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LATE GOAL LIFTS WOLVERINES, 5-3
Chad Kolarik scored with 3:04 left in regulation to give Michigan their first lead all game, 4-3, and Tim Miller would add an empty netter with 32 seconds remaining as the Wolverines come from behind to defeat Michigan Tech, 5-3, in the consolation game of the Great Lakes Invitational.
It wasn't an easy victory by any means. Once again the Wolverines played undisciplined hockey and dug themselves a hole. Just 5:11 into the contest, Tyler Shelast took a pass along the end line to the right of Billy Sauer and managed to wrap the puck around him for a 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines would return the favor on the power play with 8:24 left in the stanza. T.J. Hensick took a pass along the left board, circled through the slot to the right circle and sent a wrist shot top shelf past Tech goalie Rob Nolan.
In the second period, more sloppy play by the Wolverines. With Tech's Alex Lord serving a minor penalty for too many men on the ice, the Wolverines executed one of the laziest power plays I think I've ever seen. The Wolverines got nothing set up, would dump in the puck with no one going after it, and pretty much showed no passion or sense of urgency. At the 8:25 mark the Huskies made them pay with a shorthanded goal. Chris Connor carried the puck in the U-M zone, cut across the ice and sent a shot back across that hit the post, but Brandon Schwartz was there to tap in the rebound.
Then at 8:57, Travis Turnbull and Zac MacVoy would each take bad minor penalties to give the Huskies a 5-on-3 power play. Turnbull went in for slashing, while MacVoy got his two minutes apparantly for unsportsman-like conduct for mouthing off at the official. Lars Helminen would cash in at 10:28 to put Tech ahead 3-1.
Michigan would go on another power play with 8:30 remaining in the period, but this one was looking ugly at first, too. Connor again got a loose puck, came in to the U-M zone along the right boards before cutting back across almost identical to his play earlier, only this time he lost control the puck. But then he picked it back up and held it along the boards for a good ten seconds while two Wolverines tried to take it from him and the other three Wolverines just stood around. Connor managed to break free behind the net and center the puck to a wide open Schwartz in front and Sauer came up with a huge save.
Back the other way, Matt Hunwick would get the puck along the left boards in the Tech zone and throw a pass cross ice to Brandon Naurato. Hunwick then cut to the net and Naurato hit him with a perfect pass that Hunwick banged past Nolan to make it 3-2 with 7:23 left.
The Huskies would get two more power play opportunities in the final five minutes of the period on two more bad Wolverine penalties. MacVoy took a cross checking call with just under five minutes to go, and the Wolverine penalty killers did a good job on that one. But shortly after it ended, Connor would get a clean breakaway and Sauer turned it aside with the right pad. As Connor circled around the corner after the puck, Jason Bailey followed in and checked him cleanly, but then wrapped him arm around Connor's neck and hauled him down for yet another unnecessary penalty. The Wolverines managed to kill off the penalty and remainder of the period to keep it 3-2 heading into the third.
During the second intermission, captain Andrew Ebbett said he had a few words for his teammates out of frustration emphasizing the need to quit taking stupid penalties, and he's not one who gets mad very often, so he thinks the message got through.
Message received! Just 5:07 into the third period, Brandon Kaleniecki caused Helminen to turn over the puck in the left corner of the Tech zone. The puck rolled to Hensick, who quickly threw a centering pass to Jason Bailey, and he redirected it through the legs of Nolan to tie the game.
Then after a much more disciplined period of hockey for the Wolverines, Kolarik would grab a loose puck behind the net, step out to Nolan's left and slip a backhander in the far corner to take the lead, and Miller's empty netter would seal it.
Sauer rebounded from yesterday's loss with 35 saves, while Nolan kept the Huskies in it with 32 stops.
The Wolverines kick off the second half of CCHA play next weekend when they host Alaska Fairbanks for a weekend series.
Highlights of the game will be posted on MHNet shortly.
That's all for now...
Go Blue!
Jason
Michigan Hockey Net
Michigan Hockey Net
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