Michigan
Lake Superior State
Wolverines Head North for Weekend Series Against Lake Superior State
10/31/2018 3:26:00 PM | Ice Hockey
THIS WEEK
Friday, Nov. 2 – at Lake Superior State (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.), 7:37 p.m.
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Saturday, Nov. 3 – at Lake Superior State (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.), 7:07 p.m.
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• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team is set to travel to the Upper Peninsula to take on Lake Superior State this weekend (Nov. 2-3) for two games in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The two teams have not played at Lake Superior since the two were league foes in the now-defunct Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).
The Lake Superior Series
Michigan and Lake Superior will meet for the 73rd time in program history, with the series dating back to 1973. The Wolverines hold a 62-48-7 advantage in the all-time series with the Lakers, but U-M is 19-23-3 against Lake Superior State on the road. The two teams last met in 2016, when they split the series at Yost Ice Arena, 1-1.
Scouting the Lakers
Finishing 10-22-4 (8-17-3 WCHA) last season, the Lakers put together a four-game win streak near the end of the season in a push for the postseason, but finished just outside the playoff picture.
Lake Superior State sees five of its top six scorers return from last season. The Lakers bring a trio of productive senior forwards in Diego Cuglietta, Gage Torrel and Anthony Nellis, all of whom have had a least two double-digit point seasons in their time in Sault Ste. Marie.
On defense, Collin Saccoman and Steven Ruggiero headline a defensive corps that saw three players graduate. Nick Kossoff and Mareks Mitens both return for the 2018-19 season between the pipes.
Lake Superior This Year
The Lakers will host the Wolverines after starting their season on the road with a four-game win streak and two series sweeps. Their last win was against Alabama-Huntsville, during which Lake Superior State scored two goals in the third period to take the 2-1 win. In goal, Mareks Mitens stopped 29 of 30 shots, earning his second win of the season.
Senior forward Anthony Nellis leads the team in points (five) and goals (three) through four games. Classmate Gage Torrel leads the team in assists (four). The two netminders, senior Nick Kossoff (.893 save percentage) and sophomore Mareks Mitens (.967 save percentage) have split the games this year with each recording two wins.
Weekend Recap
The Wolverines recorded their first sweep of the 2018-19 season, with two home wins over St. Lawrence. The first win came courtesy of a 3-0 shutout on Friday (Oct. 26), as junior Hayden Lavigne ended the night with 16 saves. On Saturday (Oct. 27), Michigan closed the series with a 3-1 victory. Freshman netminder Strauss Mann recorded 18 saves for his first collegiate win, while classmate Jack Olmstead scored his first collegiate goal in the victory.
Josh Norris recorded two goals and two assists which tied him with Nick Pastujov for the team lead in goals (three). Norris also leads the team in points with eight (three goals, five assists). In addition, Quinn Hughes recorded three points on Saturday night with one goal and two assists. Six different Wolverines (Jake Slaker, Norris, Joseph Cecconi, Michael Pastujov, Hughes and Olmstead) recorded points over the weekend.
Pasta Time
Junior forward Nick Pastujov has had a strong start to the season scoring in the first three games of the year. He continued his string of excellent performances on Friday (Oct. 26) assisting on his brother Michael Pastujov's goal. The Pastujov brothers are responsible for five of Michigan's 18 goals this season and have scored in four games.
No Joshin' Around
Sophomore forward Josh Norris has recorded points in all five games thus far, including last weekend when he tallied a goal and an assist in both of Michigan's victories. He leads the team with eight points, which rank him second in the B1G and tied for 15th nationally.
Captain's Confidence
Senior defenseman Joseph Cecconi had two assists in Saturday's (Oct. 27) 3-1 victory. The two helpers bring his season total to six, which ties him for ninth in the nation.
A Hugh-culean Effort
Sophomore Quinn Hughes was involved in every goal scored Saturday on his way to tallying two assists and a goal and helping the Wolverines complete the series sweep over St. Lawrence. Hughes now has points in three of Michigan's last four games.
The 'SNL' Line
Michigan's top line of Jake Slaker, Josh Norris, and Will Lockwood have accounted for 38 percent (seven)Â of the Wolverines' 18 goals thus far and has recorded a combined 14 points.
The Great Blue Wall
Junior netminder Hayden Lavigne earned his first shutout of the season on Friday stopping all 16 St. Lawrence shots on goal. Freshman goalie Strauss Mann played his way to his first win of the season on Saturday, making 18 saves and holding St. Lawrence to one goal.
Peppering Opponents
Michigan heads into the weekend averaging 37.6 shots-on-goal per game, the third most in the country, and the Wolverines have out-shot opponents by an average of 15 per game which is tied for the third-best margin in the country.
Man Advantage, Michigan
The Wolverines enter the weekend having converted on 27.3 percent of their power-play opportunities, which is tied for ninth in the nation.
Sharing the Wealth
Michigan continues to show its scoring depth this season as 10 different Wolverines have found the back of the net 18 times this year.
Up Ahead
The Maize and Blue will play host to No. 5 Notre Dame in a two-game home series on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 9-10) to open up Big Ten play. U-M looks to avenge last year's season-ending Frozen Four loss to the Fighting Irish. Both games against Notre Dame are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at Yost Ice Arena.
