The Wolverine

January 2013

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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  michigan hockey "Everyone will love to watch him play because he's so hungry every second he's on the ice. He plays like Carl Hagelin, only he's mean. Carl took advantage of all 40 seconds of his shift, and J.T. does that. And he really enjoys the grind of a hockey game. He loves being in the mix of the physical part of the game. "He will be an impact player from day one." Motte is also on the shorter side, listed at 5-9, 184 pounds, but he is another highly regarded prospect, ranking No. 12 among USHL players. "He reminds me of Kevin Porter, a guy that produces," Powers said. "Yet when people talk about Tyler they talk about his penalty kill, his ability to play in the last minute of a game because he knows how to play the game the right way. And that's how Kevin was. He was a wellrounded player that scored at USA, but when you watched him you really appreciated the things he did away from the puck." Bryson Cianfrone originally hails from the Toronto area and played in the Ontario Junior Hockey League last season but has since joined the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the USHL. He missed time early in the hockey Notebook Freshman Contribution • Michigan's six freshman skaters have contributed 11 goals and 20 assists this season, including 12 points from forward Boo Nieves and 11 points from defenseman Jacob Trouba, through Dec. 15. In total, they have accounted for 22.0 percent of U-M's 50 goals. That is down slightly from last year's 27.3 percent contribution but ranks sixth among rookie scoring during the past 10 years. Breaking A Power Play Slump • With a power-play goal late in the third period against Western Michigan Dec. 15, Michigan ended a 0-of-33 skid with the man-advantage. "We've worked on it more than any part of our game, and we've seen it in bits and pieces but finally the puck went in for us," head coach Red Berenson said. "I can't tell you that we were any better tonight, but the puck went in, and sometimes all it takes is getting shots at the net." The Wolverines' power-play unit ranks 40th nationally, converting just 13.9 percent of its chances (10 of 72). U-M's penalty kill is also struggling, ranking 36th in the country in proving successful just 82.4 percent of the time. season with a concussion and a burst appendix, but the 5-8, 170-pounder is another impact performer. "He's a smart, cerebral player," Powers said. "He's not big, but he plays bigger than he is. He has a high-end gift of seeing the ice, a playmaking-type player." The 6-0, 185-pound Alex Kile wraps up this class. A native of Troy, Mich., Kile is playing for the Green Bay Gamblers. "Last year as a senior in high school jumping into the U.S. Hockey League and scoring 17 goals for a national championship team in Green Bay was a great way to come out of midget hockey," Powers said. "Alex Kile can score goals and we expect that'll continue. He's proving it in the best development league for college hockey. He's a guy that is putting up the numbers. "The nice thing is he's playing on a team that wins and expects to win, and he's getting it done." ❑   Great Game Performances Sauer Saves The Day At The 2007 Great Lakes Invitational In the 42 seasons Michigan has competed in the Great Lakes Invitational, only 15 Wolverines have been named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. In 2007, goalie Billy Sauer would earn that distinction after leading the Maize and Blue to their first GLI title since the 1996 campaign. U-M drew Providence Goalie Billy Sauer stopped all 87 shots in the semifinal and, on and earning tournament MVP honors. the surface, dispatched with the Friars easily, winning 6-0, but Providence peppered Sauer with 50 shots on net. The junior turned aside every one of them, eclipsing his previous high of 44 stops while earning the fourth shutout of his career. Michigan drew Michigan Tech in the finals, after the Huskies upset Michigan State, and everything seemed to be falling the Wolverines' way. However, MTU, smelling its first Great Lakes Invitational championship since 1980, put forth a tremendous effort, keeping the Maize and Blue off the board despite 31 shots in three periods. Sauer, though, kept Tech from 64  the wolverine    January 2013 scoring too, denying 28 regulation attempts. The two teams skated to a draw in the first overtime and headed to a second extra session. Sauer would outduel Michigan Tech's Rob Nolan, and forward Travis Turnbull would score 2:32 into the second OT, giving U-M a muchhe faced in posting a pair of shutouts deserved win and Sauer a second consecutive photo by wolverine photo shutout. For the two-game tournament, he would record 87 saves on 87 shots. "It may not be the toughest game I have ever played in, but it was probably one of the most important," Sauer said after the win. "When you get into a 0-0 game, every save is that much more crucial. If you make one mistake, your team is going home. "To have back-to-back games like that, and to not make any mistakes, was a good feeling." — Michael Spath

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