by Jacob Cheris/CHN Reporter (@JCheris17)
Ben Robertson had two options after the Cornell Big Red were eliminated in the NCAA Tournament last year. Stay another year at a place where he had both team and individual success, or have a change of scenery for his remaining two years of college eligibility.
After much thought, Robertson decided to enter the transfer portal. Even with the craziness that is college hockey transferring these days, moving from an Ivy League school, especially where you’re having success, is rare.
A big factor in his decision was cost. Ivy League schools do not offer full-time athletic scholarships, so he felt that it was a lot to ask for his parents to pay for another full season of school. Meanwhile, the tuition kept increasing.
“Once I went into the portal, I kind of explored every option, took my time and tried to kind of see what would be best for me to continue my college career,” Robertson said.
Robertson helped lead Cornell to two ECAC Tournament championships, and was tabbed a member of the ECAC’s All-Rookie Team, Third All-Star Team and the All-Ivy League second team after a terrific freshman season. Though last year the left-shot defenseman’s offensive output took a dip, putting up 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) in 36 games, he was still a steady piece of the Big Red’s blue line.
“I could probably say it was the hardest decision I’ve had to make in my life. The success I had, the friendships that I made there, obviously going into college there as a freshman. I made a ton of great memories there with the older guys that we had,” Robertson said. “It was just kind of bittersweet saying goodbye to all my friends, but at the end of the day, they kind of understood.”
Eventually, the Potomac Falls, Va., native settled on Michigan, a team that was desperate for a bounce-back season after missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. Furthermore, Michigan lost its top offensive blue liner in Ethan Edwards, along with captain Jacob Truscott.
“I love the way that we’re treated here. Obviously I don’t think anyone’s complaining about flying on a private jet to away games, so that part’s really nice. I love the way the coaching staff does video, the way they kind of implement the skills into the drills that we do here,” Robertson said. “They just really care about you becoming a better player, and they are trying to do everything possible to make you do that.”
Robertson has done his job from day one and is contributing to a Michigan offense that is the best in the country, scoring 5.2 goals per game. The 6-foot-1 rearguard is on pace to break his point total from a season ago, tallying 14 assists through 16 games this season.
The Wolverines’ up-tempo identity tailors towards Robertson’s high hockey IQ and skating ability. The most successful Michigan teams have always had a defenseman who can carry the puck up the rush and make plays in transition.
“He can think on both sides of the puck. So obviously he has an offensive component to his game, but on the other side of the puck, he does a great job defending,” Michigan assistant coach Matt Deschamps said. “He reads plays really well, has a really active and a really good stick. And then he also plays on a penalty kill, so he ends up being in all situations.”
Though he says that he was starting to find his footing at the end of Cornell’s season, he felt that he wasn’t playing to his full potential, and it wasn’t just from a numbers standpoint.
“I just feel like I put so much pressure on myself to have a way better year than I had my freshman year that I kind of lost focus of just going out there and doing all the little things right,” Robertson said. “It was definitely a little frustrating, but not because the production wasn’t there, just because I don’t think I really wanted to play the way that I played through most of the season.”
With that pressure now lifted, the junior blue liner is playing free and is a respected figure in the Wolverines’ locker room. Whenever he steps into the locker room, Deschamps says that guys notice. Every time he decides to speak up, it adds value — especially because Michigan is rather young on the back end. It only has two seniors and Robertson one of two junior defenseman on the roster.
“The upperclassmen that I had when I was a freshman and sophomore were so great at just showing us how important it is to have upperclassmen that are welcoming to kind of just let us be ourselves. So that’s kind of what I try to take into Michigan, and obviously we have a bunch of freshmen, but they’re all great guys,” Robertson said. “So many different personalities, just so much fun to be around, and just kind of letting them know that they’re here for a reason. Confidence is a huge part of the game, so I’m just trying to help them with that.”
