'Schu' perfect fit at Warren
Warren senior Michael Schumacher is nearly a straight-A student, with only a few B's here and there. He boasts a 3.9 GPA and admits that accounting is his easiest class.
"I'm kind of a math guy, so a lot of that stuff comes pretty easy to me; I like numbers," he said.
The Blue Devils like the numbers, er, statistics that Schu, as he is known, has produced this season. He leads the team with 37 goals, 27 assists in 29 games - and only five games without a point.
He's had 12 multi-goal games, including a 4-goal performance in an 8-5 mid-November win over Evanston, and had a 6-point showing (2 goals, 4 assists) in a 9-4 late-December win over the S.O.R.E. Cobras co-op.
"It's a great feeling to be such a high-powered forward, but it's a team game, and without the rest of my teammates, I couldn't get it done. Heck, I don't have a lot of unassisted goals," said the 18-year-old Schumacher of Gurnee. "My stats don't really show it, but I'm more of a playmaker, and I'd much rather be the guy setting up the goals (as opposed to the one) putting them in (the goal)."
Schumacher is in his third year on varsity and has been the team captain all three seasons. The right-handed shooting center was a Metro North all-star last season.
"That (4-goal) game was a lot of fun," he said. "I got off to a really good start and things just clicked."
Warren is 17-7-8, with 2010 wins over Glenbrook South (3-1) and Loyola Maroon (4-3). They are 7-4-6 in Metro North play.
"We're doing really well compared to last year, when we only had 2 (league) wins and about 5 or 6 overall (wins) and about 35 losses," Schumacher said. "It was a very tough year last year, but I'm pretty happy this season.
"After last season, I was checking out options (if he didn't return to Warren). But it was my senior year and I knew I had to come back and captain my team. The last two years, we've had a really young team, but now that everyone has experience, we're really jelling together as a team.
"Things have been going well. It's been a lot of fun."
Schumacher leads the line with junior left wing Alex Lindenman (24 goals, 16 assists, 25 games played) and freshman right wing Matt Johnson (5, 6, 31). Schumacher has 5 power-play, 4 short-handed and 1 game-winning goal among his 19 in Metro North action.
"For our penalty kill, we'll either play a passive or aggressive (style), depending on the other team, and often when we're playing a passive penalty kill, I'll just see the play, sit back and either anticipate and pick off a pass, or jump a guy when he's fumbling (with) the puck," he said. "All 4 of my short-handed goals have been on breakaways.
"I'm a smart and quick player. I'm not too big of a hitter, but I'll dish out my own (checks) here and there."
Said Warren coach Paul Novak: "Michael is a hard working player. Obviously, by his numbers, he can put the puck in the net, but the most impressive thing is that he works even harder on the defensive side. He is a leader in every sense of the word, on and off the ice. There is no doubt in my mind that he is among the best in the state and I think he should make all-state. It has been a real joy to coach him because, as good as he is on the ice, he is even a better young man off the ice.
"He's a quiet, at times shy, leader on the ice. But certainly is a leader by example off the ice. Except in his finite match class, which is his most difficult."
Blackhawk Cup: Defending champion New Trier Green received the No. 1 seed in the Red Division of the annual Blackhawk Cup (state tournament). The Trevians will face the Sandburg-Benet winner in their first game, which will be played in February.
Loyola Gold is seeded No. 2, and the Ramblers will face the winner of Glenbrook South-Naperville North in their first game.
Glenbrook North is seeded No. 3, followed by St. Viator, St. Rita, St. Viator, Barrington, Crystal Lake South, York and Fenwick to round out the top 10.
Mundelein was seeded No. 1 in the White Division (lower-level teams), followed by Highland Park, Carmel, Deerfield and Bartlett.
Rockford was seeded No. 1 in the Combined (teams) Division, followed by Waubonsie and Glenbard.
New Trier also is ranked No. 1 in the Girls Division, followed by Loyola and Andrew.
"This year's Red Division will have some very intriguing (first-round) matchups," said York forward Connor Whitting, whose Dukes open state tournament play against Providence. "There is no doubt that Green is the favorite yet again. They have proven to be the top team in the state of Illinois and it is going to take a tremendous effort to overcome them. I am very excited to play in this great tournament for the third time. We will go as far as our goaltender, Jason Kuzara, will take us. He's our X-factor."
Lions roar: Lyons Township coach Doug Bosse isn't shy when singing the praise of junior Anthony Appleyard, who also skates for the AAA Chicago Fury.
"By far, (he) probably is the best high school player in the state," said Bosse, who skated to a state championship (White Division) with Addison Trail in 1993 and is now in his fifth season. "He is one of the most dominant players on the ice. He has all of the skills and can play forward and defense. He is our most all-around player."
Appleyard has only played in 12 of the team's 28 games, yet he has 12 goals and 8 assists. In nine Illinois Suburban Hockey League (ISHL) games, Appleyard has hat tricks against Lake Park, the Glenbard co-op and the S.O.R.E. Cobras co-op. He had a 4-point night (1 goal, 3 assists) in a 7-3 December win over Conant.
"You will hear from him in a month because he's one of those players who you just notice when he's playing," Busse said. "He always makes an impact on the game. He's a difference-maker/"
Pink In The rink: The players decided to wear pink jerseys as part of a breast cancer fundraiser, and a tradition was started for the AAA girls under-19 Chicago Mission.
The second annual charity fund-raiser is Friday, Jan. 29, when the Mission hosts Shattuck St. Mary's, a Minnesota prep school. Game time is 8 p.m. at the Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, and the teams will also play Saturday and Sunday.
Organizers are hoping to exceed the $3,784 raised in 2009.
"The girls came to us with the whole concept, and we were shocked; it came out of the blue, which was amazing," said Mission coach Tony Cachey, who also serves as the club's girls hockey director.
The Mission (35-13-4) will be wearing special pink jerseys, which will be auctioned off after the games. There also will be other silent auctions and a bake sale.
The Mission, comprised of high school juniors and seniors, features eight players who have committed to Division I schools. They include forward Jocelyn Simpson (Joliet Catholic), bound for Colgate; and defenseman Caroline Campbell (Minooka), headed for Boston University.
The team also features forward Kendall Coyne (Sandburg) and defenseman Becky Allis, who attends high school in Holland, Mich., and has committed to Ohio State.
All proceeds will benefit the American Breast Cancer Foundation.
For more information, or to donate auction items, contact Mission president Andrea Hahn at (630) 204-2804.
How the West was won: York and Sandburg battle Friday night in Addison for Metro West supremacy, on York's senior night. The Eagles enter the contest with a 20-16-6 overall record, and a surprising 14-4-4 league mark.
"The support system of our team is our goalies: Marcus Connor (No. 35) and Andy Poetzinger (No. 30)," said Sandburg coach Morris Snitowsky. "Both have played tremendously well for us and truly give us an opportunity to win each time we step on the ice. And they support each other exceptionally well."
Connor has allowed 35 goals in 12 league games and carries a 2.92 goals-against average; Poetzinger has surrendered 28 goals in 11 games (2.55 GAA).
"We have rotated them evenly throughout the season and they have each come up with some absolutely incredible saves," Snitowsky said. "There is no doubt in my mind that they are our team's most valuable players, and it has been an honor to coach them.
"I feel the game against York will come down to goaltending. (The Dukes) also have two exceptional (goalies); I have a feeling it will be a low scoring and very tough game for both teams."
Jason Kuzara is the Dukes' No. 1 goalie, boasting a 21-10-3 record. He's allowed 85 goals on 907 shots, and carries a 2.58 GAA. The York backup is Alex Floyd (2.36 GAA, 6-1-3 record).
"Jason is, by far, one of the best goaltenders in all of Illinois high school hockey," said York's Whitting. "His leadership, commitment and passion for the game is unbelievable.
"When Kuz is in the net, there's a great chance we're going to win. He is our most important player on the team."
A skilled politician: Naperville mayor George Pradel will attend Sunday's clash between Naperville North and Naperville Central. He'll be dressed appropriately, wearing a special outfit that combines both schools' jerseys into a single uniform. The schedule at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge includes the JV game at 7:10 p.m., followed by a ceremonial puck drop from Pradel and the varsity game at 8:40 p.m.