Michigan
13-7-0
Michigan State
5-12-3
Wolverines Dominate Michigan State, Repeat as GLI Champs
12/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Site: Detroit, Mich. (Joe Louis Arena)
Score: #11 Michigan 5, Michigan State 1
Records: U-M (13-7-0), MSU (5-12-3)
Attendance: 12,634
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 9 -- vs. Miami (Yost Ice Arena), 7:35 p.m.
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery | Video Report
DETROIT -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team blasted Michigan State 5-1 to win its second straight Great Lakes Invitational championship, and tournament-best 13th overall, Sunday night (Dec. 28) at Joe Louis Arena. Tied 1-1 after the first period, U-M got goals from Ben Winnett(New Westminster, B.C.), Brandon Naurato(Livonia, Mich.) and Tim Miller(Davisburg, Mich.) to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the second intermission. Louie Caporusso(Woodbridge, Ontario) tacked on the fifth goal for his nation-best 18th goal of the season, and from the blue line, Chris Summers(Milan, Mich.) set a career high with three assists. The Wolverines severely outshot the Spartans, 54-20.
Michigan State got on the scoreboard first with a two-man-advantage goal at 12:28. Matt Schepke tapped in a rebound from the right of the goal mouth following Bryan Hogan's (Highland, Mich.) pad save of a TimCrowder point shot.
Four minutes later, Travis Turnbull(Chesterfield, Mo.) evened the score at 1-1 with a nifty backhand shot from the mid-slot at 16:18. Summers deserved much of the credit on the play by jumping in the air at the right of the blue line to keep an MSU clearing attempt in the zone. Luke Glendening(Grand Rapids, Mich.) then dug the puck out of the right corner, worked his way back up the halfboards, and dished to an on-the-go Turnbull.
At 2:11 of the second period Winnett scored his first goal since the opening game of the season on Oct. 10 to put the Maize and Blue ahead 2-1. On a line rush, Turnbull skated the puck down the right wing and slid it to the middle for Naurato, who kept the puck moving to the left of the crease for Winnett to chip up and over Jeff Lerg.
Naurato fired a one-timer from the right circle past Lerg for a power-play goal at 14:38 to make it 3-1 for the Wolverines. Summers got his second assist of the night with a perfect pass from the left circle to Naurato. Steve Kampfer(Jackson, Mich.) also assisted on the play.
Miller scored the third goal of the period for the Wolverines at 17:28. Miller originally fanned on a pass from Summers but kept the puck and got around a defender to reach the low slot. As Lerg lunged out from his net, Miller batted the puck under the goalie's right arm. Summers completed his playmaker with an assist on the tally.
Michigan bombarded the Spartans in the second period, outshooting them 20-3 and, more importantly, outscoring them 3-0 to take a 4-1 lead into the third period.
Just 1:16 into the third period, Caporusso scored on a standout effort to make it 5-1. Caporusso blazed around an MSU defenseman on the left side, avoided Lerg's poke check and roofed a backhand shot. Robbie Czarnik(Washington, Mich.) and Chad Langlais(Spokane, Wash.) drew the assists on U-M's second power-play marker of the night.
The Wolverines are off next weekend (Jan. 2-3) before returning to CCHA play when they host Miami for two games at Yost Ice Arena on Jan. 9-10. Game one will be televised by FSN+ and game two will be on Comcast Local.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
