Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan Lights Up Spartans for Home Victory
12/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Score: #14 Michigan 6, Michigan State 1
Records: U-M (10-7-0, 6-5-0-0 CCHA), MSU (4-10-3, 2-7-2-2 CCHA)
Attendance: 6,934
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. MSU (East Lansing, Mich.), 7:05 p.m.
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery | Video Report
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In an offensive avalanche, the No. 14-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team pummeled in-state rival Michigan State, 6-1, on Friday night (Dec. 5) at Yost Ice Arena. Rookie David Wohlberg(South Lyon, Mich.) registered a pair of goals for the second time in three contests and 10 other Wolverines garnered at least a point. After allowing a goal on the second Spartan shot of the game, netminder Bryan Hogan(Highland, Mich.) made sixteen consecutive saves to hold MSU to a lone tally in the contest.
Tempers flared early in the contest when MSU alternate captain Brandon Gentile was whistled at 4:13 for checking from behind. A series of scrums ensued, but Michigan came out on top, receiving the five-minute man-advantage. The Wolverines, however, were unable to capitalize on their opportunity, registering a meager four shots on goal during the power play.
With five seconds left on the man-advantage, at 9:09, Spartan Matt Schepke scooped up a loose puck that had gotten caught in between the legs of the linesman just outside the MSU blue line. He carried it down the right side and wristed a shot through Hogan from the bottom of the right circle for the shorthanded tally, putting MSU up 1-0.
Michigan retaliated early in the second period when Chris Summers(Milan, Mich.) scored his first career shorthanded goal at 1:57. Matt Rust(Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) picked up the puck on the left side and crossed it to Summers, who was skating down the slot, and the junior corralled the pass and pushed it past Spartan goaltender Jeff Lerg to knot the score at 1-1. Carl Hagelin(Sodertalje, Sweden) was credited with the second helper on the play.
Wohlberg increased U-M's lead to 2-1 at 8:24 in the opening frame. Aaron Palushaj(Northville, Mich.) won control of the puck behind MSU's net and dished it to Louie Caporusso(Woodbridge, Ont.) in the right circle. Caporusso spotted Wohlberg positioned near the left post and passed it to the freshman, who pounded it in for the score.
Palushaj padded Michigan's lead 3-1 with a wrist shot from the right post that flew past Lerg's glove. Once again, Palushaj gained control of the puck near the backboards and slid it to Caporusso in the left circle. Palushaj then came around the front of the net to get in position for a return pass, giving him room to flick it into the goal at 12:19. Rookie Brandon Burlon(Nobleton, Ont.) was also awarded an assist.
Michigan had to spread a penalty kill over the final 2:41 minutes of the second period and first 2:19 minutes of the third period after Brian Lebler(Penticton, B.C.) received a five-minute major for hitting from behind at 17:19 of the second stanza. Luckily for the Maize and Blue, the penalty-killing squad successfully thwarted all of MSU's scoring opportunities. Hogan's performance was key in helping the Wolverines maintain their lead, posting 13 stops through two periods of play.
At 10:32 in the third period, Wohlberg scored for the second time in the contest, putting his team up 4-1. Ben Winnett(New Westminster, B.C.) passed to Summers at the point, and the captain fired a hard shot that missed wide right. The shot slammed off the backboards and ricocheted directly to Wohlberg at the left post, where he lit the lamp.
The Wolverines did not let up, scoring minutes later at 11:37 to make the scoreboard read 5-1. Brandon Naurato(Livonia, Mich.) wristed a shot from the mid-slot that found its way into the back of the net. Greg Pateryn(Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Travis Turnbull(Chesterfield, Mo.) received the assists on the play. Naurato's tally chased Lerg from the game.
The Spartan goalie change made no difference as Lerg's successor, Drew Palmisano, could not stop Burlon from scoring his first career goal at 15:56 to make the score 6-1. Palushaj dished the puck to Caporusso in the Wolverine defensive zone, and the latter slid it to Burlon at center ice. The rookie carried the puck down to the crease and snapped it past Palmisano's glove for the final tally of the contest.
Tomorrow night (Saturday, Dec. 6), the Wolverines will travel to Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich., to complete their home-and-home series with the Spartans. The game is slated for 7:05 p.m. and will be televised by Comcast Local.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
