Q & A with Mike Zacharias

I spoke to Mavericks netminder Mike Zacharias following practice Monday. Here is what he had to say about Michigan Tech, this weekend's series against Alaska-Anchorage and his relationship with fellow goalie Dan Tormey.

DM: Talk about that first game — a little bit different from last year when you got injured during the pre-game warm-ups?
MZ: I felt comfortable... I felt good. That first shift was a little scary, but the rest of the game went a lot smoother. I was happy to get out of warm-ups this year.

DM: As a junior, does play slow down even a little bit more than it did last year?
MZ: Yeah, you know what to expect and how teams play. You just get used to the speed and pick up little things. It starts coming a little bit easier.

DM: How is it different to enter a game in the middle of it like you did Saturday as opposed to starting it from the beginning?
MZ: It's a lot different. If you know you're playing, you can prepare better mentally as well as physically. It's a lot different of a mental battle. But at the same time, you have to be ready to go in there at any time. That's our job and when you get called upon, you have to go out there and do your job.

DM: What were some things you were pleased with as far as your performance last weekend?
MZ: I thought I played pretty well, I was comfortable and confident. But there is plenty left to work on.

DM: You played against Michigan Tech towards the end of last season. How have they improved since then?
MZ: They're older. That helps a lot. They block a lot of shots and the shots they do give up their goalies see them because they don't have a lot of traffic in front of them. Offensively, they have gotten better. They just keep grinding away. They're a very good team that plays a defensive style.

DM: Talk about the relationship between you and Dan [Tormey].
MZ: It's nice to have a guy pushing you and giving you a break. When I'm out, I expect him to play good and when he''s out, he expects me to play good. Off the ice, we're good friends, we get along. On the ice, of course it's a competition, which I think is good. It's good for any goaltender or any other player to have someone out there pushing you to be a better player. I think it benefits us both.

DM: How key is preparation at this level, as far as reading scouting reports, how a guy shoots, where he shoots, etc?
MZ: I try not to pay as much attention to that. I try not to concentrate on who is coming down and shooting at me, whoever is shooting me, I just try to go by feel. It's nice to know what a team is doing on their power play and reading stuff there. But as far as what their tendencies are, I try not to worry too much about that. If you do that, you'll start guessing and leaning one way and it'll take you off your game a little bit.

DM: How tough of a trip is the one to Alaska-Anchorage, as far as the distance, the time differences and the stress it puts on you?
MZ: It's definitely an adjustment; different climate, different time, it's a long trip. But it's something you have to deal with and I think it starts at the beginning of the week by getting yourself ready so that when you get there, and you're playing at 10:30 your time, you're ready and rested and able to focus on what you need to do.

DM: UAA is not the most talented team you'll face this year but they stick to their system. Talk about these guys and what it's going to take to get a win.
MZ: Any team in this league is good. We're in the best league in the country and anybody can beat anybody on any given night. We need to go in there and play well defensively. Offensively, we need to bear down and bury our chances. We struggled with that a little bit last week.