Max Pacioretty, Michigan Hockey forward, has decided to forgo his remaining three years of eligibility and sign with the Montreal Canadiens. Pacioretty's departure means that Chris Summers will likely move to forward.
Robin Benzing, a signee in the 2008 class for John Beilein's basketball squad, has been denied initial eligibility by the NCAA. This means that Michigan will likely refocus its recruiting efforts for future seasons, though there will be little effect on this year's team. Even if Benzing was eventually allowed to play, he was expected to have to sit out the 2008-09 season.
With a sucky game against Notre Dame last night, the Michigan hockey team's season has come to an end. It appears as though their scoring explosion in the NCAA tournament may have been a true trend, rather than an aberration based on a 7-goal game.
If Notre Dame and Michigan State win NCAA championships in back-to-back years, my mental health will take a huge hit.
Michigan's matchup against Notre Dame won't be the first this year. The two CCHA squads met up in a home-and-"home" series back in January, with Michigan winning their home game 3-2 and the "away"game at the Palace 5-1. How did each team do this season before and since that series? Let's take a look.
Michigan
Category
Before Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Since Notre Dame
Games
22
2
18
Against Tourney Teams
4
2 (obvs.)
9
% Against Tourney Teams
.1818181818
1
.5
Goals
91
8
67
Goals/Game
4.136
4
3.722
Goals Against
39
3
42
GAA
1.773
.75
2.333
W-L-T
20-2-0
2-0-0
11-3-4
Michigan seemed to get a bit worse as the year progressed, though it is important to note that they played far more games against tournament teams in the second half of the year (including all games against MSU and Miami, against whom Michigan went 1-2-1 and 2-0-1, accounting for almost half of their non-wins on the season).
Notre Dame
Category
Before Michigan
Michigan
Since Michigan
Sans Condra
Games
26
2
18
4
Against Tourney Teams
9
2 (obvs.)
3
4
% Against Tourney Teams
.346
1
.167
1
Goals
81
3
47
12
Goals/Game
3.12
1.5
2.611
3
Goals Against
50
8
35
8
GAA
1.923
4
1.944
2
W-L-T
19-6-1
0-2-0
9-6-3
2-2-0
Note: "Condra" is leading scorer Erik Condra. All of ND's games in the final column are a subset of the "since Michigan" column, and Condra will miss the game tonight. Against Michigan, Condra had 3 shots, and a +/- of -1. All year, he was 15-23-48 in 41 games (.91 ppg). Notre Dame's second leading scorer is Ryan Thang, 17-13-30 in 45 games (.73 ppg).
Notre Dame's statistics went way down in the scoring department, and remained about constant in the goals against department. The offensive stats are even helped by a 7-goal goame against New Hampshire, which included 2 empty netters as the Wildcats tried to get back into the game (and as Michigan fans groaned that they'd rather be watching their game against Niagara than a blowout. Thanks, ESPNU!).
The majority of Notre Dame's positive stats came in the beginning of the season, when they actually faced off against more teams that made the NCAA tournament. Since their better stats in the second half came from the New Hampshire game (offensively, at least), it may stand to reason that the Irish got worse offensively - even before they lost Condra.
My prediction is that neither Michigan's 3-2 nailbiter over the Irish at Yost, nor their 5-1 shellacking in the Palace will repeat itself. Michigan will win this game by a 4-1 score that is aided by a late empty-netter.
Bacon, John U. Blue Ice: The Story of Michigan Hockey. Ann Arbor: Olympia Sports Press, 2001.
Bacon, John U. "Fielding Yost." A Legacy of Champions: The Story of the Men Who Built University of Michigan Football. By Joe Falls, et al. Ann Arbor: F. Svedbeck Publishing, 1996. 14-73.
Many buildings in college athletics are better known than Yost Ice Arena. Cameron Indoor Stadium, the L.A. Coliseum, and even The Big House on Michigan’s own campus have garnered far more attention than has Yost Ice Arena. So what makes Yost more important to the history of college athletics than any of these places? First, unlike the L.A. Coliseum, it was built by the University, and has been owned by Michigan in the entire duration of its existence. Unlike Cameron Indoor Stadium, which has been the home only to Duke’s basketball team, Yost has housed nearly every sport at Michigan in some capacity. Finally, the longevity of Yost is the key factor that makes it perhaps the most important building in college athletic history. Being the first field house makes Yost a groundbreaking development in college football history. According to Kip Taylor, “People figured, he’s off his rocker… But everyone in the country has a Yost Field House now”. The house that Yost built was the first, and it can be copied, but never replicated. And even though its purpose has been radically changed, it is known as one of the best college hockey facilities today. Yost Ice Arena is more important than any other building in college athletics history.
The Old Barn at 1000 South State Street looks unimposing from the outside. The casual observer would have no idea that it is the home of college hockey’s most successful program, with an NCAA record 9 national titles. However, step inside the doors during a Michigan hockey game, and it is like walking into a different world. “As sophomore defenseman Chris Summers insists, it's difficult to describe all that goes on during Michigan games, with spontaneous ribbing and insulting of opponents, off-color chants, pep band contributions and the energy of the building. ‘But once you have been here for five minutes of a game, you understand,’ he says.” Even at Michigan, where football will always reign supreme, Yost stands out as “the greatest place to watch a Michigan sporting event on campus.” Whether in 1923, when it was built, or today, Yost is one of the best and most important buildings in college athletics.
Basketball moved to Crisler Arena in 1967, leaving behind The Old Barn for The House that Cazzie Built. Yost Field House lost its biggest draw, and for the next six years, it would not replace hoops with a major sport. That all changed in 1973, when the Michigan hockey team moved from Weinberg Coliseum to their new home at Yost ice arena. The reason wasn’t necessarily that Yost was such a good venue, but rather that The Coliseum had fallen behind the times: “The arena was horrible,” said Don Canham. When Don Lund suggested moving the hockey team to Yost, Canham was willing to do what he needed to. Of course, Yost was a building designed for many sports to be played in it, and hockey wasn’t one of them. However, Athletic Canham was able to renovate the Old Barn to make it suitable for the hockey team to move in. For $400,000, Yost changed from an all-purpose field house to an ice arena fit for one of the premier teams in the WCHA. Of course, Canham’s decision was a wise one, like most he made in his tenure, turning Michigan’s Athletic Department from a sinkhole for money into one of the most profitable in the nation.
Today, Yost Ice Arena looks very different from the way it did when it was built as Yost Field house in 1923. Though the exterior is basically unchanged, there are a few key differences. Ice permanently covers the playing surface of the building, and the seating arrangements have been adjusted several times over the years. In 1996, Yost underwent a major renovation, in which press facilities were upgraded, seating was added on the north end of the ice, and a new home locker room was constructed. Because of this renovation, seating was decreased substantially. Just 5 years later, the arena was again changed. Balcony box seating and a club lounge were added on the east side. These improvements to Yost Ice Arena were intended to improve the hockey experience for spectators and players. The Michigan Daily, however, was no so fond of either renovation.
When Yost was still being used as a field house, it was the home to several Michigan sports. In fact, every Michigan sport except for swimming has used Yost in some capacity. Competitions for track and field, basketball, and several other sports have taken place in Yost. Additionally, it has been used as a practice facility for several sports. From its very start, Yost field house was used as a practice facility for Michigan football. Michigan baseball also used the field house as its practice facility. Locker rooms and showers for all sports were one of the many features included in the original design. Yost also housed the equipment room for all sports, under the direction of managers Henry Hatch and Jon Falk. Don Canham so associated them with the Arena that he said “I still think of [Hatch] when I go into Yost Arena. Yost has served a variety of purposes in Michigan athletics over the duration of its existence, giving it more importance than those buildings which have served a singular purpose.
In 1923, the first ever field house was built on State Street. When proposing the idea, Fielding Yost even coined the term: “All it is is a field with a house over it, so let’s call it a field house.” At the time, Yost Field House was the home of Michigan track and field, basketball, wrestling, baseball, and practices for football. Yost, who was Michigan’s athletic director when it was built, thought that such a facility would give Wolverines sports teams an advantage over those from other schools, for practicing and competing. He knew that, although Michigan was near the pinnacle of college athletics, constructing Yost Field house would maintain or even improve this position. This was just another example of the foresight and attention to detail that Yost possessed, and his prediction that the field house would be of great use to Michigan proved to be a correct one.
Yost Field house was the first building of its type on any campus, and its construction may be partially credited for the obsession in today’s athletic departments with building new facilities to attract recruits and train athletes. “Everyone in the country has a Yost Field House now” says Kip Taylor. He alludes to the fact that, although Yost was the first field house built, everyone soon realized what a genuinely good idea it was, and followed suit. As the building was in the planning stages, Fielding Yost knew that he would like it to be named after himself. However, at the time, naming buildings against living people was against university policy. However, behind strong support from the students at Michigan, Yost was able to convince the administration to break the “no living legends” rule. The rule has also since been forgotten in the naming of such buildings as Schembechler Hall (built in 1990, Bo Schembechler died in 2006), Crisler Arena (built in 1967, Fritz Crisler died in 1982), and Canham Natatorium (built in 1988, Don Canham died in 2005) (Bentley Historical Library).
Kevin Porter was announced today as a finalist for the 2008 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, honoring college hockey’s top player. The winner of the Hobey Baker award will be announced live on ESPNU Friday the 11th at 7:30 Eastern. Here's what the Hobey Baker Foundation had to say about Porter:
Kevin Porter of Michigan is a senior forward who almost single-handedly helped Michigan to their national record 23rd Frozen Four. Last weekend in two games at the East Regional, Porter had a hand in six of the seven Michigan goals, bagging five goals and one assist, including four goals in a 5-1 win over Niagara. He is the nation’s scoring leader in points and goals with 33 goals, 29 assists for 62 points in 42 games. Porter sits second in the nation with 15 power-play goals; has recorded 18 multiple-point games and has a plus-minus of +33. His steady, consistent two-way play didn’t go unnoticed as he was named the CCHA Player of the Year and was a finalist for the league’s Best Defensive Forward. The First Team CCHA honoree was named the Hockey Commissioners January National Player of the Month. From Northville, Michigan, Porter is a draft pick of Phoenix. A general studies major, Kevin spends time with visits to Mott Children’s Hospital and volunteers for various Make-A-Wish Foundation activities.
If Porter doesn't win the award, it's an even worse sham than Hensick not making the Hat Trick last year.
A Michigan hockey game simply wouldn’t be the same without its raucous fans. The atmosphere inside Yost Ice Arena is famous. The commissioner of Michigan’s conference, the CCHA, praises the Yost crowd as well.
"I just think it captures the entire college atmosphere. The stands are right on top of you, and the fans are active and vocal."
Even more impressive is that Commissioner Tom Anastos is an alumnus of Michigan State, one of the Wolverines’ greatest rivals. As famous as Yost Ice Arena has become for its spectacular reputation as a hockey venue, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, Yost Field house was originally designed to accommodate nearly every sport – with the notable exception of hockey. However, over the course of its existence, Yost has served many roles in Michigan athletics, and is now known as one of college hockey’s premier venues. It may not be the most advanced facility, but according to Michigan coach Red Berenson,
“if you want to play in a rink with a great environment and a lot of history, then you should come to Michigan, because Yost is a player's rink."
It is that history, in fact, that gives Yost its special place in college sports history. While other college venues may be older, or bigger, or more high-tech, Yost Ice Arena is the one that most accurately captures the history of college athletics.
With all the regional games completed, the 2008 Frozen Four is now set. Both Sunday games turned out the way Michigan fans didn't want them to, but for now, that's too far in the future to worry about.
Thursday, April 10 6:00 PM Michigan v. Notre Dame. (ESPN2) Thursday, April 10 9:00 PM Boston College v. North Dakota (ESPN2)
Michigan v. Notre Dame CCHA foes meet up in the first national semifinal game. Michigan went 2-0 against the Irish this year, with a 3-2 come-from-behind win at Yost, and a 5-1 pasting the next night at The Palace. Michigan finished 1st in the conference to Notre Dame's 4th place finish. Top performers for Michigan against Notre Dame this year were Kevin Porter (2 goals), Travis Turnbull (1 goal, 2 assists), and goalie Billy Sauer (1.5 GAA). Michigan shouldn't expect to replicate either performance, and will likely split the difference between the two. 4-2 Michigan.
BC v. North Dakota The Sioux are always a team that gives the Wolverines trouble, so Michigan fans should be pulling for Boston College. In one game against the Eagles this year, Michigan notched a 4-3 overtime win in St. Paul, behind a 5-point night from the Caporusso-Hagelin-Turnbull line. In this matchup, both teams had 2-goal deficits in their regional finals, before coming up victors in overtime. North Dakota was given trouble by sub-.500 Wisconsin, but they are a team with championship experience. They will likely come up as winners, facing Michigan in the national title game. 3-1 North Dakota.
Behind the spectacular play of netminder Billy Sauer, and another solid performance from soon-to-be Hobey Baker winner Kevin Porter (vote here), Michigan defeated Clarkson Saturday night to advance to the Frozen Four. Aaron Palushaj and Porter gave Michigan two goals, which would up being more than enough to get them the victory. Even a 6-on-3 advantage for the Golden Knights late in the third could not help them decode Sauer, who made 27 saves on the night.
The east regional team consists of four Wolverines, with Sauer and Porter (obvious choices) representing the Wolverines along with teammates Chad Kolarik and Mark Mitera. The Wolverines will advance from the regional to play in the Frozen Four in Denver on April 10th.
Also advancing to the Frozen Four are the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. They defeated Michigan State by a 3-1 count in the West Regional. Michigan will face them in the semifinal game. This works out best for Michigan, as State was one of the few teams that managed to give them trouble over the course of the year (Michigan went 1-2-1 against the Spartans on the season).
On the other side of the Frozen Four, tonight's games will determine whether North Dakota or Wisconsin and Miami or Boston College will advance to Denver. Michigan fans will probably be pulling for Wisconsin on the one side (a much worse team than North Dakota, and the Sioux have been a Michigan-killer over the past couple years), and Miami on the other (Michigan had a lot of success against Miami this year, with the only non-win being a Shegos-reffed tie). Michigan also beat Boston College in October, but did not have a chance to develop consistency in beating them.
Tonight, Michigan kicks off its 2008 NCAA tournament quest, taking on the #16-overall seed in Niagara. For a full preview of the tournament, check out the Blog that Yost Built.
Don't forget to vote for Kevin Porter in the Hobey Baker balloting, though he is in a pretty deep hole.
Michigan Senior Kevin Porter has been named to this list of Ten semi-finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey's top individual honor. Porter leads the nation in scoring. Here's what the Hobey Baker folks have to say about Kevin:
Kevin Porter – Michigan, Senior, Forward, Northville, Michigan Consistency defines the nation’s leading scorer as the Wolverine captain has produced points in all but six of the 38 games he’s played. Porter helped guide his team to the CCHA regular season title and is a finalist for the league’s Player of the Year award and Best Defensive Forward award. He was also named to the CCHA First Team.
In 38 games, has 28 goals, 28 assists for 56 points – 14 PPG is third in nation
Second in the country in goals and tied for ninth in assists – 16 multi-point games
Was third in the nation in scoring last year – Phoenix draft pick
To vote for Porter in the Hobey Baker semifinals, visit the official website. Porter and the Wolverines will take on Miami in the CCHA finals tonight at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Fans can catch the game on FSN Detroit at 7:35.
Also, "sideline" reporter Charles Clinton's now-famous work at the game.
Charlie's work prompted this reaction from a UNO message board:
I don't think Patrick Roy or Dominik Hasek in their prime could have saved UNO tonight. In fact, I think the Weasels could have pulled Sauer at the start, gone 6-on-5 the whole night and won 18-5. UNO's only hope was that Sauer would have switched places with Charles, the WOLV-TV "sideline" reporter. Sauer probably would have been more informative on the webcast, and UNO might have scored enough goals against the reporter to make the game a little more competitive.
Poor Charles. He did kind of have "Boom goes the dynamite" potential though. At one point, I believe his report was, "Eric Elmblad is playing in his first game tonight. He had a nice hip check, though a penalty was called on the play. He really hasn't done anything else. Back to you."
Poor Charles, indeed. If you want to see better examples of his work, check out his blog.
The injury Chad Kolarik sustained in the third period against Lake State on Saturday is hamstring-related, according to Antoine Pitts of the Ann Arbor News.
Kolarik is expected to be out until the final round of the CCHA playoffs, assuming his rehab moves along according to schedule. Kolarik is certainly going to be scratched in Michigan's next two series, against Michigan State and Ferris State.
Last time against State, Kolarik had an assist and was +1 on Saturday. He didn't take a penalty either night. According to the stats, he was not a huge factor in either game, but he is certainly an important player for the Wolverines. He is tied for 2nd on the team in +/- (with Mark Mitera), and is second in points with 43.
Will Kolarik's absence hurt the Wolverines? Michigan would like to sweep State, though his absence will probably be one of the factors that prevents that from happening. Ferris, despite being a lower-tier CCHA team, managed to sweep Miami this weekend.
Even without Kolarik, Michigan should lock up the #1 seed in the CCHA tournament. The first-round bye will give Michigan a chance to get some rest, and Kolarik should be able to return by the Championship round.
Even without Kolarik, Michigan should be able to have enough success to lock up a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and are still likely to get the overall #1.
The Blog that Yost Built (consistently excellent. If you care about hockey at all, I'd suggest visiting it regularly) has uncovered newspaper reports detailing Kevin Quick's alleged reason for getting dismissed from the Michigan hockey team.
In happier hockey news, the team took 3 points from Miami over the weekend, returning them to the top of the CCHA (now with a guaranteed CCHA playoff bye), and the country. They face off against Lake State for 2 games in The Old Barn this weekend.
Sadly, no more WOLV games until the CCHA playoffs. I'll keep you updated.
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