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1951–52 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season

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The 1951–52 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team represented the University of Michigan in college ice hockey. In its eighth year under head coach Vic Heyliger, the team compiled a 22–4–0 record, outscored opponents 161 to 70, and won the 1952 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.[1] The season was the second consecutive in which the Michigan hockey team won the NCAA championship.

1951–52 Michigan Wolverines
men's ice hockey season
National champion
1952 NCAA Tournament, champion
ConferenceT–2nd MCHL
Home iceWeinberg Coliseum
Record
Overall22–4
Home13–3
Road7–1
Neutral2–0
Coaches and captains
Head coachVic Heyliger
Captain(s)Earl Keyes
Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey seasons
« 1950–51 1952–53 »

Individual accomplishments

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Senior defenseman Bob Heathcott from Turner Valley, Alberta was Michigan's leading scorer during the 1951–52 season with 44 points on 13 goals and 31 assists. Six members of the team were selected as first-team All-Americans: forwards George Chin, Earl Keyes, John McKennell, and Doug Philpott, and defensemen Jim Haas and Reg Shave.[2]

At the end of the season, the players selected goalie Willard Ikola from Eveleth, Minnesota, as the team's most valuable player. Ikola allowed an average of 2.75 goals per game in 24 regular season games. He allowed only four goals in the NCAA Tournament.[3]

Junior center John Matchefts, also from Eveleth, Minnesota, was chosen as the captain of the 1952–53 team. Matchefts had been leading the 1951-52 team in scoring until being declared academically ineligible with eight games remaining in the regular season.[3]

Standings

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1951–52 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League
Conference Overall
GP W L T PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
Colorado College† 12 10 2 0 20 25 19 5 1 168 94
Denver 12 9 3 0 18 66 40 25 18 6 1 146 94
Michigan 12 9 3 0 18 75 40 26 22 4 0 161 70
North Dakota 12 6 6 0 12 55 56 25 13 11 1 126 105
Minnesota 12 5 7 0 10 26 13 13 0 130 114
Michigan State 12 3 9 0 6 20 7 13 0 72 110
Michigan Tech 12 0 12 0 0 20 2 18 0 75 154
† indicates conference regular season champion
Only the first two games played between member teams counted for conference standings.

Schedule

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During the season Michigan compiled a 22–4 record, the fifthconsecutive year that the team won at least 80% of their games. This was the first season that Michigan played as a member of a conference. The teams in the MCHL played an unbalanced schedule against one another and to balance it evenly only the first two games against each member team were counted as part of the standings. Michigan finished tied for second with Denver but was selected over the Pioneers for the tournament due to a better overall record. Their schedule was as follows.[4]

Date Opponent Score Result Venue Location Record (MCHL)
Dec. 5, 1951 Michigan State † 11–1[5] Win Demonstration Hall East Lansing, MI 1–0 (1–0)
Dec. 7, 1951 Montreal 9–2 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 2–0 (1–0)
Dec. 8, 1951 Montreal 4–5 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 2–1 (1–0)
Dec. 14, 1951 Toronto 4–1 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 3–1 (1–0)
Dec. 15, 1951 Toronto 6–4 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 4–1 (1–0)
Dec. 20, 1951 Denver † 7–5 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 5–1 (2–0)
Dec. 21, 1951 Denver † 4–5* Loss Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 5–2 (2–1)
Jan. 4, 1952 North Dakota † 4–2 Win Winter Sports Building Grand Forks, ND 6–2 (3–1)
Jan. 5, 1952 North Dakota † 2–4 Loss Winter Sports Building Grand Forks, ND 6–3 (3–2)
Jan. 11, 1952 Minnesota † 5–4[6] Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 7–3 (4–2)
Jan. 12, 1952 Minnesota † 6–1 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 8–3 (5–2)
Jan. 16, 1952 Michigan State † 7–1 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 9–3 (6–2)
Jan. 18, 1952 Minnesota 7–2 Win Williams Arena Minneapolis, MN 10–3 (6–2)
Jan. 19, 1952 Minnesota 5–0 Win Williams Arena Minneapolis, MN 11–3 (6–2)
Feb. 8, 1952 Michigan Tech † 9–2 Win Dee Stadium Houghton, MI 12–3 (7–2)
Feb. 9, 1952 Michigan Tech † 10–4 Win Dee Stadium Houghton, MI 13–3 (8–2)
Feb. 15, 1952 Colorado College † 3–5 Loss Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 13–4 (8–3)
Feb. 16, 1952 Colorado College † 7–6* Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 14–4 (9–3)
Feb. 22, 1952 McGill 6–0 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 15–4 (9–3)
Feb. 23, 1952 McGill 3–1 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 16–4 (9–3)
Feb. 29, 1952 Michigan State 8–2 Win Demonstration Hall East Lansing, MI 17–4 (9–3)
Mar. 1, 1952 Michigan State 6–2 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 18–4 (9–3)
Mar. 9, 1952 Michigan Tech 11–4 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 19–4 (9–3)
Mar. 10, 1952 Michigan Tech 4–3 Win Weinberg Coliseum Ann Arbor, MI 20–4 (9–3)
NCAA TOURNAMENT
March 13, 1952 St. Lawrence 9–3 Win Broadmoor World Arena Colorado Springs, CO 21–4 (9–3)
March 15, 1952 Colorado College 4–1 Win Broadmoor World Arena Colorado Springs, CO 22–4 (9–3)
161–70 22–4 (9–3)

* Denotes overtime periods
† MCHL game

Roster and scoring statistics

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No. Name Year Position Hometown S/P/C Games Goals Assists Pts PIM
5 Bob Heathcott Senior D Calgary, AB   24 13 31 44 30
7 Earl Keyes Junior C Tiverton, ON   26 18 21 39 6
10 John McKennell Junior RW Toronto, ON   26 17 22 39 25
8 Pat Cooney Sophomore LW Riverside, ON   26 19 19 38 40
6 George Chin Sophomore RW Lucknow, ON   26 18 19 37 10
19 Doug Mullen Sophomore C Grass Lake, MI   26 18 17 35 20
12 Doug Philpott Sophomore RW Sarnia, ON   24 12 17 29 4
4 John Matchefts Junior C Eveleth, MN   16 14 13 27 26
2 Jim Haas Senior D Nipawin, SK   26 6 16 22 37
15 Ron Martinson Junior LW Eveleth, MN   24 7 14 21 20
18 Alex MacLellan Junior D Montreal, PQ   26 6 9 15 61
9 Paul Pelow Senior C Toronto, ON   26 7 6 13 15
17 Reg Shave Sophomore D Yorkton, SK   26 2 10 12 22
11 Graham Cragg Senior D Edmonton, AB   26 4 4 8 24
3 Eddie May Senior D Edmonton, AB   8 0 1 1 0
Telly Mascarin Freshman LW Windsor, ON   3 0 0 0 2
1 Bill Lucier Freshman G Windsor, ON   4 – – – –
1 Willard Ikola Sophomore G Eveleth, MN   26 – – – –
14 Gordon Naylor Senior RW Montreal, PQ   – – – – –
Bob Lotzer F – – – – –
Total 161

Charles M. Hyman, a senior from Elyria, Ohio, won the manager's "M" for his work as the team's manager.[7]

[8]

Goaltending Statistics

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No. Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
1 Willard Ikola 26 – 22 4 0 70 – 2 – 2.69
1 Bill Lucier – – – – – – – – – –
Total 26 – 22 4 0 70 – 2 – 2.69

1952 national championship

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In the 1952 tournament, Michigan and the Colorado College Tigers were invited from the west, and the St. Lawrence Saints and Yale Bulldogs were invited from the east. The Wolverines defeated the St. Lawrence Saints in the first round by a 9-3 score. Michigan scored five goals in the first period against the Saints. Defenseman Graham Cragg scored the first goal of the game, and he later scored the final goal in the championship game.[3] John McKennell and Pat Cooney scored two goals each in the victory over St. Lawrence.[9]

In the championship game, Michigan played the Colorado College Tigers. Michigan and Colorado College had developed an intense rivalry as each had been invited to play in the Frozen Four for five consecutive years. Michigan won the championship in 1948 and 1951, and Colorado College won the championship in 1950. The teams had met twice during the regular season, with each team winning one game. A Colorado radio personality had referred to the Wolverines as the "Michigan woodchoppers" while a Colorado newspaper reported that Michigan forward George Chin was "as wide as he is high."[3] The championship game was played before a capacity crowd of 2,500 persons at Broadmoor Arena in the Tigers' hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado. However, all three players on the Tigers' top scoring line, Omer Brandt (injury), Ron Hartwell (injury), and Tony Frasca (ineligible), were unable to play in the championship game.[10][11]

Michigan won the championship game by a 4-1 score. The Wolverines scored three goals in the first period and led 3-0 at the first intermission. Michigan's first goal was scored by George Chin at 11:35 of the first period with an assist from center Doug Philpott. Five minutes later, at 16:29 of the first period, team captain Earl Keyes scored on a power play with assists from Jim Haas and Reg Shave. Michigan's third goal was scored at 19:07 of the first period during a Colorado College power play. Doug Philpott took a loose puck at center ice and "sent a screaming 35-foot shot into the upper right corner of the net for a 3-0 lead."[10]

Colorado College narrowed Michigan's lead to 3-1 on a goal by Cam Berry at the 5:00 mark of the second period. Five minutes later, at the 10:12 mark of the second period, Graham Cragg scored Michigan's final goal with an assist from Alex MacLellan. Neither team scored in the final 30 minutes of the game.[10][12]

George Chin was the high scorer of the tournament with four points on two goals and two assists.[10]

(W1) Colorado College vs. (W2) Michigan

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March 15[13] Colorado College 1 – 4 Michigan Broadmoor Ice Palace


Scoring summary
Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score
1st UM George Chin Philpott 11:35 1–0 UM
UM Earl Keyes – GW Haas and Shave 16:29 2–0 UM
UM Doug Philpott – SH unassisted 19:07 3–0 UM
2nd CC Cameron Berry Kennific 25:00 3–1 UM
UM Graham Cragg MacLellan 30:12 4–1 UM
3rd None

Jim Haas, George Chin, John McKennell and Doug Philpott were named to the All-Tournament First Team while Reg Shave and Earl Keyes made the All-Tournament Second Team[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Michigan Hockey Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. pp. 2, 6, 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  2. ^ "Michigan Hockey Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. pp. 16–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d Ed Whipple (March 16, 1952). "Ice Scrapings: Name Machefts Hockey Captain". The Michigan Daily.
  4. ^ "THROUGH THE YEARS" (PDF). Michigan Wolverines. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 31, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  5. ^ Ed Whipple (December 6, 1951). "Pucksters Crush MSC, 11-1, In Season Opener". The Michigan Daily. p. 1.
  6. ^ Ed Shipple (January 12, 1952). "Pucksters Topple Gophers, 5-4: Heathcott's Three Goals Sparks Narrow Victory". The Michigan Daily. p. 3.
  7. ^ "Athletic Awards For 1951-52 Winter Sports". The Michigan Alumnus. April 12, 1952. p. 331.
  8. ^ "Univ. of Michigan 1951-52 roster and statistics". EliteProspects. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  9. ^ "Varsity Retains NCAA Hockey Title". The Michigan Alumnus. April 12, 1952. p. 330.
  10. ^ a b c d Ed Whipple (March 16, 1952). "'M' Wins NCAA Hockey Title: Pucksters Skate Over Tigers, 4-1; Early Wolverines Goals Whip Colorado, Keep Title in 'U' Hands". The Michigan Daily. p. 1.
  11. ^ "Major Injuries Hamper Tiger Pucksters in NCAA". The Michigan Daily. March 12, 1952. p. 3.
  12. ^ "Michigan Hockey Team Tops NCAA". The Owosso Argus-Press (AP story). March 17, 1952.
  13. ^ "NCAA Division 1 Tournament". College Hockey Historical Archives. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  14. ^ "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
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