Michigan
Bowling Green
Michigan Set for 53rd Annual Great Lakes Invitational
12/29/2017 5:11:00 PM | Ice Hockey
THIS WEEK: GREAT LAKES INVITATIONAL
Monday, Jan. 1 – vs. Bowling Green (Detroit, Mich.), 6 p.m.
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Tuesday, Jan. 2 -- vs Michigan State or Michigan Tech (Detroit, Mich.), 2:30 p.m. or 6 p.m.
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• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team (7-7-2, 3-5-2 B1G) is set to take part in the 53rd annual Great Lakes Invitational to kick off the second half of the season. The Wolverines will face off against Bowling Green at the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday (Jan. 1) at 6 p.m. The following day, U-M will take on Michigan State or Michigan Tech.
Michigan at the GLI
The Wolverines are looking to win their record 18th John A. MacInnes Trophy, with their 17 GLI titles since the tournament's inception in 1965 being the most by any team. U-M has appeared in 30 GLI title games with an overall record of 17-13 in those championship contests.
Michigan is 58-35-1 all-time in the GLI and 30-17 in GLI semifinal games. Michigan's 58 wins are the most GLI play, with Michigan State's 50 being the second most.
The Maize and Blue could have a potential matchup with Michigan Tech on Tuesday for a 37th time (most common GLI opponent) in Great Lakes Invitational play. The Wolverines are 24-12-0 all-time against the Huskies in the GLI.
The John MacInnes Trophy is awarded at the conclusion of the GLI to the tournament MVP, and Michigan has had a GLI-record 19 award winners. Brendan Morrison (1994-96) has been the only player to receive the honor three times, while U-M's last recipient was Kyle Connor in 2015.
U-M in the 313
Michigan is 113-63-6 (.637) all-time in the city of Detroit, dating back to the 1922-23 season (first year of varsity competition) when U-M was defeated by Assumption College, 4-1, on Belle Isle. Little Caesars Arena will be the fifth rink that the Wolverines have played at in Detroit (Belle Isle, Olympia Stadium, Joe Louis Arena and Comerica Park).
Pearson at the GLI
Coach Mel Pearson has been involved in the GLI since 1977 when he played for Michigan Tech. Pearson was a part of four consecutive GLI championship teams and scored his most "famous" goal against the Wolverines in the championship game in 1979. He broke a 4-4 tie at 2:28 of the third overtime to give the Huskies the GLI title. The game still stands as longest in the 53-year history of the tournament.
Pearson holds a 5-6-1 record as head coach in the GLI and won the tournament in 2012 with Michigan Tech. He was on the U-M coaching staff for 12 GLI titles, including a tournament-high nine-year streak from 1988-96.
After coaching at Little Caesars Arena next week, Pearson will have been involved in the GLI at all three venues it has taken place in (Olympia Stadium, Joe Louis Arena and Little Caesars Arena).
The Bowling Green Series
Michigan and Bowling Green will meet for the 122nd time since their first meeting in 1971, with U-M holding a commanding 82-36-3 record in the all-time series. The two teams became regular opponents starting in the 1981-82 season when the Wolverines joined the CCHA. At home, Michigan holds a 45-17-0 all-time record over Bowling Green. The Wolverines have been equally successful on the road, posting a 31-19-3 record in the all-time series. The meeting at Little Caesars Arena will be the seventh neutral-site meeting between the two programs, with Michigan being undefeated in the first six.
The Wolverines and Falcons have not played each other since the CCHA folded after the 2012-13 season. That season saw the Maize and Blue split with Bowling Green, with both games being played at Yost Ice Arena. The game before that was the season before when Luke Moffat scored a double-overtime winner against the Falcons to send Michigan to the CCHA championship game.
Scouting the Falcons
The Falcons are led by head coach Chris Bergeron, who is in his eighth season behind the bench for Bowling Green. In his seven previous years as head coach of the Falcons, he has compiled a 102–118–32 record. Prior to Bowling Green, Bergeron spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach for his alma mater, the Miami University RedHawks.
Bowling Green was picked to finish fourth in the WCHA this season in the 2017-18 WCHA preseason poll. The Falcons head into the GLI on short rest as they hosted the Western Michigan Broncos on Dec. 28. Bowling Green is 8-6-6 (7-2-5 WCHA) this season.
Leading Bowling Green
Bowling Green's offense is led by sophomore defenseman Alec Rauhauser with 17 points (6g, 11a) through 20 games, while junior forward Stephen Baylis is second on the squad with 16 points (7g, 9a).
In net, the Falcons spilt time between sophomore Ryan Bednard and freshman Eric Dop. Bednard has posted a 4-3-4 record on the season with a 2.25 goals against average and .915 save percentage. Dop's record is 4-3-2, and he has a 2.71 goals against average and .894 save percentage.
The Michigan State Series
Michigan and Michigan State have played each other 311 times since 1925, with U-M holding a 157-133-21 record in the all-time series. The Wolverines' last games before the GLI came against Michigan State, as the Maize and Blue split the home-and-home series, winning 4-0 Dec. 7 at Yost and losing 5-0 on the road the next day.
Scouting the Spartans
The Spartans are led by head coach Danton Cole, who is in his first season behind the bench for Michigan State. From 2010 through 2017, he coached for the U.S. National Team Development Program with the U-17 and U-18 teams. Prior to that, Cole spent three seasons in the NCAA as the head coach of Alabama-Huntsville and went 23-59-12.
Michigan State was picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten this season in the 2017-18 Big Ten preseason poll. The Spartans are 8-9-1 (2-7-1 Big Ten) this season.
Leading Michigan State
Michigan State's offense is led by a pair of underclassmen. Freshman Mitchell Lewandowski (10G, 11A) and sophomore Taro Hirose (6G, 15A) lead the team through 18 games with 21 points each.
In net, the Spartans are led by sophomore goaltender John Lethemon, who has played in all 18 games. Lethemon has posted a .918 save percentage and a 2.28 goals against average to go with his 8-8-1 record.
The Michigan Tech Series
Michigan and Michigan Tech have played each other 224 times prior to this year's GLI tournament. The series started back in 1927, making the Huskies one of Michigan's oldest opponents. The Wolverines hold the advantage in the series with a 125-94-5 record. The two teams have been in four different conferences together, with the last being the CCHA. The Huskies are Michigan's most frequent opponent in the GLI, with the Wolverines holding a 24-12-0 record against Michigan Tech in the tournament.
The last time these two squads faced off against each other was in last year's semifinal round when U-M fell 2-0 to the Huskies. A familiar face was behind the bench for Michigan Tech that game as current Wolverine head coach Mel Pearson was in charge of the Huskies at the time. Pearson has yet to face his alma mater as a head coach. The Maize and Blue played Michigan Tech a total of three times last season, compiling a 1-1-1 record.
Scouting the Huskies
The Huskies are led by head coach Joe Shawhan, who is in first season behind the bench for Michigan Tech. He spent his last four seasons under Pearson as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech. From 2008-14 he was an assistant for the Northern Michigan Wildcats, which directly followed a stint as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Lake Superior State.
Michigan Tech was picked to finish third in the WCHA this season in the 2017-18 WCHA preseason poll. The Huskies head into the GLI after a weekend conference series against Lake Superior State on Dec. 14-15 when they beat and tied the Lakers. Michigan Tech is 9-7-5 (7-6-5 WCHA) this season.
Leading Michigan Tech
Michigan Tech's offense is led by junior forward Jake Jackson with 16 points (8G, 8A) in 21 games. Right behind Jackson is senior Brent Baltus with 15 points (7G, 8A) in 19 games, followed by three Huskies with 14 points.
In net, the Huskies are led by junor Patrick Munson. Munson has posted a 7-5-3 record on the season with a 2.82 goals against average and .904 save percentage.
Red, White and Go Blue
U-M's Quinn Hughes, Will Lockwood and Josh Norris are competing at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York, from Dec. 26, 2017 - Jan. 5, 2018. The trio becomes the 45th, 46th and 47th Wolverines -- 39 for the United States, seven for Canada and one for Sweden -- to have played in the WJC.
U-M players have brought home 23 medals (12 gold, four silver, seven bronze). Junior defenseman Joseph Cecconi was a member of last year's U.S. team that captured a gold medal in Montreal, Canada.
GOALLL!!!
Michigan ranks 15th in the nation in goals per game, averaging 3.31 goals over its first 16 games. Captain Tony Calderone ranks third in the nation in goals per game at 0.81.
Block It Out
Michigan ranks second nationally with an average of 16.56 blocked shots per game and sixth in total blocked shots with 265 on the season. Sam Piazza ranks 13th nationally with 2.229 blocks per game.
Run DMC
Michigan's "DMC" line of Dexter Dancs, Cooper Marody and Tony Calderone totaled 15 points in the series at Penn State five weekends ago, nine points four weekends ago against Ferris State, 11 points three weekends ago against Minnesota, eight points two weekends ago against Wisconsin, and eight points last weekend against Michigan State.
The trio has 55 points out of a total of 142 team points thus far through 16 games heading into the New Year. In comparison, the iconic "CCM" line of JT Compher, Kyle Connor and Tyler Motte also had a combined 55 points through 16 games in 2015-16.
Hats Off to the Captain
Calderone's Dec. 7 hat trick was the first by a U-M player against Michigan State since Andrew Sinelli scored three goals in a 7-1 rout on March 7, 2014, at Yost Ice Arena.
Tony Lights the Lamp
Calderone's 13 goals are the most by a U-M player in the first 15 games of a season since Louie Caporusso pulled off the feat during the 2008-09 campaign. This is the second season in a row that he leads the team in goals heading into the holiday break.
Climbin' the Ranks
Marody ranks tied for sixth nationally with 24 points on the season and second with 20 assists. Calderone is tied for fourth nationally with 13 goals.
Marody in Good Company
Marody's 24 points are most through 16 games since Kevin Porter had 25 in 2007-08 when he won the Hobey Baker Award.
Lavigne Shuttin' 'Em Out
Hayden Lavigne's 21-save, 4-0 shutout on Dec. 7 was U-M's first against Michigan State since Jan. 8, 2011, a game that was also a 4-0 Wolverines win in Ann Arbor with Shawn Hunwick in net.
Double Vision for Coop
Cooper Marody's multi-point streak of eight games ended against Ohio State (Nov. 24). Over the span he tallied 19 points (4G, 15A) and became the first Wolverine to record multiple points in eight consecutive games since Brian Wiseman did so during the 1993-94 season, when he tallied 21 points (6G, 15A) between Dec. 4, 1993-Jan. 7, 1994.
SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS
Michigan currently ranks third nationally with an average of 34.81 shots on goal per game, while ranking eighth in the nation with a +4.81 shots on goal margin per game.
Free Hockey
Michigan has had five games head to overtime so far this season. This is the most overtime contests for the Wolverines since they played in nine during the 2015-16 season.
Up Ahead
The Wolverines will return to Big Ten play when they host the newest conference member, Notre Dame, on Friday, Jan. 5, at 6:30 p.m. Michigan will officially dedicate Red Berenson Rink prior to faceoff with a ceremonial puck drop and video tribute. Fans are encouraged to wear maize for a Maize Out of Yost. The first 2,500 fans will receive a commemorative Berenson Rink rally towel.
