The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/213966
M By Michael Spath ichigan head coach Red Berenson has told the story a few times now. Eight years ago or so, in doing a favor for a friend whose grandson was an exuberant young goaltender, Berenson welcomed the lad and his mother into his office at Yost Ice Arena. He offered them a few tips on what they could do to enhance the goalie's prospects of playing at a high level, potentially even collegiately. Berenson never expected that the conversation would come full circle — but last spring, when the Wolverines learned goalie Jared Rutledge would not be back for his sophomore season, they scoured the junior ranks to see if there was a netminder good enough to wear the winged helmet, academically qualified and still available. "I knew the family, knew the kid, but I never thought that young kid would be someone that one day we ended up tracking as a potential goalie for Michigan," Berenson said. "Last year, when we knew that we needed someone, he was playing in Sault Ste. Marie and playing well, but so was the other goalie. "So when they got to the trade deadline, they traded him. Then for the first time, he got to play more and show that he was pretty good." Michigan offered an opportunity to wear the winged helmet, to attend school, and to compete as Steve Racine's backup. The 19-year old Zach Nagelvoort could not deny his 11-year-old self this chance. "I was waiting for my opportunity to find a big-name school, and to have the chance to come here was a dream come true," Nagelvoort said. "I knew I could come in here and make a difference for Michigan because I know its history and what the expectations are." Auspicious Start Over the final 10 games of the 2013 season, Racine went 8-1-1 with a 2.10 goals-against average, solidifying his standing as Michigan's No. 1 netminder. The Maize and Blue were up front with Nagelvoort, telling the Holland, Mich., native Racine was their starter and that he would be given the opportunity to compete with two veterans to be the backup — a job he earned in preseason practices. When Racine went down with a groin injury in the third period of a 1-1 tie at New Hampshire Oct. 18, Nagelvoort was called upon to replace him, and he would receive a true baptism by fire, tasked with defending a penalty shot five minutes into his first college game action. Nagelvoort brushed aside that shot among 13 third-period saves and two overtime stops he made in the 1-1 stalemate. "The penalty shot coming right away was a little intimidating, but it was actually really cool to get that under my belt," he said. The following night, he made 22 saves in a 3-2 Michigan victory. "It was obvious Racine was going to be out for awhile so it wasn't like starting came as a surprise," Beren-