The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2020 THE WOLVERINE 67 OLYMPIC SPORTS you walk in our locker room, it says 'World Series' on one wall, and 'Big Ten Champs' on the other," head coach Carol Hutchins explained. "That's our goal every year. They don't change. … I don't have expec- tations. I expect it's going to be very difficult every year." To p A t h l e t e : J u n i o r p i t c h e r Meghan Beaubien pitched 228 1/3 innings last year, and posted a 30-6 record. Her earned run average was a team-low 1.87 en route to All-Big Ten and All-Great Lakes Region first- team laurels. "Meghan Beaubien is one of our best players," Hutchins said. "We flat out told her that she needs to step up in a leadership capacity. Your best players have to lead you." Athlete To Watch: Freshman in- fielder Julia Jimenez may be primed for a breakout season as a player and as a leader. She joined the Wolverines from Etiwanda High School in Fon- tana, Calif. "I think [Julia] will give us some great leadership," Hutchins said. "She's got a lot of great leadership qualities, and she's a freshman, but when she's on that field, she's going to be a good leader for us." Don't Miss: April 3-5 versus Min- nesota. The Gophers advanced to the Women's College World Series last year. ❏ Record: 10-11-3, 5-7-2 Big Ten National Ranking: Unranked in both national polls; No. 25 in College Hockey News' KRACH Ratings; No. 23 in the Men's Division 1 PairWise Rank- ings (USCHO projection) Overview: All it took was the pass- ing of the holiday season to transform Michigan hockey's dismal projected outlook to one of optimism and hope. After a frustrating first half of the 2019- 20 season, the Wolverines took off out of the holiday break with a split at the annual Great Lakes Invitational, a se- ries sweep of No. 14 Notre Dame in South Bend and five of a possible six points at No. 6 ranked Penn State in Happy Valley. The return of the team's freshman scoring leaders, forward Johnny Beecher and defenseman Cam York, from the international stage of the IIHF World Junior Championships, energized the Wolverines toward their best stretch of play this season. Best win — 6-0 over No. 6 Penn State Jan. 17: Six unanswered goals and a stellar performance by sophomore goalkeeper Strauss Mann led Michigan to a series-opening 6-0 victory over the Nittany Lions, who were perched atop the Big Ten standings going into the contest. Senior forward Jake Slaker continued his post-holiday scoring touch with a pair of goals, while fresh- man forward Johnny Beecher added a pair of his own markers. Mann turned aside 31 Penn State shots earning his fourth shutout of the season. Three Stars of the Month First Star — Freshman Goalkeeper Strauss Mann: Legend- ary Michigan head coach Red Berenson always said that all he expected from a goalie was a greater than .900 save percent- age and a netminder who makes the saves that he was sup- posed to make. Mann has repeatedly held Michigan in games making not only the expected saves, but nearly all of them on his way to posting a sparkling .937 save percentage and a 1.91 goals against average. Those totals position Mann No. 6 and No. 10 nationally, respectively, as of Jan. 19. Second Star — Senior Forward Jake Slaker: After the 2019 portion of the regular season, Slaker had managed only three goals for Michigan, a disappointing total for the senior from San Diego. Slaker celebrated the calen- dar flip at year's end by breaking out for five goals in six games. His eight total goals lead the team and his 14 points are tied for top team honors with fellow senior forward Will Lockwood. Third Star — Senior Forward Will Lockwood: Lockwood has quietly added both offense and defense from his forward spot, with five goals and nine assists tying him with Slaker for the team lead in points, in addition to his crucial leadership role as team cap- tain. Freshman Impact — Forward Nick Granowicz: The rookie has successfully worked his way from being a healthy scratch to being a contributor of key goals. Two of his three markers came at a crucial juncture of Michigan's come- from-behind overtime tie with Penn State Jan. 18. Player to Watch — Senior Forward Nick Pastujov: The older of Michigan's "Pasta Brothers," Nick Pastujov added important offense in the post-holiday road trips at Notre Dame and Penn State with a goal in each series. His senior leadership will be crucial as the team attempts to continue their move up the Big Ten conference standings. Must-See Series — Jan. 31-Feb. 1 against Ohio State at Yost Arena: The league-leading Buckeyes bring their smoth- ering defensive style to Yost Ice Arena seeking a repeat of their sweep of the Wolverines Nov. 1-2 in Columbus. That sweep propelled the two combatants in opposite directions over the early season even though both losses for Michigan were only settled by one goal. Future Wolverine Watch — Goaltender Erik Portillo of Dubuque (USHL): A native of Sweden, Portillo has brought his hulking 6-7, 210-pound frame to net creases across the United States Hockey league this season with successful re- sults. Lined up to join Strauss Mann at Michigan next season, Portillo led all goaltenders in the USHL in goals against aver- age with a 2.05 mark over 18 games. His save percentage over that stretch of .918 ranked second in the league. Portillo rep- resented Sweden in the IIHF World Junior Championships as a young third goaltender and is expected to handle the Swedish goaltending chores in next year's tourney. — Bob Miller Hockey Rewind: Dec. 18-Jan. 24 From Jan. 10-18, sophomore Strauss Mann allowed just five goals in four games against No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 6 Penn State while the Wolverines went 3-0-1 in those contests. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL