The Wolverine

December 2016

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/751827

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 63 of 75

64 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2016   MICHIGAN HOCKEY So if the moments when Michigan looked dominant during its win over Boston University are a blueprint for success, then the rest of the season will be about continuing to build off of that foundation. And who knows? Maybe at this point next year we'll be wondering how the Wolverines will replace the key players that led the team to a NCAA Tournament berth in 2016‑17. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Rookie forward Will Lockwood leads the team in goals and points with six and 10, respectively … He is also tied for first in the nation with two short-handed goals … Freshman goalie Hayden Lavi- gne boasts the nation's best save per- centage at .956 … The rookie also sports the third-best goals-against average at 1.50 and is tied for fourth with two shut- outs … Michigan has converted 10 of 42 power plays, which ranked eighth in the nation as of Nov. 14 … The Wolverines were tied for third with Penn State at 90.3 percent when it comes to the pen- alty kill … Freshman forward Jake Slaker led the team in assists with five and was tied for second on the team in with nine points … Fellow rookie Adam Winborg has tallied three points in five games played since returning from a suspen- sion for appearing in five games in the NAHL after turning 21 … The first-year Wolverine had two goals and an assist … Senior defender Nolan De Jong tal- lied the first goal of his career against Arizona State … Freshman defenseman Christian Meike played in the first game of his career in Michigan's 4-0 win over Boston University. ❏ Record: 3-3-1 Best Win — 4-0 over then-No. 4 Boston University: Michigan added a win over a marquee opponent when it beat the Terriers in the opener of a two-game series at Yost. There's a chance Boston is the highest-ranked team the Wol- verines play all year, so this win could turn out to be huge for Michigan's PairWise ranking at the end of the season. The victory also comes at a crucial point in the season — just two weeks ago, the Wolverines were swept by both Ver- mont and Dartmouth. Michigan desperately needed some momentum heading into conference play, and a win over a top-five opponent would seem to provide that. Quote: "There's no question about the respect we had for [Boston University] and their personnel, their coaches and their program. And then we had some players not playing that normally would have been in the lineup. So that was another motivator for guys that got a chance to play, and the other guys knew that we weren't 100 percent and that [we had] to play over our heads, and I thought we got that type of effort tonight. It was a good team effort." — Head coach Red Berenson on Michigan's 4-0 win over then-No. 4 Boston University Nov. 11. MVP — Freshman forward Will Lockwood: Sim- ply put, the rookie makes plays on the ice when his team needs him the most. He sparked Michigan's 4-1 win over Arizona State Nov. 4, tallying two goals against the Sun Devils — including an impressive short-handed goal where Lock- wood carried the puck nearly the length of the ice before toe-dragging past a defender and beating the goaltender. Lockwood was impressive again a week later, this time against a much more tal- ented team. While Boston had several players drafted higher than Lockwood, Michigan's talented freshman proved he could play with the best of them. Perhaps what was most impressive was Lockwood's physicality — he laid several huge hits on Terriers that had noticeable size advantages against him. In Friday's game, he found the back of the net early, scoring off a wrist shot during a power play in the first period, before assisting his linemate and fel- low freshman Jake Slaker in the final period. As Lockwood goes, so does Michigan. Freshman Impact — Goaltender Hayden Lavigne: Berenson had high praise for his goaltender after Friday, saying, "Hayden again put his stamp on the fact that he's the real deal as a freshman goalie." Lavigne recorded his second shutout of the season against a Boston University team that featured numerous players taken in the first two rounds of the NHL Draft. It wasn't easy for him at times, but he turned away shot after shot from the Terriers. His best save of the day came when he was sprawled on his back, but still somehow managed to reach out and make a glove save. "I don't think [the game is] ever going to slow down," Lavi- gne said after the game. "There's always going to be the en- ergy that speeds it up, especially in a game like that with two highly touted schools. There was a lot of energy around there and it was a really fast-paced game. The energy in yourself builds up as well, and I think it just kind of evens out." Player To Watch — Freshman forward Jake Slaker: The rookie has three points in his last three games after being credited with an assist in Michigan's 4-1 win over Arizona State Nov. 4 and tallying a goal and assist against Boston University Nov. 11. While Berenson hasn't been afraid to switch up his team's lines and defensive pairings, one thing that has stayed constant is Slaker's position. He's played on the first line all year with fellow freshman Will Lockwood, and that may be paying off. The connection between the two was on display in the third period of Michigan's 4-0 victory over the Terriers when Lockwood deked past a defender near the boards before feeding Slaker just outside the crease. Slaker's first ef- fort missed, but he was able to backhand the puck past Boston goaltender Jake Oettinger for a crucial goal. Must-See Series — Dec. 1-2 at Penn State: The 10th-ranked Nittany Lions are off to a red-hot start, sporting a 9-1-1 record after sweeping Alaska Anchorage over the weekend. Penn State was picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten preseason poll, only one spot behind Michigan, so this series should be a good indicator of just how competitive the Wolverines can be in the con- ference this year. After having trouble with Penn State in recent years, Michigan domi- nated the Nittany Lions last season, winning all five games between the two teams. In the last three meetings between the two, Michi- gan has outscored Penn State by a combined 20-4, culminating in a 7-2 trouncing in last year's Big Ten Tournament. — Orion Sang Through 10 games, rookie Will Lockwood had notched a team-best six goals and 10 points. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Hockey Rewind: Oct. 16-Nov. 15

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - December 2016