The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/116680
michigan hockey Hockey Rewind: Feb. 22-March 17 Overall Record: 17-18-3 (10-15-3 CCHA) Record Feb. 22-March 17: 7-0-1 National Ranking: NR Pairwise Ranking: No. 30 Best Win — 5-1 at Western Michigan: For the first time all year, there were plenty of victories to choose from, but the Wolverines' 5-1 win in Kalamazoo March 16 clinched a CCHA quarterfinal playoff series, sent U-M to the conference semifinals for the 24th straight year and, perhaps most significantly, was achieved impressively. Michigan dominated from the start, outshooting WMU 15-3 in the first period. In the second, with the score knotted at 1-1, the Maize and Blue scored four goals on 11 shots, including two from sophomore left winger Alex Guptill, in chasing the league's stingiest goaltender (Frank Slubowski) from the game. The Wolverines were stifling on the penalty kill, forcing a goose egg on Western's five power plays, including a pair of six-on-four advantages in the third period in which the Broncos pulled their netminder. With the win, Michigan improved to 4-0 in the CCHA playoffs. Worst Loss — None. MVP — The Captains: Michigan had no momentum when it left Ann Arbor for Columbus and a two-game series at Ohio State Feb. 22-23, but the Wolverines' four captains — seniors A.J. Treais, Kevin Lynch and Lee Moffie, and junior Mac Bennett — continued to encourage and rally their teammates. And the Maize and Blue started winning. The four captains have been tremendous leaders on and off the ice over the past eight games, but their play has improved dramatically, providing true examples of what it will take to succeed. A right winger, Lynch has been skating with tremendous effort and urgency, using his physicality to frustrate opponents, while he has contributed four goals and three assists from Feb. 22-March 17. Treais hasn't scored in the last eight games, but the center has become a terrific teammate, notching nine assists (of 18 on the year). Moffie has experienced, perhaps, the greatest renaissance, struggling to a minus-7 plus/minus in the first 30 games but soaring to a plus-6 in the past eight. Teamed with junior Jon Merrill on the blue line, Moffie has contributed a goal and an assist, and has been strong in his own zone. Bennett returned from an eight-game absence due to injury to team up with freshman Jacob Trouba in forming, arguably, the top defensive pairing in the country. In the past eight games, Bennett has notched a goal and an