Redskin Preview
With head coach George Gwozdecky now in his third season guiding
the Redskins, the 1991-92 Miami hockey team is looking to make waves in the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Redskins return 17 letterwinners from last year's squad, and Gwozdecky
brings in his second recruiting class to continue building a solid foundation
for a successful program. The team played last year with a lot of young
faces, including as many as a dozen freshmen on a given night, but those
players are now a year older.
"We had kind of a roller-coaster season with all that youth and
inexperience," said Gwozdecky, "but due to some solid recruiting and our
returnees being a year older, we should be a more consistent and a more
competitive team this winter."
Miami is hoping to make improvements in the offensive attack. Seven of the
top 10 scorers on the team return, and the top seven newcomers are forwards.
Gwozdecky also added that Miami made great strides in its off-season strength
and conditioning program.
Goaltending (3/0) -- Senior Mark Michaud appears ready to backbone the
Redskins between the pipes. When healthy, Michaud is one of the top
goaltenders in the CCHA. He had logged a lot of minutes in his first three
years, and that experience can only help. He ranks third on Miami's all-time
list for career victories (21), with a season high of 11 in 1989-90.
Senior Lee Cannon and sophomore Richard Shulmistra are likely to battle for
the back-up role. Both players saw plenty of action last year, and both have
had their moments of brillance. Cannon holds the single-game school record
with a 57-save performance at Western Michigan two years ago, and Shulmistra
went 2-1-2 with a 2.93 gaa and a .900 save percentage in his first five
collegiate outings.
The Redskins made strides in their defensive efforts last season, and
Gwozdecky would like to improve even more. A lot of pressure was put on some
freshmen blueliners last winter, but those players are now "seasoned
sophomores."
Leading the way is sophomore Bobby Marshall. The team leader in assists
last season, Marshall received mention when the CANSTAR/CCHA All-Rookie team
was announced. He was the team's most consistent defenseman, and shared the
Miami Rookie of the Year award.
Another pair of sophomores, Joe Cook and Trent Eigner, got a lot of ice time
last season and will be heavily counted on this time around. Cook is perhaps
the team's top offensive defenseman, while Eigner is a steady defender. The
experience they received as rookies should help their development for this
campaign.
Senior Steve Wilson also returns to the Redskin blueline corps. Wilson is a
strong and consistent defender and the most experienced defenseman. Classmate
Robert Fischer played in only 14 games last year due to injuries, but expects
to return to the form of his sophomore season, when he was one of Miami's
toughest defenders. Sophomores Andrew Rodman and Jon Baker got their feet wet
last year, and could provide depth this season.
Miami has nine returning letterwinners up front, and Gwozdecky added a
recruiting class of seven forwards to help out. The Redskins hope to find the
right combination, as scoring goals is an area where the squad needs to
improve.
Senior Ken House led the team in scoring last season with 14 goals and 26
points, but the Redskins would like him to repeat the 19 goals and 33 points
of his rookie year. He's Miami's only senior forward, so Gwozdecky shouldn't
lose much off the front line after this season. Junior Chris Bergeron showed
signs of becoming a serious threat in the CCHA last year, scoring eight goals
and three assists in a 10-game stretch, but a knee injury cost him the last 10
games of the season.
Several sophomores had promising freshman years, and will be looked upon to
help shoulder the load. Enrico Blasi shared the team Rookie of the Year
honors, and was one of only three players to hit double figures in both goals
and assists. He is a crowd favorite, and a sparkplug to the team. Classmates
Stephen Rohr and Brian Savage also showed outstanding potential, and Gwozdecky
is hoping that this is the year for them to shine.
Other Redskin veterans to look for in the scoring column include juniors
Brendan Curley, Terry Ouimet and Joey Saban, sophomore Rene Vonlanthen, and
senior Jon Wauford, a Miami football All-America candidate who played 13
varsity hockey games last winter. He could join the squad after football
season.
Gwozdecky will also look to several of his seven newcomers to help in the
offense, particularly Andrew Miller. He was an All-Star for the Wexford
Raiders last season in the Metro Junior "B" League, and should help Miami
right away. Gwozdecky also expects Matt Oates, Dan Carter and Marc Boxer to
be integral forces in the offense.
--
Keith instone @ (euclid bullwinkle andy) .bgsu.edu
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