The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/575020
HOCKEY PREVIEW BY MICHAEL SPATH W hen Zach Hyman fin‑ ished his third season in 2013‑14, he had scored just 13 career goals. And while he began to emerge dur‑ ing the final 10 games of his junior year, he was not expected to lead the Wolverines offensively in 2014‑15. But Hyman, capitalizing off the ju‑ nior year momentum, soared in his senior campaign, recording career highs in goals (22), assists (32) and points (54) in becoming a legitimate Hobey Baker candidate and a first‑ team All‑American. Hyman's remarkable jump was unexpected, but not unprecedented. Among the past 20 Michigan for‑ wards that played in at least 80 per‑ cent of U‑M's games during their senior season, they saw an uptick of 10 points over their career aver‑ age. Only two of the 20 had fewer points in their senior year, with nine producing a 12‑point bump or better. Center Cristoval "Boo" Nieves hopes to follow this senior tradition, and Michigan — which said good‑ bye to 129 points with the departures of Hyman, Dylan Larkin (2015) and Andrew Copp (2013‑15) — needs him to fulfill the immense offensive po‑ tential that made him a second‑round pick of the New York Rangers in 2012. "It's really important to our team and to Boo's hockey future for him to have his best year," head coach Red Berenson said. "Boo is part of a small senior class [three deep, including two forwards], he's a captain, and I think he's shown he can be a better player than he's been in terms of of‑ fensive consistency. "He's going to get the chance. This SENIOR RISING Boo Nieves Looks To Become The Next Wolverine In Long Line To Finish His Career With A Flourish