HOCKEY, MICHIGAN EASY CHOICES FOR BURNES
By Jason Paul
October 1, 2002

ANN ARBOR--Like many athletes, Andy Burnes was involved with many sports
when he was a kid--baseball, basketball, and football to name a few. But
for the Battle Creek native who grew up a high-energy kid, the sport that
wore him out was the path he would take.

Unlike baseball, for instance, where players spend much of the time
standing around waiting for the ball to be hit their way or sit around the
dugout waiting for their turn to bat, hockey allowed Burnes to constantly
be involved, making it an easy choice.

"I got a lot of energy as a kid and in hockey I was always doing
something," Burnes recalled. "I could be skating around, even if I didn't
have the puck, I was wheeling around. I was able to waste my energy, and my
parents liked that too because I was a high-energy kid and it tired me out.
It was an easy choice for me because I always loved to play hockey."

Burnes's career in hockey would lead him to the Compuware Ambassadors of
the North American Hockey League in 1997. His teammate J.J. Swistak used to
drive him to practice after school every day as a 15 year old. He also
played with John Shouneyia, Mark Mink, and Mike Roemensky. The five-some
became great friends, and in 1999 they celebrated a national championship
with Compuware.

Following that year, Shouneyia, Mink, and Swistak would head down the road
and join the Wolverines. Roemensky would join the trio during the middle of
the season when U-M was hit with several injuries on defense.

Meanwhile, Burnes would take over as captain of the Ambassadors and enjoy a
successful season. He was named to the All-NAHL first team, the NAHL
all-star team, the Top Prospects team, and the National Junior Select team,
which won the Viking Cup. Following the season, Burnes made his collegiate
choice, and like choosing hockey, it was an easy decision.

"I've known (Shouneyia, Mink, Swistak, and Roemensky) for about five or six
years now, and they're all great friends of mine," said Burnes. "When they
all made the decision to come to Michigan, it was an easy choice for me
because of that. I'd come up and visit them and they'd show me a great
time, and I knew this is where I wanted to be."

His long lasting friendship with his Compuware teammates isn't the only
reason Burnes chose Michigan. The chance to play for U-M head coach Red
Berenson was one he couldn't pass up.

"I can't say enough good things about him," Burnes said of Berenson. "You
look at him not only as a coach in hockey but on life. He brings so much to
the table and he's got so much to offer, it's just great to have the
opportunity to play under a guy like coach Berenson."

While the decision to become a Wolverine was easy for Andy, it was hard on
his parents at first. His parents are both graduates of Michigan State
University and took some heat from their friends when Andy made his choice.
But now they couldn't be happier.

"They wear their maize n' blue to every game and get up and sing the fight
song," Burnes said. "They know I made a great choice by coming to play for
coach Berenson and coming to a great school like Michigan."

Andy's on-ice career at Michigan got off to a great start. He stepped right
into the lineup as a freshman and played in 41 games, only missing the CCHA
championship and NCAA West Regional due to an injury. But his start in
class, in particular psychology, didn't go how he would have liked due to a
prank played on him by his study table proctor Ryan Rezmierski.

"We went to a coffee place beforehand and (Rezmierski) decided to bring a
thing of honey with him," Burnes remembers. "I was in the computer lab and
I left my books in the room we were at, so he decided to put honey into my
psychology book and I had no idea. I wasn't studying psychology that night.

"But the next day I went to class and the teacher said pull your books out,
and I pulled my books out and every single paper in my bag was stuck to my
book. I couldn't pull the pages apart and everybody in class looked at me
like I was an idiot because my book was covered in honey. My grade may have
suffered in psychology because I couldn't open my book or anything because
it was all stuck together. My mom was a little upset because of my grade.
Blame it on Ryan."

Burnes continued his solid defensive play his sophomore season. While he
may not have gotten the attention like Mike Komisarek, the coaches were
constantly praising his hard work. His teammates concurred and voted him
the team's most outstanding defenseman at the awards banquet.

The honors didn't stop there, either. Over the summer the coaches selected
Burnes as an assistant captain, one of the highest personal achievements a
player can receive.

"If you look at the players who have been captains and assistant captains
here, it's an extraordinary list of some great players and some great
people" said Burnes. "To be chosen by coaches, it's quite an honor. I'm
taking a lot of pride in the position, and I can't wait to get things going
here."

Andy's summer was also kept busy when his roommate Mike Komisarek opted to
forego his final two years of eligibility and turn pro. While it's every
kid's dream to play professional hockey and make the big bucks, Burnes
cites the atmosphere, camaraderie, and the choices you get from a degree as
all the more reason to stay in school.

"[Professional hockey] something that's going to be there for you all your
life," said Burnes. "You got guys playing in the NHL who are 40 right now,
and college, as any guy who's played college hockey will tell you, it's the
best years of your life. You sit next to your best friends in the locker
room and these are the guys you're going to keep in touch with down the
road. In the NHL you're sitting there next to a guy who's got a wife and a
kid and it's a whole different program. It's a business when you're there.

"I can't say enough about the experience and the opportunity that you have
by going to college and staying all four years. You make life long friends
and you got a degree, and that's the best thing you could have when you're
coming out. You're not going to be dependent on your hockey for the rest of
your life. You got choices, and you got that degree in your back pocket to
go back to."

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KINGS CUT CAMMALLERI
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In a story that sounds all too familiar to one just a year ago, the Los
Angeles Kings have assigned former Michigan standout Mike Cammalleri to
Manchester of the American Hockey League.

Cammalleri passed up his senior season at U-M for a chance to play with the
Kings. Many had penciled in the highly touted prospect to play on one of
the top two lines, but as Andy Hilbert learned a season ago, pencils have
erasers.

"At this point, if we're being fair in analyzing the camp from Day 1, we
feel we have some players that are playing better than them," coach Andy
Murray said of the rookies. "It's not so much them coming up short. It's
other guys stepping up."

In more NHL cuts, Buffalo has sent Jason Botterill to Rochester of the AHL.

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That's all for now...

Go Blue!

Jason
Michigan Hockey Net
http://MichiganHockey.net/