Postgame Notes: #9 Michigan 5, Niagara 0
10/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Oct. 4, 2011
Recap | Quotes | Photo Gallery 
• Michigan opened the regular season with a 5-0 victory over the visiting Niagara Purple Eagles tonight and begins the season with a 1-0-0 record.
• The Wolverines are now unbeaten in their last 23 home openers, posting a record of 20-0-3 in those games. Michigan's last loss in a home opener came during the 1987-88 season.
• U-M has now won its last 14 games at Yost Arena and 15 consecutive in Ann Arbor (including the Big Chill at the Big House). It is the longest such streak since 1961-62 when the Wolverines posted 16 consecutive home wins.
• Lindsay Sparks netted his first career hat trick and the first three-goal game for a Wolverine since Louie Caporusso (March 6, 2010, vs. Lake Superior State).
• Sparks added an assist for a career-high four points. Greg Pateryn was the last Wolverine to earn four points in a game, doing so on Feb. 19, 2011, against Western Michigan.
• Travis Lynch earned the first goal of his collegiate career, scoring a shorthanded tally at the 9:06 mark of the first period.
• Zach Hyman posted the first points of his U-M career, recording two assists in tonight's win.
• Goaltender Shawn Hunwick started the game for U-M and stopped all 30 shots he faced in 50:28 of action. Adam Janecyk closed out the shutout for Michigan, turning aside all eight shots in 9:32. Tonight marked the third shared shutout of Hunwick's career and the first for Janecyk.
• Luke Moffatt and Alex Guptill paced the Wolverines with five shots each in tonight's game.
• The Michigan power play converted on 1 of 4 chances, while the penalty killers were perfect on six attempts.
