The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN HOCKEY "When you have a defenseman back pressuring you, you're in the moment and you're skating as fast as you need to, and you're locked in and don't notice the fans or anything else," he said. "When it's just you and the goalie, it's distracting. And hockey shouldn't be about just one guy. "That's why I'm not a fan of shoot- outs. A team works really hard, do- ing everything it takes in hockey to be successful, and then you get to the end and you have to settle it with a shootout, and that's all anyone wants to talk about it, especially when you lose. "Hockey is a team game, and should be settled by the team." ❑ NOTEBOOK HOCKEY THE DAY IS DRAWING NEAR • Sophomore defenseman Jon Merrill has not been reinstated yet after sitting out the first 20 games of the regular season due to sus- pension, but it is becoming more likely every day that he will indeed be allowed to play in the season's second half. Merrill is competing to join Team USA for the World Junior Champion- ships Dec. 26-Jan. 5, with U-M head coach Red Berenson's blessing. Berenson noted Merrill, who was an All-Rookie Team and All-CCHA second-team selection in 2011, could be a boon for the Maize and Blue down the stretch. "No question he can help," said Berenson, in his most promising response on the defender yet this season. "He's, arguably, in our top two on defense. "But I can't give you an answer on his return now. He's still suspended." CAPTURED ON FILM • "Blue Ice: The Story of Michigan Hockey" — an hour-long documen- tary on the history and tradition of U-M — debuted on Fox Sports Detroit Dec. 9, following the Wol- verines' 4-3 victory over Michigan State. A special edition DVD, with 20 minutes of extra footage, can be purchased for $20 at M-Den loca- tions, by calling the M-Den at 1-800- 462-5836 or by visiting mgoblue- multimedia.cbscollegestore.com. Michigan Hockey Rewind: December Overall Record: 9-8-3 (5-6-3 CCHA) Record in December: 2-1-1 National Ranking: No. 20 Best Win — 4-3 over Michigan State: With its five-game losing streak in the rearview mirror, thanks to a 1-0 win at Alaska Dec. 3, Michigan welcomed rival Michigan State to Yost Ice Arena Dec. 9 intent on reversing the season's mo- mentum even more. And the Maize and Blue certainly played like a team on a mission, racing out to a 2-1 lead after one period and a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes. Thanks to a pair of power-play goals, State clawed back into the game, and forced a furious final 1:23 with its goalie pulled. The Wolverines would not be denied, though, with forwards and defensemen blocking shots, and goalie Shawn Hunwick standing tall to make 31 saves overall. With the win, U-M had its first back-to-back victories of the season since Oct. 27-28, a span of six weeks. Worst Loss — 4-3 to Michigan State: Technically, this one counts as a tie, with the two teams knotted at 3-3 at the end of regulation and an overtime session. However, MSU would pick up an additional point after outscoring the Wolverines 1-0 in the shootout. This one stings because Michigan, winners a night earlier in Ann Arbor, had a chance to earn the sweep, leading rival Michigan State 3-2 late into the third period at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. A suspect penalty that went against the Maize and Blue, though, led to a power play, and for the third time in five chances during the Dec. 9 weekend, the Green and White capitalized with the man advantage. The difference between a win and a shootout loss is two points, which would have put U-M in sixth place in the CCHA entering the holiday break, instead of the eighth place where the Wolverines sit now. MVP — Senior goalie Shawn Hunwick: Michigan's skid finally came to an end thanks to the play of Hunwick, who recorded 25 saves in the 1-0 blanking of Alaska. After a dreadful November in which he went 1-6-1, the fifth-year senior was 2-1-1 in four December contests, recording a 2.50 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. On The Rise — Junior forward Chris Brown: The rugged right winger has surged into the scor- ing lead for the Wolverines — 18 points on six goals and a team-high 12 assists — after notching a pair of markers and three assists in Decem- ber. Brown is averaging 1.00 point per game this season, and his emer- gence could be key for a team lack- ing in veteran leadership among the forwards. Series To Watch — vs. Ohio State Jan. 13-15: When Ohio State first scheduled an outdoor game (at the Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field) for Jan. 15, no one expected this game to be much more than an ex- hibition featuring one of the CCHA's traditional elite programs (Michi- gan) and one that never seems to be able to realize its immense po- tential (Ohio State). But the Buck- eyes, under second-year head coach Mark Osiecki, are winning, leading the CCHA with 32 points when the league's 11 teams reached the halfway mark in the season. — Michael Spath Junior forward Chris Brown moved into the scoring lead for U-M — 18 points on six goals and a team-high 12 assists — after notching a pair of markers and three assists in December. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL JANUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 53