Lockwood Scores Game-Winner Against Ohio State, Children of Yost Vindicated
2/1/2020 9:26:00 AM | Ice Hockey, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- There was a buzz all game long at Yost Ice Arena, but it escalated to an all-out roar over the last four minutes of Friday night's (Jan. 31) 3-2 University of Michigan win over Ohio State.
Wolverine ice hockey captain Will Lockwood fired a shot from the right, gathered the carom in the corner, and cruised around and behind OSU goalie Tommy Nappier before moving forward and slapping the game-winner home.
There was quite a celebration along the boards after that goal with 3:43 remaining to play, with freshman center Johnny Beecher jumping atop Lockwood and several teammates. The fans went bonkers, too, bouncing up and down and screaming for joy.
The No. 11-ranked Buckeyes, having scored both of their goals on power plays, pulled their goalie with just over two minutes to play to gain a one-skater advantage. But Michigan == behind hot goalie Strauss Mann and some tough blue-liners -- walled off all scoring opportunities and Beecher nearly added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
Lockwood bolted for the Children of Yost student cheering section -- which vociferously chanted "Let's Go Blue!" during the final two minutes -- and knocked fists with a fan wearing a cowboy hat. Never mind the Plexiglas between them -- they connected with good vibrations. Then Lockwood and the rest of the team raised sticks and tapped the glass above the boards in that corner before skating off triumphantly.
"Just being a senior," said Lockwood, from the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills, "it's special to look back and reminisce on how great that student section is, and since my freshman year they've been like that. So, we owe it to them to win every night, and we try to do it for them, and they were fantastic tonight."
NCAA.com just published a story on the top nine student cheering sections in hockey (no explanation on why it wasn't rounded off to 10 or exactly how the list was compiled) by Zach Pekale, who is noted for having graduated from Arizona State and working for Arizona PBS, Arizona Sports 98.7 FM and the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Two Big Ten schools (Minnesota and Penn State) are included along with three colleges from the state (Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech and Western Michigan), but no Children of Yost.
Michigan head coach Mel Pearson began his postgame press conference by strongly speaking out on the omission:
"In all fairness to the writer, I don't know if he's ever been to Yost Ice Arena. But if you saw that tonight and you can't get ready to play in this game, whether you are on the opposition or the home team, then you shouldn't play the game.
"We all know who the best college hockey crowd is, student section in college hockey, we know that. Just come to Yost Ice Arena and you'll experience it."
Lockwood added on the slight: "I was surprised. One of the Children of Yost was set back by it, and they said they were going to come out tonight and prove themselves, and I think they definitely did that tonight.
"I mean, they bring it 110 percent every night. Guys were talking in the locker room that this is the best they've seen Yost, and we feed off that energy. It's something the guys will remember forever, the Children of Yost coming every night."
Pearson added on the fandemonium after Lockwood's deciding goal: "Well, they were the first star tonight, the (sellout, standing-room only) crowd and the student section. They brought the energy. They brought it. That trickles down to your players. They feel it, and we had a great start."
York
The Wolverines scored once in each period and never trailed.
Michigan rebounded from having a Jimmy Lambert goal waved off after Ohio State issued a challenge and the play was ruled offsides. But Michael Pastujov showed that his team wasn't fazed by the disappointment by scoring his third of the season just over two minutes later at 5:24 of the first period.
Flashy freshman defenseman Cam York -- a first-round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers -- found an opening between a pair of Buckeye defensemen with a precisely fired rocket that beat Nappier just inside the far post.
York then skated away, playing his stick like a violin bow, cradling it just above his left wrist while leaning back and stroking.
"He's a great player," said Pearson. "He's had a number of chances and it's good for him to score (his fifth of the season). He's had some great looks and some great opportunities. That'll help his confidence, but he's a fun player to watch, and I'm glad he's on our team."
Lockwood, who had 16 goals last season, got the clincher with his sixth goal of 2019-20. He's missed four games.
"He's the consummate student-athlete and player here," said Pearson. "He came back and he's a captain. But he struggled tonight, and couldn't find the handle on a few things. He's trying too much at times, but that's how much he cares. He's really trying to put this team on his back, and sometimes he's carrying too much of a load."
But he delivered when it counted most in this one.
"And good for him," continued Pearson, "and good for his team."
Slaker got an assist and set it all in motion by firing the first shot of the surge. Lockwood got the rebound and eventually found the back of the net.
"It's a treat to have something like that happen," said Lockwood. "I think I got a lot of fortunate bounces, and Slakes made a good play off the pad there, and I just tried to finish it far post, and fortunate for us, it went in there. I kind of blacked out a little bit there and had a couple of whacks at it, and I think my initial shot hit the goalie in the pads, went in the corner, and then I beat him to the far post."
Lockwood now has 34 career goals, two shy of his father Joe's total at Michigan. However, Will has his father in career points, 77-69. Dad was part of legendary coach Red Berenson's first four-year class here more than 30 years ago, and Berenson brought Will to Ann Arbor, too.
Lockwood, a third-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks who could've gone pro, said, "I'm just trying to do everything I can for the team right now. My time's coming to an end here, and I'm coming to terms with that, and I want to do everything I can to make the team win, and I think we're headed in the right direction now."
Lockwood
The unranked Wolverines (11-11-3, 6-7-2 Big Ten) found a way to win, and are unbeaten in five straight games against opponents ranked in the Top 15. They're no longer letting games get away.
"And that's something we couldn't do in the first 10 or 15 games," said Pearson. "Look at our record. We were struggling, but we had a lot of injuries, and we're healthy now. I think that's been a big key for us."
Michigan swept two games at Notre Dame before winning and tying games two weekends ago at Penn State. The Wolverines have secured 14 of a possible 15 points in the Big Ten standings over the last five games to jump into the thick of things. They are in sixth place with 21 points, but first-place Penn State has 29 and so much is up for grabs.
And, faster than you can say "Yost," Michigan is back in the grab bag with nine games remaining before the conference tournament commences March 8.
"We're just real healthy and that is the key to our offense (coming on)," said Pearson. "We went without Lockwood for a while, without Beecher, York and Slaker. They're just starting to hit their stride, and we're starting to find some chemistry on some lines -- which is important.
"We were switching lines all the time with the injuries, and now we have some continuity and some chemistry and some synergy there. That's been really the big difference."
Michigan opened Big Ten play Nov. 1-2 with 3-2 and 2-1 losses at Ohio State, but equaled its three goals in two games in this one.
"It was night and day," said Lockwood. "I think we've really turned the corner as a team in the second half. We've learned to finish out games.
"I think our defense has been pretty great all year, and Strauss is has been great in net. That's something we talked about from day one. We knew we were going to get bounces, and we're fortunate they're starting to go in.
"I don't think it's too late. We're going to make a run."
