1952–53 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season

The 1952–53 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team represented the University of Michigan in college ice hockey. In its ninth year under head coach Vic Heyliger, the team compiled a 17–7–0 record, outscored opponents 139 to 71, and won the 1953 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. The season was the third consecutive, and the fourth overall under Vic Heyliger, in which the Michigan hockey team won the NCAA championship. The team also finished the regular season in at tie with Minnesota as the co-champion of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League.
==Individual accomplishments==
Team captain John Matchefts, a senior from Eveleth, Minnesota, was the leading scorer with 48 points on 18 goals and 30 assists. Michigan left wing Johnny McKennell, a senior from Toronto, was suspended for the remainder of the season after he allegedly punched referee Milo Yalich in Denver, Colorado, following a 5-4 overtime loss to the Denver Pioneers on December 23, 1952. McKennell was accused of slugging Yalich three times while disputing Denver's game-winning overtime goal. Athletic director Fritz Crisler announced the suspension after receiving a notarized report from the president of the Rocky Mountain Hockey Officials Association in early January 1953. McKennell denied hitting the referee and claimed that he was the victim of a plot by Colorado College coach Cheddy Thompson to "get even" with Michigan coach Vic Heyliger. Heyliger opined that the suspension was too severe, noting that McKennell had no prior disciplinary action in three years and the evidence was conflicting as to whether McKennell even hit Yalich. Heyliger noted, "This has ruined Johnny's whole college career."
Right winger Earl Keyes, who served as captain of the 1951–52 Michigan hockey team, graduated in January 1953 and played his final game for the Wolverines on January 17, 1953. At the time, The Michigan Daily called Keyes "[o]ne of the best players in Michigan hockey history" and praised him for his versatility. Keyes played at the center position for two-and-a-half years, moved to right wing in 1952, appeared in several games as a defensemen, and even played at the goalie position for two games. In two games at goalie, he had 49 saves in back-to-back victories over Michigan Tech during the 1950-51 season.
Earl Keyes, Alex MacLellan, John Matchefts and John McKennell are the only men's ice hockey players in NCAA history to win three national titles. Additionally, they are among the only players to play in a national championship game each season in which they had eligibility (3 seasons for players prior to 1969, 4 seasons for players after 1969).
==1953 NCAA Tournament==
In the 1953 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Michigan and Minnesota were invited to represent the west, and Boston University and Rensselaer Polytechnic were invited to represent the east. In the first round, the Wolverines defeated the Boston University Terriers by a 14-2 score.
In the championship game, Michigan faced Minnesota before a capacity crowd of 2,700 at Broadmoor Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Michigan Hockey Record Book (Part II: Team History), p. 8. Michigan and Minnesota had played four games in the regular season, with Minnesota winning three of the four contests. In mid-February, the Golden Gophers had swept a two-game series in Minneapolis by scores of 5-2 and 4-0.Michigan Hockey Record Book (Part I: Through the Year), p. 6.
Minnesota led 2-1 at the end of the first period of the championship game. Jim Haas gave Michigan a 1-0 lead with a goal at the 5:48 mark of the opening period (assist by Alex MacLellan), but Minnesota took the lead on goals by Dick Meredith and Dick Dougherty. In the second period, Michigan scored two goals to take a 3-2 lead. Doug Philpott scored at the 6:15 mark (with an assist by Reg Shave) to tie the score at 2-2, and Doug Mullen put Michigan in the lead with a goal at the 11:08 mark (with assists by George Chin and Pat Cooney). Michigan added three goals in the first ten minutes of the third period to extend the lead to 6-2. John Matchefts scored an unassisted power play goal at 3:38 of the third period; Jim Haas added an unassisted goal at the 7:17 mark; and Doug Philpott scored on a power play at 9:14 with an assist from Haas. Minnesota scored on a goal by Yackel at 10:42, and Matchefts closed out the scoring with an empty net goal with 11 second left in the game (assist by Philpott). With four goals in the third period, Michigan won its third consecutive NCAA championship, defeating the Golden Gophers by a 7-3 score.
Alex McLellan and John Matchefts were chosen for the first-team All-Tournament Team. Matchefts was named the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament.
==Standings==
==Schedule ==
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!colspan=12 style=";" | Regular Season
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==Roster and scoring statistics==
No. 	Name	Year 	Position	Hometown 	S/P/C	Games	Goals	Assists	Pts	
1 	 	Junior 	G 	Eveleth, MN 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
1 	 	Sophomore	G 	Windsor, ON 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
2 	 	Junior 	D 	Nipawin, SK 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
4 	 	Senior 	C 	Eveleth, MN 	 	24 	18 	30 	48 	–
5 	 	Sophomore	D 	Montreal, PQ 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
6 	 	Junior 	RW 	Lucknow, ON 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
7 	 	Senior 	C 	Tiverton, ON 	 	– 	– 	– 	17 	–
8 	 	Junior 	LW 	Riverside, ON 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
10 	 	Senior 	RW 	Toronto, ON 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
12 	 	Junior 	RW 	Sarnia, ON 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
14 	 	Sophomore	C 	Windsor, ON 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
15 	 	Senior 	LW 	Eveleth, MN 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
16 	 	Junior 	D 	Windsor, ON 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
17 	 	Junior 	D 	Yorkton, SK 	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
18 	 	Senior 	D 	Montreal, PQ 	 	24 	– 	– 	– 	–
19 	 	Junior 	C 	Grass Lake, MI	 	– 	– 	– 	– 	–
Total	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Albert P. Pickus, a senior from Sioux City, Iowa, was awarded the Manager's "M" for his service as the team's manager.
==1953 National Championship==
===Minnesota vs. Michigan===
Scoring summary	Scoring summary	Scoring summary 	Scoring summary 	Scoring summary	Scoring summary
Period 	Team 	Goal 	Assist(s) 	Time 	Score
1st 	UM 	Jim Haas 	MacLellan 	05:48 	1–0 UM
1st 	MIN 	Dick Meredith 	Yackel 	08:39 	1–1
1st 	MIN 	Dick Dougherty 	Campbell 	11:34 	2–1 MIN
2nd 	UM 	Doug Philpott 	Shave 	26:15 	2–2
2nd 	UM 	Doug Mullen 	Chin and Cooney 	31:08 	3–2 UM
3rd 	UM 	John Matchefts – GW PP	unassisted 	43:38 	4–2 UM
3rd 	UM 	Jim Haas 	unassisted 	47:17 	5–2 UM
3rd 	UM 	Doug Philpott – PP 	Haas 	49:14 	6–2 UM
3rd 	MIN 	Ken Yackel 	Johnson and Dougherty	50:42 	6–3 UM
3rd 	UM 	John Matchefts – EN 	Philpott 	59:49 	7–3 UM
Shots by period	Shots by period	Shots by period	Shots by period	Shots by period
Team 	1 	2 	3 	T
Michigan 	14 	11 	9 	34
Minnesota 	12 	10 	6 	28
Goaltenders	Goaltenders 	Goaltenders	Goaltenders 	Goaltenders
Team 	Name 	Saves 	Goals against	Time on ice
UM 	Willard Ikola	25 	3 	
MIN 	Jim Mattson 	28 	6 	
==See also==
*1953 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
*List of NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament champions
==References==
Category:Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey seasons
Category:NCAA men's ice hockey Frozen Four seasons
Category:NCAA men's ice hockey championship seasons
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan