Possible DU Recruit Visited Michigan This Week

(left) Patrick Wiercioch has been linked to Michigan, Michigan State, New Hampshire, Wisconsin & DU. He has 3 assists and no goals in 19 games this season for the USHL Omaha Lancers. His coach Mike Hastings said, "I've been at this USHL coaching thing for 13 years and I'm not sure I've been as impressed with anyone at this age as I am with him.''

From: Michigan Daily

by Andy Reid

One man was noticeably absent from the ice today at the Michigan hockey team’s afternoon practice: Wolverine coach Red Berenson.

Instead, Berenson sat in the stands with stand-out prospect Patrick Wiercioch, a defenseman for the USHL Omaha Lancers. Wiercioch, who has a large blue cast on his right forearm, is also currently being recruited by Michigan State, Wisconsin, Denver and New Hampshire.

Berenson, who left the stands with Wiercioch about 15 minutes before the end of practice, was seen with the 6-foot-1, 180 pounder in the luxury boxes when practice ended. Berenson was unavailable for comment.

While Michigan associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Mel Pearson, due to NCAA restrictions, could neither confirm or deny reports, Wiercioch was seen on campus with freshman forward Ben Winnett before practice. Winnett and Wiercioch, both natives of British Columbia, attended at least one class together, History of College Athletics with John Bacon.

Pearson couldn’t delve into the specifics of any one recruit’s campus visit, but he could talk in general terms about the recruiting process.

“Actually it’s become more and more common (for recruits to visit campus during the week) because a lot of the recruits play on the weekends, Friday and Saturday,” Pearson said after practice. “So, it’s difficult to get them in on either Friday or Saturday. More coaches are asking schools to try and bring kids in during the week.

“I’ll talk in general, but what we do is when they come in during the week, we’d like for recruits to go to class, to get the full experience of Michigan. We’ve done that a lot, actually, when recruits come in during the week. I think it’s good that they do that, so they get to see what’s going on academically as well as athletically in practice. They might not get to see our games, but they get a better, more well-rounded visit.”

Wiercioch played for the the Burnaby Express in the BCHL before signing with the Lancers this season because “he felt his chances of getting scouted for a U.S. scholarship and by the NHL were better in Omaha,” according to LetsGoDU, a Denver hockey blog.

Wiercioch has 3 points in 19 games from the blue line for the Lancers this season.