Sports
8A - Wednesday, November 26, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily com
Wolverines ink five-man recruiting class
USHL forward Kyle
Connor headlines
2015-16 class
By JASON RUBINSTEIN
Daily Sports Writer
As if. its 8-1 thrashing of
Penn State on Saturday weren't
enough, the Michigan hockey
team's week just got even better.
Monday, the Wolverines
announced the signing of five
players to National Letters of
Intent for the 2015-16 season -
an expectedly strong class that
the Michigan coaching staff is
thrilled to welcome.
"These classes are years
in the making, but it's nice
to finally get them on paper,"
said associate head coach Billy
Powers in a press release. "On
defense, we feel really good
about getting two right-handed
shots. Up front, we have players
that are coming from the
(United States National Team
Development Program) and the
(United States Hockey League),
and we've found that those two
leagues do a great job in getting
guys ready to. show something
early in their college careers."
Here's the Daily's breakdown
of Michigan's five-player class.
Kyle Connor, Forward,
Youngstown Phantoms
(United States Hockey
League)
The headliner of the class,
Connor is a natural playmaker
who fits in at any of the forward
positions. The Shelby Township
native is in his third season with.
the Phantoms and leads the
team in scoring - with seven
goals and 10 assists - through
its first 14 games. This season's
scoring barrage comes after he
registered 74 points in 56 games
last season.
28 games with Muskegon last
season.
Brendan Warren, forward
(U.S. NTDP)
Though Warren was held
largely in check against the
Wolverines earlier this season,
the forward has been on a tear
since.
The 6-foot, 191-pound
forward has notched 18 points
-11 goals and seven assists - in
21 games this season and, like
Cecconi, was designated a "B"
skater for the upcoming draft.
Warren is a versatile forward,
someone the Michigan coaching
staff hopes will become a
playmaker.
Warren's 11goals for the NTDP
this season are good for fourth
on the team. He was previously
a teammate of freshman
defenseman Zach Werenski and
said earlier this year that they're
still "goodbuddies."
Connor Murphy, forward,
Chicago Steel (USHL)
Murphy is the smallest player
by frame in this class at 5-foot-9
and 168 pounds but has filled the
stat sheet enough this season to
please his current and future
coaches.
Murphy has used his speed
and grittiness to notch seven
goals and five assists through
15 games in his-first season with
the Steel.
Prior to the USHL, Murphy
played for the Caledonia
Corvairs of the Greater Ontario
Junior Hockey League, where
he tallied 96 points - 32 goals
and 64 assists - in just 49 games.
Those 96 points led Murphy to
be named the GOJHL Player of
the Year.
a
JAMESCOLLER/Daily
Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson should have plenty of incomingttalent at his disposal next winter as the Wolverines' five recruits arrive for the 2015-16 season.
The 6-foot-1, 182-pound
forward was labeled an "A"
skater in the NHL Central
Scouting Preliminary 2015
Players-to Watch list. An "A"
rating designates a probable
first-round NHL draft pick.
In an interview earlier this
month, Connor expressed
his excitement to join the
Wolverines, the team he grew
up supporting.
"I think they do a really good
job developing players, getting
them to the next level," Connor
told the Daily. "Obviously,
being from Michigan, I was a
Wolverine fan growing up. So
it was a no-brainer. I always
followed Michigan and wanted
to go there my whole life."
Youngstown Phantoms coach
Anthony Noreen, though, will
surely miss coaching Connor.
"I've been fortunate to be
around him every day," Noreen Though Boka didn't face off
said. "There are no red flags. against the Wolverines earlier
There's not a this season in
day that goes the NTDP's
by where you annual game
don't shake "Those two at Yost Ice
your head at Arena due
something he leagues do a great to an illness,
does and just the Michigan
realize how job in getting coaching staff
lucky you are - will surely
to be a part of guys ready. welcome
it and help his the strong,
development. versatile right-
"If you took handed blue
designation given to probable
fourth- to sixth-round draft
picks.
Joseph Cecconi, defenseman,
Muskegon Lumberjacks
(USHL)
Cecconi, like Boka, is a
welcomed right-handed
defenseman who was given a
"B" skater rating on the NHL
Central Scouting Preliminary
2015 Players to Watch list - a
designation given to probable
second- or third-round draft
picks. More notably, Cecconi
was the highest-rated USHL
defenseman on that list.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound
defenseman has tallied a goal
and four assists in 16 games so
far this season and registered
two goals and four assists in
I
some of the best characteristics
of some .of the guys we've had
here and put them together,
there's no one that I can say,
'Kyle's like that guy."'
Nicholas Boka, defenseman
(U.S. NTDP)
liner.
The 6-foot-1, 197-pound
defenseman has recorded a goal
and assist in the 13 games he has
played in this season and was
named a "C" skater on the NHL
Central Scouting Preliminary
2015 Players to Watch list - a
Michigan to compete in San Juan
MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
'M' announces six
recruits to fill gaps
-4
ByKELLY HALL
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women's
basketball team won't be
enjoying any turkey for
Thanksgiving this week - but
they'll be all right without it.
The Wolverines are flying
from Ann Arbor to Puerto Rico
on Wednesday night for the San
Juan Shootout, and, "Golly, in
Puerto Rico, they're not doing
the traditional Thanksgiving
dinner" said Michigan coach
Kim Barnes Arico.
There are seven Division
I teams participating in
this year's tournament, and
the Wolverines will face
Washington State and San Diego
State on Friday and Saturday
afternoon, respectively.
Though Michigan will be
focused on winning, the trip
will also serve as an important
team-bonding experience.
"I think any time we have an
opportunity to take them away,
it's a great experience for the
kids who might not ever get to
do that," Barnes Arico said. "It's
also a great opportunity for us
as a team to really connect."
Added senior forward
Cyesha Goree: "We show (the
freshmen) that we're a home
away from home. Even though
they're not spending time with
their family on Thanksgiving,
they have family here, and we're
their family."
Michigan has a few
longstanding traditions it
practices every Thanksgiving,
but one stands out.
After everyone on the
team talks about what they're
thankful for, the Wolverines
bring out baby pictures of
themselves. A teammate will
pick up a picture and write a
story about that player and why
she's thankful for her teammate.
The stories are shared among
the team and allow the players
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Senior forward Cyesha Goree said part of her Thanksgiving tradition is teaching the freshmen that the team is family.
to bond over things other than two tournament games.
basketball. Washington State (4-1) is
"Our chemistry is so good coming off a 17-17 season,
because we connect off the but lost only one starter to
court as well as on the court," graduation. And the seasoned
Barnes Aric starters have
said. "I think been effective
it's going to so far this
be a great "It's also a great season,
opportunity , leading the
for us to spend opportunity for Cougars to
some quality four wins by
time together us as a team to large margins.
without Coach June
classes and ConneCt. Daugherty is
the structure in her seventh
of a regular season with
day." Washington
Though the sunshine will State, and her experience is
offerawelcomedistractionfrom another advantage for the
the frigid Michigan weather, Cougars.
the Wolverines will have to find The day after playing
a way to stay focused in their Washington State, Michigan
will face San Diego State, which
will be recovering from their
89-38 loss Sunday to No. 1 South
Carolina. The Aztecs (1-3) are
currently in a rebuilding phase
under second-year coach Stacie
Terry after a 13-17 record last
season.
While the Wolverines will
inevitably grow individually
from the two contests, it's what
they gain as a team off the
court that will be much more
significant.
"There is a balance between
letting them enjoy the
experience while at the same
time focusing on our task at
hand," Barnes Arico said. "I
don't want to keep them in a
hotel room and worry about the
games ... because that's not the
reason we're going."
By TED JANES success that Michigan has in the
Daily Sports Writer distance events, made notable by
former Wolverine and current
With holes to fill, the Michigan Olympian Connor Jaeger.
men's swimming and diving Another swimmer, Jordan
coach Mike Bottom recently Ross, comes from Roswell,
welcomed a six-man class to Georgia. Especially strong at
Ann Arbor for the fall of 2015. the backstroke, Ross competes
The recruits hail from all across for Swim Atlanta as a multi-
the country, including two from event swimmer.
outside the United States. The sole diver on the signing
Though signing six recruits listisCollinDeShaw,whoisfrom
'is unusually low for a team that Holland, Michigan. The men's
currently has between 10 and program currently has just four
13 swimmers in each class, the divers, and will lose two next
Wolverines will lose just five year to eligibility. Diving coach
seniors to eligibility next season. Mike Hilde joined the program
The most notable loss on just two months ago and wasn't
paper will be in the breaststroke able to recruit for next year. As
competitions., Seniors Richard a result, there will be just three
Funk and Bruno Ortiz have been divers on the squad next season.
the top swimmers in this event DeShaw was recruited before
for the Wolverines, and Bottom Hilde came to Michigan.
will have to move others around The , recruiting class also
to fill the gap. sports two internationals:
While the recruits weren't Mokhtar Al-Yamani and
the most highly touted bunch, Javier Barrena, from Tokyo
Bottom expects they will grow and Madrid, respectively.
immensely in their time at AI-Yamani swims for St. Mary's
Michigan. International School, the same
"Our expectation for them is school that brought Ortiz and
that they're goingto come in, and his older brother and former
they're going to be good," Bottom Wolverine, Miguel. Barrena
said. "This is not a class of great currently attends The Bolles
swimmers. This is a class of good School in Jacksonville, Florida, 0
swimmers, but that's what we but competes internationally
like. We like good swimmers that for Spain.
want toget better." Recruiting on the
One of these swimmers is international level has been
Stephen Holmquist, a distance hugely beneficial for the
swimmer from Connecticut. Wolverines. Junior Anders
Holmquist swims for the same Nielsen and senior Claudia Lau
club that produced current both came to Michigan as solid
freshman Ian Rainey. The swimmers and developed into
two know each other well, as some of the team's best assets.
Holmquist came in second Both have competed for their 4
to Rainey in the 1,500-meter countries, Denmark and Hong
freestyle at the 2013 YMCA Long Kong, respectively.
Course National Championships. "They find us," Bottom said.
Blake Maczka, another "Look at the success that we've
distance swimmer, hails from had with good swimmers
Richardson, Texas. Maczka, coming into our program and
who finished fourth in the thenleavingasgreatswimmers."
1,650-yard freestyle at the No matter how they arrive, or
2014 NCSA Junior National where they come from, you can
Championships, will look to bet this year's recruits will do
continue the long tradition of just as well.
TWEET US PICTURES FROM COLUMBUS
@theblockm
* ft
0
I