But
they're sitting near the guy they're
playing with."
The consensus among the group is
that this is the best the blue liners have
gotten along in the past four years. And
that camaraderie has already led to
results on the ice.
"Even when you're not talking, the
communicating before and the cama-
raderie really helps if you don't have
the chance to talk and be really blatant
with what you want done," sophomore
defenseman Brandon Burlon said.
"Knowing what the other guy is going
to do makes it a lot easier."
The defense, which includes seven
returning players, will likely be a
strength of ateam that is much younger
on offense.
"All eight defensemen need to be
on the same page at all times," senior
captain Chris Summers said. "It is defi-
nitely a team game, like I've said before.
If we're on the same page and everyone

is working, then everyone's going to be
having fun."
There is no lack of camaraderie
on D-Row, and the tale of the tape is
entrenched as a defensive tradition.
"It might be the most simple thing in
the world to just toss it to (a forward),"
said Burlon, who, along with sopho-
more Greg Pateryn was in charge of
the tape last season. "But you got to just
shake your head and say 'no."
SHADES OF THE PAST
As much as the members of D-Row
pride themselves on their level of cama-
raderie, it's not all about friendship and
togetherness.
That sense of unity off the ice does
separate this defensive group from
many of Berenson's past groups, but so
does the possibility that this could be
one of the best that he has coached.
On paper, that year's this defensive
unit looks like one of the deepest in
Michigan hockey history. All Beren-
son asks for is a balance between sound
defense and offensive contributions
when opportunities present them-
selves.
"That's what we're looking at, ulti-
mately - getting offensive support
from the defensemen and still being
really solid defensively," Berenson said.
"So that's a challenge for the defense-

men. I don't want them getting trapped
up the ice at the expense of hoping to
get the puck on offense and leaving us
outnumbered."
Summers compared this unit to the
team's defense in 2006-07, from his
freshman year. That group featured
current Los Angeles Kings defenseman
Jack Johnson and Boston Bruins defen-
seman Matt Hunwick. But in some
respects, this year's unit is better than
the group that included the eventual
NHL regulars three years ago.
"There is probably better balance
(this season) with four or five guys that
could contribute offensively and score
some goals," Michigan assistant coach
Billy Powers said. "Whereas maybe
that group Summers is talking about,
we had two or three."
The coaching staff's emphasis on
more of an offensive-minded defense
comes after last season's dismal output
from the blue line. Just18 ofthe Wolver-
ines' 145 goals came from defensemen.
That was a major factor in the team's
low power play percentage - 15.8%, a
rate good for sixth in the CCHA.
But with a more concerted focus in
the offensive zone during practice and
another year of experience for a now-
veteran group, the expectations for
defensive production will surely be
See D-ROW, Page 7C

Nick rn
Spar Rohan

Mke
Florek

CCHA First Place Miami (Ohio) Notre Dame Michigan Michigan
CCHA Second Place Michigan Michigan Miami (Ohio) Miami (Ohio)
CCHA Third Place Notre Dame Miami (Ohio) Nebraska - Omaha Northern Mich
Mason Cup Winner Nebraska-Omaha Michigan Miami (Ohio) Michigan
Mason Cup Runner-Up Michigan Miami (Ohio) Michigan Northern Mich.
CCHA Coach of the Year Dean Blais, UNO Red Berenson,Mich. Blais Walt Kyle, NMU
GLI Champion Michigan Michigan .Michigan Michigan
MichiganMVP Bryan Hogan Louie aporusso Carl Hagelin Caporusso
Michigan Top Scorer Hagelin .Caporusso CaporussoCaporusso
Top Michigan Freshman Chris Bromn Brown Brown Brown
Frozen Four1 North Dakota Denver North Dakota Michigan
Frozen Four 2 Michigan Miami (Ohio) Michigan Cornell
Frozen Four3 Denver Michigan Vermont Miami (Ohio)
Frozen Four4 Boston College _ North Dakota Miami (Ohio) Denser
National Champion North Dakota Miami (Ohio) North Dakota Denver