NCAA: Red, Maize Blue

Last weekend's marquee collegiate matchup pitted the eighth-ranked New Hampshire Wildcats against the Michigan Wolverines, ranked third in the nation.

The Wolverines fell from top spot in the preseason polls after a opening loss to Northeastern (4-2), followed by a 7-2 drubbing of Boston University.

The home opener at the ever-intimidating Yost arena featured a plethora of high-profile talent with no less 24 NHL draftees on display, and the two schools didn't disappoint in an entertaining 4-4 overtime tie.

Milan Gajic (Atl), C, Michigan

Enigmatic senior seems poised to build on his breakout second half of junior campaign .. created opportunities for himself tonight, hypnotizing opponents with a combination of speed and puckhandling .. an explosive skater with a game-breaking upper gear and a dynamic change of pace .. skates in wide, bent-over stance, generating speed through his outstanding leg strength .. however, parts of his skating raise alarms still .. he seems prone while turning at top speed or during startup phase, as if just the right stick-jab will send him flying 'ass-over-tea-kettle' into the corner .. in a straight line, this guy is dynamic, but strong, positional-savvy NHLers will be able to contain his speed to less dangerous areas on the ice .. also shows excellent speed and strength in his hands and arms, well-attached to the puck and able to test goalies with a quick, hard release .. can hit auto-glide at times still though, and rarely leaves the impression of being defensively bright, albeit his awareness is much improved .. his playmaking needs to mature as well, as he can be a 'one-man' show .. there's always been a dice-rolling quality about his game, an ability to dazzle one shift, then disappear the next, yet this was a consistent effort .. even showed some physical mettle on the backcheck .. all in all, an impressive performance from a youngster close to retirement just a year earlier .. showed greater commitment away from the puck and was using his delicious speed, cutting down angles in the neutral zone and drawing penalties by keeping his feet moving .. even laid it all on the line during his final shift in overtime trying to squeak out a win.

T.J. Hensick (2005), C, Michigan

Crafty sophomore displayed the poise of an upperclassman on special teams and critical situations, centering Michigan's top line with Jeff Tambellini, the duo showing good chemistry throughout .. lacked some zip in his stride as compared to freshman season, no doubt slowed by a preseason groin injury which he is just getting over .. usually a fast, darting skater who bursts into holes and exerts outstanding forechecking pressure .. boasts a high-caliber wristshot and is a superb puckhandler .. nearly twisted one defender into a pretzel during a 1-on-1, deftly tucking the puck in close to his body and slipping by, but, on this occasion, couldn't catch up and had to settle for a pass to the trailer, almost always Tambellini .. boasts a lightning-quick stick, allowing fine control in traffic despite being undersized .. also possesses excellent puck tenacity, the ability to make that last touch count even though his body appears to be out-positioned or falling down .. an industrious player intent on finding ways to contribute .. even threw his body around on the backcheck which, though lacking any impact due his diminutive frame, proved a capacity and durability for physical fare .. opted out of the `04 draft, a decision that may turn out a blessing or a curse .. either way, he offers a promising package of passion and skill that projects into an NHLer as his body and strength mature .. should challenge for the national scoring title this season once he gets back to full speed.

Matt Hunwick (Bos), D, Michigan

Appears stronger, faster and more confident in his sophomore year .. logged a boatload of icetime and showcased a sound, well-rounded game, getting involved in all three zones .. early in the game, penetrated deep along the boards and took a huge hit to open up a scoring chance .. a sprightly, well-coordinated skater with very good quickness in all directions, always keeping his body in strong positional stances .. excelled at quarterbacking the power play, made sharp decisions and executed quick, accurate passes .. also showed off a heavy slapper that had more sting than UNH goalie Jeff Pietrasiak expected .. can burst into the attack and is fast to react defensively as his first few strides possess a nice burst .. picks up speed rapidly using short, incisive crossovers .. acceleration from a standing start is excellent .. there are elements of a consistent physical game here as well, an area which should improve as he adds strength to his unfinished frame .. has a presence on the puck and makes smart and composed decisions .. a definite riser based on this solid overall performance.

Chad Kolarik (Phx), RW, Michigan

Slick NTDP-bred forward showed well in his freshman debut .. a smooth, highly-skilled forward whose style is somewhat reminiscent of fellow Phoenix draftee Fredrik Sjostrom .. rangier and flashier than older brother Tyler (CBJ), the younger Kolarik generated plenty of scoring chances with his wheels, but failed to get on the scoreboard for the first time in his brief NCAA career .. boasts smooth puckhandling and an equally fluid skating stride .. first step is quite explosive in a deceptive sort of way .. keeps his feet driving through crossovers while carrying the puck, and is proficient at slipping outside defenders and swooping around the net .. ended a few of these rushes with testing wraparounds, displaying excellent puck control in full flight .. hand-eye coordination is also superb, as he possesses a knack for getting his stick on loose pucks .. negotiates traffic effectively despite the size barrier .. not a banger, but is resilient and will engage opponents physically from time to time .. exhibits a strong feel for the offensive part of the game, backed by clever positional play and a nose for being around the puck .. flashed an impressive change of pace and top speed as he blew past John Doherty on one rush .. would like to see him sustain his intensity level on secondary and tertiary scoring chances, as he has a tendency to lose some steam after the initial bid .. not nearly as effective when he stops moving his feet .. a promising start to what should be a stellar collegiate career.

Alvaro Montoya (NYR), G, Michigan

Twas a night to forget for Michigan's highest drafted performer .. went virtually untested in the first stanza, and looked shaky and unfocused .. tried to force himself into game, playing the puck out of disinterest and boredom, but did so carelessly .. created havoc for his defensemen, attempting three-zone lead passes, blindly coughing up the puck, and one time crashing on his rear-end after hitting a rut in the ice .. allowed a simple shot to trickle through his pads for UNH's second goal on just their fourth shot .. uncharacteristically struggled with rebounding most of the game, laying out juicy offerings even on routine shots .. served up the fourth goal on a platter, backhanding the puck past his d-man, and then slowly returning to his crease .. failing to square up properly, he was out of position on the subsequent shot, which he kicked out for a simple tap-in .. but he settled down and barred the door, almost too late, making some outstanding saves down the stretch, including a pair of breakaways .. showed resiliency to overcome a bad performance and still locate his top form .. displayed great anticipation and leg speed, flashing out a pad to thwart Justin Aikins twice on the doorstep .. gave his club a chance to win in spite of a sloppy overall performance.

Eric Nystrom (Cgy), C, Michigan

Coach Red Berenson has shifted his captain into the middle, centering a powerful shutdown line with Jason Ryznar and Mike Woodford .. just coming off a rib injury and dressing for the first time this season, the hard-working senior didn't shy away from any of the physical aspects tonight .. good in most areas, however, aside from a host of intangibles, he still lacks that one defining dynamic which would project him as a sure-fire top-six NHL forward .. his skating holds him back abit .. it's not bad, but just isn't exemplary .. his pickup steps seem laboured and often leave him arriving a step too late .. did show one particular impressive burst, cutting in around a defender, but couldn't control the puck at top speed and waffled a weak shot wide .. a character, team-oriented player who makes up for a lack of elite offensive tools .. gets involved physically, sticks up for teammates, plays tough defensively, and never takes shortcuts .. add in the leadership attributes, and Bobby Nystrom's kid offers solid pro stock, just not a home run.

Kevin Porter (Phx), RW, Michigan

The Wolverines' other NTDP product certainly didn't look overwhelmed as a freshman at this level either .. in fact, he ended up playing a key role .. gets stuck in physically and plays a tough, responsible game .. exerted excellent forechecking pressure throughout .. created a shorthanded turnover which led to a good scoring chance .. a strong, balanced skater with good acceleration and quickness .. very adept at shielding the puck from checkers long enough to release a pass .. aggressive and rugged along the walls .. dished out a few stiff checks that were well timed and executed .. not overly big, but did an excellent job manning the slot area on the power play, and was rewarded with the tying goal in the third period, displaying impressive tenacity to bang in a rebound .. possesses solid shooting mechanics, including a smooth release and quick delivery .. nearly won the game with seconds left, bumping a defender clean off the puck and getting a probing shot away .. an accountable player who offers a solid mix of grit and skill.

David Rohlfs (Edm), RW, Michigan

Took full advantage of an injury to winger Mike Brown (Van) for a chance to patrol the right side with Hensick and Tambellini .. made a strong impression with his strength, mobility and heads-up play .. held off checkers at will at times, displaying a strength and confidence on the puck that was not as apparent during his freshman year .. protects the puck superbly with his big frame, and made a number of intelligent short feeds to open up scoring chances for linemates .. hustled past and fended off defender Craig Switzer (Nsh) to provide a picture-perfect goalmouth feed to Tambellini for the opening goal .. also set up second tally with clever touch-pass to spring Jason Ryznar .. hulking, sturdy on his pins, and boasts a strong-looking skating stride .. can manufacture openings despite an opponent draped all over him .. good top-end speed due to sounds mechanics and balance, but could use more explosiveness in his startup .. skilled with the puck and has a heavy wristshot .. needs to be more selfish at times, hold onto the puck and drive at the last defender .. he's intelligent and tough to move off the puck, traits that make him a solid pro prospect .. another sophomore who appears to have made significant strides since last season .. one to watch.

Jason Ryznar (NJ), LW, Michigan

Gritty two-way senior has yet to put all the pieces together, but had an impact in this contest .. stole UNH's momentum by scoring on a good wristshot from the faceoff circle, releasing the puck early with Pietrasiak sitting far back in the crease .. showed impressive vision at times, particularly down low and off the cycle .. did all the work on the third-period tying goal, controlling the puck and coming out from behind the net, placing a perfect feed to Nystrom on a spinaround pass .. found linemates with passes through traffic on a few occasions .. generates impressive speed utilizing a wide, balanced stride .. average to good acceleration, although the top gear is still his best suit .. hustled well on the forecheck, pursuing the puck passionately and exhibiting impressive leg/upper-body strength in battles along the walls .. could be a more intimidating physical presence with added nastiness as he has the size, strength and velocity to make dents .. consistent work ethic defensively, but can also get caught watching flat-footed at times .. decent, limited skills likely restricts his ceiling to an NHL checking line.

Jeff Tambellini (LA), LW, Michigan

Graceful as a butterfly, stings like a bee, however, the Los Angeles first-rounder only struck once in this contest on a nice redirection of a David Rohlfs gimme pass .. skated miles, but accomplished less than he should have .. working hard to rediscover lethal 26-goal form of freshman year after notching a disappointing 15 as a sophomore last season .. ideally suited to a bigger and more dedicated playmaker who can deliver early feeds, as his centerman Hensick likes to hold onto the puck and drive for better scoring positions .. a beautiful, light-footed skater with exceptional fluidity and balance in his turns and takeoffs .. accelerates rapidly in a straight line or diagonally .. wants to contribute physically, though lacks the size and power to inflict much damage .. operates well as a pointman on the power play, as he is a creative and talented distributor although his shots seem to lack some zip .. a slick puckhandler who can execute equally well in different gears, albeit his overdrive appeared a tad rusty .. hand-eye coordination is exquisite .. can deftly dispossess puckcarriers with a quick strike, an art he displayed more than once tonight .. same story holds true as to his NHL potential, namely he needs to get stronger and heavier without sacrificing that vital speed weapon.