Michigan
10-10-0, 5-7-0CCHA
Michigan Tech
3-16-0, 2-13-0WCHA
Lebler, Sparks Propel Michigan Past Michigan Tech in GLI
12/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Dec. 30, 2009
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Site: Detroit, Mich. (Joe Louis Arena)
Event: Great Lakes Invitational Third-Place Game
Score: Michigan 5, Michigan Tech 3
Records: U-M (10-10-0, 5-7-0-0 CCHA), Michigan Tech (3-16-0, 2-13-0 WCHA)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 8 -- at Western Michigan (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 7:35 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team went three-for-six on the power play and saw offense from nine different players to beat Michigan Tech, 5-3, in the third-place game of the Great Lakes Invitational on Wednesday (Dec. 30) at Joe Louis Arena. Freshman wing Lindsay Sparks (Oakville, Ontario) and senior left wing Brian Lebler (Penticton, B.C.) each scored twice in the win. Junior center Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) also added a tally in the middle frame.
The Wolverines controlled much of the play in the opening period, doubling Michigan Tech's shot output, 14-7, but did not break the stalemate until 15:22 when Sparks scored his first career goal on a power play. Rust saucered a perfectly-placed pass from the top of the right faceoff circle over a diving MTU forward to a rushing Sparks, who was outside the left part of the crease to poke the puck into the wide-open net. Junior left wing Carl Hagelin (Sodertalje, Sweden) earned a secondary assist on the play.
Lebler spotted the Maize and Blue a 2-0 lead with the man-advantage 2:50 into the second period. As freshman defenseman Lee Moffie (Wallingford, Conn.) wound up for the shot from the right point, Lebler circled around in the low slot and redirected Moffie's shot into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
In a five-minute span in the second period, four of Michigan's six defensemen went to the penalty box. Michigan's penalty troubles provided the Huskies with an opening to get back into the game and MTU center Brett Olson capitalized on the five-on-three man-advantage at 10:12 in the middle period on a wrist shot from below the inner hash marks of the left faceoff circle.
U-M regained its two-goal advantage thanks to another power-play tally in a mad scramble in front of the net with 2:42 left in the second stanza. Freshman right wing Kevin Lynch (Grosse Pointe, Mich.), Hagelin and Rust created a flurry of activity around the MTU crease, generating four shots in less than 10 seconds with Rust ultimately finding the back of the cage on a shot from the low right slot.
Michigan Tech cut its deficit to one when center Eric Kattelus popped in the loose rebound from a sharp angle on the goal line to the left of the U-M net 4:08 into the third period.
Sparks then potted his second goal of the evening for his first career multi-point game midway through the final frame at 10:34. Senior defenseman Chris Summers' (Milan, Mich.) shot sailed right of the MTU net and bounced off the backboards to Lebler at the right goal post. Sparks collected the rebound from Lebler's shot and fought off a defender in the low slot to beat goalkeeper Josh Robinson.
The Huskies kept at it and were rewarded with a two-on-one opportunity, resulting in left wing Jordan Baker sending the puck flying over junior netminder Bryan Hogan's (Highland, Mich.) blocker with 7:38 on the clock.
Lebler earned his second career multi-goal game and third point of the game on an empty-netter with 11 seconds remaining in the contest to clinch the victory.
The Wolverines travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., next Friday (Jan. 8) to open the home-and-home series against Western Michigan. Both games are slated to start at 7:35 p.m.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
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