The No. 3 Michigan hockey team had multiple players to thank for the nine goals it scored against Ferris State in last weekend’s series. The CCHA, though, thought one stood out.
Freshman forward Phil Di Giuseppe was named the CCHA Rookie of the Week and Rookie of the Month after he tallied four points in the Wolverines’ sweep of the Bulldogs.
Not bad for a freshman who was uncertain about how well the transition from the non-conference games to the more aggressive style of CCHA play would go.
Di Giuseppe’s stats certainly set him apart. So far this season, he’s tallied nine points — the third highest number for any freshman player in the country. His five goals tie him for second most in the country for a rookie and third on the Wolverines’ roster.
“Anytime you have a good weekend, you’re susceptible to being named something,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “Good for (Di Giuseppe).”
Berenson did not seem all that surprised at the recognition, and he was quick to point out that many Michigan players before Di Giuseppe have been recognized by the conference — the honor isn’t particularly exceptional. And most of the attention on Di Giuseppe stems from the fact that the Wolverines had an excellent weekend.
But no one can deny that the Wolverines (2-1-1 CCHA, 6-1-1 overall) have something special in Di Giuseppe. His presence has been a welcomed surprise for a team that wasn’t certain about where its scoring would come from after the graduation of last year’s seniors. Berenson has known about Di Giuseppe’s potential since before the season even started — at the beginning of October, he mentioned Di Giuseppe as a freshman who he thought was “flying out of the gate.”
At times, Di Giuseppe does appear to fly. He characterizes himself as someone who “plays with speed, takes the puck to the net and (tries) to do simple things.”
“The games at Northern (Michigan) were a little big of a wake-up call for a lot of players,” Berenson said. “I thought this weekend (against Ferris State) was (Di Giuseppe’s) best weekend. He really responded well.”
Part of Di Giuseppe’s success is due to his line pairing with junior forwards Chris Brown and A.J. Treais. The trio’s combined 28 points are the most amond of Michigan’s lines, and Di Giuseppe suggests that their success comes from the unique strengths of each of its members.
“Treais is a playmaker and (Brown) is a finisher,” Di Giuseppe said. “I’m a little of both, so (our line) has a good variety.”
But chemistry can only carry a player so far.
“Chemistry is intangible,” Berenson said. “Some nights it might be a factor in a game and other nights it might not. But just playing well with good teammates is half the battle.”
Berenson said the hardest thing for any freshman is to keep the consistency level up each week and expressed that it may prove to be a challenge for Di Giuseppe.
But Di Giuseppe has a unique sense of humility to help him along. He immediately dismisses his personal success on the ice and credits Brown and Treais with making him look good night after night.
Take the Ferris State game as an example — when Brown passed the puck to Di Giuseppe on a breakaway to give him the chance to score on an open net, Di Giuseppe immediately wanted to give it right back. It was only after Brown curled away from the crease that Di Giuseppe took the shot.
“I think he’s grounded,” Berenson said. “He doesn’t get too carried away with himself.”