Michigan
Blue/White Intrasquad (ex)
Blue Defeats White in Season-Opening Scrimmage
10/1/1999 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Event: Blue/White Intrasquad (exhibition)
Score: Blue 5, White 1
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Oct. 2 -- vs. Wilfrid Laurier (Yost Ice Arena), 7:05 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team held its annual Blue/White intrasquad scrimmage tonight (Friday, Oct. 1) at Yost Ice Arena, with the Blue team defeating the White 5-1. The freshmen led the way as members of the class scored four of the six goals.
Senior Andrew Merrick (Syosset, N.Y.) opened the scoring with a power-play goal for the Blue team just 5:25 into the game, but then the freshmen took over. Andy Hilbert (Howell, Mich.) fired a shot over the shoulder of Josh Blackburn (Choctaw, Okla.) to net the only goal of the game for the White team, at the 12:49 mark of the first. To close the period, freshman J.J. Swistak (West Bloomfield, Mich.) netted the second goal for the Blue team with just 1:34 remaining.
The first half of the second period was filled with five penalties, including a scuffle in front of the white goal in which Bob Gassoff (St. Louis, Mo.) and Mark Kosick (Victoria, B.C.) each received roughing penalties. After the game had settled down a bit, John Shouneyia (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) gave the Blue team a 3-1 lead with less than four minutes remaining in the period.
For the final period, the teams played 15 minutes with a running clock, but the Blue team was able to add to its lead. Just over two minutes into the period, freshman Mark Mink (Livonia, Mich.) flipped a back-handed shot over the glove of Kevin O'Malley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) after Craig Murray (Penticton, B.C.) shot the puck off of O'Malley's pads. Murray then tapped in the final goal of the game when Bill Trainor (Canton, Mich.) drove hard to the net on the right side and appeared to stuff the puck into O'Malley's glove, but it instead dropped loose. Murray was trailing the play and netted the puck.
Blackburn played in net the entire game for the Blue team, stopping 13 shots and allowing just one goal. For the White team, O'Malley and junior L.J. Scarpace (Dearborn, Mich.), a transfer from Western Michigan University, combined to stop 19 of 24 shots. O'Malley made 11 of the saves and allowed four goals, while Scarpace stopped eight shots and allowed one goal.
The game drew 2,116 fans, with all proceeds from ticket sales going to the Michigan hockey scholarship fund.
The team reunites tomorrow night (Saturday, Oct. 2) to face the Wilfrid Laurier Hawkey Hawks in another exhibition game at Yost Ice Arena at 7:05 p.m. The Hawks dropped a 4-1 decision to Notre Dame tonight in South Bend, Ind.
GAME SUMMARY
| Goals By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
| Blue | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| White | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1st period
1, BLUE, Andrew Merrick 1 (Josh Langfeld) 05:25 (pp).
2, WHITE, Andy Hilbert 1 (Jed Ortmeyer, Kevin Magnuson) 12:49.
3, BLUE, J.J. Swistak 1 (Jay Vancik) 18:26.
2nd period
4, BLUE, John Shouneyia 1 (Josh Langfeld) 16:04.
3rd period
5, BLUE, Mark Mink 1 (Craig Murray) 07:42.
6, BLUE, Craig Murray 1 (Bill Trainor, Brad Fraiser) 17:50.
Shots on goal: BLUE 24; WHITE 14
Power plays: BLUE 1 of 7; WHITE 0 of 5
Penalties: BLUE 6 (12 min); WHITE 8 (16 min)
Goalies: BLUE, Josh Blackburn (60:00 minutes, 14 shots-13 saves); WHITE, L.J. Scarpace (25:00, 9-8) , Kevin O'Malley (35:00, 15-11).
Referee: Matt Shegos
Assistant Referees: Butch Friedman; Kevin Langseth
Attendance: 2,116
QUOTES
Head Coach Red Berenson
On the game ... "As expected, the game was a little bit sluggish tonight. Some players are getting the jitters out, but we have to put our best foot forward for tomorrow night's game."
On the freshmen ... "I really like the young players. To a man, the freshman class played well tonight. Each player had a strong game."
