Michigan
4-2-0, 2-0-0CCHA
Lake Superior State
4-4-0, 1-3-0CCHA
Michigan Cruises to Sweep at Lake Superior State
10/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Oct. 31, 2009
Site: Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. (Taffy Abel Arena)
Score: #5 Michigan 6, Lake Superior State University 3
Records: U-M (4-2-0, 2-0-0-0 CCHA), LSSU (4-4-0, 1-3-0-0 CCHA)
Attendance: 2,209
Next U-M Event: Friday, Nov. 6 -- vs. Miami (Yost Ice Arena), 7:35 p.m.
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team overcame two first-period deficits to earn a 6-3 road win over Lake Superior State on Saturday (Oct. 31) at Taffy Abel Arena. The Lakers led 1-0 and 2-1 before U-M scored the final two goals of the opening period and a power-play goal with 6:18 left in regulation gave U-M a much-needed cushion.
Right wing Chris Brown (Flower Mound, Texas) had two goals, including the gamewinner. Center Ben Winnett (New Westminster, B.C.) chipped in two goals, center Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) had a goal and an assist and center Louie Caporusso (Woodbridge, Ontario) had two assists.
Goalie Bryan Hogan (Highland, Mich.) notched a season-high 35 saves, nine of which came on LSSU man-advantages. Hogan and the U-M penalty killers negated all five LSSU power plays.
The game got off to a fast start with the Lakers' Chad Nehring scoring from the left post at 1:52. U-M answered just 18 seconds later with a breakaway goal from Winnett. Right wing Brian Lebler (Penticton, B.C.) sprung Winnett with a blue-line-to-blue-line pass. Winnett made a slight deke and wristed the puck low glove on LSSU's Brian Mahoney-Wilson.
The scoring continued with LSSU's Fred Cassiani at 5:41. His shot from the left circle was deflected down and through Hogan's legs to put the home team up 2-1.
The Wolverines took the lead for good at 3-2 with back-to-back goals at 13:38 and 18:32 of the opening frame. Brown snuck a shot low past Mahoney-Wilson from the right side for U-M's second goal. Caporusso provided the lone assist. Rust then scored for the third straight game when he and left winger David Wohlberg (South Lyon, Mich.) teamed up on a perfectly-executed two-on-two break. Rust beat his defender to the left post to knock Wohlberg's crossing pass into the LSSU net.
Michigan dominated the second period, outshooting LSSU 15-3, but U-M could not pad its lead. Two of the Lakers' shots came late in the period during a two-man advantage that lasted 33 seconds.
U-M had to kill two more Laker power plays in the first half of the third period before Brown locked up the win with a power-play goal at 13:42.
U-M and LSSU traded goals in the final few minutes when defenseman Tristin Llewellyn (Ann Arbor, Mich.) scored into an empty net at 17:53. An errant pass led to an LSSU breakaway goal at 18:59. Finally, Winnett beat Mahoney-Wilson with a power-play goal with 10 seconds left in regulation.
Michigan returns home to Yost Ice Arena for a two-game series against Miami, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 6-7). Both contests begin at 7:35 p.m.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
