The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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HOCKEY RECRUITING "He's not the kind of kid to see op- portunities to improve and pass on them. He pushes himself the same way he pushes his teammates. He's been a great face of this organization." LaFontaine has been with Janes- ville for only one season, spending 2014-15 in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, but the Mississauga, On- tario, native certainly made his mark, going 24-8-7 with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage this past year. "We've had a relationship with Jack for a number of years and he's a tremendous kid," Wiseman said. "He's knowledgeable about the game, the position and the pathway for success. "He's as bright of a kid as might be out there. He thought coming down to the States and playing in the USHL would enhance his opportunity for exposure and prepare him for col- lege, and that speaks to his level of maturity. "We feel really good about him as a person, and athletically we think he can be a really important part of our team." In Lavigne, Michigan adds a 6-3, 200-pound 20-year-old to compete with the 18-year old LaFontaine. Lavigne went 26-9-2 this past year with the Bloomington Thunder, post- ing a 2.26 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. "The nature of those two kids is you're going to see some spirited, competitive practices, which is what you need out of that goaltender posi- tion," Powers said. "They'll be push- ing each other and they'll push Chad and Zach, too." Lavigne was originally supposed to sign a letter of intent two years ago and then again last year, but the Michigan coaches and the goaltender reached a collaborative agreement that he needed to spend more time in the United States Hockey League sharpening his game. In 2013-14, the Brampton, Ontario, native posted a 3.83 goals-against av- erage and an .895 save percentage in 27 games. Then a year ago, playing for both the Waterloo Black Hawks and the Thunder, Lavigne had a 3.08 GAA and an .886 save percentage in 34 games. He was a different goalie for Bloomington this season and had the Thunder on the brink of advancing in the USHL playoffs, going 2-2 in a first-round series with a 2.13 GAA, recording 86 saves on 94 shots. "Credit to him because he went back and played a year of juniors to make himself a better player and give himself the best chance to be successful on the next level," Wise- man said. "We've been committed to Hayden for a few years, and this year he has really played consistent high- level hockey, was top 10 in a bunch of statistics for goalies in that league. "Those goalies have, historically, translated into being good college goalies early in their career, and we anticipate that being the case with Hayden." When head coach Red Berenson made his decision to return for a 33rd season earlier this spring, he did so