Back home in the Netherlands during the offseason, Mitch Bruijsten spent many of his days cranking out short sprints and otherwise working his legs by lifting weights and performing jumping drills.
At 6-foot-4, the UAA winger wanted to supplement his big man's size with a little man's quickness, particularly when it came to his first few strides. That he added 10 pounds of muscle to reach 205 pounds proved a bonus.
Bruijsten improved his body, and his production has followed suit.
Heading into tonight's Western Collegiate Hockey Association series opener against Michigan Tech, Bruijsten's seven goals rank third on the team and his 11 points in 20 games places him fifth among Seawolves scorers.
The sophomore has been particularly good of late, with four goals in the last seven games, tops on the team in that stretch. Last week, he scored the Seawolves' only goal in a 5-1 loss at Minnesota and followed it with an assist on linemate Matt Bailey's goal in a 1-0 win over the Gophers.
UAA coach Dave Shyiak said from the start of the season that his club needed contributions throughout the lineup to savor success. After earning 2-4--6 totals in 33 games as a freshman, Bruijsten already has produced 7-4--11 totals in 20 games this season.
"I'm way more confident playing,'' Bruijsten said. "Right now, I have the confidence to hold the puck, or make the right play, or shoot the puck.''
Shyiak said a season of experience helped Bruijsten adjust to the quicker pace of college play coming out of junior hockey, and the offseason work translated into more opportunity.
"He's been a lot more aggressive on the forecheck to create turnovers and maintain puck possession,'' Shyiak said. "Now, he's adjusted to the speed of the game and he's letting the game come to him too.
"We need guys like him to chip in and help us manufacture offense. He's certainly done his part.''
Bruijsten, 21, said going to college after playing juniors requires adjusting to more than just a higher level of hockey. There's also getting comfortable in a new environment and getting back into the swing of things in the classroom.
"Last year, my first year here, you have a lot of things you need to do again, like get used to school,'' he said. "This year, you know what to do and what to expect, and you can concentrate more on hockey.''
Bruijsten has also improved his play defensively. His minus-1 rating is tied for third-best among UAA regulars, and it doesn't hurt that Bailey, a freshman whose even rating ranks second on the team, has been Bruijsten's center in 19 of the 20 games Bruijsten has played.
Since the start of the second half, Bailey has centered a line with the left-shooting Bruijsten on right wing, his off wing, and senior Nick Haddad on the left side. That line has had a hand in five of 11 goals in the last six games.
"It's been a good line energy-wise and momentum-shift-wise,'' Shyiak said. "And I'd say they've been our best line the last six games.''
Shuffling the deck
• According to a power-rating formula known at KRACH -- Ken's Rankings for College Hockey -- UAA has the toughest strength of schedule in Division I this season, with Michigan Tech coming in at sixth-toughest.
• The Seawolves start the weekend tied for eighth place in the 12-team WCHA, just two points out of the all-important sixth spot. The top six teams earn home ice for the first round of the league playoffs.
• Freshman forward/defenseman Andrew Pickering, who was hit in the ear by a shot Jan. 21 at Denver and has missed three games since, remains out of the lineup. UAA trainer Kevin Lechtenberg said Pickering's injury is not conclusively a concussion and that the rookie still has some issues with balance.
• Michigan Tech is on a 22-game winless streak (0-20-2). Longtime Seawolves fans can relate -- UAA's 2002-03 team won its season opener, then promptly went on a 35-game winless streak (0-28-7) the rest of the season.
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
By DOYLE WOODY
dwoody@adn.com