Physical Ortmeyer steadies inconsistent Wolverines

By Ryan C. Moloney

Daily Sports Writer

COLUMBUS - On a Michigan hockey team that will play its guts out one night, then show up like Eddie Belfour at a Ken Hitchcock retirement party the next, there exists but one sure bet - Jed Ortmeyer will come to play.

The sophomore, who has scored 18 points this season including seven in his last eight games, has been a buoy in an ocean of uncertainty for the Wolverines. One of the few players to step up his play at the Great Lakes Invitational, he's continued to brandish an offensive sword while asserting his trademark physical presence. There is no return of the Jed-i - he never left in the first place.

"Jed is a high-energy guy," Michigan associate coach Mel Pearson said. "He adds energy to any line he plays with and he also has enough skill so that he can finish when he gets a chance. You'd like to have one Jed Ortmeyer on every line."

That energy knows all times, places and situations. Ortmeyer put Ohio State away for good Saturday, slipping a backhander past Mike Betz stickside for the 6-2 lead with a little over six minutes left in the third period. It was a knockout blow for the Buckeyes, but for Ortmeyer the fight wasn't over.

Ohio State began to take frustration-fueled runs at Michigan's top two scorers, Andy Hilbert and Mike Cammalleri, and Ortmeyer took exception.

At one point, Ortmeyer went pin-balling through the neutral zone, checking one Buckeye, then racing to tag another before nailing a third.

It was a symphony of bad blood between the two teams reaching the height of a crescendo. Ortmeyer was conducting.

"They were starting to take some liberties with our guys," Ortmeyer said. "You've got to protect your teammates, protect yourself and go out and take the body."

In that respect, Ortmeyer has been the team's spark plug. When he delivers a bone-crushing check, the rest of the Wolverines - from freshman to senior - take notice and follow suit.

"He goes out and works his butt off," defenseman Bob Gassoff said. "He goes out there and makes an open-ice hit and stuff like that goes a long way - it really picks up a team. You put it on the line because you know he does the same for you."

Ortmeyer's work ethic transcends his physical game. Against Ohio State, it wasn't just the hitting or the goal but the knack - the knack for winning the odd faceoff, or making the timely backcheck. It's no secret, when Michigan decides to play in the style of its second-line winger, pucks have a way of bouncing favorably.

With the Wolverines fighting for their CCHA and NCAA tournament future, there is no other choice.

"We're getting into a stretch now where if we lose one game, we're done. We've got to play every night," Ortmeyer said.

ALYSSA WOOD/Daily

Though he scores here, Jed Ortmeyer's contributions can't always be measured by statistics.