The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/315684
six incoming freshmen that will enter school 19 years of age or older. In 58 games with the Wichita Falls Wild- cats of the North American Hockey League, the Darien, Ill., native posted 11 goals and 26 assists, and produced 19 power-play points, this past year. "He's coming in on a good note, having an MVP-type season for his team," Berenson said. "He's used to playing a big role and he'll get that opportunity here. Whether he's in our top four or top six — if he can step in and play like he has been playing, he'll be a factor." Michigan's defensive corps was its Achilles' heel last year, and has said goodbye to its best player (Bennett), but with Martin, Piazza and, poten- tially, a third defender, plus senior Andrew Sinelli, a converted forward, and sophomores Michael Downing and Kevin Lohan, the Maize and Blue should have a strong top six next season. Players such as seniors Mike Chi- asson, Brennan Serville and Michael Szuma, and sophomores Spencer Hy- man and Nolan De Jong will also vie for playing time. "I think we really feel better about our defense because we know Sinelli can play, and if our defense changes in terms of recruiting in the upcom- ing weeks or months, Sinelli could help us up front," Berenson said. "Downing played in our top four all year and Lohan was in our top six and was playing well at the end." M i c h i g a n h a d s i g n e d g o a l i e Hayden Lavigne in the fall, but the Brampton, Ontario, native, in con- junction with U-M, has decided to spend another year in the USHL. This past season, he played in 27 games and went 7-13-1 with a 3.83 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. He only turned 18 in early April and will be 19 when he becomes part of the 2015 recruiting class. "Everyone thought when we re- cruited him that he'd take off, but some kids are just too young and need a little more time to mature their games," Berenson said. "Hayden will be a full-time starter next year so he'll get the experience he needs to be a good player for us. "We also felt we could put our faith in the two goalies we have, because they have both shown they can win for us. "I like where [sophomore] Zach Nagelvoort is and I like where [ju- nior] Steve Racine is. I think we'll be solid in goal." Over the past two years, Michigan went 36-32-7 overall, posting its low- est winning percentage (.527) since Defenseman Sam Piazza posted 11 goals and 26 assists in 58 games with the Wichita Falls Wildcats of the North American Hockey League this past year. PHOTO BY TROY YOUNG/WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS