Michigan
12-6-1, 7-3-1CCHA
Michigan Tech
4-17-1, 3-10-1WCHA
Michigan Battles Back Against Tech, Takes Third at GLI
12/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
DETROIT, Mich. -- The No. 6 University of Michigan ice hockey team finished the 41st annual Great Lakes Invitational with a 5-3 win in the third-place game against Michigan Tech on Friday (Dec. 30) at Joe Louis Arena. Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) scored the game-winning goal with 3:04 left in the game to complete Michigan's first third-period comeback of the season.
Michigan Tech got on the board first during the fleeting seconds of a power play at 4:11 of the opening frame. MTU forward Tyler Shelast caught a puck from the point on the Wolverine goal line to the right of Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) and, after settling it down, pushed the puck between the pads of the Michigan netminder.
The Huskies tried to expand their lead during a four-on-four midway through the period, but Sauer proved up to the task. The Michigan freshman first stifled a streaking Chris Connor, who came down the right wing before cutting to the net, and then was able to stave off two more close-range shots to end the threat.
At 11:36, Michigan knotted the game at 1-1 on a T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) roof shot from the right slot while on the power play. Beginning in the left corner, Hensick skated out high around the circle, and after his defender collapsed back toward the net, Hensick used the space to release a high wrister that beat goalie Rob Nolan.
The Huskies took back the lead at 9:25 in the second period while killing off a too-many-men penalty. Connor rung a shot off the far post that bounced onto the stick of Brandon Schwartz, who put the puck past a sprawling Sauer to make the score 2-1.
MTU struck again at 10:28 on a two-man advantage as Lars Helminen's slap shot went over a sprawling David Rohlfs (Northville, Mich.) and past Sauer's blocker into the net. Helminen's goal gave the Huskies a 3-1 lead.
Michigan got its chance on the power play shortly after and capitalized at 12:37 when Matt Hunwick received a hard pass into the slot from Brandon Naurato (Livonia, Mich.) and deposited it into the goal. Just 20 seconds earlier, Sauer made a big save on Schwartz, who was left wide open in front for a shorthanded opportunity.
Michigan garnered a power play 40 seconds into the third period but had it quickly nullified 35 seconds later when it took a penalty of its own.
Jason Bailey (Nepean, Ontario) eliminated the Wolverine defecit to tie the game up at 3-3 at 5:07 in the final stanza. Fighting for the puck in the corner, Brandon Kaleniecki (Livonia, Mich.) forced the Huskies defenseman to push the puck onto the stick of Hensick, who threaded a pass to a crashing Bailey in front for an easy one-timer between the legs of Nolan.
The Maize and Blue went on the power play 21 seconds later but despite sustained pressure was unable to take its first lead of the game.
Kolarik ended the gridlock and gave Michigan its first lead of the game with 3:04 remaining in the game. The U-M sophomore sent the puck behind the net from the right side and it was immediatly tapped back to him by Tim Miller (Davisburg, Mich.). Kolarik then pulled the puck out in front of the goal mouth and backhanded it inside the far post.
Miller added the insurance with an empty-net goal at 19:28 to give Michigan the 5-3 edge.
The Wolverines return home to open the second half of the CCHA docket next week (Friday, Jan. 6) when Alaska-Fairbanks visits Yost Ice Arena for a 7:35 p.m. faceoff.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
