The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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senior year for the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets after three seasons at Brother Rice High School. There was some talk, especially coming from the U-M coaching staff, that Pateryn should spend another year in juniors, honing his skills against better competition, but the 6-3, 214-pounder was eager to begin his Michigan career, and Berenson ac- quiesced to the request. "I told them I wanted to come in and fight for a spot," Pateryn said. "I felt I was ready to help the team. I didn't play every game my freshman year, but I figured that's how it was going to be. I don't regret the decision. It was good for the team and for me." If sophomore defenseman Jon Mer- rill saw the game in slow motion dur- ing his rookie year — the 2010 second- round round pick is a rare exception — dissecting it frame by frame, then Pateryn witnessed the game unfold on fast-forward. He was a step slow, his decision-making took too long, and his passes weren't always crisp; he was overwhelmed, at first, and would warrant only a part-time role. Pateryn appeared in 28 games his rookie season, contributing five as- sists and finishing with a plus/minus of plus-five. Perhaps if he had waited a year to enroll, he would have been better prepared to play more, but the senior feels the entire experience — even the 13 contests in which he did not appear — helped hasten his rate of progress. "When you're younger, your mind and body is like a sponge, you're ab- sorbing information all the time, and to get that extra year of better hockey and better coaching was huge for my improvement," he said. A HEALTHY SCRATCH Michigan was so flush with defen- semen a year later, the coaching staff was able to move Scooter Vaughan to forward to shore up a weakness. Pa- teryn made some strides in his sopho- more season, but he played in just 33 of 45 games. He was growing tired of his name written among the healthy scratches and vowed to dedicate him- self even more. "The biggest thing was having a good offseason," he said. "Besides playing and practicing during the season, and gaining experience, you make the most gains in the summer, working on your skating, shooting, 78 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2011 wouldn't dress for The Big Chill at The Big House, U-M's outdoor game opposite rival Michigan State. "There was a lot of build up, it was a big game that all of us wanted to play in, and sitting out would have been really hard because it's a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity, and you want to be a part of it," said fifth-year se- nior goalie Shawn Hunwick, who was also supposed to sit until an injury to Bryan Hogan forced him into the start- ing lineup. "I was sort of in the same shoes, looking at my own game and what I had to do better, and I think it was a great motivator for Greg, too." Watching in street clothes while his teammates blanked the Spartans 5-0, Pateryn made a commitment to never sit another game when healthy. "You're upset and looking for some- Not only is Pateryn playing the best hockey of his career, but he has also evolved into a great leader for the Wolverines' youth-laden defense. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL your strength and conditioning, and it shows on the ice. "When I first got here, I was an immature player. In high school, I always got good grades without studying, I was naturally smart. As a hockey player, everything just came easy. But no one is naturally smart here. You're studying until 2 or 3 in the morning, waking up the next day for class, have practice. It starts over. And that's not something you're used to, and it humbles you. "In hockey, it's the same thing, you listen to the coaches, and they tell you what to work on. At lower levels, the players on this team were the best players on their team so they didn't need to work on much, but here they give us feedback and tell us what to work on, and if you listen to them and work on those things, it really pays off." For the first time in his career, Pa- teryn appeared in the first seven games of a season, and he contributed a goal and two assists with a plus/mi- nus of plus-three in 2010-11. But Be- renson wasn't enthusiastic about the junior's performance, and benched him against Ferris State, and then for two more games consecutively. Pateryn sat, a coach's decision, in four of 12 contests, none churning his stomach greater than when he one to blame, but I never pointed a finger at the coaches," he said. "It was definitely hard to sit, but this is a team, and the coaches make the best decisions for the team. "I talked to them about why I didn't play, and why I wasn't playing consis- tently. They gave me an explanation, we went over the things I needed to do to be in the lineup every night, and we moved on from there. I told the coaches I felt like this team needs me, and my goal after Christmas was I wasn't going to sit out again." He wouldn't miss another contest, appearing in 25 consecutively, re- cording a goal and nine assists with a plus/minus of plus-10 while, argu- ably, becoming the Wolverines' most dependable defenseman. "In the second half, Pateryn went from being a complementary piece to an anchor on the blue line," U.S. Col- lege Hockey Online beat writer Bob Miller said. "He started using his size and all-around game to play with more physicality and with greater assertiveness. "And he's carried that momentum forward into this season, serving as the defense's leader. It's hard to say if he would have assumed the role in such commanding fashion without the absence of Merrill, but regardless he has been the rock for the Michigan defense this year." LEADING BY EXAMPLE Pateryn was supposed to be one of two senior defenders this season, and was expected to share the spotlight with Merrill. But Brandon Burlon de-