FROZEN FOUR

I still can't get over last night's game. All things considered, it
was a great game. A helluva lot more entertaining than Boston
College?s blowout of North Dakota. Michigan dug themselves a huge hole
and to see them fight back with everything they had to force overtime
showed the character of this team.

Since the very first game of the season this team has showed us they
never give up and last night was no exception. Whereas the past few
seasons perhaps we would have rolled over and played dead after being
shell shocked like that (like against Minnesota at the College Hockey
Showcase), these kids just kept plugging along and chipping away
looking to make the impossible happen. And they nearly did, and
there?s no shame in that. I?m proud of the way the Wolverines
responded to adversity and went out giving everything they got.

Still, it would have been really cool to see Michigan face Boston
College ten years after their 1998 national championship meeting, not
to mention they also faced each other in the opening game of the
season and it would have been neat to see them face each other in the
closing game of the season, too. But it wasn?t meant to be.

But as disappointing as the outcome was, this season gave us so many
unexpected memorable moments, it?s hard to stay down. This would have
been the icing on the cake, for sure, but this was still one of the
most memorable seasons for all the right reasons.

The sweep at the College Hockey Showcase showed this team was for
real. Capturing the Great Lakes Invitational championship for the
first time since 1996 in a thrilling double-overtime game was
something we?ve been waiting a long time for. The No. 1 vs. No. 2
battles with Miami were classic. Winning the CCHA regular season and
tournament titles. Billy Sauer rebounding from the dreadful loss to
North Dakota and setting new Michigan single-season records for
goals-against average and save percentage. And Kevin Porter and Chad
Kolarik as two of the nation?s leading scorers, and Porter most likely
to win the Hobey Baker Award this evening.

After losing top stars like T.J. Hensick, Andrew Cogliano, Jack
Johnson, Matt Hunwick, and other key role players and bringing in 12
freshmen?three of whom would start on defense any given night?plus a
goalie who had been rocky in his first two seasons, honestly, who
thought all this was going to happen this season?

The announcers last night kept calling Notre Dame the ?Cinderella
team? of the tournament. Well, this has essentially been a ?Cinderella
season? for the Wolverines, and we have nothing to be ashamed of.

GETTING OVER THE HUMP

I guess one of the lingering questions now is what does this team need
to do to get over the hump and get back to the championship game? If
there?s one knock on U-M coach Red Berenson, it?s his record in the
Frozen Four. Michigan has reached the Frozen Four ten times in his
coaching career, but only twice have they reached the championship
game, which they won both times. That means in his eight other trips
the Wolverines lost in the semifinal game.

By contrast, Boston College coach Jerry York has taken the Eagles to
the Frozen Four ten times and they have made the championship game
five times, winning once in 2001. Including tomorrow night?s contest,
this will be BC?s third consecutive year in the championship game.
While I?m sure they?d like to have a few more titles under their belt,
the fact that they have consistently made the championship game, that
they have put themselves in the position to come home with the
hardware, is something the Wolverines have consistently failed to do
when they reach the Frozen Four. And for the life of me, I just can?t
figure out what makes this team go belly up more times than not when
in this situation.

ANOTHER MICHIGAN HOCKEY SUMMER?

So now it?s everyone?s least favorite time of the year? the good ole
?Michigan hockey summer.? The Wolverines lose their top two stars in
Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik to graduation. Not only will they miss
their offensive production?which will be hard to replace?but their
leadership on and off the ice, as well. As good as the freshman class
was this season, there?s no denying who the cogs were that made this
team go. Michigan?s had a lot of great one-two punches throughout the
years, and Porter and Kolarik rank right up there with the best of them.

Picking up their slack won?t be an easy task and it will be
interesting to see who among the returnees steps up. Freshmen Max
Pacioretty (39 points) and Aaron Palushaj (44 points) seem poised to
lead the offense, and rookie centers Matt Rust, Louie Caporusso, and
Carl Hagelin all posted over 20 points and appear ready to take the
next step.

Of course, this is assuming everyone returns, too. As usual, there are
several flight risks. Topping the list are defensemen senior-to-be
Mark Mitera and junior-to-be Chris Summers.

Mitera had a great year defensively and even started to show a bit of
an offensive game towards the end racking up several assists. Inside
College Hockey named him their National Defenseman of the Year. Mitera
was Anaheim?s first round draft pick a few years ago and there?s
probably not much more for him to accomplish at the collegiate level.
It would be nice to see him follow in the footsteps of Porter and
Kolarik and return for his senior year to lead the team, but it
shouldn?t come as any shock if he doesn?t.

The versatile Summers had a wonderful year on the blue line, too. The
more I watch him, the more and more I like him. He?s such a great
skater and has a physical side, too. It?s no secret the Phoenix
Coyotes want to sign him. When asked about the Coyotes draft plans in
early March, general manager Don Maloney said they need defensive depth.

?We have only Summers ready to go,? Maloney said. ?We?re not sure if
he will be coming out of school or not, but we certainly think he
should because he is ready.?

Max Pacioretty is probably the only other serious risk to leave. I
recall after he was drafted by Montreal that he said something to the
effect that he would do what they wanted him to do, and after his
great freshman season, it wouldn?t surprise me if they wanted him to
join them now. But I certainly hope he puts in another year at U-M. No
matter how good they are, I always like to see them put in at least
two years. Even Jack Johnson gave us a pair.

Hopefully there are no other surprises, but you never know these days.

LOOKING AHEAD

There?s already some talk about how good next year?s team can be, yet
the pessimist in me is having flashbacks to the 1998-99 team. Remember
them? Not really? It?s probably for the best. That was the year after
the Wolverines won the national championship. U-M lost Bill Muckalt,
Matt Herr, Marty Turco and Chris Fox to graduation, but they had a
huge freshman class that played a pivotal role the year they won who
would all be sophomores and everyone assumed they would only get
better and Michigan would remain a force for years to come.

Well, everyone was wrong. After winning the title their freshman
season, that huge class only seemed to regress with time. And other
players who were expected to step up, like senior Bobby Hayes?who
recorded a career high 21 goals and 44 points in 1997-98?ended up with
seven goals, 21 points, and a team high 114 penalty minutes.

So I?m not going to jump the gun on next season. There?s a lot of
things this team ?could? be, but the bottom line is they have to work
hard and prove it and not settle to be ?paper champions? like the 2008
Detroit Tigers.

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GARAGE SALE
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Michigan hockey's annual garage sale will be held on Saturday, April
19 at Yost Ice Arena. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. Items that will be
available include: practice jerseys, all Nike apparel, sticks, skates
and protective equipment for skaters and goalies. Please address
questions to email.hockey@... or 734-647-1201.

If I remember correctly, Michigan's apparel line switches over to
Adidas next season, so when they say "all Nike apparel" will be
available, they probably do mean ALL of it.

And as always, if there's something you really, really want, then get
there very, very early!

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That's all for now...

Go Blue!

Jason
Michigan Hockey Net
http://MichiganHockey.net