Michigan
13-8-0
Michigan State
11-7-1
Wolverines Fall to Spartans in GLI Championship Game
12/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
DETROIT, Mich. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team gave up three power-play goals and a shorthanded tally in dropping a 4-1 decision to No. 14 Michigan State in the championship game of the 42nd annual Great Lakes Invitational on Saturday (Dec. 30). Since its last GLI championship in 1996, U-M has lost six consecutive GLI championship games, five of which have occurred against MSU.
Travis Turnbull (Chesterfield, Mo.) scored U-M's lone goal, a power-play marker, which made it 1-1 early in the second period. Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich.) was kept off the scoresheet for the first time since Oct. 20, concluding a 16-game point streak.
Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) had the two best opportunities for either team in the first five minutes of play. Streaking down the right wing unchecked, he ripped a slap shot high and wide of the net. He was briefly open a few minutes later only to have his shot deflected high by an MSU defender.
An MSU counterattack at 8:00 nearly resulted in a goal when Bryan Lerg beat Billy Sauer (Walworth, N.Y.) to a loose puck in front of the U-M net. Matt Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) stymied Lerg's shot at an empty net from a bad angle. MSU kept the puck in the zone for almost a minute and peppered the U-M net. Sauer kept the game scoreless, making a big right pad save on Jim McKenzie to end the threat.
Michigan State received the first power play of the game when Steve Kampfer (Jackson, Mich.) was called for interference at 10:21. The Spartans capitalized at 10:53 on a one-timer from Lerg, situated in the lower right circle, to Tim Crowder in the left slot.
Sauer kept the game tight after the first frame, capping off an 11-save period by kicking aside a breakaway chance from Tim Kennedy. The teams went into the dressing room with Michigan State leading 1-0. MSU had 12 shots to U-M's eight.
In the first minute of the second period Turnbull dove to break up two-on-one, but the puck rebounded out into the slot and Sauer had to make a point-blank glove save on Crowder.
At 5:01, Michigan's fourth line sustained pressure in the Spartan zone and forced Daniel Vukovic to commit a tripping infraction in front of the net. The Wolverines tied the game at 1-1 at 5:11 when a Turnbull pass from the left corner hit Spartan Brandon Gentile's shin and went into the MSU net. The pass was intended for Brandon Naurato (Livonia, Mich.) at the back post.
The Spartans went back on the power play at 7:05. Both MSU and U-M had good scoring chances over the next two minutes. Sauer denied four Spartan shots before U-M had a two-on-one shot by Turnbull stopped by Lerg, followed by another Lerg save on Porter just inside the right circle.
Michigan penalties at 10:32 by Kolarik, 12:27 by Chris Summers (Milan, Mich.), and 13:10 by Jason Dest (Fraser, Mich.) left the penalty-killing unit undermanned, and the Spartans converted on a five-on-three at 13:20 to take a 2-1 lead. Crowder scored on his second one-timer of the night when Lerg fed him cross ice, right circle to left.
Lerg extended the Spartans' advantage with a shorthanded marker at 16:47 of the second period to make it 3-1. Lerg tipped a bouncing puck past Hunwick at the blue line and carried the puck straight into the Michigan zone. Sauer tried to poke the puck away, but Lerg managed to sneak a shot past him.
The Wolverines garnered a power play with one minute left to play in the middle stanza. After 40 minutes, MSU had a 24-16 shots advantage.
To start the third period, T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich.) hit the right post on a shot from between the circles. Sauer then made a split save on Lerg as MSU had a two-on-one shortly after U-M's power play ended.
The Wolverines sabotaged their comeback chances with their eighth penalty of the night at 5:35. Mike Ratchuk's shot from the right point went through a screen in front of Sauer and beat the netminder five-hole to give MSU a 4-1 cushion at 7:14.
U-M had power plays with 12:05, 4:25 and 1:32 left in the third period, but it could not make a dent in its three-goal deficit. Michigan finished the game one-for-seven on the power play.
The Wolverines return to CCHA regular-season play on Tuesday, Jan. 9, when they host Bowling Green at 7:35 p.m. at Yost Ice Arena.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
