As we continue to welcome in transfer portal student athletes who will be wearing the Maize & Blue on the ice at Yost this year, today we are going to go into detail about F Josh Eernisse. The sophomore transferred from St. Thomas University, a rather new program to D1 hockey. The 21-year-old Eernisse was 2nd in goal scoring and tied for 2nd in points for the CCHA Tommies with 14 and 21, respectively. Who is Josh Eernisse? And how important is this get for Michigan Hockey? Let’s break it down: Background on Josh Eernisse Before attending St. Thomas, Eernisse played 2 seasons with the Tri-City Storm in the USHL. During his 2 seasons with Tri-City, Eernisse appeared in 85 games and only lit the lamp a total of 10 times while totaling 24 points, with 17 being a season high the year before he went to St. Thomas. Based on that, one could ask, “where did Eernisse's offensive production come from, especially since he didn't even score his first NCAA goal until the fourth game of the season”? The answer can be one or a multitude of things ranging from better linemates, position in the lineup, and growth and maturity as a player. Something I've witnessed throughout the years is a player thriving within the structured play at the NCAA and pro level, compared to the more freelance approach that most junior teams allow their players to play. Junior coaches often encourage/tolerate individual skill and taking more chances (as long as the coach feels secure about his job status!), whereas NCAA and pro coaches often encourage players to use their individual skills, but not to the detriment of overall team success, leading to a more structured environment. Conversely, there have been MANY players who've been phenoms in junior but couldn't translate that success to the NCAA or pro level. Jay O'Brien, once a 1st round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, is a current example of a player who couldn't translate their junior success to the NCAA and the Flyers decided not to sign him to a pro contract. [AFTER THE JUMP: the breakdown]