Season Review: 2015-16 Michigan Ice Hockey
5/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Team Captains: JT Compher, Steve Racine, Justin Selman
Record: 25-8-5 overall, 12-5-3-2 Big Ten (2nd place)
Big Ten Tournament: Champions (W, 5-3 vs. Minnesota)
NCAA Tournament: Quarterfinalists (L, 2-5 vs. North Dakota)
The University of Michigan ice hockey team finished the season at 25-8-5 overall, went 12-5-3-2 in conference play to place second in the Big Ten, and clinched the program's first Big Ten Tournament title with a 5-3 win over Minnesota on March 19. In the NCAA Tournament, Michigan earned a 3-2 (OT) win over Notre Dame before falling to North Dakota in the Midwest Regional final. For the 21st time in head coach Red Berenson's career, Michigan reached the 25-win mark, as the Wolverines had their highest winning percentage (.724) since the 2007-08 campaign.
Team Highlights
• This season's NCAA Tournament bid was the 36th overall in U-M history, an NCAA record, and the first since 2012. Under head coach Red Berenson, U-M has reached the NCAA Tournament 23 times, with Berenson tying Jack Parker (BU) for second all-time with 30 NCAA Tournament wins.
• The Wolverines earned their way to the NCAA Midwest Regional final with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over No. 3 Notre Dame on March 25, as junior forward Tyler Motte buried the game-winning goal at 8:19 of the extra frame. Senior goaltender Steve Racine made 28 saves in net, and sophomore defenseman Zach Werenski (GTG, 3rd period) and senior forward Justin Selman also added goals for Michigan. U-M earned its first NCAA Tournament win since a 2011 Frozen Four victory against North Dakota (4/7/11, 2-0).
• Trailing by a goal in the third period of the Big Ten Tournament championship game in St. Paul, Minnesota, Michigan blitzed host Minnesota with three straight goals to earn the school's first Big Ten title in ice hockey. Freshman forward Kyle Connor, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, had a goal and three assists, including the game-tying goal early in the third period. Sophomore defenseman Zach Werenski (G, A) notched the game-winner on a late power play in the frame, and junior forward Tyler Motte sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute. Senior goaltender Steve Racine made 30 saves to earn the win in net.
• Michigan won its record 17th John A. MacInnes Trophy with a 4-2 win against Michigan Tech in the 51st annual Great Lakes Invitational championship game on Dec. 30 at Joe Louis Arena. U-M rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit as second-period goals by Tony Calderone, Tyler Motte (PPG) and Alex Kile helped push Michigan ahead. Goaltender Steve Racine (27 saves) held down the fort in the third period, and Sam Piazza sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:28, his first goal at U-M. Kyle Connor was named GLI MVP, and Connor, Piazza and Racine were named to the all-tournament team.
• Michigan was led by an offense that was historically good this season, as the Wolverines led the nation in scoring with an average of 4.76 goals per game, the highest scoring mark by a Michigan team since the 1996-97 campaign. U-M topped the five-goal mark in 22 of 38 games this season, the most in one season since 1996-97 (28).
• Michigan's power play helped boost the nation's best offense and was excellent throughout the season, as the Wolverines had power-play goals in 26 of 38 games this season. Over its last eight games, the team was a combined 18-for-31 (58.1%) on the man advantage. U-M finished the season No. 1 in the country at 32.0% (48-for-150) on the man advantage. The Wolverines scored multiple power-play goals in 14 games this season.
• Michigan outscored teams 76-27 in the third period of games this season. In 2015-16, the Wolveirnes were the best third-period team in college hockey, as their scoring margin (+49, +1.29 per game) in the third period was tops among Division I teams.
• U-M rallied from deficits of two goals or more to earn a win/tie in seven games this season.
Individual Highlights
• Leading Michigan up front was the vaunted "CCM Line," the Wolverines' top line of LW Kyle Connor, C JT Compher and RW Tyler Motte. In the 27 games since playing together for the first time on Dec. 4 vs. Wisconsin, the trio accounted for over half of Michigan's 136 goals (70 goals, 51.5%) and was a combined +89 in that span. Compher (+35, No. 4 NCAA), Connor (+34, No. 5 NCAA) and Motte (+28, No. 11 NCAA) were among the nation's best in plus/minus. They were also 1-2-3 in NCAA scoring (points per game) -- Connor (1.87), Compher (1.66) followed by Motte (1.47). They were the top three point scorers -- Connor (71 points), Compher (63 points), Motte (56 points) -- in the Big Ten. The three were among the first 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, marking just the third time in the 35-year history of the award that one school placed three players among the top 10 finalists.
• Kyle Connor was named the recipient of the 2016 Tim Taylor Award, bestowed annually upon the best first-year player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey by the American Hockey Commissioners' Association (AHCA). A first team All-American, the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Connor had a sensational regular-season campaign, leading the nation in scoring with 71 points (35 goals, 36 assists). He finished the season with a 27-game point streak, a Michigan record, notching 59 points (30 goals, 29 assists) in that span. Connor is the first freshman in college hockey to record 30 goals since Thomas Vanek (2002-03, Minnesota), and his point total (71) matched Jack Eichel's total from 2014-15, the most by any freshman in college hockey since Maine's Paul Kariya had 100 points in 1992-93. Connor is No. 2 on the all-time single-season freshman scoring list at Michigan, with Bruno Baseotto notching a record 76 points in 1979-80. Connor broke Baseotto's U-M freshman goal-scoring record (31 goals in 1979-80). Connor joined junior goaltender Thatcher Demko from Boston College and senior forward Jimmy Vesey from Harvard University in the Hobey Hat Trick, becoming the third player at Michigan so honored.
• Michigan captain JT Compher enjoyed his best season with 63 points (16 goals, 47 assists) in 38 games. An AHCA second team All-American and All-Big Ten first team selection, Compher led the nation in assists and was No. 2 in points scored (behind Connor). His assist total (47) is the highest by a player at Michigan since Brendan Morrison set the school record with 57 assists in 1996-97. The Northbrook, Illinois, native finished the season with points in 26 of his last 27 games, including point streaks of 18 and eight games. He led the team (along with Connor) with 19 multiple-point games on the season. His plus-35 rating was fourth in the nation.
• Tyler Motte was one of the nation's top two-way forwards in 2015-16, finishing third in the country in scoring (per game) with 56 points (32 goals, 24 assists) in 38 games. An AHCA first team All-American and All-Big Ten first team selection, Motte led all NCAA forwards with 70 blocked shots on the season, many coming on the penalty kill. Motte's 12-game goal-scoring streak this season was the longest by a Michigan player in the Red Berenson era (since 1984). Motte and Connor were the first pair of Michigan teammates to record 30 goals in a season since Kevin Porter (33 goals) and Chad Kolarik (30 goals) both reached the mark in 2007-08.
• Zach Werenski had a career year with the Wolverines in 2015-16, recording 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 36 games. Werenski led all Big Ten defensemen in scoring and was second in the nation among blueliners in points. An AHCA first team All-American, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Big Ten first team selection, Werenski was one of the top defenders in college hockey. He also served as captain of bronze medal-winning Team USA at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships, tallying a 2-7-9 line in seven games and earning the Directorate Award as the tournament's top defenseman. Werenski is the third Michigan player to captain the U.S. National Junior Team, joining Kevin Porter (2006) and Eric Nystrom (2003).
• Michigan had nine players with 10 or more goals this season: Kyle Connor (35), Tyler Motte (32), Alex Kile (16), JT Compher (16), Justin Selman (13), Zach Werenski (11), Tony Calderone (11), Cooper Marody (10), and Cristoval 'Boo' Nieves (10). The Wolverines last had nine players hit the 10-goal mark in 2000-01.
• Senior goaltender Steve Racine finished the 2015-16 season with a record of 20-6-3, a 2.89 goals-against average and .914 save percentage with one shutout. His .914 save percentage was sixth best in a single season in Michigan Hockey history. Racine was one of 26 nominees for Mike Richter Award (nation's top goalie) this year and was named to both the Big Ten and GLI all-tournament teams.
Seniors Steve Racine, Justin Selman and Cristoval 'Boo' Nieves
Honors and Awards
Kyle
Connor
JT
Compher
Tyler
Motte
Zach
Werenski
Steve
Racine
Red
Berenson
AHCA/CCM All-America
First Team: Kyle Connor, Tyler Motte, Zach Werenski
Second Team: JT Compher
Tim Taylor Award (National Rookie of the Year)
Kyle Connor
Big Ten Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Kyle Connor
Defensive Player of the Year: Zach Werenski
Freshman of the Year: Kyle Connor
Coach of the Year: Red Berenson
Scoring Champion: Kyle Connor
All-Big Ten Conference
First Team: Kyle Connor (unanimous), JT Compher, Tyler Motte, Zach Werenski
All-Freshman Team: Kyle Connor (unanimous)
AHCA National Player of the Month
Tyler Motte (January 2016)
AHCA National Rookie of the Month
Kyle Connor (December 2015, January 2016)
Big Ten First Star of the Week
Kyle Connor (Oct. 20, Dec. 15, Feb. 23, March 15)
Tyler Motte (Jan. 19, Feb. 1, Feb. 8)
Alex Kile (Nov. 24)
JT Compher (Jan. 12)
Big Ten Second Star of the Week
Kyle Connor (Jan. 12, Feb. 1, March 1)
Steve Racine (Dec. 1, Jan. 5, Feb. 8)
Brendan Warren (Nov. 17)
Justin Selman (Dec. 8)
Big Ten Third Star of the Week
Justin Selman (March 15)
JT Compher (Feb. 16)
Justin Selman (Oct. 20)
Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Hat Trick Finalist: Kyle Connor
Top 10 Finalists: JT Compher, Kyle Connor, Tyler Motte
Great Lakes Invitational All-Tournament
Kyle Connor (MVP), Sam Piazza, Steve Racine
NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament
JT Compher, Zach Werenski
Communications Contact: Jeffrey Weinstein
