Michigan
7-3-3
Minnesota
9-2-1
Michigan Overpowered by Gophers in Showcase Opener
11/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team lost by a 6-3 count to No. 7-ranked Minnesota on Friday evening (Nov. 25) in the first night of the College Hockey Showcase. The Golden Gophers went 5-for-9 on the power play, while the Wolverines were just 1-for-11.
U-M was led by T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.), who notched one goal and two assists, and Matt Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Brandon Naurato (Livonia, Mich.) chipped in one goal apiece.
Twenty seconds into the first period, Michigan took an early lead as Hensick rifled one in the slot past Minnesota's Kellen Briggs to put the Wolverines up 1-0. Just minutes later at the 2:34 mark, Minnesota's Evan Kaufman was whistled for hooking and U-M clenched the first power play of the evening, but the Gophers staved off the Wolverines with hard-nosed defense and prevented a possible 2-0 Michigan lead.
Finally, the Gophers lashed out at Michigan as Ryan Potulny ripped a low wrister past Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) for a power-play goal to tie the game at 1-1.
Potulny's goal started Minnesota on a goal-scoring frenzy as the Gophers put three more goals past Sauer to take a 4-1 lead on the Wolverines. Potulny scored Minnesota's second power-play goal on a slapper at the 10:43 mark, and just minutes later Phil Kessel dropped one in past Sauer's stick side to push the Gopher lead to 3-1. With five minutes remaining in the first stanza, Mark Howe gave Minnesota its third power-play goal of the night and pulled away from the Wolverines with a 4-1 lead.
U-M climbed its way out of the 4-1 hole at the 15:33 mark as Andrew Cogliano (Woodbridge, Ontario) slipped a pass from the right circle to Naurato, who ripped the shot past Briggs to put Michigan back in the game at 4-2.
The second stanza featured the Gophers tallying four penalties that got them into some trouble with the Michigan offense. Potulny started it off with a hooking penalty at 8:19 which gave Michigan its first power play of the second period. With a power play lasting more than two minutes, the Wolverines' two-man advantage finally caught the Gophers off-guard as Hunwick's high wrister glided past the glove side of Briggs at the 11:57 mark to put U-M within one goal, 4-3.
With Michigan still down by a goal, Minnesota's Potulny notched his third goal on the night at the 16:15 mark. The Gophers kept the U-M offense silent in the remaining four minutes of the second period and the Wolverines trailed by two goals, 5-3, heading into the second intermission.
The last period featured slow play as both teams kept each other at bay until Minnesota's Kessel grabbed his second goal of the night at the 3:40 mark.
The Wolverines return to Yost for the second night of the College Hockey Showcase when they take on the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers at 7:35 p.m. tomorrow night (Saturday, Nov. 26).
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
