The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/122487
sive confidence while contributing significantly to the defensive success. "Whether it was goalkeeping, D‑zone coverage, special teams, back-checking, and so on, we all had our hands full trying to get everyone on the same page," Berenson said. "And until we got everyone working together as a team, we were what we were. save percentage through Jan. 11, didn't seem to be the answer, going 42 games until the coaches gave him another start Feb. 22 at Ohio State. But this time, with more than a month to clear his head, the rookie proved more impenetrable, stopping 54 of 60 shots faced in a sweep of the Buckeyes. A week later, he surrendered just two goals on 48 shots (.958 Head coach Red Berenson "I'm excited about what our team did in the last two months of the season, and that we made some progress and got some excitement back in the program, and that's the way it should be." "And then you saw what happened when we were working together. It wasn't just the goalie, it was everybody. Everybody was playing better. The puck started going in and we weren't giving up four goals a night. Should that happen earlier next season? Absolutely." A Legitimate No. 1 Goaltender Michigan's goalie play for much of the year was an abomination. It didn't matter if the Maize and Blue stuck freshman Steve Racine, classmate Jared Rutledge or junior Adam Janecyk in net — none of the three could stop the puck with regularity, and they infuriated their coaches, the fans and teammates by allowing too many soft goals. Berenson and Co. tried and tried, hoping to find the hot hand. Racine, who was 4-5-2 with a 3.11 goals-against average and an .864 save percentage) in leading Michigan to a 4-1 victory and a 2-1 shootout win over Ferris State. In the playoffs, he went 5-1 with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. "He looked so calm and so relaxed; he looked at home," Bennett said. "I think his play will carry over to next season. He doesn't have to come into the year not knowing if he'll be the starting guy, not knowing if he's going to play a game, or what it's like to play in front of a Yost crowd or on the road. "He knows what it's like, and I think he should be more confident; he knows he can stop pucks when he needs to." In the final 10 games to close out the year, Racine went 8-1-1 with a 2.08 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, yet if he thinks he has arrived, he has not, Berenson challenges. "He has to continue to grow his