Michigan
7-1-0
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Western Michigan
5-4-0
Hughes' Overtime Tally Clinches Series Sweep Over No. 17 Western Michigan
10/29/2022 9:51:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Rutger McGroarty notched a hat trick, with all three tallies coming on the power play.
» Adam Fantilli added a pair of goals, while Seamus Casey recorded three assists.
» Michigan's power-play unit scored four goals for the first time since March 2, 2018.
Site: Kalamazoo, Mich. (Lawson Ice Arena)
Score: #4 Michigan 6, #17 Western Michigan 5 (OT)
Records: U-M (7-1-0), WMU (5-4-0)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Nov. 4 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 8 p.m.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Underclassmen reigned for the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team on Saturday evening (Oct. 29), as the Wolverines knocked off No. 17 Western Michigan 6-5 at Lawson Ice Arena to secure a weekend sweep. All six goals were scored by underclassmen, with the five in regulation going to freshmen before Luke Hughes stepped up with the game-winner in 3-on-3 overtime.
Netminder Erik Portillo was impressive throughout the entire weekend, but especially on Saturday, making 40 saves on 45 shots that he faced from the Broncos in over 63 minutes of work. With the win, Portillo's record moves in concert with the team's to 7-1 through eight.
Western Michigan (5-4-0) took an early penalty in the offensive zone just 5:25 into the game to give Michigan the game's first power-play opportunity.
In search of the ice-breaking goal, freshman Rutger McGroarty buried a wrist shot from the top of the left circle to give Michigan an early lead after receiving a pass from Seamus Casey on the man-advantage and dialing up a firm shot about a foot off the ice. Jacob Truscott earned the secondary assist on the goal coming at 7:24 of the first period.
The Broncos took a second penalty with 11:03 left to put Michigan right back on the power play.
Seven seconds into the second power play, it was McGroarty again who was perfectly positioned to convert for the Wolverines and take advantage of the additional skater. Casey took a shot from the top of the right circle that was leaking through the pads of WMU's goaltender before McGroarty spotted the loose puck in the blue paint and knocked it across the goal line to double the Michigan lead. For the second time in 102 seconds, it was McGroarty from Casey and Truscott.
Later in the period, Luca Fantilli was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking after the Broncos applied pressure by turning in an extended shift in the Michigan zone. Twenty-three seconds after Fantilli's infraction, Steven Holtz was sent off for a cross-checking minor of his own to give WMU a five-on-three power-play for 1:37.
Western's leading scorer, freshman Ryan McAllister, got the Broncos on the board with a shot from the high slot with 11 seconds left on the two-man advantage to cut Michigan's lead to 2-1. Holtz's penalty ended without further consequences and U-M's one-goal lead intact.
After one period of play, Michigan held a 2-1 lead despite a 13-9 WMU edge in shots on goal.
The Broncos started a power play 2:26 into the second period after Mark Estapa sent an opposing skater tumbling into his own net. WMU came close a handful of times but failed to find an equalizer before the Wolverines returned to full-strength.
Just as a WMU penalty expired, Luke Hughes rushed into the offensive zone and crashed toward the crease before leaving the puck in the low slot for an oncoming Adam Fantilli, who deposited a quick wrister into a yawning cage. With the goal, the freshman phenom extended his career-opening point streak to eight games. Hughes' helper extended his active point streak to four games.
WMU did not have to wait long before a missed clearing attempt in the U-M slot ended up in the back of Portillo's net following a quick shot from between the hashmarks at 7:50 that cut the Michigan lead to 3-2.
As the Broncos were cranking up momentum in search of a game-tying third goal in the home stretch of the second period, it was the defensive effort of skaters like Philippe Lapointe, Estapa and Keaton Pehrson who laid their bodies on the line in shooting lanes to prevent the WMU offense from breaking through.
The Wolverines returned to the man-advantage late at 15:24, looking to regain a two-goal lead.
Twelve seconds later, Adam Fantilli made his presence felt once again by burying a power-play goal (Michigan's third with the extra attacker) from the bottom of the right circle off an exquisite spinning pass from classmate T.J. Hughes. Sophomore Mackie Samoskevich collected the secondary assist for his work in the left circle to find Hughes near the corner of the blue paint and help U-M regain a two-goal lead at 4-2.
Michigan took an obstruction penalty with 37.8 seconds left in the middle period to stymie a rush but put themselves at a disadvantage to end the period on the penalty kill. The Wolverines ended the period with a two-goal lead, but 1:23 of leftover power-play time carried over for WMU to the final frame.
After two periods, U-M had carved out a 4-2 lead despite WMU's 29-20 lead in shots on goal. Through 40 minutes, Michigan's power-play unit was driving the bus with a 3-for-4 success rate.
Another penalty was called on the Wolverines 53 seconds into the third period to give WMU a short 5-on-3 opportunity. The first penalty expired before the Broncos were able to send a long-range wrist shot past Portillo with 17:46 left in regulation to take advantage of the extra skater and pare Michigan's lead back to one goal.
Michigan launched a power play of its own at 3:15 in search of yet another goal in response.
With the extra skater, McGroarty secured his first collegiate hat trick at 5:06 off yet another feed from blueliner Casey as well as standout sophomore Hughes. Once again, McGroarty found space in the slot on the man-advantage, received a pass, and buried a firm wrister. This time, the puck immediately wedged itself behind the inner padding of the goal, leading the WMU goaltender to search his equipment for a puck that was already in the net.
Immediately after Michigan regained a multi-goal lead, WMU marched down the ice and scored yet another deficit-trimming goal 5:27 into the third period that made it 5-4, U-M. The third-period tally marked the fourth consecutive time that the Broncos responded to a Michigan goal with a marker of their own.
WMU's power-play unit returned to the playing surface with 11:15 left in regulation, but the Wolverines killed off the golden opportunity to return play to 5-on-5.
Shortly thereafter, Michigan was penalized once again to give WMU another chance to equalize. Once again, the Michigan PK unit held strong and kept the Broncos off the board.
The teams moved to 4-on-4 play with 5:01 left to play after a post-whistle scrum escalated into chaos, pushing, shoving, and a pair of matching minor penalties for roughing.
With 1:27 left in regulation and the home net empty, Western Michigan threaded a long shot through traffic that found the back of the Michigan goal to tie the game.
The game was tied at 5 at the end of regulation, but WMU did end the third period with a substantial edge in shots on goal (44-25) as well as faceoff wins (42-20).
Michigan's starting trio for the extra session was Adam Fantilli, Samoskevich and Luke Hughes, and the Wolverines won the opening draw to begin OT with possession.
Western was penalized for slashing with 1:56 left to play in the overtime period to give U-M's Gavin Brindley a penalty shot with a chance to send the Wolverines home victorious. After skating in wide on the right wing, Brindley looped in toward the blue paint in search of a gap before being stymied by the active stick of WMU's goalie with a well-placed poke check.
Just 23 seconds later, the Eagle soared when the Wolverines scored, as Luke Hughes sent thousands of Bronco fans home unfulfilled by potting the game-winning goal in overtime.
With the win, Michigan's winning streak in the WMU series now sits at three games. The Wolverines ended the game 4-for-5 on the power play, while the Broncos wrapped up 2-for-8.
Next Friday and Saturday (Nov. 4-5), the Wolverines will kick off conference play with a two-game series against Penn State in State College, Pa., at Pegula Ice Arena. Friday night's (Nov. 4) game is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network. Saturday's (Nov. 5) start time is at 7:30 p.m., and will be streamed live on B1G+.
