TheWolverine.com - Makeover has Michigan poised for No. 1 Miami (Ohio

November 6, 2009

Michael Spath
TheWolverine.com Senior Writer

In four games on a line together, Matt Rust, Carl Hagelin and Chris Brown accumulated six goals and five assists, however, the Maize and Blue were just 2-2-0 and were struggling for offense. Head coach Red Berenson didn't hesitate to break the productive trio up, and so far the decision has paid off ?

"At first, you look at it and you're disappointed because you've worked so hard to create this chemistry but when you step back and look at it again, it's a positive thing for the team," Rust said. "We were playing really well, but obviously our team needed a little bit of a spark there."

Junior forward Louie Caporusso, mired in a four-game scoring drought to begin the year, tallied a goal and two assists while playing with wingers Hagelin and Brown during last weekend's two-game sweep at Lake Superior State. Hagelin and Brown did not suffer from the change either - they combined for three goals and three assists.

Rust picked up new wingers in sophomores David Wohlberg and Robbie Czarnik. Like Caporusso, Wohlberg had gone scoreless in U-M's first four games, but he had an assist each night while Rust finished with two goals and a helper.

"I thought it was better for our team [to make the changes]," Berenson said. "We had one line going but we needed to get more guys going. I think it's worked out.

"We really just switched centermen and then put Czarnik up on that line with Rust and Wohlberg. We may not be done with our lines - it depends how they perform. I think we have a lot of options, but right now we're going in the right direction."

The Wolverines have always been at their best (for two decades now) when they were more than a one-line team. Most Michigan opponents do not have the depth at forward to feature two dynamic lines but the Maize and Blue do. Their third and fourth lines aren't bad either.

This weekend, U-M hosts No. 1 Miami (Ohio) for a pair of contests at Yost Ice Arena, and its ability to match either Rust's or Caporusso's line with RedHawk Carter Camper's No. 1 line will be critical to deciding the outcome each night.

"I can't tell you there is a strategy," Berenson said. "We have to play well with the puck, when we get the puck, and if we do, the puck will be in their zone and they have to play in their zone a lot then it will be harder for them to be as effective offensively. And then we have to play well defensively. We have to force turnovers.

"If they get the puck in our zone, we have to make sure to counterattack them. And that's the same thing they'll be talking about with us. They want to play in our zone, not their zone. And they have to worry about Rust and Hagelin, Caporusso, Brown, Wohlberg ? just like we have to worry about their best players."

With a 6-1-1 record in eight games, Miami is off to the third-best start in program history. The 2009 NCAA runner-up has been the nation's No. 1 team for three straight weeks but has not posted a win over a top-15 team yet this season. Neither has Michigan, ranked fourth nationally, for that matter so this weekend should be a barometer for both programs.

"It should be a great weekend for the school, for the fans," Caporusso said. "I had people in my class talking about hockey that I didn't even think were fans. This is a big weekend. This is huge. The team is ready for this. This will be a good measuring stick for us, to see if we're ready to compete, and what we have to do to improve."

TV/Radio: Both games can be seen on Comcast Local (Channel 900 in Michigan) and can be heard on 1050 AM in Ann Arbor ? Streaming audio will be available on mgoblue.com

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