The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - 7
n-state talent
has Michigan
teams on top
Fifth-year senior Ryan Van Bergen (53) says the Wolverines have a "will not" attitude towards avoiding another late-season meltdown.
Hoke, seniors work to avoid
third collapse in three years
By TIM ROHAN that's not going to happen any-
Daily Sports Editor more. I won't allow it.
"You've got to keep them moti-
It's not the kind of experience vated. You've got to keep them
you want to boast about - finish- away from the dark side of, 'Oh
ing the 2009 season 1-7 and the we lost one, we're going to lose the
2010 season 2-6 - but the horror rest.' You have to keep that away.
of those conclusions still lingers And if you do, we're going to be a
with the leaders of this 6-1, No. 17 successful team and that one loss
Michigan football team. won't affect us."
With those nightmares fresh The seniors talked about how
in their minds, this year's seniors it's up to them to lead everyone by
gathered for their weekly meeting example - in practice with effort
last Thursday, searching for a cure and intensity. Hoke spoke to them
for the collapse. about that: If they continue to do
"One of the things we talked things the right way, the under-
about was, 'How are we going to classmen will follow.
make this different than the last When' Molk said he "won't
couple of years?' " said fifth-year allow it" this time around, he was
senior defensive end Ryan Van serious. Last year, he said he "did
Bergen. "Where do we stand as a everything (he) could" to keep the
team in comparison to last year, offense's psyche in tact. A case
and how can we build upon what could be made that the offense
we saw not work for us last year? wasn't entirely to blame for the
"We have so manyveterans that team's 2-6 finish. There's a belief
have been in this situation - this among this group of seniors that
exact situation before. You would their leadership will make a dif-
think guys who have been through ference.
the same situation would know "There's a sense of 'will not' -
how to correct it." there's not going to be a sense of
Just as in the previous two sea- crash and burn," Van Bergen said.
sons, it took a loss to Michigan "This one stumble isn't going to
State to shake the Wolverines' lead to stopping. We've got to lean
world. For the first time all sea- forward and take a step. That's
son, Michigan's defense didn't play been our attitude throughout this
with the physical intensity Michi- bye week in practices."
gan coach Brady Hoke wanted. All of the "will not" and this-
And the offensive line couldn't year-will-be-different speak
slow down a relentless Spartan emerged last year at the same time,
rush. with the same result as before.Van
In the past two years, Michigan Bergen understands the skepti-
State provided a blueprint the rest cism, but Hoke has created a dif-
of the Big Ten could use - Michi- ferent environment than the one
gan was prone to make mistakes that fostered previous collapses.
and was easily bullied. "I can understand what you're
Talent-wise, there were plenty saying, but you've got to be around
of problems with those 2009 and the building," Van Bergen said.
2010 teams, but the mental weight "You've got to be around and feel
of losing dragged them deeper into the energy and the hunger that the
the abyss. kids have.
"It's losing faith," said fifth-year "Last year, there might've been
senior center Dave Molk. "And a lack of confidence. The same
that's happened in the past. But words were coming out, but the
By MATT SLOVIN
Daily Sports Writer
College hockey received some
tough news Monday as college
hockey's southern-most program,
Alabama-Huntsville, fell victim
to budget cuts and lost its varsity
status.
After hosting the 2012 Frozen
Four, the Chargers will become a
club program starting next sea-
son.
But in the state of Michigan,
there couldn't be a more exciting
time to be a college hockey fan.
No matter the spot on the mit-
ten - or even above it - there is
bound to be a team nearby play-
ing high-caliber hockey.
Michigan coach Red Beren-
son believes the unbounded tal-
ent in programs across the state
starts with homegrown players.
It's not too difficult for coaches
like Berenson to keep nationally-
recruited skaters in their home
state with some of the nation's
best competition awaiting upon
arrival.
"That's where the players are
going to go (is Michigan)," Beren-
son said. "They're not all going to
come (to Ann Arbor) and they're
not all going to be a good fit."
And with the talent pool over-
flowing from the Upper Peninsu-
la to Metro Detroit, those recruits
aren't limited with choices of
where to play collegiately.
In fact, of the 20 ranked teams
in the USCHO.com poll, five play
their home games in Michigan.
Right now, the 4th-ranked Wol-
verines (0-1-1 CCHA, 4-1-1 over-
all) are caught in the midst of a
vicious portion of their schedule,
consisting of three consecutive
two-game sets against Michigan
schools boasting local products.
"Everybody's playing with
confidence and something to
prove," Berenson said. "But these
teams have proven (themselves)
already."
No. 6 Ferris State is a perfect
example of an in-state team that
has struggled historically against
the nation's best. But this season,
the Bulldogs have staked their
claim as one of those elites. With
Ferris State coming to Yost Ice
Arena Thursday fresh off a sweep
of Miami (Ohio), confidence will
be peaking. There's nothing the
Bulldogs would like more than to
leave with a historic sweep of the
Wolverines.
In that series, Michigan
natives like senior defender Greg
Pateryn, freshman forward Tra-
vis Lynch and fifth-year senior
netminder Shawn Hunwick will
face off against fellow Michigan-
der C.J. Motte -Ferris State's
goaltender.
Even No. 18 Lake Superior
State, a team Berenson picked to
finish in the league's bottom half,
has looked stellar early on, gain-
ing critical momentum for con-
ference play.
"In this league, every weekend
is tough," Berenson said. "At the
start of the year, nobody thinks
they're going to finish in last
place."
And all of the in-state pro-
grams are CCHA members, with
the exception of Michigan Tech.
Translation: Most weekends of
conference play will be as try-
ing as last weekend's affair with
Northern Michigan, which felt
more like a heavyweight fight
than a hockey series. In Friday's
loss and Saturday's shootout win,
there was hardly a moment on
ice without a goal scored, lead
exchanged or punch thrown.
As long as the state continues
to serve as a breeding ground for
the top talent out of high school,
college coaches will visit - from
near and far - to tap into the
fertile soil and get their share of
Michiganders.
"If you look at the USA hockey
^magazine, they show you where
all the (college hockey) play-
ers come from," Berenson said.
"When it comes down to how
many from each state, Michigan
is right uo there."
MARISSA MCCclAIN/Daily
Fifth-year senior Dave Molk says he won't let Michigan suffer another collapse.
actual confidence and presence in
the locker room and in practice
and the intensity wasn't where it
was now."
Hoke's _calm and confident
demeanor ripples throughout the
team, said senior tight end Kevin
Koger. When Hoke was asked
whether he said anything differ-
ent to his team after the Michi-
gan State game, considering the
meltdown that ensued the previ-
ous two years, Hoke pointed to his
own unflappable consistency.
"We have a very honest office,
whether it's good or bad we'll talk
about it," Hoke said.
In recent weeks, players have
praised coordinators Greg Mat-
tison and Al Borges and their
gameplans and in-game adjust-
ments. If Michigan starts sliding
again, the mere presence of Hoke,
Mattison and Borges - and the
players' unrelenting confidence
in their coaches - could make all
the difference.
The first sign of change came
last week: the players were eager
to come into Schembechler Hall
on their days off during the bye
week and work on preparing for
Purdue on their own. Koger joked
hemight need to pick up a hobby
because he had nothing to do
without football.
Washing out the bad taste of
the 28-14 loss to Michigan State
will be the first step towards
finishing strong. Van Bergen ref-
erenced one of former Michigan
coach Lloyd Carr's favorite slo-
gans when the senior said they
just had to "control the control-
lables" and worry about fixing
themselves first - physically and
mentally.
"I'd be lying to you if I said we
weren't down for a while (after the
Michigan State loss)," Van Bergen
said. "We had a good thing going.
The big thing is - it's not done yet.
Yeah we lost a game, but that was
just a bump in the road. If you let it
affect you in the weeks following,
then you're going to get beat twice.
And we're not going to let that hap-
pen as a team."
cHRIS DZoMBAK/Daily
Michigan coach Red Berenson has found the likes of Shawn Hunwick and
Greg Pateryn while recruiting the state of Michigan.
Beyer and Clark could surprise, Barnum battles Schofield
By TIM ROHAN "You really don't understand
Daily Sports Editor how fast (Clark) is until - he
really does a good job of corralling
When the usually tight-lipped Denard (Robinson) sometimes,"
* Brady Hoke specifically mentions said senior tight end Kevin Koger.
a player's name during a press con- "So he can run a little bit for being
ference, the player's future bodes about 230 pounds."
well. On Monday, Hoke name- If Clark can be an extra pass
dropped Frank rusher for defensive coordinator
Clark and Bren- NOTEBOOK Greg Mattison, Beyer serves as a
nen Beyer - two long SAM linebacker with "good
young freshmen - as potential football instincts," according to
players to watch coming out of the Van Bergen. Currently, Beyer's list-
bye week. ed third on the depth chart behind
During the time off, Hoke sat the still-learning Jake Ryan and
down with his staff to evaluate the slow-recovering Cam Gordon.
their personnel and determine "When they first got here for fall
who could make an impact if given camp, they were two guys (Clark
the opportunity. - and Beyer) we thought had some
"Who's playing the way you're really raw athleticism and poten-
expecting or the expectations that tial," Van Bergen said. He added
we have?" Hoke asked. "Who are that both were well coached in
the guys that maybe need some high school so picking up scheme
more opportunities? has been easy for them.
"Maybe there's more playing As freshmen, they've had to
time for a guy." work to the point of understand-
Clark is a former high school ing the defense enough to be able
track star who fifth-year senior to adjust on the fly.
defensive end Ryan Van Bergen "Coach Mattison's always been
called "one of the fastest guys on a firm believer of the more guys
the defense - all around - not just you get in the game, the fresher
on the defensive line." you keep guys," Van Bergen said.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and a shade "He's getting more confidence in
under 230 pounds, Hoke said Clark them and you'll see more of them
would be a rush end, the position as the season goes on."
junior Craig Roh plays. LEFT GUARD BATTLE ROYALE:
Redshirt junior Ricky Barnum was
expected to be the team's starting
left guard all season. Penciled in,
his name had to be replaced with
redshirt sophomore Michael Scho-
field in the season opener as Bar-
num was suspended.
Barnum returned and played
the next three games before suf-
fering an ankle-injury and now he
has missed the Wolverines past
three games, with the 6-foot-7,
Schofield replacing him again.
After the bye week, Hoke said
that Barnum is now healthy and
the two will compete to start Sat-
urday against Purdue.
"I guess we're going to have
to see in this week of practice -
if Ricky's all the way ready or if
Schofield's better," said fifth-year
senior center Dave Molk. "(We'll)
see how the whole thing plays out."
Neither Barnum nor Schofield
played exceptionally well in his
stint at the position. And with
Barnum's return, the question for
Molk and the rest of the offensive
line is whether removing Schofield
messes with their chemistry.
"I like consistency, that's always
a good thing especially with how
offensive line play is," Molk said.
"We're not individuals, we work
together. ... But if there's one guy
who can play better than the other
guy, it's better to make the switch.
"We're improving greatly as
the season goes along. Where we
started at the beginning of the
season, with Ricky being a first-
year starter and that was a little
shaky. Then when Ricky got hurt
we had Schofield and that was a
little shaky. Now, we're evening
out. Both have that game experi-
ence where they can come in and
play."
One intriguing option brought
up by a reporter was whether
Schofield and Barnumwould com-
pete with redshirt junior Patrick
Omameh at the right guard posi-
tion. Hoke wouldn't commit to
Omameh being a part of the other
two's open competition, but per-
haps he should be put on notice.
"(Omameh's) been playing
decent," Molk said. "You always
have to worry about losing your
spot. I know that's a bad thing to
say, but you always have to work to
get better every week."
RAWLS IS ROLLING: On Mon-
day, Koger declared true fresh-
man running back Thomas Rawls
as one young offensive player who
could emerge down the stretch.
Through seven games, most
of the running back load has
been delegated between redshirt
sophomore Fitzgerald Toussaint
and junior Vincent Smith. Rawls, "Thomas Rawls, he's getting a
a 5-foot-10, 219-pound bruising lot more snaps at running back,"
back, carried the ball 10 times for Koger said. "Look for him to con-
73 yards against Minnesota. tribute a lot more."