Michigan
11-1-0,8-0-0
Lake Superior State
2-7-1,0-4-0
Michigan Extends Win Streak to 10 by Defeating Lakers
11/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team captured its 10th win in a row by defeating Lake Superior State 6-2 on Saturday (Nov. 17). With an 11-1-0 record in its first 12 games of the season, the Wolverines are off to their best start since 1961-62 (11-1-0). Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) scored his nation's-best 12th and 13th goals of the season and added an assist. The Wolverines killed all 11 of the Lakers' power plays due in part to Billy Sauer's (Walworth, N.Y.) season-high 34 saves.
Similar to last night, U-M entered the second period down by a goal (2-1) and responded with an identical three-goals-to-none outburst in the middle frame. Michigan had goals at 2:10, 4:02 and 4:58 to turn the momentum of the game in its favor.
Porter opened the scoring at 2:58 of the first period. Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) threaded a pass from center ice to the LSSU blue line to give Porter a clear path along the left wing. Porter rang the puck off the left post and in for a 1-0 lead. Max Pacioretty (New Canaan, Conn.) picked up the second assist to push his assist streak to eight games.
The Lakers tied the game 1-1 at 10:44 on a Zac MacVoy marker. The Wolverines were caught scrambling to clear the puck from behind their net and Rick Schofield tipped it out to the right circle. A Dan Eves shot then deflected off of MacVoy's stick and beat Sauer to the blocker side.
Michigan's penalty killers did an admirable job of killing off two LSSU power plays that included a two-man advantage for 1:31. Nevertheless, the Lakers scored an even-strength goal at 17:35 to take a 2-1 lead. John Scrymgeour got just enough of a rebound at the left of the crease to send it through Sauer and over the goal line.
The Lakers held a 2-1 goal advantage as well as a two-to-one shots advantage (18-9) after the opening frame.
Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.) scored his second goal of the series to tie the game at 2-2 at 2:10 of the second period. Ben Winnett (New Westminster, B.C.) recovered his own rebound in the lower left circle and sent the puck into the slot. Turnbull battled off two defensemen and redirected to puck past Pat Inglis.
U-M retook the lead at 3-2 on Aaron Palushaj's (Northville, Mich.) power-play goal at 4:02. Palushaj's fourth goal in as many games came on a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot. Porter and Pacioretty drew the assists.
Fifty-six seconds later U-M went up 4-2 on Brian Lebler's (Penticton, B.C.) second goal of the season. Anthony Ciraulo (Clinton Township, Mich.) dumped the puck in and Danny Fardig (Ann Arbor, Mich.) out-raced a defenseman to retrieve it and slide it back out front. Open in the left slot, Lebler fired the puck between the goalie's pads. LSSU elected to swap netminders after the tally, inserting Brian Mahoney-Wilson.
Michigan gave the Lakers plenty of opportunities to get back into the game throughout the rest of the second stanza. The Wolverines took penalties that resulted in power plays at 6:17, 8:22, 13:11 and 14:33. The Wolverine penalty killers managed to allow just three shots to reach Sauer in the more than eight minutes of power-play time for LSSU in the middle frame.
With a three-goal second period for the second night in a row the Wolverines skated into the third period with a 4-2 lead.
The Lakers had a power play start at 4:58 of the third period, but Sauer made two good saves to keep U-M's lead at two. Ciraulo potted his first goal of the season at 7:34 on a rebound chance at the left post, with Lebler and Fardig getting the assists. Porter added an empty-net goal at 15:59 to end the scoring.
The Wolverines return to Ann Arbor to host the 15th annual College Hockey Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 23-24). No. 10 Wisconsin comes to Yost Ice Arena on Friday for a 7:35 p.m. faceoff. U-M then entertains No. 12 Minnesota on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. in a rematch of the Ice Breaker Invitational championship game from earlier this season (Oct. 13), when the Golden Gophers handed the Wolverines their only loss to date.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
