GBMWolverine: Michigan Hockey — Wolverines enter GLI as “Underdogs” — GLI Preview — Part II
Posted at 4:00pm — 12/29/2011
GBMWolverine: Michigan Hockey — Wolverines enter GLI as “Underdogs” — GLI Preview — Part II
What: 47th Annual GLI Hockey Tournament December 29th & 30th
Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit
Who: #14 MSU (10-6-2) vs. Michigan Tech (9-9-1) 4:05 pm
#20 Michigan (9-8-3) vs. #3 Boston College (12-6) 7:35 pm
Third place Consolation Game on 12/30 begins at 4:00 pm Championship game at 7:30 pm
TV: 12/29: FSD for the Michigan/BC game ONLY
12/30: none. Other games are available via web cast.
Charting the Wolverines:
Both coach Red Berenson and co-captain Shawn Hunwick commented that the holiday break probably came at an inopportune time for Michigan. They both felt that the team was finding its groove after the MSU series and, although time away is always nice, would have rather kept playing. The team is built, as Berenson remarked, around the backbone of the team, Hunwick, the defensive iron man Greg Pateryn and the leader up front, Luke Glendening. Berenson said that the team will go as far as those three will take them- in this tournament and otherwise.
This is an important tournament for state bragging rights added Berenson, and that Michigan is “coming in a bit of an underdog” because of the strength of the GLI field. Both MSU and Michigan Tech have first year coaches that are breathing new life into those programs, where BC’s Jerry York and Berenson are the old warriors trying to take traditionally rich programs to another tournament title. Both York and Berenson re-affirmed Hunwick’s mention that the GLI is important and that it is a thrill for the kids who have never played at an NHL rink before.
So, where does Michigan go from here? The lineup is balanced with offense as a junior (Chris Brown 6-12-18, 31 PIM’s) and two freshmen (Alex Guptill 9-6-15, 27 PIM’s and Phil DiGiuseppe 8-6-14) lead the way. Senior forward David Wohlberg (7-8-15) is red hot, scoring four times in his last five games and leads all active players with 1-7-8 in six GLI games. Luke Glendening also seems to show up for this tournament with 3-4-7 in six GLI games. The blue line represents also on the score sheet, as Mac Bennett (3-10-13) and Lee Moffie (2-12-14, +13) lead that group. AJ Treais is an important weapon as he has added 6-7-13 and leads the Wolverines with a +14.
Michigan is 5th in scoring at 3.55 gpg, and yield 2.65 gpg (20th). The Achilles’ heel is the special teams, as the PP is a dismal 15.6% (42nd) and the PK is 79.8% (T-36th). Michigan takes an average of 13 minutes in penalties per game (36th) but is giving up a PPG once for every ten minutes in penalties per game- or a goal a game. That statistic alone can be the difference in winning or losing games.
Hunwick is 9-7-3 with a 2.48 GAA and a .917 Sv%. He is 2-1 in previous GLI games with a 3.48 GAA and a .875 Sv%. He’ll need to be sharper than he has all season to beat BC and move on to the championship game.
Overall, the Wolverines are 2-6-2 in their last ten games and will be facing BC for the 17th time in their history, with Michigan holding a 10-6 series edge. Michigan last defeated the Eagles 4-3 in OT at the 2007 Ice Breaker Tourney in Minneapolis on a Louie Caporusso winner. The Eagles defeated Michigan in both of their last two GLI appearances in 2000 and 2003.
Expectation:
Michigan and Boston College should be an exciting up and down affair. The Eagles are potent, but the Wolverines usually play pretty well at JLA and tend to open up their game a little in this tournament. Neither team is going to outscore each other unless it becomes a special team’s fiasco- something entirely predicated on the officiating. In the end, Michigan’s defensive mistakes will re-surface and do them in.
BC 4-2.
I also think that MSU will struggle, but will get past Michigan Tech. The Spartans will try to make good on their second crack at the Eagles, but IMO, they fall again. Michigan will continue their hex over the Techsters with a consolation victory.
Yost Bits:
-Jon Merrill was named to the USA U-20 World Junior team and assisted on the first USA goal 24 seconds into the game against Denmark on Monday night. Future Wolverine defense-man Jacob Trouba was also named to the squad.
-Coach Red Berenson (737 wins) is now eight wins from moving into 5th place for all time coaching victories. BC coach Jerry York, who once coached at BGSU, is second with 891 wins. BU coach Jack Parker is third with 859 wins. They are the only active coaches in the top ten wins list.
-The 2012 GLI tournament will include St. Cloud State University for the first time in their history. This will be the 27th different program outside of Michigan Tech, Michigan and MSU to participate in the tournament.
-Michigan resumes their regular CCHA conference schedule with a pair of home games on January 6th & 7th 2012 against LSSU. These will be the only home games in the month of January.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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