Michigan to Open 2020-21 Season This Weekend vs. No. 15 Arizona State

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The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team will open the 2020-21 season this weekend, hosting No. 15 Arizona State at Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena. On Saturday (Nov. 14) the puck drops at 3 p.m., with the game broadcast on Big Ten Network Plus, while Sunday (Nov. 15) will feature a prime time 7 p.m. start on Big Ten Network.

There is no public access at events due to Big Ten policy currently in effect.

The Series

Michigan and Arizona State will meet for just the fourth time. This will mark the second time ASU has visited Ann Arbor, and the Wolverines are 3-0 in the all-time series against the Sun Devils. Three current Wolverines who played in the 2018 series -- Jack Becker, Michael Pastujov and Dakota Raabe -- tallied points in that series.

Wolverine Bites

Selected to finish second in the Big Ten in the conferences preseason poll, Michigan looks to start the season where it left off: hot. U-M returns 18 players from last season's squad that was on its way to the B1G semifinals and was poised for an NCAA tournament bid. A 10-member freshman class, dubbed the top class in the nation by CollegeHockeyNews, has four members who have been drafted by NHL teams. Three others are considered top prospects for the 2021 draft with A ratings from NHL Central Scouting.

The B1G Goaltender of the Year Strauss Mann remains a steady presence in net. Mann is coming off of a record-breaking year after posting a 1.85 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage and six shutouts, including two in both B1G quarterfinal games.

Scouting the Sun Devils

• ASU is ranked No. 15 in the preseason USCHO.com poll and is receiving votes in the USA Today poll. Last season, it finished 13th in the Pairwise rankings after setting a program record for wins with a 22-11-3 record.

• The Sun Devils return their two top scorers from a season ago in 40-point man James Sanchez and senior forward Johnny Walker, who returns with the most career goals in college hockey with 60. Between the pipes, junior netminder Evan DeBrouwer returns after posting a 19-11-3 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.52 GAA. ASU also welcomes Wisconsin transfer Sean Dhooghe, who led the Badgers in scoring just two seasons ago.

• Arizona State will play four games against every member of the B1G this season as part of a scheduling agreement. All games will be played at B1G venues and will not be considered conference games that count towards the league's standings. ASU is not eligible for the B1G Tournament.

This Year

The 2021 Big Ten Hockey Tournament will return to a one-weekend, single-elimination format that was used during the first four years of Big Ten hockey and will feature all seven conference teams. The tournament will be held March 18-20 and will consist of six games (three games on Thursday, two games on Friday and the championship game on Saturday).

Up Next

Thursday, Nov. 19 -- at Wisconsin (LaBahn Arena), 6 p.m. CST
Friday, Nov. 20 -- at Wisconsin (LaBahn Arena), 6 p.m. CST