Michigan Looking for Series Sweep against Dartmouth
11/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Nov. 28, 2015
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team (7-2-1) closes out a two-game series against Dartmouth (2-5-0) tonight (Saturday, Nov. 28, 7:35 p.m.) at Yost Ice Arena after notching a season-high four power-play goals en route to a 7-0 win over the Big Green last night (Friday, Nov. 27). Junior forward Tyler Motte and sophomore defenseman Zach Werenski each scored twice, and senior goaltender Steve Racine made 33 saves to earn his second career shutout in net.
• The Wolverines earned their most lopsided shutout victory since an 8-0 win at Notre Dame on Dec. 4, 2004.
• Michigan met Dartmouth in the 1948 NCAA Championship Game, the first NCAA Hockey Championship ever, organized in part by then-Michigan head coach Vic Heyliger. The Wolverines earned an 8-4 win over Dartmouth for their first national championship, with Michigan's Wally Gacek setting an NCAA Championship Game record with six points (three goals, three assists). The Big Green exacted a measure of revenge one year later, beating Michigan in a 1949 NCAA Frozen Four Semifinal (4-2) before losing in the championship game to Boston College (4-3).
• Michigan's special teams have been excellent so far this season. U-M has scored power play goals in four straight games (9-for-21, 42.9%), and is No. 5 in the nation on the man advantage (27.9%) this season.
• Over the last eight games, Michigan's penalty killing unit has been in a groove, including a 6-for-6 effort last night. Michigan has killed off 26 of the last 28 power-play opportunities (92.9%) for the opposition. Michigan is 31-for-35 (88.6%, 13th in NCAA) on the penalty kill so far this season. Michigan is also one of the least penalized teams in the country, averaging 8.0 penalty minutes per game (55th in NCAA).
• Michigan is once again one of the top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 4.11 goals/game (No. 5 NCAA). The Wolverines have topped the five goal mark in five of nine games this season. Last season, the Wolverines topped five goals in 14 games, the most in a single season since 2009-10 (15).
• Michigan and Dartmouth meet for the seventh and eighth times in series history. Michigan last played Dartmouth in a two-game series at Yost Ice Arena on Dec. 7-8, 1979, with the Wolverines earning a series sweep (10-2, 6-5). Current Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet was a junior All-Ivy League goaltender for the Big Green and started the second game of that series (Dec. 8), making 35 saves in net. Gaudet led the Big Green to the 1980 NCAA Frozen Four that same season, their most recent Frozen Four (and NCAA Tournament) appearance, but Dartmouth fell to eventual national champion North Dakota (4-1).
• Over the last four games, Michigan has outscored opponents 11-0 in the first period, including three games with three goals in the opening period of play. U-M led Dartmouth 3-0 after the first period last night.
• Michigan's five freshmen skaters -- Nicholas Boka, Joseph Cecconi, Kyle Connor, Cooper Marody, and Brendan Warren -- have each played in all nine games so for Michigan and have made immediate contributions for the Wolverines. Marody (7G, 5A) and Connor (5G, 7A) lead the team in scoring and are third nationally among freshmen in points per game (1.20). Warren (3G, 6A) has also had an immediate impact, as have defensemen Boka (2A) and Cecconi (2A). The three freshmen forwards (Connor, Marody, and Warren) have combined for 15 of Michigan's 44 goals (34.1%).
• Michigan has topped the 40 shot mark in four games so far this season, notching a high of 48 shots in a 7-3 win over Niagara on Nov. 13. Michigan is among the nation's best (38.4 shots/game, No. 2 NCAA) in shots on goal/game.
Communications Contact: Jeffrey Weinstein
