2004-05 IHM vs. Bowling Green -- Postgame Quotes
12/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Michigan Head Coach Red Berenson
On the game tonight ... "We dug ourselves a hole, [but] we stuck together. We were probably fortunate we had the intermission to regroup, and I can't tell you that we played terrible the first period. We had to stay focused on what we came to do and how we came to play and make our chances count. The next goal became huge and I think that really helped us once we got that next goal, then the next one. Then, the momentum of college hockey started to happen, so good for our team. We're a veteran team and we didn't panic, didn't fall apart, didn't start pointing fingers. We just hung in there and played hard and we got some breaks."
On missing injured senior defenseman Eric Werner ... "We were really worried about not having Eric Werner back there, and you miss him. He's your most dangerous offensive defenseman and a big part of our team, penalty killing, power play, leadership, everything. I thought our team, our defense, did a pretty good job without him, and our forwards had to be a part of that."
On the play of forwards T.J. Hensick and Milan Gajic ... "I think everybody got into the game. We started to press, but we started to compete better and then the puck starts coming your way. When you play better without the puck, you end up getting the puck and we have some skilled players. I've always said if we give the other team so many scoring chances and we get so many, hopefully we'll have more skill or better goalkeeping or whatever and we'll be able to capitalize on our chances."
On the production of sophomore defenseman Matt Hunwick ... "I can't remember the last time a defenseman had a hat trick at Michigan, but good for him. I was looking at his power-play production, and it hasn't been very significant, and the thing that concerned me was he only had four or five shots in the first 16 games on the power play. See what happens when you shoot the puck."
Senior Forward Milan Gajic
On scoring on good friend Jordan Sigalet ... "We go back a long way. I know him pretty well. I know it's going to kill him that I scored on him. When we were shaking hands, he said it was a nice goal, but he didn't mean it."
On playing at Bowling Green tomorrow night ... "We're going to an away barn tomorrow night. They're playing good hockey. Their coach has them doing the right things and you can see that by the first period. So going back in their arena, they're going to be hungry. We have to go there ready to play."
Sophomore Defenseman Matt Hunwick
On his hat-trick goal ... "I was just trying to put a shot on net. We had a couple of guys in front, so I was just trying to get it through. Luckily enough, it went in."
On his first career hat trick ... "It's a good feeling. It's good to help the team win, that's the biggest thing."
On what Coach Berenson has been telling the defensemen ... "He's been talking to a lot of defensemen, especially on the power play, to establish the shot. It makes it a lot easier for our forwards because their penalty killers really have to respect us up high, and give our forwards down low a lot more room. It was good to do that tonight."
Sophomore Forward T.J. Hensick
On the first period ... "It was obviously not the start we wanted. It was just one of those periods that we wanted to put behind us and move on to the second. Coach mentioned some good things that we were doing, but he also said pick it up. We knew we had to come back from three, we just had to stay together, try to get a goal every 10 minutes, and just chip away."
On what got the team turned around ... "It was definitely Kal's (Brandon Kaleniecki) goal, Gajic to Kal, the first goal we had on the power play. It seems like no matter who it is, whoever scores, our team gets going and we get energy. It excites the crowd and gets the team going."
On scoring after the crowd serenaded him ... "It was nice to hear the crowd (sing happy birthday) and get the support from them. There must have been a little birthday wish because I did score my goals after that."
