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

