The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2018 HOCKEY PREVIEW as the year went on. We learned to play on the right side of the puck. We scored more goals than any team in college hockey in the second half of the year. "I was worried about our scoring. Once we got our game in order de- fensively, the scoring seemed to natu- rally get better." Offensively, the Wolverines face question marks about goal-scoring contributors for the upcoming sea- son. Three of their top four scorers have departed. Tony Calderone (25 goals) and Dexter Dancs (12 goals) graduated, while Cooper Marody (16 goals) turned pro. The only double- digit goal scorer returning is junior Jake Slaker (15 goals). "On offense, we're going to have a mix," Pearson explained. "We're go- ing to have to find goals to replace the Marody line. They were really good for us last year. We have guys like [sophomore] Josh Norris. We have [junior] Will Lockwood and [redshirt sophomore] Luke Morgan, two guys that we didn't have last season. Obvi- ously, Will played the first half and arguably would have been one of our best players in the second half if he hadn't have gotten injured [which limited him to 16 games]. Morgan is a transfer who's already played and gotten experience in Division I [at Lake Superior State]. Michigan head coach Mel Pearson had a lot of irons in the fire over the summer with rumors flying that elite prospects Jack Hughes and Oliver Wahlstrom were considering playing for Michigan in 2018-19. While neither ultimately ended up as Wolverines, Pearson landed 10 new players to fill his freshman class. Those players generally are more of the steady, four-year talents than the elite forces that have already committed for the next three future classes. "Recruiting is so far out time-wise now that we're playing a little make up with the first few classes," Pearson said. "But [re- cruiting] is going well. We'll get there. You just want to do it right. You don't want to rush into things. You want to do it right to not just build a team, but build a program. "Michigan is Michigan. You've got a great academic institution. You've got a great community in Ann Arbor. And, you've got a world-renowned athletic program. You've got everything you need here. Michigan has won more na- tional championships in hockey than any program. We have so many alumni of the program playing NHL hockey." The 2018-19 rookie class is also a departure for Michigan in another sense. Michigan traditionally has pulled in very young, higher-end skilled recruits. Age and the experience that comes with older age are the calling cards for most of the 2018-19 class members. The class includes one 18-year-old, two 19-year-olds, three 20-year-olds and four 21-year-olds. "Overall, It's an older class," the coach admitted. "Part of that's intentional. The landscape in college hockey is changed. That's why you see teams like Union and Providence have suc- cess. They went with older, more mature players. "In the bigger programs, you have guys leaving early all the time. You never quite seem to get enough juniors and seniors in the program. They're gone too early. That age difference can really help a program. We intentionally would like to have more balance in the classes. We understand that you benefit from that balance." The class is detailed below with quotes from Pearson exclu- sive to The Wolverine for each individual player: Goaltender Strauss Mann (catches left, 5-11, 180, 1988 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Fargo (USHL): 33 games, 1.91 goals against average, .930 save percentage Pearson is betting he's found his next dominant goaltender in Mann, who made the big move up from the North- east prep hockey scene with Brunswick School to Fargo of the USHL last year. Mann responded by dominating in his new league, residing as a top-three USHL goaltender this past season. The depar- ture of Jack Lafontaine to spend a year in the USHL provides the open spot in the lineup for Mann to fill. Pearson: "Marty Turco. I hate to lay that on him, but he reminds me of the guy who's won more games than any other college goaltender. He reminds me of Marty in so many ways: his mannerisms, the way he's a standup goalie. "Very athletic and very composed. He won in high school, then he went to the USHL and in the first year he wins a cham- pionship. He's a winner." Forward Jack Randl (shoots left, 5-10, 180, 2000 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Omaha (USHL): 47 games, 20 goals, 11 assists, 62 penalty minutes Randl combines skating speed with the ability to play strong on the puck. Another veteran of international play. A future captain type. Pearson: "The thing I like about Jack is his work ethic. He really plays one way, and that's 'solid.' He plays hard and he's good with the puck. "He's a good 200-foot player, understands the game, enjoys the game. He can play in all situations." Defenseman Jake Gingell (shoots left, 6-0, 205, 1997 birth year) 2017-18 Stats With Youngstown (USHL): 48 games, three goals, six assists, 88 penalty minutes Previously committed to Pearson at Michigan Tech, Gingell Freshman Influx In his first year at the helm, Mel Pearson led his team to a 22-15-3 overall record and reached the Frozen Four. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL