Michigan
4-3-0, 1-2-0CCHA
Michigan State
4-1-0, 2-1-0CCHA
Abysmal Second Period Dooms U-M in Loss to Spartans
11/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan hockey team was defeated by a 7-4 margin by arch-rival No. 5 Michigan State at Munn Ice Arena on Friday (Nov. 3). Michigan held a 3-1 lead after the opening period, but allowed four goals in the second stanza. U-M is winless in its last nine meetings with the Spartans (0-4-5) dating back to the 2004-05 season. Brandon Naurato (Livonia, Mich.) led the Wolverines with a two-goal effort.
Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) scored on a breakaway at 4:04 of the first period, staking Michigan to a 1-0 lead. With U-M seemingly trapped in its defensive zone, T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) picked up a loose puck behind the net and wrapped it around to the right boards to David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.). The right winger then hit Porter streaking through the neutral zone. Porter brushed off an MSU defender, skated in on goalie Jeff Lerg and beat him with a backhand-to-forehand move on the left side.
Naurato pushed U-M's lead to 2-0 at 6:29. Morgan Ward (West Redding, Conn.) advanced the puck into the Spartan zone along the right wing, and found Naurato at the back post for an easy tap-in. Freshman defenseman Chris Summers (Milan, Mich.) drew his first career point and assist on the tally.
Michigan received the first power play of the game at the 9:59 mark. U-M registered just one shot with the man-advantage, unable to increase its lead.
Michigan State trimmed its deficit to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 13:57. Less than a minute after Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) stoned Justin Abdelkader in the slot, the Spartan forward assisted on Tim Kennedy's marker. Abdelkader dug the puck out from behind the net and fed Kennedy, who banked a shot off the right post and over the goal line just beyond Sauer's leg.
The Wolverines reclaimed their two-goal lead on a power-play marker by Naurato at 17:02. Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) lugged the puck down the left side and took a shot on goal. Lerg was unable to cover the rebound, and Naurato capitalized by chipping the puck up and over the prone netminder. U-M maintained the 3-1 advantage into the first intermission.
Chris Mueller redirected a shot by Tyler Howells at 5:52 of the second period, cutting U-M's lead to 3-2. The score was Michigan State's second power-play goal of the game.
Michigan State continued to control play throughout much of the period, which led to the Spartans knotting the game at 3-3 on a goal by Matt Schepke at 11:31. Schepke beat Sauer with a slapshot from the right circle.
MSU took its first lead of the game at 14:54 when Jim McKenzie scored on a two-on-one pass from Kurt Kivisto. Jason Dest (Fraser, Mich.) tried to prevent a clearing pass in the MSU zone, but was instead trapped up ice. Kivisto fed McKenzie at the right post for the tally and a 4-3 lead.
The Maize and Blue fell behind 5-3 at 16:42 when Abdelkader scored on a rebound chance in the crease, lofting the puck over Sauer.
Michigan was outshot 13-4 in the middle frame, surrendering four goals in a period for the first time this season.
Sucharski scored from the right circle at 5:38 of the third period to extend MSU's lead to 6-3. Jay Sprague assisted on the play.
The Wolverines closed the gap to 6-4 on a Rohlfs' marker at 14:18 of the final period. Tim Cook (Montclair, N.J.) took a shot from the right point that was saved by Lerg. Porter had a whack at the rebound before Rohlfs finally dug the puck out, lifting it over the sprawling Spartan goalie.
U-M pulled Sauer for an extra skater in the final minutes, but the Spartans scored an empty-net goal at 19:09 to seal the win.
Game two of the weekend series against MSU will take place at Yost Ice Arena on Saturday (Nov. 4). Faceoff is slated for 7:35 p.m.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
