ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jed Ortmeyer doesn't take credit for
becoming the leader he has for Michigan's hockey team.
"I think it has a lot to do with my parents,'' the senior
captain said. "They really instilled values and morals in me and
my two brothers and my sister.''
Michigan coach Red Berenson, who named Ortmeyer a captain as a junior, said the right wing is as good as any captain in his 19
seasons behind Michigan's bench.
"He works hard on the ice every day, he's such a dedicated
player,'' Berenson said. "He does what you're supposed to off the
ice. He goes to class. He's just a kid you can trust away from the
rink and know he's going to do the right thing.''
Ortmeyer will lead the Wolverines into the NCAA's Frozen Four
against Minnesota on Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y.. The other semifinal
game features Cornell and New Hampshire.
Ortmeyer has 17 goals and 16 assists in 35 games this season.
He has scored some important goals in big games.
Ortmeyer scored twice in Michigan's victory over Ferris State in
the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Super Six championship
game on March 22. He also scored the game-winning goal with 1:31
left in the NCAA Tournament last weekend against Maine.
Throughout his career at Michigan, Ortmeyer has produced in
pivotal games.
"Maybe it's just being in the right place at the right time
because I don't think I change the way I play,'' he said. "Each
player kicks up the intensity (in big games), but you're not doing
anything different, you're just trying to do something to help your
team.''
Ortmeyer has had to overcome extreme circumstances just to get
to his senior season at Michigan.
He had reconstructive surgery on both knees -- after his
sophomore and junior seasons -- and missed seven games because of a
knee injury this season.
"The first one was obviously demoralizing,'' he said. "I
didn't know what to expect. A lot of people said, 'You'll never be
able to train' But I think it was like six weeks and I was skating,
and two days after, I was riding the bike. The second one, I knew
what to expect. It was easier.''
Ortmeyer's teammates respect him even more because of the
surgeries he has endured.
"He has to lead by example and he does show that by his effort
every night,'' senior center John Shouneyia said. "I think a
captain has to be ready to go every night and make things happen
every night. That's what distinguishes him as a great leader.''
His leadership is also evident off the ice. Ortmeyer works with
children at an Ann Arbor elementary school along with teammate Joe
Kautz.
"When I was playing junior hockey in Omaha (Nebraska), I used
to do reading with kids at Borders and at schools,'' said Ortmeyer,
an Omaha native. "But this is part of a class, kind of a mentoring
program.''
All of Ortmeyer's siblings were also college athletes.
One brother, Jake, played hockey for Miami of Ohio. Another
brother, Jeff, played the University of Nebraska-Kearney where his
sister, Jenny, played volleyball.