Michigan
18-12-3, 13-9-3CCHA
Nebraska-Omaha
18-11-4, 12-9-4CCHA
Michigan Falls at UNO After Erasing Three-Goal Deficit
2/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
OMAHA, Neb. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team lost a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to No. 15 Nebraska-Omaha on Friday (Feb. 17). The Wolverines trailed 3-0 early in the third period before tying the game with goals coming at 8:33, 16:12 and 17:15. Unfortunately, the Mavericks scored the game-winning goal just six seconds after Michigan knotted up the game. All three of U-M's goals came from defensemen, two by Matt Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) and the other by Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich.).
Michigan's loss, coupled with a win by Michigan State tonight, drops the Wolverines into third place in the CCHA, one point behind the Spartans. Nebraska-Omaha moves into fourth place, one point behind U-M. All CCHA teams have three games left in league play.
The Mavericks got on the scoreboard first with a tally at 2:34 from the top line of Bill Thomas, Bryan Marshall and Scott Parse. UNO garnered a two-on-one after Parse chipped the puck past one U-M defender in the neutral zone. With the advantage, Marshall then fed Thomas in the slot for the goal.
UNO capitalized on a Michigan miscue at 7:06 to make the score 2-0. As the Mavericks broke across the U-M blue line a defenseman fell down, leaving a clean passing lane across Noah Ruden's (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) crease. Mike Lefley sent a pass from the right side in front for a tap-in goal by Mick Lawrence.
U-M earned a power play at 7:31 but could not cut into the UNO lead. Hunwick had the best chance on a wrist shot from high in the left circle.
The Wolverines tallied 10 shots on goal in the first period to Nebraska-Omaha's eight, but they could not continue their recent stretch of highly productive first periods. Over U-M's three previous games it had notched nine total goals in the opening frames.
UNO began the second period with 1:23 of power-play time that carried over from the first period. The Wolverines held off the Mavericks on their first man advantage of the game.
Starting at 8:56 the Wolverines and Mavericks exchanged a total of five penalties.
The Maize and Blue got it started with an interference call at 8:56. The UNO advantage was short-lived as the Mavericks took a penalty at 9:48.
While the teams were four-on-four, Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.) beat Jerad Kaufmann through his legs only to have the puck roll just wide of the right post and out of danger. Michigan was unsuccessful in its ensuing short power play.
Penalties were again called at 12:00 and 14:32 with U-M committing the first infraction. During the Wolverine power play Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) was robbed not by the goalie but by Alex Nikiforuk. After deftly faking Kaufmann, taking the netminder out of the play, Ebbett's attempt to tuck the puck in from the right edge of the crease was kicked away by Nikiforuk.
Michigan went into the second intermission trailing 2-0 but having outshot the Mavericks 22-14.
The Wolverines' fourth and final power play of the game overlapped the second and third periods. U-M was held scoreless with the man advantage for the 17th straight time over three-plus contests.
Nebraska-Omaha extended its lead to 3-0 on Brandon Scero's goal at 6:20. Scero received a pass above the circles, wheeled around into the slot and fired a shot into the right side of the goal.
The Wolverines finally scored at 8:33 to make the score 3-1 when Hunwick converted from the left side off a T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) feed. The goal ended a scoreless streak of 91:02 for the Wolverines, the longest goal drought since the 2003-04 season.
Johnson scored to trim the deficit to 3-2 after pinching in from his defensive position at 16:12. Hensick carried the puck around the UNO zone to buy time until dishing to Johnson.
The comeback was completed just 1:03 later at 17:15 when Hunwick scored his second goal of the night. Ebbett sent the puck into the right circle for a Tim Cook (Montclair, N.J.) blast. Kaufmann made the first save, but Hunwick was waiting on the far side to deposit the puck into the gaping net, making it 3-3.
Despite holding all the momentum, the Wolverines surrendered the game-winning goal to the Mavericks just six seconds later. UNO's Nikiforuk tapped the puck forward to himself on the next faceoff and headed into the Michigan zone. He managed to elude both U-M defensemen and then slide the puck under Ruden for the marker.
Michigan did not give up in the final two minutes of play. After pulling the goalie in the last minute Michigan gained the UNO zone and peppered Kaufmann. The Wolverines had the Maverick defense scrambling up until the final buzzer as the puck was bouncing loose in the crease in the final seconds.
Michigan will look to earn a series split tomorrow night (Saturday, Feb. 18) when it faces Nebraska-Omaha at 7:05 p.m. CST at the Civic Auditorium.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
