By BRUCE BERLET, Courant Staff Writer
Greg Moore and Corey Potter haven't figured out a friendly wager for the Maine-Michigan State matchup in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals April 5 in St. Louis.
But the Wolf Pack teammates have plenty of notes to compare. The wing and defenseman played together for two years on the national team, combining with Pack goalie Al Montoya to help the U.S. win its first gold medal at the world junior championships in 2004, beating Canada in the final. Last year, Moore's Black Bears ousted Potter's Spartans in the NCAA regional final in Albany to reach the Frozen Four.
"We've got a little revenge to come," a smiling Potter said Tuesday.
But Potter, the Rangers' fourth-round pick in 2003, is most concerned with helping the Pack make the playoffs for the 10th straight year. He has had steady improvement since his call-up from Charlotte of the ECHL, where he had six goals and 13 assists in 43 games.
"I started a little slow, trying to adjust," said Potter, 23, who grew up 10 minutes from Michigan State, where he was named the top defensive player his last three years. "But I've felt a bit more comfortable and confident getting some good ice time and getting used in some pretty important situations. It's been a good opportunity, especially this time of year, so I've been fortunate to come in and play pretty well."
Potter's emergence is reminiscent of Daniel Girardi, who was recalled from Charlotte early last season. Girardi was named to the all-rookie team and has excelled since being called up by the Rangers in January.
"He's always been real consistent, made the teams he has tried out for and been responsible," Moore said. "He probably won't rip up the stat sheet, but he wins games by doing a lot of little things."
Potter has one goal and five assists in 22 games with the Pack. Last weekend, he had three assists in a 4-3 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and was instrumental in Montoya's fifth shutout, a 1-0 win over Providence.
"The more that's been at stake, he's raised the level of his game," coach Jim Schoenfeld said. "He competes hard, makes good passes and his coverage is good. And with the depletion on defense, we've used him on the power play. He's been good all-around. He's not flashy but moves the puck and stays out of trouble."
Kasparaitis Back
Defenseman Darius Kasparaitis rejoined the Pack for the first time since being hospitalized March 2. "It was personal things, some emotional stuff," Kasparaitis said. "It was scary, but I'm good now."
Kasparaitis, recovering from lingering problems from offseason groin surgery, hasn't played since Feb. 9.
"Players are usually here for the team, but we're here for Darius and his needs, to help him find his game and mental state," Schoenfeld said. "If he's not able to go the rest of this year, at least he'll have a head start for next season." ... The Pack signed wing Kenny Roche to an amateur tryout contract. Roche, 23, a third-round pick in 2003, just completed a four-year career at Boston University, where he had 12 goals and 17 assists in 37 games this season.
