Growing Into the Spotlight: The inconceivable rise of Shawn Hunwick

But the season was not going well for the Wolverines. Entering the final series of the year against Notre Dame, the Wolverines were 18-16-1 and in 7th place in the CCHA. For the first time in 20 years, Michigan was not going to make the NCAA tournament.

Eleven minutes into senior night, Hogan suffered a groin injury and had to leave the game. Making just his second appearance of the season, the important game was put into the hands of the goalie nobody wanted.

Shawn stepped in and made 14 saves en route to a 4-0 shutout of the Fighting Irish.

“My only thought was that I don’t want to ruin senior night for these guys,” Shawn said. “You only get one senior night, and I don’t want to be the reason we lose to Notre Dame.”

Shawn started the next night against Notre Dame and lost the first start of his career, 5-3. He figured he’d be right back on the bench when Hogan returned for the CCHA tournament.

But it turns out Hogan’s injury was more serious than expected. When you spend the whole game crouching and diving and stretching, the groin needs to be fully functional.

And after almost three years, the kid that never gave up finally got his shot.

In order to keep the NCAA tournament streak alive, Michigan would have to win the CCHA tournament as a No. 7 seed. No team in the history of the conference had ever done that.

And the last time Michigan didn’t make the tournament, Ice Ice Baby was a No. 1 single and Space Jam was making its debut.

Berenson was placing his record-breaking legacy on the shoulders on a 5-foot-6 walk-on that wasn’t recruited by any Division-I program.

Want to make Berenson smile? Bring up the 2010 tournament run.

In a storyline that Disney would throw out for being far too unrealistic, Shawn and the Wolverines kept the playoff streak alive by winning the CCHA tournament. This was no cupcake schedule.

They swept No. 11 Michigan State in East Lansing, beat No. 2 Miami (Ohio) at Joe Louis Arena, and then capped it off with a 2-1 win over No. 12 Northern Michigan in the final.

After losing Shawn’s first start to Notre Dame, Michigan reeled off seven victories in a row.

Shawn allowed just seven goals in four games.

“I can’t tell you whether it was because of goalkeeping or luck or chemistry or what it was, but I can tell you when Hogan got hurt and our captain Chris Summers got hurt, our team took off after that,” Berenson said. “I think everyone got on the right page at the right time, and this team took off. We were as good as anyone at the end.”

The team got within a goal of the Frozen Four, but lost to the RedHawks 3-2 in double overtime of the NCAA tournament regional final in Fort Wayne, Ind.

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During spring meetings after the season, Berenson told Hogan and Shawn they were going to split time in the 2010-11 season. Shawn would go on Fridays and Hogan would go on Saturdays.

“It was the first time in my career that knowing, working out in the summertime, that I was going to get a chance to play in games,” Shawn said. “It was a huge motivation each day to go work out and run, skate and all that stuff knowing that you will get a chance to play, instead of just hoping to play.”

He also worked out with Matt and other former Wolverines that summer. Matt had just finished up his third season with the Boston Bruins, and Shawn was able to pick up a lot from his brother. They were back on the pond, one brother trying to score on another.

“It helped him not only physically but mentally knowing that his confidence grew, becoming better and better,” Matt said. “He saw he could compete against some of the top players in college hockey.”

There was much debate as to who should start, but Berenson wanted to give both his netminders a chance and have someone emerge as the starter before Christmas. After 19 games, it wasn’t Shawn.

The last game before Christmas was the Big Chill at the Big House. The Wolverines had struggled in Friday night games all year, maybe because of Shawn but maybe because of the team. Shawn was by no means running away with the job.

“I definitely was way too nervous and worried about Hogan way too much, how the team was playing in front of him and how they were playing in front of me,” Shawn said. “It was hard for me just to concentrate on the game at hand. It was tough because I put too much pressure on myself.”