DETROIT There was a lot of hype surrounding the Michigan hockey team"s freshman class at the start of the season. Two names in particular dominated the spotlight defensemen Mike Komisarek and Andy Burnes.

But in light of the way Joe Kautz has come on in the second half of his freshman year, it"s starting to look like not mentioning him was a tremendous oversight.

With three goals and three assists in his last six games, Kautz is certainly turning heads in the CCHA, a point proven by the fact that he was selected to the CCHA All-Tournament team by members of the media this past weekend.

"It just so happens that the puck is bouncing my way and I"m getting some points," Kautz said. "I"m not always the guy that gets all the points, but the last couple of games I"ve gotten some."

When sophomore winger Jed Ortmeyer went down with an ACL tear, things looked bleak for the Wolverines. Ortmeyer offered the team a great physical presence as well as offensive skills.

Needing someone to fill the void, the team looked at many different players, offering chances to step up and hoping for production similar to Ortmeyer"s. Kautz is playing the part as best he can after first becoming an everyday player since the injury.

"I"m really happy for the kid," Ortmeyer said. "He goes out every game and works hard and shows that he"s stepping in and doing the job. He comes in and he works out, he"s in the weight room every day. You just have to be happy for him and hope things go well for him."

One thing that makes Kautz so valuable is his penchant for stepping up in big games. Two of the best performances he"s had this season were at the cavernous Joe Louis Arena. Friday night at the Joe, he scored a goal and assisted on another, while at the same time offering the physical presence that kept Nebraska-Omaha in check.

"I don"t know if he"s too young to be nervous or what it is but some guys step up at different times or different buildings," assistant coach Billy Powers said. "It"s just great that it"s playoff time and he"s doing what he"s doing.

"Joey"s finally realizing that he belongs here and that he can produce here and that he can have an impact on the outcome of games and help our team and he picked a perfect time to do it. He"s a consummate team guy and he"s absolutely adding a lot to our team right now."

Kautz prides himself on his physical prowess. To him, goals are just secondary. And despite the honors that he"s receiving and the newfound ability to put the biscuit in the basket, he intends to approach the NCAA West Regional this weekend the same way he"s gone into every previous game.

"I don"t care if I"m playing against the first line or the fourth line or if I"m on the first line or the fourth line," he said. "I just play the same way and just try to play harder every night and every shift."