The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN HOCKEY meet the winner of the game between No. 3 Penn State and No. 6 Wisconsin in a conference semifinal March 18. "We feel like we're on somewhat of a mission," head coach Red Berenson said. "We want to have a good Big Ten Tournament and then we'll go to [the NCAA Tournament] and be ready for that." The Wolverines are 2-0-2 against the Badgers this year and 4-0-0 against the Nittany Lions, beating up on a Penn State program that was 6-3-0 against Michigan over the past two years. "Penn State is a team we've strug- gled with over the years and this year we absolutely dominated them, which is a good feeling," said senior forward Boo Nieves after Michi- gan swept PSU March 11-12. "To finish it off at the end of the regu- lar season is a huge confidence booster. Every- one played well and pitched in so everyone should be feeling pretty good. "We don't want to take any team lightly, but when we play the way we know we can — which is fast and physical — we can play with anyone, especially Penn State." The senior class of Nieves, Selman and goalie Steve Racine was at the podium following Michigan's 6-1 win over the Blue and White on Se- nior Night, and they are relishing the excitement over knowing that come March 20, they're in. "We haven't played in one NCAA game and we struggled in the CCHA our freshman year and then the past few years in the Big Ten Tour- nament," Nieves said. "We want to keep building and keep our confi- dence up, so that when the NCAA Tournament does come we're play- ing our best hockey this year." KYLE CONNOR NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR The Big Ten's all-conference teams were announced March 14 and four Wolverines were named to the first team: freshman left wing Kyle Con- nor, junior center J.T. Compher, junior right wing Tyler Motte and sopho- more defenseman Zach Werenski. C o n n o r, w h o led the country in scoring with 1.79 points per game as of March 14, was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and the league's scoring champion. We- renski was selected the Defensive Player of the Year and Berenson was tabbed the Coach of the Year. It is the third time in his career, and first since 2008, that Berenson was named his conference's best coach (his two previous honors were in the CCHA). DIGITAL BONUS: CLICK THE ICON TO PLAY OR STOP THE PODCAST Michael Spath & Lee Moffie talk about Michigan's postseason potential