Northern Michigan hockey preview
Kyle Whitney
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
For years, the Northern Michigan Wildcat hockey team has been a contender in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Entering last season, the 'Cats were ranked 19th and had a roster loaded with veterans and NHL draft picks.
NMU stumbled out of the gates, though, and the team never seemed to develop a strong chemistry on the ice. When the season concluded, Northern had finished 10th in the CCHA and held a surprising 15-24-2 overall record. For the first time since the 2000-01 season, the Wildcats failed to advance through the CCHA Playoffs and on to the Joe Louis Arena.
An entire offseason has passed since then and the Northern Michigan hockey team that will take to the ice this year looks nothing like the one that left less than a year ago.
Here is a breakdown of the 2007-08 NMU Wildcat hockey team:
FORWARDS
Key Losses: Pat Bateman, Darin Olver, Mike Santorelli
Key Additions: Jared Brown, Mark Olver, Billy Smith
Over the course of their 41-game schedule last year, the Wildcats scored just 96 goals. NMU was 11th among CCHA teams, with 2.34 goals per game.
Since that time, senior forwards Pat Bateman, Darin Olver, Rob Lehtinen and Dusty Collins have all gone their separate ways and they left behind a largely inexperienced offense.
Things quickly went from bad to worse for the 'Cats as leading scorer and junior Mike Santorelli split for the professional ranks, inking a deal with the NHL's Nashville Predators. Last season Santorelli scored 30 goals and was a first team all-CCHA selection.
"Offensively, I wasn't happy with our team a year ago," Kyle said. "Really I think that Mike Santorelli was the guy that had a good offensive year. When you take Mike out of there, the rest of the people in our lineup didn't."
Like most of the team, sophomore Jacques Lamoureux didn't have a strong offensive campaign, as he saw the ice in just 16 games and picked up two points. Every little bit helps, though, and when Lamoureux announced his transfer to the Air Force Academy in May, the 'Cats certainly felt the blow.
The six departing forwards combined for 58 markers last season and their departure left the Wildcat offense in a period of flux. In order to compete at a high level this season, the team will be forced to look to new sources for offensive production.
"We made a real effort to bring in a lot of young kids that we feel have some offensive talent because we feel that we needed scoring," Kyle said.
The forward that headlines this incoming class of players is sophomore Billy Smith, who transferred from the University of Alaska-Anchorage (UAA) last season. He has been named a co-captain for the upcoming season and, despite never playing a shift for the Wildcats, will be trusted to lead the offense, week-in and week-out.
"[Billy] is someone who had to make a tough decision to change schools and he came in and just meshed really well with everybody," NMU forward Matt Siddall said. "I think he's going to do a great job for years to come."
In 32 games at UAA, Smith had four goals and four assists.
Joining Smith on the ice will be the offensively gifted Mark Olver, the younger brother of recently-departed Wildcat Darin Olver.
After netting 29 goals and 64 assists for the Omaha Lancers (USHL) last season, Olver comes to Northern amidst high hopes.
"Mark is better than I expected," Kyle said. "Mark is a real special player. I think people are going to see some similarities to Darin, but they will also see a striking difference in their game."
Kyle described the elder Olver as a 'cerebral player,' a skater who watches the play develops, reads the defense, eyes his opponents and reacts.
"Mark is not like that at all," Kyle added. "Mark gets involved in every shift, every play. He is a different player and he initiates more than Darin did. Mark is a guy that is a special talent and will be a big part of this program going forward."
In Northern's lone preseason exhibition game against the University of Toronto, Olver racked up two goals and two assists.
And while youth may be the lifeblood of the 2007-2008 Wildcat hockey team, the offense hopes to be able to rely on a bit of veteran leadership, as well.
Junior forward Nick Sirota put himself on the radar last season, finishing with ten goals and ten assists. The 'Cats are in need of offensive firepower and will benefit if Sirota is able to continue his production.
Kyle said that even though Sirota has not yet shown that he is ready to be an offensive powerhouse, the coaches are content with the little things that he does so well.
"To me, Nick's greatest asset is the energy that he brings when he's playing and his ability to buzz people and be involved in the offensive zone, forecheck and those kinds of things," Kyle said. "He is a guy that we are comfortable with and I think he will be put in a position to score more than 10 goals this year. It's up to him to do that."
Andrew Sarauer, Tim Hartung and Matt Siddall will all return, as well. Last year the trio combined to score nine goals and 31 assists.
For a team that is still unsure of its offensive abilities, NMU will likely benefit from Siddall's trademark physical play.
"Matt Siddall, to me, can be an elite power forward in this league," Kyle said. "And if he plays the game the way a power forward needs to play, he is a guy that can do something beyond Northern Michigan hockey."
Defensemen
Key Losses: Zach Tarkir, Bobby Selden, Matt Maunu
Key Additions: Evan Lucas, Andrew Fernandez
Despite the exit of three key cogs at the end of last season, the Wildcat defense will not be relying entirely on the performance of new skaters. Sophomore T.J. Miller, who played in 37 games as a freshman, has been named as the second co-captain and will enter the season as the leader of a youthful NMU defense.
"We definitely have a young team," Miller said. "It's something that might make for a rough start this year, but you never really know. We've got some good players coming in."
Two of the new faces will be those of Evan Lucas and Andrew Fernandez. In the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League and the Manitoba Junior Hockey League last season, respectively, the pair collected a total of 19 goals and 57 assists.
Freshman Erik Gustaffson will also be joining the 'Cats. Gustaffson, from Kvissleby, Sweden, was recruited by former assistant coach John Olver while playing in Europe.
Returning to join Miller at the blue line will be fellow sophomore Al Dorich. Dorich saw ice time in 24 games last season and is one of four returning defenders that saw the ice last season for the Wildcats.
Dorich said the older skaters will have to focus on developing the young defenders as fast as they can and that the incoming freshman will be needed.
"Our senior leadership last year was very high," he said. "Guys are going to have to realize their roles a little earlier this year and step into them."
The Wildcat coaching staff hopes that Dorich will be able to help lead the defense, as well.
"We committed a lot of time last year to both T.J. and Al Dorich and we think those two guys will both be big parts of what we're doing this year," Kyle said.
Junior Derek May and senior Blake Cosgrove are two upperclassmen that round out the defense. Each played 25 games last season and will likely see more time this year.
"Blake Cosgrove is a guy that didn't play a lot last year but made a major commitment over the summer," Kyle said. "We've been nothing but impressed with him and what we've seen so far."
Goalies
Key Loss: Bill Zaniboni
Key Additions: Reid Ellingson, Derek Janzen
The goalie position follows suit with the rest of the team. Veteran tender Bill Zaniboni's time in a Wildcat uniform came to an end last season, leaving youthful feet to fill some big skates.
Last year, sophomore Brian Stewart looked brilliant in a November game against Miami, during which he made 39 stops on 41 shots en route to a 4-2 victory. Stewart then wrestled with a knee injury for a large portion of the season and didn't pick up his second win for another four months.
Luckily for Stewart, that victory came on the road against Ohio State in the CCHA playoffs. Stewart then followed it up with another victory and carried NMU into the second round of play.
Despite falling in the season-ending series against Michigan, the coaches liked what they saw from the 6-foot-4-inch Stewart.
"We think that [Stewart] is not only capable of being our starter, we think he is capable of being one of the best goalies in the league," Kyle said. "That's how much we think of this kid. It's clear to me right now who our number one is."
Although he is naturally talented, Stewart has not yet been tested by the rigors of a full college hockey season. His teammates are rallied behind him, however, Siddall said.
"He is just good," Siddall said. "He is really good and you can see that in practice. He's got competitive fire and that's always an exciting thing to see in a goalie, especially one who is unproven."
Stewart has a current lock on the starting role, but Kyle feels that the battle for the backup spot could be intriguing.
Battling for the position will be sophomore Derek Janzen and freshman Reid Ellingson.
Janzen, a former Wildcat, returns to NMU after a year-long stint in the BCHL.
"[Janzen] is a guy that really has paid his dues," Kyle said. "He came in here as a freshman, wound up playing backup. [Bill Zaniboni] came back last year and [Janzen] made the decision that he didn't want to be behind him again, that he wanted to get more game experience."
The other possible option for backup netminder will be Ellingson, who is straight out of high school in Minnesota. While there, Ellingson won the Frank Brimsek award, which is given to the top goaltender in the state.
"Reid dominated high school hockey last year," Kyle said. "He is an elite young talent for sure. The question with Reid is, 'Can an elite young high school talent make the step from high school hockey to college hockey and effectively perform?'"
While the coach said that he doesn't exactly know the answer to that question, he has faith in all of his netminders.
"The unfortunate thing is that all those guys won't be able to get ice time, but the truth is, they are going to have to determine [who plays]," Kyle said.
While Northern's goalies may not currently garner a great deal of respect, Kyle said that people should soon realize how good they truly are.
"I think that at Christmas time people are going to look and go, 'Wow, their goaltending is pretty good,' " Kyle said.
Future
The Wildcats start the upcoming regular season on the road at Michigan Tech (Oct. 12) and the University of Minnesota-Duluth (Oct. 13).
They will return home the next weekend to face off against the No. 9 Michigan Wolverines, the team that ousted the Wildcats from the CCHA Playoffs last season.
They will then spend a weekend in East Lansing competing against the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans, the team that won the national championship last season. The 'Cats will then return home to battle the No. 4 Miami Redhawks.
With six of the first eight games against top-ten opponents, the Wildcats will have a trial-by-fire, Kyle said.
"If anyone has a more difficult start, I'd like to know who it is," he said. "For a young team, we are going to get baptized, big time."
Although the schedule is a difficult one, Kyle said that this season will be an excellent opportunity to see great hockey, as some of the nation's top teams will travel to Marquette.
No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Miami, No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 9 Michigan will all make trips north before the end of the season. Michigan Tech also received votes in the polls and will travel to Marquette, as will the Wildcat's cross-country rival, the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
"I love the talent level of this team right now," Kyle said. "I can't tell you when it's going to be ready to turn that over into winning, but I can tell you that at some point it will. Now when the chemistry and the leadership come together, when the experience comes together, at that point we will be able to win, but the talent is there right now to be a good hockey team."
NMU stumbled out of the gates, though, and the team never seemed to develop a strong chemistry on the ice. When the season concluded, Northern had finished 10th in the CCHA and held a surprising 15-24-2 overall record. For the first time since the 2000-01 season, the Wildcats failed to advance through the CCHA Playoffs and on to the Joe Louis Arena.
An entire offseason has passed since then and the Northern Michigan hockey team that will take to the ice this year looks nothing like the one that left less than a year ago.
Here is a breakdown of the 2007-08 NMU Wildcat hockey team:
Key Losses: Pat Bateman, Darin Olver, Mike Santorelli
Key Additions: Jared Brown, Mark Olver, Billy Smith
Over the course of their 41-game schedule last year, the Wildcats scored just 96 goals. NMU was 11th among CCHA teams, with 2.34 goals per game.
Since that time, senior forwards Pat Bateman, Darin Olver, Rob Lehtinen and Dusty Collins have all gone their separate ways and they left behind a largely inexperienced offense.
Things quickly went from bad to worse for the 'Cats as leading scorer and junior Mike Santorelli split for the professional ranks, inking a deal with the NHL's Nashville Predators. Last season Santorelli scored 30 goals and was a first team all-CCHA selection.
"Offensively, I wasn't happy with our team a year ago," Kyle said. "Really I think that Mike Santorelli was the guy that had a good offensive year. When you take Mike out of there, the rest of the people in our lineup didn't."
Like most of the team, sophomore Jacques Lamoureux didn't have a strong offensive campaign, as he saw the ice in just 16 games and picked up two points. Every little bit helps, though, and when Lamoureux announced his transfer to the Air Force Academy in May, the 'Cats certainly felt the blow.
The six departing forwards combined for 58 markers last season and their departure left the Wildcat offense in a period of flux. In order to compete at a high level this season, the team will be forced to look to new sources for offensive production.
"We made a real effort to bring in a lot of young kids that we feel have some offensive talent because we feel that we needed scoring," Kyle said.
The forward that headlines this incoming class of players is sophomore Billy Smith, who transferred from the University of Alaska-Anchorage (UAA) last season. He has been named a co-captain for the upcoming season and, despite never playing a shift for the Wildcats, will be trusted to lead the offense, week-in and week-out.
"[Billy] is someone who had to make a tough decision to change schools and he came in and just meshed really well with everybody," NMU forward Matt Siddall said. "I think he's going to do a great job for years to come."
In 32 games at UAA, Smith had four goals and four assists.
Joining Smith on the ice will be the offensively gifted Mark Olver, the younger brother of recently-departed Wildcat Darin Olver.
After netting 29 goals and 64 assists for the Omaha Lancers (USHL) last season, Olver comes to Northern amidst high hopes.
"Mark is better than I expected," Kyle said. "Mark is a real special player. I think people are going to see some similarities to Darin, but they will also see a striking difference in their game."
Kyle described the elder Olver as a 'cerebral player,' a skater who watches the play develops, reads the defense, eyes his opponents and reacts.
"Mark is not like that at all," Kyle added. "Mark gets involved in every shift, every play. He is a different player and he initiates more than Darin did. Mark is a guy that is a special talent and will be a big part of this program going forward."
In Northern's lone preseason exhibition game against the University of Toronto, Olver racked up two goals and two assists.
And while youth may be the lifeblood of the 2007-2008 Wildcat hockey team, the offense hopes to be able to rely on a bit of veteran leadership, as well.
Junior forward Nick Sirota put himself on the radar last season, finishing with ten goals and ten assists. The 'Cats are in need of offensive firepower and will benefit if Sirota is able to continue his production.
Kyle said that even though Sirota has not yet shown that he is ready to be an offensive powerhouse, the coaches are content with the little things that he does so well.
"To me, Nick's greatest asset is the energy that he brings when he's playing and his ability to buzz people and be involved in the offensive zone, forecheck and those kinds of things," Kyle said. "He is a guy that we are comfortable with and I think he will be put in a position to score more than 10 goals this year. It's up to him to do that."
Andrew Sarauer, Tim Hartung and Matt Siddall will all return, as well. Last year the trio combined to score nine goals and 31 assists.
For a team that is still unsure of its offensive abilities, NMU will likely benefit from Siddall's trademark physical play.
"Matt Siddall, to me, can be an elite power forward in this league," Kyle said. "And if he plays the game the way a power forward needs to play, he is a guy that can do something beyond Northern Michigan hockey."
Key Losses: Zach Tarkir, Bobby Selden, Matt Maunu
Key Additions: Evan Lucas, Andrew Fernandez
Despite the exit of three key cogs at the end of last season, the Wildcat defense will not be relying entirely on the performance of new skaters. Sophomore T.J. Miller, who played in 37 games as a freshman, has been named as the second co-captain and will enter the season as the leader of a youthful NMU defense.
"We definitely have a young team," Miller said. "It's something that might make for a rough start this year, but you never really know. We've got some good players coming in."
Two of the new faces will be those of Evan Lucas and Andrew Fernandez. In the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League and the Manitoba Junior Hockey League last season, respectively, the pair collected a total of 19 goals and 57 assists.
Freshman Erik Gustaffson will also be joining the 'Cats. Gustaffson, from Kvissleby, Sweden, was recruited by former assistant coach John Olver while playing in Europe.
Returning to join Miller at the blue line will be fellow sophomore Al Dorich. Dorich saw ice time in 24 games last season and is one of four returning defenders that saw the ice last season for the Wildcats.
Dorich said the older skaters will have to focus on developing the young defenders as fast as they can and that the incoming freshman will be needed.
"Our senior leadership last year was very high," he said. "Guys are going to have to realize their roles a little earlier this year and step into them."
The Wildcat coaching staff hopes that Dorich will be able to help lead the defense, as well.
"We committed a lot of time last year to both T.J. and Al Dorich and we think those two guys will both be big parts of what we're doing this year," Kyle said.
Junior Derek May and senior Blake Cosgrove are two upperclassmen that round out the defense. Each played 25 games last season and will likely see more time this year.
"Blake Cosgrove is a guy that didn't play a lot last year but made a major commitment over the summer," Kyle said. "We've been nothing but impressed with him and what we've seen so far."
Key Loss: Bill Zaniboni
Key Additions: Reid Ellingson, Derek Janzen
The goalie position follows suit with the rest of the team. Veteran tender Bill Zaniboni's time in a Wildcat uniform came to an end last season, leaving youthful feet to fill some big skates.
Last year, sophomore Brian Stewart looked brilliant in a November game against Miami, during which he made 39 stops on 41 shots en route to a 4-2 victory. Stewart then wrestled with a knee injury for a large portion of the season and didn't pick up his second win for another four months.
Luckily for Stewart, that victory came on the road against Ohio State in the CCHA playoffs. Stewart then followed it up with another victory and carried NMU into the second round of play.
Despite falling in the season-ending series against Michigan, the coaches liked what they saw from the 6-foot-4-inch Stewart.
"We think that [Stewart] is not only capable of being our starter, we think he is capable of being one of the best goalies in the league," Kyle said. "That's how much we think of this kid. It's clear to me right now who our number one is."
Although he is naturally talented, Stewart has not yet been tested by the rigors of a full college hockey season. His teammates are rallied behind him, however, Siddall said.
"He is just good," Siddall said. "He is really good and you can see that in practice. He's got competitive fire and that's always an exciting thing to see in a goalie, especially one who is unproven."
Stewart has a current lock on the starting role, but Kyle feels that the battle for the backup spot could be intriguing.
Battling for the position will be sophomore Derek Janzen and freshman Reid Ellingson.
Janzen, a former Wildcat, returns to NMU after a year-long stint in the BCHL.
"[Janzen] is a guy that really has paid his dues," Kyle said. "He came in here as a freshman, wound up playing backup. [Bill Zaniboni] came back last year and [Janzen] made the decision that he didn't want to be behind him again, that he wanted to get more game experience."
The other possible option for backup netminder will be Ellingson, who is straight out of high school in Minnesota. While there, Ellingson won the Frank Brimsek award, which is given to the top goaltender in the state.
"Reid dominated high school hockey last year," Kyle said. "He is an elite young talent for sure. The question with Reid is, 'Can an elite young high school talent make the step from high school hockey to college hockey and effectively perform?'"
While the coach said that he doesn't exactly know the answer to that question, he has faith in all of his netminders.
"The unfortunate thing is that all those guys won't be able to get ice time, but the truth is, they are going to have to determine [who plays]," Kyle said.
While Northern's goalies may not currently garner a great deal of respect, Kyle said that people should soon realize how good they truly are.
"I think that at Christmas time people are going to look and go, 'Wow, their goaltending is pretty good,' " Kyle said.
The Wildcats start the upcoming regular season on the road at Michigan Tech (Oct. 12) and the University of Minnesota-Duluth (Oct. 13).
They will return home the next weekend to face off against the No. 9 Michigan Wolverines, the team that ousted the Wildcats from the CCHA Playoffs last season.
They will then spend a weekend in East Lansing competing against the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans, the team that won the national championship last season. The 'Cats will then return home to battle the No. 4 Miami Redhawks.
With six of the first eight games against top-ten opponents, the Wildcats will have a trial-by-fire, Kyle said.
"If anyone has a more difficult start, I'd like to know who it is," he said. "For a young team, we are going to get baptized, big time."
Although the schedule is a difficult one, Kyle said that this season will be an excellent opportunity to see great hockey, as some of the nation's top teams will travel to Marquette.
No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Miami, No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 9 Michigan will all make trips north before the end of the season. Michigan Tech also received votes in the polls and will travel to Marquette, as will the Wildcat's cross-country rival, the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
"I love the talent level of this team right now," Kyle said. "I can't tell you when it's going to be ready to turn that over into winning, but I can tell you that at some point it will. Now when the chemistry and the leadership come together, when the experience comes together, at that point we will be able to win, but the talent is there right now to be a good hockey team."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
richard kirtos
posted 10/23/07 @ 6:01 PM EST
Best preview I have seen for NMU. Is there presure on Walt to produce this year? His teams seem to underachive. Five years is a fair amount of time to judge him. (Continued…)
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