MHM 2018 Oct-digital
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
COLLEGE HOCKEY PRIMER<br />
BIG TEN PRIMER:<br />
CONTENDER CENTRAL<br />
WISCONSIN LOOKS TO BE A TOP CHALLENGER FOR THE BIG TEN TITLE THIS WINTER<br />
Michigan’s Jack Becker.<br />
Photo by Jeff Wegge<br />
by Declan Goff<br />
The Wisconsin Badgers<br />
haven’t been to the<br />
NCAA Tournament<br />
since 2014 but that streak could<br />
end this season.<br />
Wisconsin<br />
Wisconsin features a top-heavy blue line which<br />
includes Wyatt Kalynuk, who enters his sophomore<br />
season as a unanimous selection for the Big Ten<br />
Preseason Watch List after posting 25 points as a<br />
freshman. Kalynuk isn’t the only defender gathering<br />
attention as Hopkins native K’Andre Miller might<br />
be one of the most talked about players in the Big<br />
Ten. Miller was a first-round pick last June by the<br />
New York Rangers and his head coach Tony Granato<br />
envisions the blue liner playing a big role in <strong>2018</strong>-19.<br />
“He likes playing on our No. 1 power play unit<br />
Notre Dame’s Dylan Malmquist.<br />
Photo by Jeff Wegge<br />
Ohio State’s John Wiitala.<br />
Photo by Jeff Wegge<br />
right now,” Granato said. “He’s going to get a lot<br />
of minutes. He’s extremely athletic and he’s a little<br />
bit raw in the position, he’s just over two years<br />
playing as a defenseman. We definitely want him<br />
to be an offensive player as well – I think the size<br />
and physicality that he’ll be able to play with is<br />
something that will make him a strong defensive<br />
player. I think he’s going to get a good look to make<br />
the World Juniors team. So I think what you can<br />
expect is an exciting player who will be on the ice a<br />
lot for us.”<br />
Notre Dame<br />
The defending Big Ten Champion Notre Dame<br />
Fighting Irish were picked to finish third in the<br />
conference this season after finishing the 2017-18<br />
season as runner-up to the national champion<br />
Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs at the Frozen Four in St.<br />
Paul. Junior goaltender Cale Morris staked his claim<br />
as the best goaltender in college hockey last season<br />
by posting a 1.94 GAA and a .944 save percentage.<br />
The First-Team All-American was awarded the Mike<br />
Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender.<br />
On the offense, Edina native Dylan Malmquist is<br />
poised for a big year and the senior was named an<br />
alternate captain for the Irish. Notre Dame coach<br />
Jeff Jackson says Malmquist had his best season as<br />
a junior and thinks he will be a huge factor for the<br />
Irish as a senior.<br />
“He’s moving back to his natural position of<br />
center so I’m excited about Dylan,” Jackson said. “I<br />
think he’s got his head in the right direction; he’s<br />
learned what commitment is all about and now<br />
hopefully he can take that next step which we’re<br />
going to need.”<br />
Ohio State<br />
The Ohio State Buckeyes were able to put it all<br />
together last season. Always known for its potent<br />
offense, the Buckeyes had stability on the defensive<br />
side and in net as they punched their first ticket to<br />
the Frozen Four for the first time since 1998. Led<br />
by head coach, and Hill-Murray alum, Steve Rohlik,<br />
Ohio State is the preseason favorite to win the<br />
Big Ten conference in <strong>2018</strong>-19. Mason Jobst and<br />
Tanner Laczynski were unanimous selections for the<br />
preseason watch list. Although he may not light up<br />
a box score, Lakeville native John Wiitala is a player<br />
to keep an eye on.<br />
“He’s been put in a lot of situations: he’s killed<br />
penalties, he’s been on the power play, he’s<br />
played regular shifts,” Rohlik said on the Big Ten<br />
conference call. “I think more of his production as<br />
a 200-foot player, that’s my biggest thing with him,<br />
and right now he’s had a good offseason that I can<br />
see. I think he’s going to make some improvements<br />
in all areas of his game.”<br />
Michigan<br />
What a difference a year can make. The Michigan<br />
Wolverines made it to the Frozen Four last season<br />
after winning just 13 games in 2016-17. Mel Pearson,<br />
who took over for the legendary Red Berenson,<br />
guided the Wolverines back to prominence<br />
and now second-year coach is poised to bring<br />
another National Championship back Ann Arbor.<br />
Only Boston University and Boston College had<br />
a younger roster than Michigan a year ago. With<br />
just three seniors on their roster this season, the<br />
Wolverines appear to be a threat for years to come.<br />
Sophomore forward, and Dellwood, Minn., native<br />
Jack Becker, had 15 points in his freshman season<br />
but over the course of the year, Becker continued to<br />
impress.<br />
“He’s probably our most improved player,”<br />
Pearson said of Becker. “What I like about Jack is<br />
he does everything the right way. He wants to<br />
be a player, he trains hard, he’s an exceptional<br />
student and competent student-athlete. But he’s<br />
had tremendous growth in his game and we’re just<br />
talking the other day, we would like one of Jack<br />
Becker on every line just because of what he brings<br />
to the table.”<br />
Penn State<br />
Entering just its seventh season at the Division<br />
1 level, Penn State has already made its mark in<br />
college hockey. The team has secured back-toback<br />
NCAA Tournament bids but they did lose top<br />
scorer Andrew Strutz. However, most of the offense<br />
returns and their 138 goals were the third most in<br />
college hockey. Juniors Dennis Smirnov and Nate<br />
Sucese were nearly point per game players last<br />
season and were named to the preseason watch list.<br />
Michigan State<br />
Michigan State may have been picked to finish<br />
last in the Big Ten conference but its top line of<br />
Taro Hirose, Patrick Khodorenko and Mitchell<br />
Lewandowski is one of the best in college hockey.<br />
All three players were named to the preseason<br />
watch list. John Lethemon started 34 games<br />
last season for the Spartans but he’ll have some<br />
competition in highly-regarded goaltender Drew<br />
DeRidder who played last season with the U.S.<br />
National Team Development Program’s Under-18<br />
Team. 6<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2018</strong> MINNESOTA HOCKEY MAGAZINE MINNESOTA HOCKEY MAGAZINE OCTOBER <strong>2018</strong><br />
34 35