Oct. 2, 2009
By Christy Hammond, U-M Media Relations
Junior center Louie Caporusso led the 2008-09 Wolverines in goals scored with a career-high 24 tallies, which tied for fifth in the nation last year. He enters this season hoping to take the team to Detroit in April for the Frozen Four while improving his overall game.
"I expect us to win it all -- I would sell ourselves short if I didn't say that because we have a lot of talent on this team," Caporusso said.
The team MVP from 2008-09, Caporusso was drafted 90th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the third round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. After three years of attending the Senators' development camp in the summer and progressing each year at U-M under the careful watch of head coach Red Berenson, Caporusso seems poised for the world of professional hockey when he graduates in 2011.
"If I ever get the chance to play at a higher level, I don't think I'll get the same feeling than I've had here at Yost," said Caporusso, who is in no rush to leave Ann Arbor.
He also led last year's squad with five game-winning markers and 10 power-play tallies. Caporusso has always had a knack for timely goals, scoring his first goal as a Wolverine -- an overtime tally -- against Boston College at the Ice Breaker in his collegiate debut freshman year. It may be hard to believe, but there was a time at the age of four when the center passed on hockey.
"When my dad asked if I wanted to play hockey, I told him no," Caporusso explained. "I still remember this like it was yesterday. I got up off the seat, walked over to my dad from where I was with the little kids and said I want to play hockey. He was pretty patient and I think that was a good thing that he didn't force it upon me and that I chose to do it by myself."
Fortunately for Michigan, Caporusso's desire to follow in his older brothers' footsteps got the best of him and he started playing hockey as the 5-10, 189-pound forward finished the 2008-09 season with a career-best 49 points, which ranked second on the team behind classmate Aaron Palushaj. He is now without his scoring partner as Palushaj opted to turn pro after the postseason, leaving Caporusso to pick up the slack in the wake of his absence.
After a hot start -- reaching the 20-goal mark in 25 contests -- Caporusso's goal numbers saw a slight dip in the second half last year. Opposing squads started to focus more of their defensive efforts on him, limiting his own offensive opportunities but leaving his teammates open, which resulted in a boost in Caporusso's assist totals.
"If they're going to concentrate on me, that leaves another guy open so I'm not too worried about that," Caporusso pointed out. "In the second half, I was passing the puck a lot more."
Not only is Caporusso without Palushaj, but he also lost occasional linemates Travis Turnbull and Tim Miller to graduation. Sophomore forward David Wohlberg should remain on Caporusso's wing this season, but the other winger remains a surprise for the 2009 Hobey Baker finalist.
"I think the coaches do a great job of keeping it a mystery," he commented. "The lines are always juggled around in these [early-season] practices and I guess they just try to find out what foot they could put forward to make the best step."
If he had to guess, Caporusso believes that freshman Chris Brown may be the new addition to his line. Part of Caporusso's role this year is helping the team overcome the challenge of integrating such a sizable incoming freshman class and making sure the on-ice chemistry is solid from the get-go. He's made strides in that department, having already invited himself over to Brown's house in Texas.
"He's from Texas so he's a little bit different," Caporusso said. "I've always wanted to go to Texas so I keep telling him I might come down and visit him one day."
After spending some time at home in Toronto and on vacation in Florida this summer, Caporusso can't wait for this season to start and has set some personal goals for what he'd like to accomplish.
"Get off to a great start," he listed. "Be positive throughout the whole year. Try to put the puck in the net when I'm needed to and be a dynamic forward. Be good on the defensive zone as well and try to be a complete player."
