Connor Nets Pair, But Wolverines Edged by Minnesota

Saturday, December 12

Ann Arbor, Mich.

8:35 PM

Michigan

9-3-3, 2-1-1-1B1G

Minnesota

7-8-0, 3-1-0-0B1G

Team	1	2	3	F
Minnesota	2	0	1	3
Michigan	0	1	1	2

12/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Dec. 13, 2015

» Twelve seconds after U-M rallied from two down to tie the game early in the third, Minnesota scored the game-winning goal.
» Michigan saw its six-game (4-0-2) unbeaten streak come to an end.
» Both JT Compher (A) and Kyle Connor (2G), who leads the team and all NCAA freshmen in scoring, have four-game point streaks.

• Boxscore | Photo Gallery

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: Minnesota 3, #9 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (9-3-3, 2-1-1-1 Big Ten), MINN (7-8-0, 3-1-0-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Dec. 29 -- vs. Northern Michigan - GLI (Detroit, Mich.), 7 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Freshman forward Kyle Connor scored twice, but the ninth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team saw its six-game unbeaten streak end in a 3-2 loss to Minnesota tonight (Saturday, Dec. 12) inside Yost Ice Arena.

Junior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort made 30 saves in net, and his counterpart Eric Schierhorn of Minnesota stopped 33 shots, as the Wolverines outshot the Gophers 35-33 on the night.

After Connor scored his second of the night on a scramble play in front of the net at 1:34 of the third period, Minnesota took the lead for good after a defensive-zone turnover gave Vinni Lettieri the puck alone on the left wing.

Lettieri beat Nagelvoort on the short side at 1:46 to put the Gophers back in front.

Michigan had a power-play chance midway through the period with Michael Brodzinski sent to the penalty box for holding at 7:56, but junior forward Alex Kile steered a rebound of a shot by sophomore defenseman Zach Werenski from the point wide of the net. Werenski had a chance of his own late in the power play, but his net drive was stopped by Schierhorn, who hugged the left post on a shot from the circle.

With Nagelvoort pulled for an extra attacker late in the contest, junior forward JT Compher had one last chance on a shot from the left wing with seven seconds to play, but his shot was steered away by Schierhorn, and the Gophers held on for the win.

Michigan trailed 2-0 after one period of play after late first period goals by Minnesota's Jake Bischoff (15:32, PPG) and Hudson Fasching (18:23), but the Wolverines went to work from the start of the second period, first killing off a carry-over penalty from the first period (Compher, interference).

Freshman defenseman Joseph Cecconi made a great play during the PK to save a goal, clearing a loose puck off the goal line. Then the scoring chances tilted in the Wolverines' favor.

After freshman forward Niko Porikos saw two deflections trickle wide of the net, the Wolverines capitalized on a great effort play by Kile midway through the period.

Kile stayed on the ice as Michigan changed players and carried the puck down the left wing. He threaded a pass between two Minnesota defensemen and found junior defenseman Michael Downing, who fired a shot towards the net.

The puck deflected off a Gopher skate in front and right to Connor at the right circle, where he put the rebound into an open net at 11:53.

Just 19 seconds later, Downing was called for a five-minute major penalty for contact to the head on a hit in the neutral zone, giving the Gophers an extended power play. The Wolverines were excellent on the ensuing penalty kill, blocking several shots, and Nagelvoort came up with big stops -- on Michael Brodzinski's point drive and Justin Kloos' shot from the slot early on the man advantage.

The Wolverines carried the momentum early into the third period, tying the game on a broken play in front. Cecconi's drive from the point deflected to Compher, who found Connor alone on the doorstep. Connor managed to get enough on a shot to slide the puck just over the goal line, tying the game at 2-2 at 1:34.

But Lettieri responded for Minnesota, and Michigan's unbeaten streak came to an end.

The Wolverines return to action in s little more than two weeks at the 51st Great Lakes Invitational Dec. 29-30, to be held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Michigan will play its opening game of the tournament at 7 p.m. against Northern Michigan on Tuesday, Dec. 29.

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