The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 59 MICHIGAN HOCKEY York was equally thrilled with the preparation and competition he ex- perienced with the NTDP. "Playing for the U.S. program meant the world," he said. "When you first get there, you're not really aware of what's happening. As you play two years there, you're playing for your country and there's a lot on the line. "When you go overseas and play against other nations, that means a lot, and you want to represent your coun- try well. I know our whole team took a lot of pride in that. I think that was a big reason we were so successful. "When I was at the [NTDP] pro- gram, I never really thought about it much. Now that I'm here, I can kind of reflect on that. They did so much for me, on the ice and off the ice, helping me become a man. "It's just the little things, like working on your shot or lifting in the weight room. There are so many opportunities there for you to help yourself become a great player at the next level. "There are a lot of skilled play- ers in the international game. When you play in the U.S. your whole life, you're not really aware of all the in- ternational talent, but there are some big, strong physical kids over there." The individual playing members aren't the only ones to benefit from the NTDP's existence. The NTDP supplies U.S. players a quality home to develop separate from the Cana- dian Major Junior leagues, college hockey's keen competitor for talent. "I think what it's done is hopefully kept some of the better players in position to go to college and not the [Canadian] major junior route," Pear- son said. "It's given them a platform to develop their skills at a high level, play against college teams and get the competition from that and the USHL. "It's helped USA Hockey identify players for their national teams, even the Olympics. For me, I think it's been really good for the growth of hockey. The better the USA team has done, the better it has helped grow the popularity of the game." ❏ Record: 3-5-2, 0-3-1 Big Ten National Ranking: Unranked Best Win: 4-0 win over No. 18 Western Michigan Oct. 24 Sophomore goaltender Strauss Mann made 36 saves and four different Wolver- ines chipped in a goal apiece in the white- washing of the Broncos. Mann's perfor- mance was his second career clean sheet. U-M scored twice in the first 10 min- utes on goals by freshman forward Johnny Beecher and sophomore for- ward Nolan Moyle to jump to an early 2-0 lead. Senior forwards Nick Pastujov and Will Lockwood added single mark- ers, while freshman defenseman Cam York had a pair of helpers. MVP — Sophomore Goaltender Strauss Mann: He has made a habit of gracing the list of top stars in his second season in net for Michigan. He has regu- larly held the Wolverine in games, while waiting for the offense to kick in. Mann posted a stellar 1.89 goals- against average and a .935 save per- centage while playing every minute of the Wolverines' first 10 games. Freshman Impact — Defenseman Cam York: Even though he missed three games early in October with an ankle injury, the rookie took little time to make an impact on his return to the lineup. He scored his first career goal Nov. 2 with a wrap-around effort in Columbus against Ohio State late in the third period to tie up the contest. York has provided a calming influence on Michigan's blue line with his patient puck handling and willingness to go on offense when the opportunity exists. Player To Watch — Redshirt Sophomore Forward Emil Ohrvall: After sitting out Michigan's first four games, he has provided the scoring-challenged Michigan offense some much-needed energy with a pair of goals in his six games. Ohrvall's specialty is goal scoring, and Michigan needs that offensive boost. Must-See Series — Dec. 6-7 vs. Penn State: The Nittany Lions bring their high- performance offense to Yost Ice Arena for a pair of conference matchups with Michigan. Ranked consistently through- out the 2019-20 season, the Nittany Lions are paced offensively by senior forwards Nate Sucese and Brandon Biro. Sopho- more forward Arne Talvitie and junior for- ward Evan Barratt have not hit their stride yet, but both are capable of adding even more scoring punch to the PSU attack. In addition, senior goaltender Peyton Jones continues to provide the Nittany Lions with excellent play in net. Future Wolverine Watch — Defense- men Owen Power And Luke Hughes, And Forward Kent Johnson: The trio of Michigan commits graced the top 10 pre- dicted selections of a very early 2021 NHL mock draft by Craig Button of Sportsnet. ca. Power came in at No. 2, while Hughes was No. 8 and Johnson No. 10. The 6-5, 211-pound Power, who is currently playing for Chicago of the United State Hockey League (USHL), provides equal amounts of offensive and defensive excellence. His mobility for a player his size make him an excellent prospect. Drafted by Flint of the Ontario Hockey League, Power has chosen to play in the USHL, pointing toward a college career, rather than jumping to Canadian Major Junior level play. Hughes, the youngest of three hockey playing brothers, is slated to bring a game similar to the one displayed at Michi- gan by his oldest brother, Quinn. Johnson was leading the British Columbia Hockey League in scoring as of early November while playing for former U-M star Jeff Tambellini, who is the general manager and head coach of the Trail Smoke Eaters. — Bob Miller Hockey Rewind: Oct. 20-Nov. 10 Redshirt sophomore forward Emil Ohrvall tallied two goals in his first six games this season, providing the U-M offense with a needed boost. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL