Growing Into the Spotlight: The inconceivable rise of Shawn Hunwick

The Big Chill was scheduled to be Shawn’s start, but Berenson decided to skip it and start Hogan in one of the biggest games in the history of Michigan hockey. The numbers didn’t lie — Hogan was 7-2-1 going into the game, and Shawn was 2-3-4.

The dream was beginning to come to a close.

“When you get skipped over to go with the other guy, the writing is pretty much on the wall,” Shawn said. “The biggest game of the year, you are going to go with your best goalie or who you think your best goalie is.”

Shawn had about 40 family members come to the game, and because he wasn’t starting, he was able to enjoy himself — at least for a little while.

“I just got this feeling, like I got nervous,” Shawn said. “I was just like, ‘Oh crap, if Hogan gets hurt I am going to have to play, I better start getting ready.’ I started getting ready like I was going to play, and I think that actually helped me prepare. There was no excuse for not being ready.”

Still, Hogan was starting and went through most of the warmups ready to play.

But then one wrong twist changed Shawn’s fate — Hogan had pulled his other groin during warmups. The presumed starter hobbled off the ice once again, putting Shawn in front of the largest crowd ever to watch a hockey game.

The walk-on third goalie was starting in the biggest stage on the history of college hockey. No one knew until the puck dropped.

“We got there and someone told us Shawn was in net and we were like, ‘Yeah right, OK, go have another beer,’ ” Robin said. “All of a sudden you look down and there he was, between the pipes.”

Shawn sat in the locker room after warmups, trying not to think too hard about the task ahead. He led the team out of the tunnel and became the first Michigan hockey player to slap the famed ‘Go Blue’ banner.

Shawn then proceeded to shut out Michigan State 5-0 amid the fireworks, music and thunderous noise that 113,411 people can make.

He recorded 34 saves with the wind whipping in his face, including 14 in the final period. The puck was simply not going to get past him.

He went from expecting to never play in a single game to shutting out one of Michigan’s biggest rivals in a highly anticipated spectacle of a match-up.

“It was literally one of the best days of my life,” Shawn said. “Its hard to put it in words how much it means.”

Again, Shawn expected Hogan to come back the next week and claim the starting spot. But again, Hogan’s injury was more serious than expected. He would miss almost two months, and by that time, Shawn had entrenched himself in the starting role.

With Shawn at the helm, the Wolverines finished the season on a 16-4 run en route to a 21st consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. On paper, they weren’t one of the best teams in the country, but they sure as hell played like it.

Shawn made Berenson look like the smartest coach on the planet.

After breezing through the NCAA West Regional Final in St. Louis, Michigan headed to the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.

Shawn played arguably the best game of his career against No. 1 North Dakota in the national semifinal, recording 40 saves in a shutout of the potent Fighting Sioux. The next day, five North Dakota players joined professional teams.

This goalie could pass as a high school student. But instead, he was playing the most important position on the Michigan hockey team.

And he recorded 40 saves against the best team in the country.

“I wouldn’t have dreamt it,” Berenson said. “I remember we were talking before the national championship game, and I was saying, ‘Who would have thought that we just beat maybe the best team in the country, North Dakota, essentially in a road game, and Shawn Hunwick was the reason?’

“It’s the real deal because he played and took our team right to the National Championship by saving 40 shots. It wasn’t like we had a powerhouse of a team.”

***

April 9, 2011 was the biggest day of Shawn Hunwick’s life.

He was starting the National Championship game against Minnesota-Duluth that night. It was the only one of Shawn’s collegiate games that Matt attended.

And it was Shawn’s birthday.

The contest was tied at the end of regulation, 2-2, with both teams battling for their lives. But for Michigan, the extra period had a feeling of destiny — the last two Michigan championship teams both won 3-2.