M Netminder Sets Shutout Record As Mates Explode

M Netminder Sets Shutout Record As Mates Explode

STANDINGS
                                                W  L  T     Pct.

Minnesota_________            6   1    0   .857

MICHIGAN _________          5   1    0   .833

Denver_____________         4   1    1   .750

Michigan Tech ______         2   3    0   .400

North Dakota _______         2   4    1   .357

Michigan State _____          1   5    0   .167

Colorado College ___          1   6   0    .143

(Special To The News)

ATHENS, O. — A place was made in the berths of great Michigan hockey players today as goalie Bob Gray took his spot beside shutout king Willard (Ike) Ikola and all-time scoring champion Gordon Berenson.

Gray became the first Wolverine netminder in history to notch three shutouts in a season as the Blue overwhelmed Ohio University here last night, 14-0. His earlier whitewashings were over Toronto (10-0) and Colorado College (7-0).

Ikola set the school record for two shutouts in the 1951-52 season and then tied his own mark the following two seasons. Gray tied the record just last weekend in the first of two games against Colorado College, but turned his left knee in the second game as the Blue also won that one, 12-4.

Coach Al Renfrew probably will give Gray a deserved night off tonight when Michigan takes on Ohio State University at Columbus. Alternate goalie Bill Bieber hasn’t seen action since the Loyola series early in January.

Despite Michigan’s victory —the seventh in a row and 13th in 15 outings—the team lost in one important respect. Minnesota, previously tied with the Wolverines for the WCHA lead, went one victory up with a 3-0 win over Colorado College. The Gophers now are 6-1 in the league while Michigan is 5-1.

Already the highest point-producing team in the nation, the Blue bit 14 goals for the second time last night.

Leading scorers were familiar names to hockey fans-- sophomore stars Mel Wakabayashi and Wilfred Martin. Both picked up hat tricks, with two goals for each in a seven-goal first period. Wakabayashi picked up his third goal—and Michigan’s only score—in the second period, while Martin completed his hat trick mid-way through the final frame.

Ron Coristine and Jack Cole each added two goals, and single markers were scored by Alex Hood, Gary Butler, George Forrest and Gordon Wilkie.

Despite the huge score, Ohio goalie Dick Homovec was credited with many spectacular saves. He got little protection from his Bobcat defense throughout the game and in the last period turned away 21 shots as compared to Gray’s total of 22 for the entire game. The Blue fired a grand total of 65 shots on goal, with Homovec being credited with 51 saves.

Ohio, previously weakened by injuries and relatively new to the sport of hockey, fielded four freshmen against Michigan, including former Ann Arbor High icer Dan Strieff. The 6-foot wing and defense specialist saw action from the start of the game to its finish.

MICHIGAN--14                    OHIO--0
Gray                        G        Homovec
MacDonald             D        White
Polonic                    D       LeRoy
Wilkie                      C        L'Heureux
Butler                      W       Arvidson
Cole                        W       Martin

ALTERNATES

MICHIGAN: Henderson, Day, Dechaine, Martin, Hood, Wakabayashi, Ferguson, Galipeau, Coristine, Forrest, Read, Newton.

OHIO: Coombs, Corbett, Duke, Gamble, Gardner, Myers, Neish, Peterson, Streiff, Switzer, Williams.

FIRST PERIOD
SCORING:  (All Michigan) 1 - Hood (Martin), 2:18;  2 - Martin (Hood, Read), 2:45;  3 - Wakabayashi (Coristine, Day), 7:17;  4 - Coristine (Wakabayashi, Forest), 8:16  5 - Martin (Henderson,Hood), 11:47;  6 - Wakabayashi (unassisted), 12: 47;  7 - Butler (polonic), 14:58.

PENALTIES: 1 - (M) Newton (holding), 3:20; 2 - (M) MacDonald (boarding), 3:50; 3- (O) L'Heureux (slashing), 7:45; 4 - (M) Martin (charging), 8:40; 5 - (M) Hood (tripping), 18:15

SECOND PERIOD
SCORING: 8 - (M) Wakabayashi (Day, Ferguson), 11:10.

PENALTIES: 6 - (M)  Polonic (elbowing), :54;  7 - (O)  LeRoy (tripping), 2:35;  8 - (M) Hood (high sticking),  6:10;  9 - (O)  White (high sticking), 6:10; 10 - (M) Gray (tripping),  served by Day, 11:27;  11 - (O) Arvidson (tripping), 12:46; 12 - (M) Forrest (elbowing), 13:22;  13 - (M) Polonic (cross-checking), 13:20

THIRD PERIOD
SCORING: (All Michigan)  9 - Cole (Wilkie, Martin), 3:58; 10 - Forrest (Wilkie, Polonic), 6:37; 11 - Wilkie (Forrest), 6:47; 12- Martin (Hood, Read), 8:34; 13 - Cole (Butler, Wilkie), 9:54; 14 - Coristine (Ferguson, Wakabayashi), 11:14.

PENALTIES: 14 - (O) L'Heureux (elbowing), 2:23; 15 - (M) Forrest (roughing), 12:08; 16 - (O) White (roughing), 12:08.

             SAVES
GRAY              8      12      2 - 22
HOMOVEC     13   17      21 - 51