Michigan
9-8-2, 5-6-2-1CCHA
Michigan State
10-6-1, 6-5-0-0CCHA
Wolverines Stave Off Late Rally to Beat No. 14 Michigan State
12/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Dec. 9, 2011
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Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: Michigan 4, #14 Michigan State 3
Record: U-M (9-8-2, 5-6-2-1 CCHA), MSU (10-6-1, 6-5-0-0 CCHA)
Attendance: 6,637
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 10 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 6:35 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team took a three-goal lead into the third period before holding on for a 4-3 victory over Michigan State (No. 14 USCHO/No. 14 USA Today) on Friday night (Dec. 9) at Yost Ice Arena. MSU tallied two early third-period, power-play goals, but U-M held off the rally to pick up its second straight win.
The win, which was played in front of a sellout crowd, came on the heels of a CCHA victory in Alaska last Saturday (Dec. 3) and was anchored by goalie Shawn Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.), who turned aside 31-of-34 shots, as well as Chris Brown (Flower Mount, TX), David Wohlberg (South Lyon, Mich.) and Kevin Lynch (Grosse Pointe, Mich.), who each finished with a goal and an assist.
At 5:58 of the first, Wohlberg tallied his sixth goal of the season when he skated through a pack of Spartan defenders and beat goaltender Will Yanakeff high glove to give Michigan the 1-0 advantage.
The Spartans responded 15 seconds later, as Matt Crandell snuck one past Hunwick to tie up the game.
Brown then gave the Wolverines a 2-1 advantage at 11:30 of the period when he came streaking out of the penalty box, drove hard to the net and put the puck through the legs of Yanakeff.
The Wolverines padded their lead in the second frame, scoring the only two goals of the middle period with less than five minutes left. First at 15:47, Alex Guptill (New Market, Ontario) swept around the front of MSU's goal and netted his ninth goal of the season, unassisted. The rookie forward now leads the team in goals, breaking a tie with Phil Di Giuseppe (Maple, Ontario), who has eight.
At 18:49, Kevin Lynch (Grosse Point, Mich.) scored the game-winner from the right faceoff circle through multiple defenders, bringing the score to 4-1 after 40 minutes.
Just 1:50 into the final period, MSU's Matt Berry cut Michigan's lead to two with a rebound goal on a Spartan power play. Another power-play goal for the Spartans followed at 5:55 of the period with a marker from Brett Darnell, which was under review before being given to the MSU, reducing Michigan's lead to one.
Michigan State pulled its goalie at 18:37 of the frame for the benefit of an extra attacker, but Michigan's defense proved impenetrable, as the Wolverines held on for conference victory.
Michigan finished the night 0-for-2 with the man-advantage, while Michigan State capitalized on two of its three power-play opportunities.
The Wolverines complete the home-and-home series with Michigan State on Saturday (Dec. 10) at 6:35 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
Contact: Rob Tillotson (734) 763-4423
