Michigan
Minnesota
Michigan to Battle for B1G Tournament Championship Saturday
3/17/2022 10:15:00 AM | Ice Hockey
» This is Michigan's first appearance in the Big Ten Tournament championship game since 2016.
» Matty Beniers and Luke Hughes were both chosen as Hobey Baker Top-10 finalists this week.
» Michigan won the Mariucci-Renfrew Trophy earlier this season after taking seven of 12 points off of Minnesota.
THIS WEEK
Saturday, March 19 -- at Minnesota -- Big Ten Tournament Final (Minneapolis, Minn.), 7 p.m. CT
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
• Social Media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tik Tok
The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan hockey team advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game and will face the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers this Saturday (March 19) at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
WOLVERINE BITES
• Michigan is 28-9-1 after defeating No. 3 Notre Dame in last weekend's Big Ten semifinal game at Yost.
• U-M checks in at No. 4 in the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls this week.
• Matty Beniers and Luke Hughes were both chosen as Hobey Baker finalists, it was announced Wednesday (March 16).
• 2022 Big Ten Scoring Champion and unanimous first-team All-B1G choice Matty Beniers sits atop the U-M stat sheet with 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) and a conference-leading 10 power-play goals.
• Freshman blueliner and co-Freshman of the Year Luke Hughes is the nation's top-scoring defenseman with 17 goals and 36 points.
• All-Big Ten second-teamer Brendan Brisson (18g, 17a) boasts 35 points and a team-leading six game-winning tallies.
•  A pair of forwards were tabbed as Big Ten honorable mentions: Kent Johnson, who enters the weekend with 34 points (7g, 27a), and last season's leading scorer Thomas Bordeleau, who has 31 points (10g, 21a) along with a 56.5% faceoff record.
• Sophomore stalwart Owen Power returned from Olympic play to anchor the blue line with 27 points (3g, 24a) and was rewarded with a first-team All-Big Ten honor.
• First-year winger Mackie Samoskevich (9g, 17a) has been excellent since the World Junior Championship and sits at 26 points. He also earned an All-Big Ten Freshman nod alongside Hughes.
• Power leads the Wolverines with 44 blocked shots while captain Nick Blankenburg is second with 40. Blankenburg, another Big Ten honorable mention honoree, has also set career-highs offensively as a senior this season with 14 goals, 14 assists, and 28 points.
• Sophomore Erik Portillo has started every game in net for the Wolverines this year. He has a 28-9-1 record including three shutouts, a .929 save percentage, and a 2.03 goals-against average. The Swedish standout is currently fourth in the NCAA with 997 saves and second with 28 wins. He was recently tabbed as one of 11 semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award, was named to the All-Big Ten second-team and was a finalist for Big Ten Goaltender of the Year.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
• Minnesota finished the regular season as Big Ten champions with 55 points and a 24-11 record overall. They are ranked second (USCHO) and third (USA Today) nationally in this week's polls.
• The top-seeded Gophers defeated No. 5 Penn State, 3-2, in last week's Big Ten semifinal matchup.
• B1G Player of the Year Ben Meyers leads the team with 16 goals, 20 assists, and 36 points while seniors Blake McLaughlin (12-19-31) and Sammy Walker (14-13-27) trail just behind him. Freshman Matthew Knies has also made an impact with 10 goals and 17 assists.
• Junior Jackson LaCombe leads the defense corps with three goals and 24 assists for 27 points.
• Goaltender Justen Close became the starter in January and is 12-3 in his 15 starts with a 1.74 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH UP
• Michigan and Minnesota have met twice before in the Big Ten Tournament Championship, with the Gophers winning in 2015 and the Wolverines in 2016.
• The teams split the series this season, with Michigan taking the Mariucci-Renfrew Trophy for seven points over Minnesota's five in the four games.
UP NEXT
• Sunday, March 20 -- NCAA Selection Show (ESPNU) 6:30 p.m.
• March 24-27 -- at NCAA Regional (location TBD)
