The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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michigan hockey from Brampton, Ontario, was ranked a 'C' prospect — fourth-, fifth- or sixth-round potential — by the Central Scouting Service and could potentially benefit from another season in the USHL. He has struggled early this year, going 1-4-0 with a 3.97 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage in seven games. "In the '96 age group coming out of Ontario, he is a high-end prospect," Powers said. "He's getting his feet wet in the U.S. Hockey League. And it's been a slow start for him, but he might be the youngest goalie in that league too. "He's going to take his time to continue to evolve, but we think we have a big, 6-3, athletic goalie that will bode well for our future in net." Big-Game Non-Conference Slate Prepares U-M For League Play When Michigan wrapped up the first half of its season Dec. 11 against No. 4 Ferris State, it had played five of 14 games against ranked foes at the time of the Wolverines' matchup and an additional three games against teams that were ranked in the Dec. 10 USCHO.com top 20. In those contests, U-M went 4-2-2. "Most of the games this year have felt like playoff hockey," senior forward Luke Moffatt said. "We've had a lot of one-goal games [nine], games going down to the final period and last few minutes — it's been fun to play in these games." For Michigan's freshmen, includ- ing the seven regularly in the lineup (four forwards, two defensemen and a goalie), the onslaught of high-intensity matchups in the first half of the season has expedited their learning curves, which they expect will help them once the Big Ten campaign commences fully in January. "Playing Boston College in the first game — we were not eased into playing college hockey," rookie blue liner Nolan De Jong said. "We were playing against some high-end players right away, so it took the transition period out and forced us to raise our games immediately. "I think all of the early games have prepared us well. Every team has given us a run for our money and tested us, and we've responded as a team and as a freshman class, so I think that will help us." While the Wolverines will go into January, February and March contests against Big Ten foes having played big games they can call on to help them prepare for Minnesota, Wisconsin and the rest of the league, the fans have also been beneficiaries of the incredible matchups, seeing all three Boston schools — BC, BU and UMass-Lowell — and a top-five meeting with Ferris State. That was the intention when Michigan's staff put together this schedule, and is the byproduct of a Big Ten campaign of only 20 league games that allows for 14 non-conference opportunities. "I don't know if our schedule will help us in recruiting, but I think it will because we can play the Eastern