When people think about the 1996-97 Michigan hockey team, they think of its nine seniors.
Nine talented seniors.
Nine talented seniors who have already won one ring.
And in the beginning of the season, they carried the team.
They led, but Michigan's sophomores - who made important plays in last season's playoffs - didn't follow.
"I think they were taking a laid-back 'we're not important'-type role as a class," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "I needed every one of them to step up."
And in the past few weeks, the sophomore class has stepped up into the role expected of them.
The sophomores have scored and assisted key goals, killed penalties and played strong defense.
Friday night, they helped win a crucial game in the race for the CCHA title.
Sophomore wingers Sean Ritchlin and Greg Crozier set up Brendan Morrison's game-tying goal at 2:29 of the third period. Ritchlin then scored the go-ahead goal less than five minutes later off a feed from Crozier.
The following night, Crozier and fellow sophomore Dale Rominski assisted on John Madden's goal just 2:38 into the game. It was all the scoring Michigan would need as Michigan completed the weekend sweep of the Redskins, 3-0.
Crozier's three assists on three key goals showed he has come back considerably from the broken forearm that but him on the sidelines early in the season.
"This was (Crozier's) best weekend," Berenson said. "This was a weekend when goals were hard to come by against a good team, and Crozier stepped up and made a difference."
Sophomore Bobby Hayes was promoted to center between seniors John Madden and Warren Luhning the past two weekends. He helped the slumping line generate more pressure and has had three goals and four assists in his past six games.
Hayes and Rominski have both become penalty-kill specialists. Rominski excited Yost Ice Arena on Friday as his pressure kept the dangerous Miami power-play unit stuck behind its own net.
So what has sparked the classwide improvement?
"We got together as a group and said, 'We really have got to pick it up, because this class has a lot of talent,'" Ritchlin said. "Greg Crozier is one of the best shooters ever. (Defenseman) Bubba (Berenzweig) is a great skater. Bobby and Dale work so hard. Justin (Clark) is just a moose. So there's definitely a lot of talent in our class."
A discussion with the coaching staff also apparently helped.
"We had a meeting with the sophomore class a couple weeks ago," Berenson said. "We tried to let them understand how they fit into the team.
"These kids are starting to get a little more confidence and understand how important they are to the team in their roles. And you can see, just from the last weekend, how important their roles are."
Clark returns to practice: The sophomore class also took another step toward being completely healthy, which they haven't been since Crozier broke his arm in November.
Clark, a right wing, skated with the team for the first time in a month yesterday. He has been out with mononucleosis but said he learned a lot by watching.
"I feel like I'm a smarter player; I just have to get back in shape," he said. "I was getting a little depressed for awhile - so much free time on my hands. It feels good to be back out there."
Clark will not play in this weekend's contests and is doubtful for Michigan's games against Lake Superior and Michigan State, Feb. 7-8 at Joe Louis Arena.
A shortage of forwards?: With all of Michigan's talent, is it possible that it doesn't have enough forwards?
Seems so.
Berenson has decided to go with seven defenseman in the lineup recently, rather than starting forwards who he feels aren't playing well.
Michigan's centers have rotated pulling double-duty playing between Rominski and Crozier on the fourth line, as well as their own lines.
"When you're in the lineup it's a privilege, not something to take for granted. You've got to live up to expectations," said Berenson, who indicated he would start eight defensemen if enough forwards weren't playing well.
"If you dress, you're going to play and you better be ready to play well."
JONATHAN LURIE/Special to the Daily
Dale Rominski helped drop Michigan Tech in the Great Lakes Invitational. He is just one of Michigan's talented sophomores.