Michigan Hockey: The Wolverines head to South Bend to face Notre Dame

No. 2 Michigan Hockey opens Big Ten play at Notre Dame tonight, aiming to bounce back after its first loss of the season:

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What is the story about?

The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (7-1-0) are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season as they head to South Bend this weekend. Despite falling from the ranks of the unbeaten, head coach Brandon Naurato’s team is still flying high entering Big Ten play.

Michigan’s top-ranked scoring offense enters Friday averaging 5.75 goals per game, nearly one goal better than the second-best team in the country. Led by sophomores Michael Hage (6G, 8A) and Will Horcoff (7G, 4A), Michigan’s attack has

proven to be deeper and more malleable compared to years past.

In recent seasons, the Wolverines have been top-heavy, with the majority of scoring coming from a select top few. This year, Michigan is balanced with six players playing at a point-per-game clip, and four others are just one point off this pace. This balance has allowed Naurato to experiment with different line combinations in search of optimal chemistry without risking a significant drop-off in production in the interim.

To the team’s malleable nature, it is well known the Wolverines have struggled mightily in the last five years against teams that trap in the neutral zone. When Michigan was forced to play in slow-paced, disjointed games, the team struggled. But this year, the team has played in six games facing the trap and has had no problem altering styles and going to work on the forecheck. To quote Colston Loveland, “If they wanna get busy, we’ll get busy.”

Defensively, the Wolverines are still tied for first in scoring defense, allowing only 1.50 goals per game through eight games. Cornell junior transfer Ben Robertson (0G, 10A) is second nationally in assists and is Michigan’s leader in ice time. Robertson’s vision for the game has been a revelation for this team and made him a valuable asset on both ends of the ice.

In net, Jack Ivankovic remains one of the most impactful newcomers to the conference. The true freshman’s .937 save percentage and 1.382 goals against average are both second nationally among all goalies with more than 300 minutes played and 150 saves. Ivankovic is the stalwart this team has been missing and has provided the team with an aggressive freedom that they have not had since Erik Portillo.

Getting to know Notre Dame

For the first time since the Bush Administration, Notre Dame will have a new coach behind the bench. After an illustrious career defined by hard skill and defense (Read: the Iowa football of college hockey), head coach Jeff Jackson has retired and Brock Sheahan has taken over.

Despite playing under Jackson in the aughts (and playing against Naurato), Sheahan has brought a different style to the Irish. This is a more offensive-minded team led by seniors Sutter Muzzatti (6G, 3A) and Axel Kumlin (1G, 6A). The nation’s fourth-most potent offense has found success due to an unrelenting forecheck and the best offensive-zone possession time (9:12) in the country, nine seconds better than the Wolverines.

Defensively, the Irish have struggled at even strength. On the penalty-kill, Notre Dame is the second-best team in the country and the best among teams that have been shorthanded more than 20 times. But at 5-on-5, the Irish rank No. 36 nationally and are the second-worst defensive team in the Big Ten. More on these struggles in the key to the game.

After what felt like two decades between the pipes, perennial star Ryan Bischel has finally turned over his net to someone else. Filling in for one of the best in program history is sophomore Nicholas Kempf, who stumbled out of the gates — Kempf’s .894 save percentage is ninth in the Big Ten and No. 49 overall — has heated up, allowing only seven goals in the last four games after allowing 12 in the first two.

Key to the Game

Turnovers. The Irish are a heavy pressure team and are not afraid of activating their D-men to get involved in the action. The downside is that active sticks can quickly create turnovers and odd-man rushes. Michigan needs to look to be opportunistic on the defensive end and exploit the Irish’s aggressiveness to their advantage. If the Wolverines can create a handful of early scoring chances in transition, Notre Dame’s offense will stagnate and Michigan will be able to dictate terms on both ends of the ice.