The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/465847
MICHIGAN HOCKEY league's top teams against each other, but only one seemed to show up. The Golden Gophers led 3-0 by the end of the first period and chased sopho- more goalie Zach Nagelvoort from the net when they went up 5-0 midway through the second. U-M played poor defensively and in net, and its biggest strength — an offense ranked first nationally with 4.21 goals per game — just didn't show up. MVP — Forward Andrew Copp: It's hard not to pick senior forward Zach Hyman every time. After all, Hyman leads the team in every offensive category, but Copp wears the "C" on his jersey, and the junior centerman has raised his game in recent weeks. During the Wolverines' 4-3-0 seven-game stretch, he has notched four goals, with a game-winning marker, and three assists, while consistently matching up with the opponent's top line. Copp needs just two more goals to match a career high of 15 and six more points to match a career high of 29. On The Rise — Forward Justin Selman: The junior left winger missed 11 games this season with a broken wrist, and when he returned Nov. 29 against Rensselaer, it took awhile to re-acclimate; Selman went five games without a point. The hard-working, gritty skater has been a different player since Jan. 1, netting six goals and adding six assists in seven contests. Over the past seven, he has scored a team-high five goals, has a team- high six assists and a team-best 11 points with a plus/minus of plus-9. Top Freshman — Defenseman Zach Werenski: While classmate Dylan Lar- kin has commanded most of the headlines, and justifiably so, this season, the 17-year-old Werenski — he won't turn 18 until July — has been terrific on the blue line. First among defenders in plus/minus with a plus-17 in 24 games, he also ranks first among U-M defensemen in goals (five), assists (14) and points (19). In the past seven games, he has registered six points on two goals and four helpers, and boasts a plus/minus of plus-4. Series to Watch — at Penn State March 6-7: Michigan plays three of its next four at home, beginning Feb. 20 with a two-game series against Ohio State and then one against Wisconsin, but it is U-M's trip to State College that is most critical. The Nittany Lions rank 24th in the Pairwise Rankings, and a pair of wins on the road, against a top-25 team, would boost the Wolverines' NCAA Tournament résumé considerably. PSU has been pesky, though; the Maize and Blue are 3-4-0 against Penn State the past two seasons. — Michael Spath SELMAN