Michigan Wolverines Season Preview

By Bob Miller/Michigan Beat Writer

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Head Coach: Red Berenson (26th season)

Home Arena: Yost Ice Arena (6,637)

Last Season: 26-18-1 overall, 14-13-1 CCHA, CCHA tourney winners, lost to Miami in the NCAA Regional final

Wolverine returnees:
Goaltenders: Seniors Bryan Hogan and Shawn Hunwick
Defensemen: Seniors Chad Langlais and Tristin Llewellyn, juniors Greg Pateryn and Brandon Burlon, and sophomore Lee Moffie
Forwards: Seniors Scooter Vaughan, Carl Hagelin, Ben Winnett, Matt Rust, and Louie Caporusso, juniors Luke Glendening and David Wohlberg, and sophomores Chris Brown, Kevin Lynch, A.J. Treais, Jeff Rohrkemper and Lindsay Sparks

Wolverines no more:
Goaltender: Patrick Summers
Defensemen: Eric Elmblad, Steve Kampfer and Chris Summers
Forwards: Anthony Ciraulo and Brian Lebler

New Wolverines:
Goaltender: Adam Janecyk
Defensemen: Kevin Clare, Jon Merrill and Mac Bennett
Forwards: Jacob Fallon, Luke Moffatt and Derek Deblois

NHL Draft Picks: 13 (Pateryn, Burlon, Moffatt, Brown, Lynch, Hagelin, Moffie, Winnett, Rust, Merrill, Wohlberg, Caporusso and Bennett)

Outlook: Head coach Red Berenson has been pointing toward the 2010-2011 season for quite some time.

His Wolverines sport a large group of talented and experienced seniors, a highly talented group of incoming freshman and the chance to set hockey attendance history with The Big Chill at The Big House, a scheduled matchup with rival Michigan State at legendary Michigan Stadium in December.

The only potential fly in the ointment is the same one that has dogged Michigan for several seasons now: goaltending.

Netminder Shawn Hunwick stepped up from his almost-never-used backup role to replace injured Bryan Hogan and led the inconsistent Wolverines to a CCHA tournament championship and nearly a berth in the Frozen Four. Only a crushing second overtime loss to Miami in the NCAA Regional final prevented the Wolverines from extending the storybook ending to their season.

Hogan will return healthy to battle Hunwick for goaltending minutes, while senior forwards Carl Hagelin, Matt Rust and Louie Caporusso will supply the offensive firepower.

Talented freshmen will supplement the strong core that the Wolverines already possess.

Defensemen Jon Merrill, Mac Bennett and Kevin Clare, and forward Luke Moffatt all arrive in Ann Arbor with established quality reputations.

Berenson, his staff and all Wolverine followers know that nothing less than a trip deep into March and April's playoffs will be acceptable.