Michigan
6-7-5
Michigan Tech
10-7-2
Wolverines Drop Heartbreaking Shootout to Huskies in GLI Semifinal
12/30/2018 5:26:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Nolan Moyle recorded his first career goal for the Maize and Blue.
» Strauss Mann tied a career high with 33 saves.
» Michigan played its sixth overtime contest in its last eight games.
Site: Detroit, Mich. (Little Caesars Arena)
Event: Great Lakes Invitational (Semifinal)
Score: Michigan 2, Michigan Tech 2 (OT) -- MTU advances in shootout, 2-1
Records: U-M (6-7-5), MTU (10-7-2)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Dec. 31 -- vs. Michigan State - GLI Third-Place Game (Detroit, Mich.), 11:30 a.m.
DETROIT, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team skated to a 2-2 tie against Michigan Tech in the semifinal round of the 54th annual Great Lakes Invitational on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 30) at Little Caesars Arena. After five shootout rounds, the Huskies came away with the win to advance to the GLI championship game.
"Proud of our guys. I thought they played hard," said head coach Mel Pearson. "We haven't played a game since Dec. 8, so you expect issues with execution and conditioning, but I really thought our third period was our best period."
Nineteen seconds into the contest, Michigan was called for an interference penalty. As time was winding down on the penalty kill, Michigan Tech collected the puck behind the net before Alec Broetzman skated in from the left faceoff circle to receive a pass and fired a shot that beat freshman goaltender Strauss Mann over the shoulder on his blocker side. The goal gave the Huskies an early 1-0 lead at the 1:55 mark of the first period.
The Wolverines went on their second man-advantage of the opening period at the 8:09 mark and looked to capitalize after they were unable to find the back of the net on their first power-play opportunity. Michigan's best look on net came with 50 seconds remaining on the power play when senior defenseman Nicholas Boka skated in from the blue line, received a dump pass in the slot and fired a quick wrist shot toward a crowded net. The Michigan Tech netminder was able to locate the puck and come up with a glove save.
Michigan tied the game at the 6:02 mark in the second period when freshman forward Nolan Moyle skated into the zone and put a puck on net that bounced off the Michigan Tech goaltender's pads and out in front of the crease. The rebound deflected off a Michigan Tech defenseman's skates and crept through the netminder's five-hole to give Moyle his first career goal in the maize and blue.
The Huskies responded quickly and took just over a minute to regain the lead. Brian Halonen skated behind the Wolverine net and out into the slot where he took a quick wrist shot that beat Mann on his blocker side, giving Michigan Tech a 2-1 lead with 12:49 remaining in the second period.
With just under three minutes remaining into the second period, redshirt sophomore forward Luke Morgan found at the point freshman defenseman Nick Blankenburg, who ripped a wrist shot on net. Junior forward Adam Winborg got his stick on the Blankenburg shot to redirect the puck into the net while battling a Huskies defenseman for his second goal of the season, tying the game at 2 with 2:14 left.
U-M had multiple scoring opportunities on net throughout the final period as Morgan hit the post on a backhand shot with just over six minutes to play. Will Lockwood then skated into the Michigan Tech zone all alone on a breakaway from the right side and fired a backhand shot on net that the Huskies' netminder was able to save, keeping the game tied with 4:30 remaining in regulation.
As the third period came to an end, the teams remained deadlocked to send the Wolverines into their sixth overtime contest in their last eight games. After five overtime minutes of five-on-five, the game was even at 2 and went down as a tie, but the teams went to a shootout to determine which would play in the championship game on Monday (Dec. 31).
Junior forward Nick Pastujov and Lockwood took the first two shots for the Maize and Blue, and both were saved by the Michigan Tech goaltender. Mann came up big in the first two rounds, rejecting both Michigan Tech shots. In the third round of the shootout, junior forward Jake Slaker skated toward to the net and took a wrist shot from just inside the right faceoff circle that beat the Huskies goaltender blocker side. The Huskies responded on their next attempt to send the shootout into extra rounds. Senior forward Brendan Warren and Morgan had their shots denied in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, before Tommy Parrottino scored the shootout-winning goal in the fifth round to send Michigan Tech into the championship game.
"It was a tough way to lose a game, as far as going to the championship, but I'll give Tech a lot of credit and wish them good luck tomorrow," Pearson said.
The Wolverines have a quick turnaround as they will return to action Monday, when they take on Michigan State in the third-place game of the Great Lakes Invitational. Puck drop is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Little Caesars Arena.
