The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/279958
MICHIGAN HOCKEY Kevin Clare, but will welcome back seven defenders and two arriving rookies. That is plenty to patrol the blue line. However, Sinelli has out- performed some of the defensemen that have played the position their entire careers, and he could remain an asset for the Maize and Blue there. "Depending on the needs of the team, that will sort itself out, but right now we need him on defense," said Berenson, who notes that — for now — Sinelli is staying put. "If we get healthy, he would definitely be someone that would give us an up- grade on our fourth line, but right now he's playing so well defensively that we like him there." ❑ HOCKEY REWIND: FEB. 21-MARCH 18 Overall Record: 18-12-4. Record Feb. 21-March 18: 4-3-1. National Ranking: No. 13. Pairwise Ranking: No. 12. Best Win — 4-3 at Ohio State: In a rare Friday-Sunday series, Michigan had skated to a 2-2 tie and subsequent shootout loss to the Buckeyes on opening night, and the Maize and Blue were desperate for a win over their rivals in seek- ing to maintain a lead on OSU in the conference standings. U-M started strong, leading 2-0 after 20 minutes of play, but then went back and forth with Ohio State — 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3. With the Scarlet and Gray aiming for an equal- izer and another death blow to the Wolverines, Michigan goalie Steve Racine recorded 14 third-period saves to preserve the March 2 win. Worst Loss — 5-4 to Penn State: The Wolverines could take their pick of two equally catastrophic losses to the Big Ten's worst teams — Michigan State and Penn State — but this overtime defeat Feb. 21 earns the nod because it came at Yost Ice Arena and to a team that entered play 1-10-1 in league action and 5-19-2 overall. Michigan actually led 3-1 after one period, and after PSU tied it in the third U-M scored with 2:02 left to seemingly escape embarrassment. However, the Blue and White hit the back of the net at 19:55 to silence the Yost crowd and delivered the final blow 4:17 into overtime. MVP — Junior Phil Di Giuseppe: The 2012 NHL second-round pick has al- ways possessed immense talent, but has struggled to put together a consistent stretch of success. He found that rhythm down the stretch for the Wolverines, registering seven goals — two game-winners — and two assists in Michigan's last eight games with a plus/minus of plus-4. Di Giuseppe finished the regular season third on the team with 12 goals and fourth with 23 points. On The Rise — Sophomore Boo Nieves: The sophomore center may not emerge to be the goal scorer expected, but he continues to flourish in his role as a playmaker for the Maize and Blue. Nieves concluded the 34-game regular season second on the team with 18 assists after contributing eight helpers over