Young players earn increased time on ice

The men's hockey team learned some disappointing news over the winter break. The announcement was that defenseman Andy Bauermeister and forward Trent Washburn had left the team for personal reasons. \nAlthough the two appeared only sporadically in the first half of the season, they were relied on to provide experience and depth. \nTheir absence will give coach Rich Holdeman the chance to see what his younger players can do as the Hoosiers enter their toughest stretch of the schedule.\nLosing Bauermeister was the biggest surprise. He had seen action in only five games this season, but his last game was the 51st of his 3-year career. He established himself as a regular among the team's top six defensemen last year, supplying a tough brand of defense and playing the third most games of all Hoosier defenders.\n"It's unfortunate that he had to leave the team," freshman Todd Lorenger said. "He's a good player and a good guy. But it definitely opens up a spot for me to get some more ice time."\nLorenger is IU's newest defenseman. He made his debut Nov. 16 against Oakland but admits that he was "still getting his lungs back" at the time. \nLorenger got a chance to play against Purdue this weekend and excited the IU crowd with several hard hits.\n"I liked what I saw of him on Saturday night," Holdeman said. "He's a big, physical player. He made some big hits out there. He's a big guy and a big, physical presence. He's definitely going to be seeing some more ice."\nAt 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, the Grosse Pointe, Mich. native would be a welcome addition to a Hoosier defense that features only two other defensemen taller than 6 feet. He is one of three freshmen defensemen on the team but has taken a back seat to the speedy Jamie Dillon and the 6-3, 200-pound Justin Peck.\n"I'm definitely going to bring a physical element to the lineup," Lorenger said.\nWashburn, the second member to leave the team, was by far the smallest player at 5-5, 155 pounds. He saw action in four games this season.\nHis absence will allow players Matt Ritz and Adam Trussell to see more ice time. \n"Trent was a very nifty stickhandler, but I like some of the freshmen that we're going to get a chance to see," Holdeman said. "Guys like Matt Ritz, who played Saturday. I like him a lot. He works very hard, plays the body pretty well. He's also a great penalty killer. \nRitz has seen action in seven games this year, picking up three assists and registering a +4 rating. Playing on the Hoosiers' third and fourth lines, the 5-11, 170-pound forward knows what's expected of him.\n"I do the dirty work," Ritz said. "I hit. I grind. I dig the puck out and get it to the guys that can score. When I'm playing with guys like (Matt) Voll or (Zach) Vietri, I just get the puck out to them and let them put it in the net."\nJunior Brad Parks, who has two goals in two games this season after appearing in a career-high 15 games last year, will also add to the team's depth. Freshman and 2000 New York state champion Logan Levy, who picked up one assist and 12 penalty minutes in two games, should see more playing time.\nTrussell, who caught the coach's eye with a goal in his first career game this weekend at Purdue, will also get a chance to play.\n"He's playing really well," Ritz said. "I know the coach liked what he saw of him. He's a big man, and it's hard for a defenseman to knock him off the puck since he's such a good puck handler."\nWith 11 spots on the forward lines nearly written in stone, there's expected to be much competition for the 12th spot.\n"Our team is really so deep that you have to go all out every chance you get," Ritz said. "You have to, because you don't know if you're going to be in the lineup the next game"