The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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the net, crash the net. "They've taken some abuse to score, so it's not always about the pretty tick‑tack‑toe goals. They're good skaters and they have skill, but they're also willing to battle and take punishment." All three are producing at an ex‑ ceptionally high level — they ranked top three nationally in points per game through March 14 with Con‑ nor first, Compher second and Motte third — but what stands out is the two‑way game they play. The trio is often tasked with slow‑ ing down the opponent's top line. Motte and Compher, arguably, are the best defensive forwards on the team and Connor shows the determination to do his part, if not always the ability to execute a strong back check. All three are among the top‑10 vote getters in U.S. College Hockey Online's Hobey Baker Watch. It's very likely that at least two of them (and maybe all three) are named fi‑ nalists for the award annually given to the nation's top player when the Hobey committee announces a top 10 March 17. The challenge for Michigan's ath‑ letic communications department is to decide whom to promote. "There might be some voters out there that think their success is a product of playing together and that individually no one deserves it when actually all three of them deserve to win," said current Michigan hockey analyst Dave Huntzicker, who was a defender on U‑M's 1998 national championship team. "When [former Wolverine] Kevin Porter won the Hobey Baker in 2008, [senior class‑ mate] Chad Kolarik was actually having an incredible year, too, but Chad decided to throw all his sup‑ port behind Porter, and so Michigan never really had to decide which one of them to promote. "How do they decide now? If you promote all three you probably do it at a cost of each individual, so how do you pick? The easiest answer is if they made a decision as a group who they wanted to support, but even if one of the guys, like Compher, bows out, how does he pick between the other two?" THE CASE FOR TYLER MOTTE On Feb. 23, The Wolverine commis‑ sioned an informal poll among 16 beat writers, bloggers, former play‑ ers and analysts to pick between Compher, Motte and Connor. Motte came out on top, garnering seven votes, followed by Compher (five) and Connor (four). The tally may have changed af‑ ter U‑M's next six games — Motte had a goal and five assists, Connor had six goals and four helpers, and Compher had two goals and five as‑ sists — but it spoke to the respect the St. Clair, Mich., native has garnered this year. "I love that the guy that leads the country in goals also leads his team in blocked shots," Michigan radio commentator Bill Trainor said. Motte ranked second nationally with 29 markers through March 14, behind his teammate, Connor (30). Perhaps more impressively, he led the Maize and Blue in blocked shots