Michigan
Windsor (ex)
Offense Shines as Michigan Handles Windsor in Exhibition Win
10/1/2022 10:15:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Seamus Casey and Dylan Duke each turned in two-goal efforts.
» Mackie Samoskevich and Mark Estapa scored one goal and had two assists apiece.
» In total, 13 Wolverines found the scoresheet, including six freshmen.
• PDF Boxscore
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Kicking off the 2022-23 season with an exhibition matchup against Windsor, the No. 6-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team took care of the visitors by a score of 8-2 at a sold-out Yost Ice Arena on Saturday night (Oct. 1).
Junior stalwart Erik Portillo played the first half of the game in net, stopping six of the seven shots he faced before giving way to fellow junior Noah West, who made 11 saves.
U-M embarked on its second power play 5:31 into the contest after failing to capitalize on an early attempt. After 1:20 of uninterrupted possession time, Mackie Samoskevich picked up a pass from Adam Fantilli and ripped a low shot past the blocker of the Lancers' netminder to open the scoring at 6:54. Alternate captain Jacob Truscott collected the secondary assist.
With 12:12 remaining in the opening stanza, a Lancer was sent off after taking a major penalty for kneeing. Just under two minutes later, Steven Holtz slipped behind UW's coverage to find space in the bottom of the left circle. Freshman Kienan Draper threaded a cross-ice pass to Holtz's wheelhouse, and the junior defender wasted no time before burying a one-timer to double the Michigan lead to 2-0. Philippe Lapointe notched the secondary helper.
Joining the scoring parade with a precision power-play strike from the right dot with 7:10 remaining in the first period was Mark Estapa, with Luca Fantilli and Holtz recording assists. With the goaltender moving to cover the near post, Estapa jammed a shot through a minuscule window to pot the team's third goal of the frame.
Less than one minute later, Dylan Duke made his mark on the scoresheet to push Michigan's lead to 4-0. Samoskevich and Adam Fantilli earned the assists on Duke's marker with 6:11 left to play.
After one period of Wolverine-dominated play, U-M carried a four-goal lead and a 17-3 advantage in shots on goal to the dressing room for the first intermission.
Windsor went back to the penalty kill at 5:21. After a number of successful clearing attempts delayed its attack, Michigan converted when Samoskevich found Duke in front of the crease for a perfectly-placed redirection goal. Truscott recorded the secondary assist on U-M's fifth goal.
The Lancers finally got on the scoreboard with 12:14 left in the second period, making it 5-1.
At a stoppage in play 11:39 into the middle frame, each team inserted a second netminder, with Michigan turning to West.
Sixty-seven seconds later, blue-liner Seamus Casey found the scoresheet, burying a rebound off the endwall following a wide shot by Gavin Brindley. Once again, Truscott secured the secondary helper.
Windsor found itself with a 5-on-3 advantage after Estapa and Nolan Moyle were sent t the sin bin less than a minute apart, and the Lancers converted with 4:39 remaining to play to make it 6-2.
Casey flashed his mobile skill set by walking in on the Windsor crease and deking out the Lancers' netminder before depositing a backhand shot into the back of the net to make it 7-2. Fellow freshman TJ Hughes and fan favorite Estapa earned the assists on Casey's lamp-lighter.
With just 1:08 left in regulation, Nick Granowicz finished off a beautiful five-hole goal while falling to the ice. Estapa and Luca Fantilli assisted on the final marker.
When the final buzzer sounded, Michigan had put the finishing touches on an 8-2 win with a 49-19 edge in shots on goal to usher in the Brandon Naurato era.
Next Friday and Saturday (Oct. 7-8), the Wolverines will open regular-season play against Lindenwood, which in its first season as a Division I program. Both contests at Yost Ice Arena will begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on B1G+.
