Michigan
4-0-0
Merrimack
1-1-0
Seven-Goal First Period Sends Michigan by Merrimack
10/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team eased past Merrimack, 9-2, on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 16) thanks to five power-play goals and Kevin Porter's (Northville, Mich.) hat trick. In addition to Porter, Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) (2-2-4), T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) (1-3-4), Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C.) (1-2-3) and Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich.) (0-3-3) had big offensive outputs. Noah Ruden (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) started his first game of the year and made 25 saves while allowing two goals in just under 50 minutes of action.
Michigan was on the offensive very early as a result of back-to-back penalties by Merrimack at 34 seconds and 1:30. The second penalty was a five-minute major for checking from behind by Jordan Hart. Hensick opened the scoring at 4:41 by batting bouncing puck in front past goalie Jim Healey.
Porter scored his first marker of the game at 8:01 after Hensick intercepted a clearing pass by the goalie and sent it in front before the defense could recover. Cogliano scored his first collegiate goal at 11:05 on a blistering one-timer from the right circle that beat Healy glove-side. Just 51 seconds later, Ebbett scored off his own rebound by reaching the puck around the outstretched leg of the goalie while being checked.
Cogliano's second goal, which came at 12:43 forced Merrimack to call a timeout as it was down 5-0. The Warriors elected to pull Healy in favor of Frank McLaughlin during the stoppage. Porter completed his hat trick with back-to-back goals at 14:06 and 17:41 of the first period, with Hensick drawing an assist on each scores. The second of the two markers was on the power play. U-M went into the first intermission with a 7-0 advantage.
The offensive tenacity subsided in the second period, but the Wolverines still added to their lead. Tyler Swystun (Cochrane, Alberta) scored his first career goal at 7:54 thanks to assists by classmates Cogliano and Johnson. Merrimack finally got on the scoresheet with 36 seconds remaining in the second stanza when John Goebel snuck the puck past Ruden just inside the right post.
To start the third period the Warriors made another goalie change, this time to Patrick Watson. Merrimack added another goal when Hank Carisio scored at 7:37 to make it 8-2.
Michigan got the goal back when Zac MacVoy (Livonia, Mich.) notched his first career goal at 8:58 with U-M on the power play. MacVoy was planted in front of the net, and after spinning around and ending up backwards to the goal he slipped the puck in between his legs into the cage.
Mike Mayhew (Owatonna, Minn.) relieved Ruden for the final 10 minutes of the game to see his first action of the season.
The Wolverines open the CCHA regular season next Saturday (Oct. 22) against archrival Michigan State at Yost Ice Arena. Faceoff is slated for 7:35 p.m.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
