Kaleniecki, Moss Help Wolverines Roll Over Lake State

Friday, January 30

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:35 PM

Michigan

17-7-1, 12-4-1

Lake Superior State

6-12-5, 4-10-3

Lake Superior State

Michigan

Kaleniecki, Moss Help Wolverines Roll Over Lake State

1/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With his second straight two-goal performance, sophomore forward Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) powered the No. 3 University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 5-1 victory over Lake Superior State on Friday night (Jan. 30) at Yost Ice Arena. Junior forward David Moss (Livonia, Mich.) also posted a pair of goals, including the game-winner midway through the second period.

Kaleniecki's goals give him a four-game point streak.

Sophomore goaltender Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill.) posted 17 saves to pick up the win for the Wolverines, who improved to 17-7-1 overall and 12-4-1 in the CCHA. Sophomore forward Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C) and junior forward Jason Ryznar (Anchorage, Alaska) both picked up two assists on the night to aid the Michigan effort.

The Wolverines nearly got on the board with just under 11 minutes remaining in the first period when freshman defenseman Matt Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) rang a wrist shot off the left post of the Laker cage. Freshman forward T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) picked up a loose puck behind the LSSU net and found Hunwick at the point with a seeing-eye pass. Hunwick received the pass, skated into the slot and fired a shot past Laker netminder Matt Violin but was denied by the post.

Five minutes into the second period, Michigan was done in by the iron once again as junior defender Eric Werner (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) hit the right post with a slap shot from inside the right faceoff circle. After a scrum in front of the Lake State net, the puck dribbled out to Werner, who immediately fired a one-time slap shot that once again beat Violin but found the inside of the post.

At 12:41 of the second period, Violin kept the Wolverines off the board with an acrobatic glove save. Hensick initiated the sequence as he found Kaleniecki in the slot with a slicing pass. Kaleniecki snapped a one-time shot toward the upper right corner of the Laker net, but Violin quickly slid across the crease to snag the puck out of the air and preserve the scoreless tie.

Only minutes later the Wolverine pressure paid off as Kaleniecki put Michigan on top 1-0 at 9:38 of the second period when he snapped a one-time wrist shot over the glove hand of Violin. Hensick picked up the assist on the play as he won a draw directly back to Kaleniecki, who received the puck and quickly snapped a shot into the upper right corner of the Laker net.

Moss extended the Michigan lead to 2-0 just over three minutes later with an even-strength marker. The scoring sequence began as Ebbett flipped a centering pass over a Laker defenseman from the top of the right faceoff circle. Moss streaked into the slot, gathered the puck and flipped a forehand shot over the glove of Violin.

With only 10 seconds remaining in the second stanza, Montoya robbed LSSU forward Steve McJannet on a point-blank opportunity to preserve the two-goal lead. McJannet received a pass on the left side of the Wolverine zone, skated in alone on Montoya and fired a shot toward the near post of the Michigan net. Montoya managed to get his blocker on the initial shot but was unable to corral the puck, as it trickled precariously in front of the Wolverine crease. As a Laker forward streaked toward the puck, Montoya, who was still on his back, poked the puck out of danger with his stick.

Kaleniecki picked up his second marker of the night at 6:16 of the third period to give the Wolverines a 3-0 lead. Seconds after a Wolverine power-play expired, Ebbett split the Lakers' defense and danced into the right faceoff circle. As the LSSU defense converged on Ebbett, he found a wide-open Kaleniecki on the back post. Kaleniecki calmly received the puck and flicked a one-time shot into the open net.

Junior forward Eric Nystrom (Syosset, N.Y.) continued the Michigan scoring at 9:33 of the third period to extend the Wolverine advantage to four goals. Nystrom, received a pass from junior Dwight Helminen (Brighton, Mich.) inside of the left faceoff circle and fired a quick wrist shot on Violin. Violin made the initial save but was unable to control the puck due to the traffic in front of the net. The puck eventually trickled back to Nystrom just outside of the crease and he quickly slammed the puck into the open net for his eighth goal of the season.

Just over a minute later, Moss continued the Wolverine scoring barrage with a backhand flip into the upper righthand corner of the Laker net. Moss converted on a pass from Ryznar and junior Brandon Rogers (Rochester, N.H.) to put Michigan ahead 5-0.

With just over eight minutes remaining in the game, Laker forward Jeffrey Rainville beat Montoya on the short side during four-on-four play to end Montoya's shutout streak at a career-long 127:47 minutes. Rainville's late third-period tally proved to be the final goal of the night as the Wolverines stretched their winning streak to six games with a 5-1 victory.

Michigan and Lake Superior State (6-12-5, 4-10-3 CCHA) will conclude the season series tomorrow night (Saturday, Jan. 31) at Yost Ice Arena. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:35 p.m.

Contact: Andrew Ladd (734) 763-4423