Wolverine Puckmen To Oppose Huskies In WCHA Playoffs

Wolverine Puckmen To Oppose Huskies In WCHA Playoffs

FINAL STANDINGS

                                        W | L | T | Pts.

MICHIGAN.........................12 | 2 | 0 | .857

Denver.................................7 | 2 | 1 | .750

Minnesota..........................10 | 6 | 0 | .625

Michigan Tech....................9 | 7 | 0 | .563

North Dakota......................5 | 8 | 1 | .393

Colorado College...............4 | 11 | 1 | .281

Michigan State...................1 | 12 | 1 | .107

By Larry Sullivan

A lot of glory behind and a tough road ahead sums up the position today of Michigan’s record-breaking hockey squad.

The pucksters gave Coach Al Renfrew his first season championship in 10 years as a Western Collegiate coach and now aim to give him his first McNaughton Trophy in playoffs scheduled to start at the local rink Thursday.

Michigan will be going against fourth-place Michigan Tech in two preliminary games Thursday and Friday while runner-up Denver will host fifth-place North Dakota as a result of Minnesota’s withdrawal from the tournament. The Gophers are barred from competing because of final exams and a school rule prohibiting athletics during the tests.

Michigan’s 13-4 victory over Michigan State Saturday night saw the Blue tie a 13-year-old record for most goals in a season.

The final goal by Ron Coristine at 12:56 of the final period tied the 1950-51 output of 197 goals—and did it in one less game.

Gary Butler earned another “Player-of-the-Week” award by picking up his sixth hat trick of the season in leading the Blue with four goals. In one of his best nights of the year, he also garnered three assists to edge fellow linesman Gord Wilkie in total points, 64 to 62, for the team scoring leadership.

Wilkie added five assists to his record for most assists in a season, capping a great year with a total of 46. Before Wilkie broke the record two years ago the teams' assist mark was only 33.

Coristine, Barry MacDonald and Bob Ferguson each added two markers in the deluge which drowned State, and single goals were scored by Alex Hood, Wilfred Martin and Wilkie.

“Did you ever see so many goals?" a delighted Renfrew said after emerging from the locker room shower into which he had been thrown fully clothed by his joyous players.

“The boys played another whale of a game,” he summed up.

Passing and speed were the main ingredients used by the Blue for their fourth win in a row over the Spartans. Also helping out were the fine work of the defensive crew, several good saves by goalie Bob Gray and—lest she fail to receive credit due—a gentle boost by Lady Luck.

Dame Fortune smiled on the Wolverines on their 12th goal of the evening when a center ice blast from Ferguson’s stick, meant only to drive the puck caromed off the south wall at a perfect 45-degree angle and skipped over the goalie’s stick to settle in the crease.

In other games completing the WCHA regular season Saturday night, Michigan Tech beat Colorado College, 9-8, in overtime for the Huskies third win in a four-game road trip in Colorado, and North Dakota finally beat Minnesota, 3-1, after three losses.

MICHIGAN - 13                                                   STATE—4

GRAY ---------------------------  G --------------------------- Terpay
Galipedu ------------------------ D ------------------------------ Ford
Henderson ----------------------D ---------------------------- Lackey
Buller ---------------------------- W --------------------------- Hargreaves
Cole ----------------------------- W --------------------------- Mulcahy

ALTERNATES

MICHIGAN: MacDonald, Wakabayashi, Ferguson, Read, Marlin, Dechaine, Day, Coristine, Forrest, Newton, Hood.

MICHIGAN STATE: Orme, Roberts, Musat, Miller, Elliot, Jacobson, Lawrence, Heaphy, Vedjs, Goble, Bean.

FIRST PERIOD

SCORING: 1—(M) Ferguson (Coristine, Wakabayashi), 4:17; 2—(M) Wilkie (Butler), 6:34; 3—(M) Hood (unassisted), 14:34; 4—(S) Elliot (Orme, Roberts), 14:52; 5—(M) Butler (Wilkie, Cole), 15:54; 6—(M) Butler (Hood, Martin), 18:14.

PENALTIES: 1—(M) Cole (illegal check), 1:27; 2—(S) Musat (interference), 3:56; 3—(M) Cole Ferguson (holding) 4:56; 4—(S) Roberts (elbowing), 5:51; 5—(S) Miller (interference), 18:08.

SECOND PERIOD

SCORING: 7-- (S) Hargreaves (Coppo), 0:39; 8-- (M) Butler (Wakabayashi, Wilkie), 4:22; 9-- (M) MacDonald (Butler, Wilkie), 6:48; 10 -- (M) Coristine (Butler), 12:59; 11 -- (M) Martin (Galipeau), 17:45.

PENALTIES: 6 -- (S) Roberts (interference), 3:14; 7 -- (M) Hood (high sticking), 7:09; 8 -- (S) Miller (slashing), 19:55; 9 -- (M) Day (interference), 19:55.

THIRD PERIOD

SCORING: 12—(M) MacDonald (Wilkie), 0:09; 13—(M) Butler (MacDonald, Martin), 1:51; 14—(M) Ferguson (Henderson), 3:52; 15--(S) Elliot (Orme, Jacobson), 7:01; 16--(S) Orme (Lackey), 10:59; 17--(M) Coristine (MacDonald, Wilkie), 12:56.

PENALTIES: 10—(M) Coristine (hooking), 4:54; 11—(M) Galipeau (interference), 9:22; 12--(S) Mulcahy (holding), 10:41; 13— (S) Mulcahy (roughing), 10:41; 14--(M) Coristine (roughing), 10:41; 15--(M) Dechaine (interference), 15:51; 16--(S) Hargreaves (roughing), 18:24; 17--(M) Dechaine (roughing) , 18:24.

SAVES

GRAY ---------------------- 10 5 11—26

TERPAY (MUSAT) -------14 (13 9)—38
 

OFFICIALS

Bob Gilray, referee; Dick Kock, Stan Dubois, linesmen.