Weekly Release #3
10/18/1999 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
#3 Michigan at Alaska Fairbanks
Carlson Center, Fairbanks, Alaska
Friday, Oct. 22, 7:05 p.m. (Alaska Daylight Time)
Saturday, Oct. 23, at 7:05 p.m. (Alaska Daylight Time)
Coach Berenson
Red Berenson is in his 16th year as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. Coach Berenson owns a career record of 398-197-36 and is the 16th winningest coach in NCAA history. Coach Berenson is two wins away from his 400th coaching victory. Berenson has 710 games associated with Michigan hockey (631 as a coach, 79 as a student-athlete).
Michigan vs. Alaska Fairbanks
Michigan and Alaska Fairbanks are meeting for the 19th time. Michigan has not lost to the Nanooks, holding a 18-0-0 record against them. In road games, the Wolverines are a perfect 8-0-0 while playing Fairbanks.
Coach Berenson vs. UAF
Michigan head coach Red Berenson owns a record of 18-0-0 against the Nanooks. This will be the first time he has coached against UAF's new head coach, Guy Gadowski.
The Last Time
In the last meeting between Michigan and Alaska Fairbanks on Nov. 13, 1998, Josh Langfeld (Coon Rapids, Minn.) opened the game with a goal at the 1:14 mark of the first period. He went on to score in the second and third periods to record his first career hat trick as the Wolverines defeated the Nanooks 6-3. Josh Blackburn (Choctaw, Okla.) made 15 saves and allowed two goals before Kevin O'Malley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) entered the game. O'Malley made three saves and allowed one goal. Geoff Koch (Exeter, N.H.), Jeff Jillson (North Smithfield, R.I.) and Bubba Berenzweig also scored for the Wolverines.
Big O and Big D
In the first four games of the season, Michigan is averaging 6.00 goals per game while giving up just 1.50 goals per game.
Special Teams
Michigan's special teams have been just that. After scoring three power-play goals in the opening weekend, the Wolverines exploded for seven power-play goals in Friday's (Oct. 15) game against UMass-Lowell, including five in the second period alone.
The Wolverines returned the next night (Oct. 16) to open the game with two consecutive short-handed goals before Mike Cammalleri (Richmond Hill, Ontario) closed out the scoring with a power-play goal.
For the season, Michigan has scored 11 power-play goals and two short-handed goals. Statistically, Michigan is 11-36 (30.6 percent) on the power play and 29-31 (93.5 percent) on the penalty kill.
New Goalies
Kevin O'Malley made his second and third career starts last weekend against UMass-Lowell in his first weekend as the team's designated starter. Last season, O'Malley lost a 2-1 decision to Niagara in his only start. However, he earned both wins against UMass-Lowell, making 35 saves while allowing just two goals in 100 minutes of action. For the season, he now boasts a 1.09 GAA and a .949 save percentage.
In his first appearance as a Wolverine, junior transfer L.J. Scarpace (Dearborn, Mich.) stopped all six shots he faced in the third period of Friday's (Oct. 15) game. It was his fourth appearance as a collegiate goaltender after playing in three games for Western Michigan University in 1997-98.
Career Weekend
Jeff Jillson led all scorers in the CCHA last weekend with one goal and five assists for six points and just two penalty minutes in the two-game series against the River Hawks. In Friday's (Oct. 15) game, Jillson scored his goal and added three assists for his first career four-point game.
Quick Start I
Michigan has 24 goals in four games this season. Last year, it was the first goal of the eighth game (Josh Langfeld 1:14 into the first against Alaska Fairbanks on Nov. 13, 1998) that marked the 24th goal scored of the season by the Wolverines.
Quick Start II
Michigan has scored the first goal of each game this season by an average of just 5:51 into the first period. In the first game of each series, the time drops to just 1:54 into the first period.
Quick Start III
In the four games this season, Michigan has allowed just one goal by the opposition in the first period, outscoring opponents 7-1 in the first 20 minutes of play each game. The lone score was Jeremy Kyte of UMass-Lowell in Friday's (Oct. 15) game when he scored a power-play goal 8:55 into the first period.
Solid After Two
Michigan owns a 107-0-4 record in the last 111 games when leading after two periods. The streak dates back to Feb. 11, 1995, when Michigan led the University of Illinois-Chicago 4-3 after two periods before falling 5-4 in overtime.
Freshmen Impact
In the games against UMass-Lowell, freshmen Jed Ortmeyer (Omaha, Neb.), Andy Hilbert (Howell, Mich.) and Mike Cammalleri all notched their first career goals. Through four games, the freshman class has accounted for seven goals and seven assists for 14 of Michigan's 57 points (25 percent). Mark Mink (Livonia, Mich.) (2-2-4) and Hilbert (1-3-4) are leading the way with four points each.
Blackburn Out
Sophomore goaltender Josh Blackburn is out indefinitely after tearing ligaments between the first and second toes on his left foot. The injury, called a Lisfrancs sprain, occurred at his residence on Saturday, Oct. 9.
Blackburn played in 41 games as a freshman, posting a record of 25-10-6 with a goals-against average of 2.28 and a .905 save percentage. In the first two games of this season, Blackburn was 2-0-0 with a GAA of 2.19 and an .882 save percentage.
Brad Fraser Info
Walk-on Brad Fraser (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) has joined the hockey team for the 1999-2000 season. Following is biographical information on Fraser:
Member of the Sault Ste. Marie Indians, Tier II Junior A, of the North American Hockey League in 1998-99 ... Split the 1997-98 season with the Compuware Ambassadors and the Gaylord Grizzlies ... Played for the Rochester Mustangs and Compuware in 1996-97 while attending Andover High School ... Named to the King of the Hill All-Star Team in 1996-97 ... Played Midget AAA with Detroit Little Caesars in 1995-96 ... Named second-team All-State after leading the league in defenseman scoring.
U.S. College Hockey Online Poll (10/18/99)
Team (1st-Place Votes) Record Pts Last 1. Boston College (31) 1-0-0 388 1 2. Maine (3) 2-0-0 340 2 3. MICHIGAN (1) 4-0-0 293 5 4. North Dakota (5) 0-0-0 282 4 5. Michigan State 2-1-0 205 3 6. New Hampshire 1-0-0 178 6 7. Colorado College 1-0-0 166 8 8. Northern Michigan 4-0-0 124 9 9. Clarkson 0-0-0 89 7 10. Denver 2-0-0 40 10
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
