CCHA CONTENDERS
Notre Dame
Ranked first in the preseason
CCHA coaches poll, the Fighting
Irish (3-1) hope that rankingholds
true as the season progresses. They
have started out the season with
an impressive series split against
reigning-national champion Min-
nesota.
No. 9 Notre Dame lost just four
players to graduation last season.
Forwards Anders Lee and T.J.
Tynan - the top-two point lead-
ers who combined for 75 total
points last year - both return to
lead a strong and efficient offensive
attack. Both players were named to
the CCHA Preseason First Team.
Last season, goalie Steven Sum-,
merhays posted a 10-8 record in
20 appearances between the pipes.
This year, the junior has allowed
just 1.51 goals per game in four
appearances.
The Fighting Irish finished just
above .500 a year ago, but after a
quick start, they're surely hoping to
find more success this year.
Head coach Jeff Jackson is in his
eighth year at the helm and after
missing the NCAA Tournament
in 2012, hopes to get his team back
there.
FRST LOOK: Notre Dame at
Michigan, Nov. 15-16.
Miami (Ohio)
The third-ranked RedHawks are
the highest ranked CCHA team in
the nation. Despite their pre-sea-
son ranking of fourth in the CCHA
coaches poll, the RedHawks have
made big strides early on, starting
the year with a 3-0-1 record. They'll
look to reach a little farther than last
year's opening-round exit from the
NCAA Tournament.
One question mark for Miami is
the goaltender position. Last year,
the RedHawks platooned two goal-
ies,butbotharegone andhead coach
Enrico Blasi, who is starting his 14th
season in charge, has two freshmen
goalies on his hands. It appears he
will use a new platoon, but as Michi-
gan has also experienced so far this
year, freshmen in net can be unreli-
able.
Miami not only lost forwards
Reilly Smith and Tyler Biggs to the
locked-out NHL this past year, but
also has a roster with 11 new fresh-
men. The roster overhaul could lead
to some question marks as the sea-
son progresses.Austin Czarnik, who
finished second in points last season
is a definite positive for Miami. The
sophomore forward is tied for the
teain lead in points with five.
FIRST LOOK: Miami at Michi-
gan, Friday and Saturday.
Western Michigan
Last season the Broncos had a
new coach in Andy Murray and
some questions to answer. But
after the Broncos defeated Michi-
gan in the CCHA Finals last year
to earn just their second-ever
NCAA Tournament berth, Mur-
ray's stock rose.
Goaltender Frank Slubowski,
who shared the duties last year,
has been given the nod this sea-
son.,
The CCHA pre-season first-
team selection has lived up to the
hype, giving up just seven goals in
four appearances this year.
The' Broncos' -(3-1) two lead-
ing scorers, and forwards Chase
Balisy and Shane Berschbach,
combined for 69 points last sea-
son, both return to lead a vicious
attack. Coming off a season that
saw him notch a second-team All-
American selection, defenseman
Dan DeKeyser will anchor the
Western Michigan back line.
The Broncos jumped back into
the top-10 last weekend after
sweeping Canisius. DeKeyser was
named CCHA defenseman of the
week on Monday, his first such
honor of the season.
FIRST LOOK: Western Michigan
at Michigan, Dec. 14-15.
Ferris State
The Bulldogs are coming off of
their most successful season in
the history of the program. They
captured their first CCHA regu-
lar-season championship and also
used a late-season run to make it
to their first Frozen Four.
Ferris State lost point-leader
Jordie Johnston and scoring
defenseman Chad Billins, but
the Bulldogs still boast a strong
lineup. Coach Bob Daniels will
play a first-year starter in net
with sophomore C.J. Motte, who
started only 12 games last season.
Defenseman Scott Czarnowczan,
a CCHA-preseason honorable
mention, will lead a Ferris State
defense that returns most of its
core.
Despite the high preseason
hopes, Ferris State has started the
year just 1-1-2. The Bulldogs come
into the week ranked 18th nation-
ally, even with their most recent
struggles.
The Bulldogs will certainly face
an uphill battle to retain their Big
Ten regular-season crown, with
early-season matchups against
Alaska (Fairbanks), Miami (Ohio)
and Michigan.
FIRST LOOK: Michigan at Ferris
State, Nov. 30-Dec. 1.
Northern Michigan
one of the underrated teams in
the CCHA, the 16th-ranked Wild-
cats are hoping to let loose a growl
heard round the conference this
season. After a sweep of Green Bay-
Wisconsin and a split with Nebras-
ka-Omaha, Northern Michigan's 3-1
record looks to be a good starting
place.
Besides alopsided 5-2 loss against
Nebraska-Omaha, the stingy Wild-
cat defense has allowed just one goal
per game.
This is due to a back line that
returned all six starters. Pre-season
second-team All-American selec-
tion Kyle Follmer highlights the
defense, along with standout C.J.
Ludwig.
The defense also will receive sig-
nificant help from goaltender Jared
Coureau, who allowed 2.2 goals per
game last year. During Northern
Michigan's three contests, he has an
impressive 0.913 save percentage.
And though the Wildcats received
a CCHA preseason No. 8 rank-
ing, they look ready to take on the
deep conference. The lack of offen-
sive production and the unyielding
defense thus far has given them a
little bit of a sleeper feel.
FIRST LOOK: Michigan at
Northern Michigan, Nov. 2-3.
,1
HYMAN
From Page 7B
sound two-way player he's become
and that Berenson adores.
"He's a strong two-way player,"
Bandel said. "He's added a strong
element of defensive play to his
game, which complements his
offensive skills. He's going to have
a good opportunity to play on the
big team one day."
Zach wasn't supposed to be
there, arms extended triumphant-
ly, being swallowed up by his
teammates.
His dad and Spencer weren't
supposed to be up there in the club
level, exuberant.
It's Oct. 19 and the Michigan
hockey team is comfortably ahead
8B Faceoff, October 26, 2012
of opposing Bentley. His line-
mates, two freshmen, swarm him,
grateful for his contagious work
ethic.
The scene - Zach lighting the
lamp - isn't what's unique, but
rather the backdrop is. It took
some twists of fate for him to end
up in Ann Arbor, instead of Hobey
Baker Rink - a barn that predates
even Yost on Princeton's campus.
But now Michigan, as his moth-
er Vicky says, "is like a home to
him."
Now that he's here, he won't
leave until his time's up.
"He wants to play for Red for
four years," Stu said. "He's not
going early. Zach's going to be
there the whole time, all the way
through."
That's just the kind of person
he's always been - patient, know-
ing his NHL dream comes closer
to fruition with each passing day.
Pw
Sophomore forward Zach Hyman skates up the ice daring a game against St. Lawrence last fall.