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Hockey: Michigan - Robert Morris Preview

Reigning Atlantic Hockey champ Robert Morris visits Yost for a weekend series.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Who: Robert Morris at #10 Michigan

Where: Yost Ice Arena

When: Friday, 7:35pm. Saturday, 3:05pm

The Wolverines return to Yost after a successful trip to New York, but the road doesn't get any easier when Robert Morris comes to town.

The Colonials return most of their 2014 team that finished 24-8-5 and won the Atlantic Hockey regular season title.

Offensively Robert Morris has had a great start to the year. They're the 3rd ranked total offense tied with Michigan at 4.75 GPG and they have the second best power play in the country at 37%.

Led by Zac Lynch at forward, the Pittsburgh native scored eighteen goals a year ago and has tallied over one hundred points in his career. Senior Greg Gibson has lit the lamp forty four times in his RMU career and leads the team with six goals, followed by sophomore Brady Ferguson and junior Dan Leavens who each have three.

In net, both goaltenders return from from last season's team. Dalton Izyk posted a 15-5-0 record a year ago and has a .941 SV% and a 1.92 goals against average this year. Terry Shafer was 9-3-4 last season and sports a .915 SV% and a 2.40 GAA.

What To Watch For: Michigan

Freshman Dominance: The Michigan freshman have made big impacts in every game this year. Can this continue? From what I've seen, it can. Between Kyle Connor, Cooper Marody and Brendan Warren the game doesn't seem to be moving too fast for them; they're scoring big goals in big moments, so I don't see why it can't continue.

Goaltending: I expect Zach Nagelvoort to start. Now that he's won the job Nagelvoort needs to do what Michigan goaltenders have struggled with the last two years, keeping the job.

Special Teams: The power play has been bad this season, 1-of-10, and the penalty kill is average at 76%. Those units will need to be on their game this weekend to avoid an upset.