Michigan
Northern Michigan
Wolverines Outlast Northern Michigan for Weekend Split
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Score: #2 Michigan 5, Northern Michigan 3
Records: U-M (3-1-0, 1-1-0 CCHA), NMU (2-1-0, 1-0-0 CCHA)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Oct. 23 -- vs. Niagara (Yost Ice Arena), 7:35 p.m.
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes
MARQUETTE, Mich. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan hockey team earned a weekend road split at Northern Michigan with a hard-fought 5-3 win tonight (Saturday, Oct. 18) at the Berry Events Center. U-M's top line of Carl Hagelin(Sodertalje, Sweden), Matt Rust(Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and Aaron Palushaj(Northville, Mich.) had three of the five Michigan goals in addition to seven assists. All three players also set single-game career highs for points.
In a scoreless first period, the Maize and Blue was not without high-quality scoring opportunities. In addition to a pair of power plays, U-M was awarded a penalty shot when NMU's Blake Cosgrove hauled down Louie Caporusso(Woodbridge, Ontario) on a breakaway. Caporusso tried a backhand-to-forehand deke, but Wildcats' netminder Brian Stewart denied the shot with his right pad.
U-M outshot the Wildcats 11-5 in the first 20 minutes after recording just 15 shots in 60 minutes on Friday night (Oct. 17).
The Wolverines got their first and second goals of the weekend just 43 seconds apart in the early moments of the second period. At 1:46, Rust tallied his first goal of the season by chipping the puck up and over Stewart from the left edge of the crease. Hagelin created space for himself behind NMU's net and dished to Rust to pick up the assist. Palushaj also earned a helper on the goal.
Danny Fardig(Ann Arbor, Mich.) followed at 2:29 on a well-executed cycle out of the right corner. Brian Lebler(Penticton, B.C.) started the play off by getting the puck to David Wohlberg(South Lyon, Mich.) deep in Wildcat territory. Wohlberg then spotted Fardig slashing through the right circle and hit him in stride. Fardig quickly settled the puck and wristed it past Stewart's blocker inside the left post.
Northern Michigan's Andrew Cherniwchan trimmed U-M's lead to 2-1 at 16:58 when he tapped in a loose puck. U-M goaltender Bryan Hogan(Highland, Mich.) seemed to have the puck covered after Billy Smith tried a wraparound shot from the right side, but it squirted just behind Hogan and Cherniwchan cashed in.
Neither team netted a marker in the final three minutes, and after two periods, U-M led 2-1 with shots on goal even at 17-17.
In the third period, Michigan's top line of Hagelin, Rust and Palushaj put the game out of reach with its second and third goals of the night, which came just 18 seconds apart at 10:33 and 10:51. Rust scored U-M's third goal when he reached a loose puck rolling through the crease and batted it past Stewart. Palushaj followed with a high wrist shot from the left circle that beat Stewart, who was down and out after a previous scramble.
NMU did not give up in the final minutes, however, as Derek May made it 4-2 at 15:24 and Nick Sirota cut the U-M lead to one goal at 18:09.
With 35 seconds left in regulation, Wildcat defender Erik Gustafsson clanged a slapshot off the goal pipe. U-M scooped the rebound up and went the other way for an empty-net goal from Caporusso, sealing the win.
The Wolverines return home this week to play a non-conference contest against the Niagara Purple Eagles -- whom U-M defeated in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament -- at Yost Ice Arena. The game will be played at 7:35 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, to allow for Michigan's travel to Boston, Mass., to take on Boston University on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
