Michigan dominates the slot to claim
sweep over Lake Superior State
SPORTSWEDNESDAY
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — When the No.
5 Michigan hockey team took the ice against
Boston University last weekend, the balance of
high-danger chances swung heavily away from
it. Doomed by tips, screens and rebounds, the
Wolverines were simply outmatched at net front,
leading to their first loss of the season.
But on Saturday night, Michigan demonstrated
plainly that it had learned its lesson.
Dominating the premium spaces at both net
fronts, the Wolverines (5-1 overall) outshot Lake
Superior State (0-3-1) by 14 while blocking 8 to
stave off a season-high 22 penalty minutes and
complete the sweep, 5-1, in their first road series
of the season.
“I thought our O-Zone was a lot better this
weekend,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato
said. “Getting into high ice and then switching,
and then just converging to the net, there were
some really nice plays.”
Forced to spend four of the first six minutes
on the kill after committing two early penalties,
however, the Wolverines struggled to get much
going on offense right away. Instead, they
tightened up on the opposite end, getting bodies
in the slot to block shots and cross-ice passes,
limiting the Lakers to just four shots over two
power plays and seizing the early momentum.
“One thing we talk about is pressure versus
containment,” Naurato said. “When we can
outnumber them, that’s pressure, and when
we’re containing, they’ve got numbers. I think
we contained the net front very well.”
Michigan faced momentary lapses in its
domination of center ice on defense, specifically
when Lake Superior State forward Timo Bakos
snuck into the slot on the power play during the
second period to cut the Wolverines’ lead to two.
But by staying tight to the crease to kill off 10 of
11 power plays, Michigan limited the damage and
turned that goal into an anomaly.
And for the limited time that they were at full
strength, the Wolverines monopolized the slot
in the offensive zone to create golden scoring
chances.
With multiple Michigan players stationed
at the net front in the first period, sophomore
forward Mackie Samoskevich fired a point
wrister that bounced off multiple bodies, one of
the posts and into the net to take the 1-0 lead.
Minutes later, freshman forward Adam Fantilli
collected a loose puck in front of the crease before
backhanding it in to double the first-period lead.
“Our biggest thing is just outnumbering at the
net,” Naurato said. “Defensively, you’re trying
to protect the net front, so then how do you pull
people away (on offense)?”
Then, two minutes into the second period,
freshman forward Jackson Hallum delivered
a forecheck in the offensive zone slot to steal
the puck from Lake Superior State’s defense.
Freshman forward TJ Hughes picked up where
Hallum left off, corralling the puck and faking
a cross-crease pass back to Hallum right at the
post, before blasting it top shelf. Hughes added
his second on the night later, crashing the net to
clean up Fantilli’s rebound and extend the lead
to three.
Though the Wolverines only tacked on one
more goal — off the stick of sophomore forward
Dylan Duke — it continued to control the slot
both ways. Michigan kept creating chances off
tips and rebounds in the offensive end, while
clearing loose pucks in front of the net to prevent
the Lakers from sustaining theirs.
“It seemed like they would have had more
shots,” Naurato said. “But I thought our
defensemen did a great job of boxing out, getting
body position, lifting sticks and clearing the
front of the net.”
Given that the Wolverines had to contend
with being down a man for more than a third of
the game and spent 40% of the final period on
the kill, that commanding net-front presence
prevented a slew of penalties from spiraling into
a collapse.
And for a team that only trudged to the final
whistle the night prior, Michigan’s 60-minute
domination of center ice served as a forceful
reminder of how important controlling that
region is to the Wolverines’ success.
NOAH KINGSLEY
Daily Sports Writer
And for the limited time
that they were at full
strength, the Wolverines
monopolized the slot in the
offensive zone to create
golden scoring chances.
SUPERIORITY
SUPERIORITY
COMPLEX
COMPLEX
LILA TURKER/Daily
Design by Sophie Grand