The Wolverine

February 2019

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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64 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2019   MICHIGAN HOCKEY very good. The way you win games in the Big Ten is more of a low-scor- ing approach instead of relying on bigger offensive numbers. "Since Penn State, our team has come together more. When the team comes together, you start to see guys sacrifice more defensively. Offense is easy to get motivated for. As a goalie, I really can't talk about it much. Of- fense is something everyone wants to do. Everyone wants to score goals, but when teams set goals together, I think the defense starts to show up." JOSH NORRIS WILL MISS THE REST OF THE SEASON For the second straight year, Michi- gan hockey has lost a crucial part of their offense to season-ending sur- gery from an injury suffered at the IIHF World Junior Championships, an international tournament held an- nually over the holiday season. Sophomore forward Josh Nor- ris, who along with fellow Wolver- ine sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes served as assistant captains for Team USA at the tournament, will undergo surgery for an undisclosed injury and miss the remainder of the season. Michigan junior forward Will Lockwood suffered the same fate last season when he injured his shoulder and required season-ending surgery. Norris' 10 goals lead the Wolver- ines when he departed for the tour- nament in December, and he ranked second on the team in points (19). On Jan. 16, both he and Hughes — who leads the team with 22 points — were nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the top player in college hockey. "It's disappointing to have my sea- son end and I'm going to miss being on the ice with my teammates every day, but it's something that I have to take care of," Norris told MGoBlue. com. "I am looking forward to work- ing hard during rehab and am ex- cited to get back on the ice. "I'm going to be here supporting my teammates throughout the rest of the season and wish them the best of luck." ❏ Year-To-Date Record: 8-9-6 overall, 4-5-4 Big Ten National Ranking: unranked by US- CHO (as of Jan. 22) Best Win: 2-1 over No. 4 Ohio State Jan. 11 Trailing 1-0 after the first period, Michi- gan took advantage of a pair of second- period goals by junior forwards Jake Slaker and Will Lockwood, and held on defen- sively to beat the preseason Big Ten favor- ite and current conference leader, Ohio State, at Value City Arena in Columbus. Junior goaltender Hayden Lavigne made 22 saves for the Wolverines. MVP: Junior forward Will Lockwood With Michigan's two team-leading scorers — sophomore forward Josh Nor- ris and sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes — skating for Team USA over the holidays in the IIHF World Junior Championships, Lockwood stepped up offensively in their absence. Lockwood had the game-winning goal against No. 6 Notre Dame Jan. 5 in the outdoor game played at Notre Dame Stadium. The Bloomfield Hills, Mich., na- tive added a goal to the Wolverine cause in each game at Ohio State Jan. 11-12. Freshman Impact: Forward Garrett Van Whye While he has only added one goal and two assists to the Michigan offensive attack, Van Whye has played like a vet- eran in all situations for the Wolverines, taking a regular shift on the Michigan fourth line. "How good is he?" Michigan head coach Mel Pearson re- sponded when asked about Van Whye's contributions. "He's really matured. He's come into his own in the second half. He's going to score some goals. We have the confidence as a staff to play him against anybody … any team's top line, no issues, he's over the boards. That's quite a feat for a young player." Player to Watch: Junior goaltender Hayden Lavigne Lavigne led the defensive surge in the 2017-18 second-half turnaround au- thored by Michigan and backstopped the Wolverines all the way to the Frozen Four. After suffering a bit of an early season let down, Lavigne has shown better form in the 2019 calendar year. Strong goaltending will be needed to match last season's second-half success. Must-See Game: Michigan vs. Michi- gan State at Little Caesar's Arena in De- troit Feb. 9 Annually billed as "The Duel in the D," the Wolverines and Spartans consistently pack the Detroit Red Wings' home arena for one of their four regular-season Big Ten matchups. Michigan and Michigan State will face off at 7 p.m. in a game tele- vised by FOX Sports Detroit in the finale of their mid-February two-game series. The Spartans won the first game be- tween the rivals, then won via shootout in game two, before they played to a 2-2 tie in the consolation game of the Great Lakes Invitational. Future Wolverine Watch: Defenseman Cam York York makes a rare repeat appearance here, but more than earned the nomination. On Jan. 15, the California native set a single-game U.S. National Team Development Program fran- chise scoring record for points in a single USHL game with his three-goal, four-assist performance against Youngstown. York committed to Michigan late in 2018. The 5-11, 170-pound blue-liner is a consensus mid-first-round pick in next June's NHL Draft. — Bob Miller After the first 23 games of the season, junior forward Will Lockwood ranked third on the team with 18 points scored. He will be needed to step up even more with the loss of sophomore forward Josh Norris for the rest of the year. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Hockey Rewind: Dec. 9-Jan. 21

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