Michigan
4-1-0, 1-1-0CCHA
Northeastern
1-3-1, 0-2-1HocEast
Porter Delivers Overtime Victory Over Northeastern
10/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team rallied to beat the Northeastern Huskies 4-3 on Friday (Oct. 27). Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) tallied the game-winning goal en route to a 2-1-3 performance. David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) also notched a marker and an assist for the Maize and Blue.
Michigan used an early power play to its advantage, capitalizing at 4:08 of the opening period. T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) took a feed from Porter and broke into the Northeastern zone. Hensick skated down the slot and paused before dishing the puck to Rohlfs waiting in the right face off circle. Hensick's hesitation fooled Brad Thiessen, and Rohlfs' wrist shot found the top corner of the net. The power-play tally was Rohlfs' fourth of the season.
Whistled for three consecutive penalties, the Maize and Blue followed its goal by having to work with just three men on the ice for almost two-minutes. Combined with the shorthanded Wolverines, quick passing by Northeastern allowed the Huskies to tie the game at a goal apiece at 15:24. Mike Morris sent a quick pass over to Kyle Kraemer, who relayed it to Steve Birnstill near the hash marks. The rapid-fire passing found U-M goalie Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) out of position, and Birnstill flicked the puck over the sprawling goaltender for the 5-on-3 goal.
The Wolverines retook the lead with their second power-play marker of the night 4:02 into the second period. Rohlfs flipped a pass to Hensick behind the goal line, and the alternate captain laced the puck through traffic to Porter stationed just outside the goal mouth. Porter roped a shot, beating Thiessen for his second goal of the year and the 2-1 lead.
Northeastern answered back, notching a goal at 7:04 of the middle frame. Chad Costello's initial shot was blocked by Sauer, but the U-M netminder gave up a big rebound that was corralled by Morris, who lifted the puck over Sauer for the man-advantage goal. Birnstill also assisted on the tally.
The Huskies took their first lead of the night on another 5-on-3 marker by Morris. Northeastern cycled the puck around the zone, from Costello to Kraemer and over to Morris, and his quick one-timer found the back of the net at 8:51 to put NU up 3-2.
With five seconds left in the second period, Michigan retied the game at 3-3. Tim Miller (Davisburg, Mich.) carried the puck into the zone, but lost control of it in the left face off circle. The disk trickled down to Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario), who shoveled to Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) in front of the crease. Kolarik tipped the puck past the Huskie goalie for his eighth goal of the campaign.
While Michigan outshot the Huskies 8-4 in the third stanza, neither team could break the deadlock in regulation, skating to a 3-3 tie after three periods.
In the overtime frame, Michigan knocked in its third power-play goal of the night to win the game. Matt Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) slid the puck cross ice to Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich.). The sophomore blueliner ripped a slap shot toward the net that was redirected by Porter for the game-winning tally at 1:01.
Michigan will play the Huskies again on Saturday (Oct. 28) at 7:35 p.m. The game will be aired by Comcast Local.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
