The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/666058
MICHIGAN HOCKEY ville, N.Y., native was pressed into duty during his freshman year when the scholarship netminder, Jared Rut- ledge, fell apart. Racine finished his rookie campaign with an .899 save percentage and a 2.65 goals-against average, but was good during Michi- gan's six-game playoff run, boasting a .917 save percentage while allowing just 13 goals and posting a 5-1-0 mark. However, Zach Nagelvoort took the job away from Racine the following season, and most fans were, seem- ingly, rooting against him in 2013-14, 2014-15 and even parts of this past year. In notching 28 saves against the Irish and another 44 the following night in a 5-2 loss to North Dakota, Racine was suddenly lauded by the same fans that were against him. "You need your goalie to be one of your best players, and he was consis- tently for us for a long time this sea- son," assistant coach Brian Wiseman said. "He competed at a very high level." In 13 career postseason games, Ra- cine went 10-3-0 with a 2.18 goals- against average and a .926 save per- centage. With a strong finish to his career, and playoff numbers that stand up against the best to wear the winged helmet, perhaps the senior may have turned his narrative positive for good. ❏ HOCKEY REWIND: SEASON RECAP Record: 25‑8‑5 (12‑5‑3 Big Ten, second place). Best Win — 3‑2 over Notre Dame March 25: Michigan had not won a game in the NCAA Tournament since 2011 and had not made postseason play since 2012, so there was a lot riding on U‑M's first‑round matchup with the Fighting Irish. Michigan jumped out to an early lead, but it was all Notre Dame after that, with the Irish taking a 2‑1 lead into the third period. Sophomore defenseman Zach We‑ renski netted the game‑tying goal at 9:52 of the third period, and junior forward Tyler Motte, on an unbelievable no‑look behind‑the‑back pass from classmate J.T. Compher, deposited the game‑winner 8:19 into overtime. Worst Loss — 7‑4 to Ohio State March 4: There were few truly lamentable losses during the regular season, with five of U‑M's defeats coming to teams with winning records. However, back‑to‑back defeats — Michigan lost 6‑5 the next night — to a Buckeyes team that went 14‑18‑4 overall surely stick with the Maize and Blue, especially with Michigan falling one point shy of the Big Ten regular‑season title. The Wolverines held a 2‑0 lead and then squandered it away, ceding six straight goals to the Scarlet and Gray over a 30‑minute stretch late in the first and through the second. The seven goals represented a season high allowed by Michigan. Quote: "Michigan hockey will always have a chance to win a championship." — Junior J.T. Compher on the future of U‑M despite at least three early departures. MVP — J.T. Compher: The junior captain scored both goals in Michigan's 5‑2