The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 55 HOCKEY PREVIEW year back. This year I know the team better. Last year, I was just getting to know the team. I really didn't know them. This year, I feel better. I know the players better. Obviously, our staff is in place. It's less hectic. "It's different this time around, but you know what — I still get excited and anxious, the nerves, everything that comes along with starting a new year. It's like it should be. If it's not ex- citing, then you shouldn't be doing it." Pearson's thought process told him that this coming 2018-19 season could be as good, or even better than, last season. "I thought we got off to a slow start," Pearson said. "Part of that was probably due to me getting to know our team and the players getting to know my style, my expectations and our staff. I feel that once we got on the same page, we knew we could achieve the same things. Then, we took off. We had as good of a second half as any team in college hockey. "In the first season, there's always a lot of growing pains, a lot of learn- ing. Second half, we came together. I give a lot of the credit to our se- niors and team overall for banding together and dealing with the adver- sity from the first half of the season, but then making a great run in the second half. They bought into what we were trying to do. "Naturally, there's going to be some questions, unsure with the new staff and a different tone. But I think once they realized that we had a good team and that we could play with anybody, then we had a chance." Pearson even pointed to a pair of 2-1 losses to then-No. 2 Notre Dame Jan. 5 and Jan. 7 as the turning point of the season. "We showed we could play with them and then we went to [then-No. 9] Minnesota and won a couple tough games on the road," he recalled. "From that point on, we had a cou- ple bumps, but for the most part they believed in each other. "That was the biggest thing. The chemistry and belief in each other was huge factor in our success." Those traits helped the Wolverines close the regular season on a 10-3-1 run after those defeats to the Irish, despite playing 10 games against ranked foes — including eight in the top 12 — during that stretch. Pearson is counting on that chem- istry and belief carrying over to his 2018-19 squad. It's an old hockey bromide that success starts in net and works its way outward. Michigan proved that in 2017-18. After splitting time and uneven performances with fellow goaltender Jack Lafontaine, junior Hayden Lavigne stepped forward and won the lead goalie job in the second half of last season. Posting an 18-11-3 record, a 2.81 goals against mark and a .908 save percentage, he'll be looking to repeat that in 2018-19 while U-M breaks in a pair of freshman backups, Strauss Mann and Jack Leavy. "Hayden Lavigne stepped forward in goal and that really helped," Pear- son said. "We really needed goalten- ding and he gave us that goaltending in the second half of the year. It really just came together. Lavigne had a good half year. "That's a good place to start with the assessment of this year 's team in net. I like our depth there with a couple good, young kids coming in." Defense is an obvious strength for the 2018-19 Wolverines with re- turnees offering both experience and quality play. Seniors Joseph Cec- coni and Nicholas Boka solidify the blue line with junior Luke Martin and Quinn Hughes, a sophomore puck-control artist adding further support. All four are NHL draftees and steadily improved as the 2017-18 season progressed. "On defense, we have a group that's as good as any defensive corps in the country," Pearson boasted. "We have experience there with Cec- coni and Boka, Martin and [junior Griffin] Luce. They're all experienced players. They've played in some big games now. "They won't see anything this year that they haven't already seen. And you've got Quinn Hughes." Hughes surprised most observers by spurning a professional contract and returning for another year in Ann Arbor after being selected sev- enth overall in the NHL Draft this past June. Both Cecconi and Boka also returned for a final year instead of turning pro. "One of the biggest positives in the offseason was getting Cecconi and Boka back, guys who have already been drafted," Pearson pointed out. "That doesn't happen very often and you need those se- niors and their experience. "Defensively, I think we got better Michigan Hockey Schedule 2018-19 Date Opponent Oct. 6 Vermont Oct. 7 Waterloo# Oct. 12 U.S. NTDP U-18# Oct. 19 Western Michigan Oct. 20 at Western Michigan Oct. 26 St. Lawrence Oct. 27 St. Lawrence Nov. 2 at Lake Superior State Nov. 3 at Lake Superior State Nov. 9 Notre Dame* Nov. 10 Notre Dame* Nov. 16 at Penn State* Nov. 17 at Penn State* Nov. 23 Wisconsin* Nov. 24 Wisconsin* Nov. 30 at Michigan State* Dec. 1 Michigan State* Dec. 7 Minnesota* Dec. 8 Minnesota* Dec. 30 vs. Michigan Tech^ Dec. 31 vs. Lake Superior State or Michigan State^ Jan. 5 at Notre Dame* Jan. 8 Merrimack Jan. 11 at Ohio State* Jan. 12 at Ohio State* Jan. 24 Penn State* Jan. 26 vs. Penn State*$ Feb. 1 at Minnesota* Feb. 2 at Minnesota* Feb. 8 Michigan State* Feb. 9 vs. Michigan State*% Feb. 12 at Notre Dame* Feb. 22 Ohio State* Feb. 23 Ohio State* March 1 at Wisconsin* March 2 at Wisconsin* March 8-10 Big Ten Quarterfinals& March 16 Big Ten Semifinals@ March 23 Big Ten Championship@ # Exhibition; * Big Ten game; ^ Great Lakes Invitational at Little Caesars Arena (Detroit); $ B1G Super Saturday at Madison Square Garden (New York); % Duel In The D at Little Caesars Arena (Detroit); & Best-of-three se- ries hosted by higher seed; @ Single-elimina- tion game hosted by higher seed