Michigan Looks to Move Up B1G Standings at Ohio State

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team (12-9-3, 5-7-2 Big Ten) heads south to face Ohio State (9-13-4, 1-13-2 Big Ten) in a two-game series at Value City Arena. The teams will face off on Friday (Feb. 2) at 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on B1G+. Saturday's (Feb. 3) showdown begins at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

Notes

• Michigan split its series with No. 3 Wisconsin last weekend to move to 12-9-3 overall and move up two spots to No. 12 in the USCHO national poll. With 14 points in the Big Ten standings, the Wolverines are in fifth place.

• Michigan took five of six points in the last series with Ohio State back on Oct. 20 and 21 at Yost Ice Arena. The team put up a 5-1 win on Friday and earned a 2-2 draw on Saturday with a loss in the shootout. It was a balanced offense in the series with 14 players getting on the scoresheet led by Dylan Duke's four points.

• Michigan won 7-1 and fell 6-5 to Wisconsin last weekend to become the first team to score five goals against the Badgers and did it in back-to-back games.

• Frank Nazar III was named the Big Ten First Star of the Week on Tuesday (Jan. 30) and is the third straight Wolverine to earn the top honor. He led the league in scoring with five points in two games, scoring three goals -- including the game winner Friday night -- and added two assists.

• Rutger McGroarty led the nation in scoring during the month of January, averaging 2.67 points per game with 16 points in six games. He leads the nation overall at 1.32 points per game with 34 in 19 games. Last season, he finished with 39 points in 39 games.

• Seamus Casey ranks fourth in the nation in assists per game (1.17) with his 28 helpers in 24 games. He is the second-highest scoring defenseman in the nation, averaging 1.38 points per game, behind Lane Huston's (Boston) 1.41.

• Duke ranks fifth nationally in power-play goals scored with nine and is 10th in the country in total goals per game (0.67) with 16 goals in 24 games. Half of his goals have been scored during the second half of the season. The elder Duke is on a 12-game point streak.

• Since the start of January, U-M's special teams have been hot. The power play unit is converting on 55.6 percent of its chances (15-of-27), while the penalty kill is successful 80 percent of the time (16-of-20). Overall, the Wolverines power play leads the nation at 38 percent.