Michigan
0-0-1
Mercyhurst
0-0-1
Wolverines Settle for Draw with Mercyhurst in Season Opener
10/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Oct. 2, 2010
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Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #4 Michigan 4, Mercyhurst 4
Records: U-M (0-0-1), Mercyhurst (0-0-1)
Attendance: 6,198
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Oct. 3 -- vs. Western Ontario - exhibition (Yost Ice Arena), 5:05 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team (No. 4 USA Today/No. 11 USCHO) relinquished a four-goal lead to tie Mercyhurst, 4-4, in its 2010-11 season opener on Saturday (Oct. 2) at Yost Ice Arena. U-M held a 4-0 lead midway through the second period before surrendering four unanswered goals, three of which came in the third period.
Eight Wolverines recorded points. Over the first 32 minutes of play, goals from senior center Louie Caporusso (Woodbridge, Ontario), senior right wing Scooter Vaughan (Placentia, Calif.), junior defenseman Greg Pateryn (Sterling Heights, Mich.) and senior center Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) staked U-M to the 4-0 advantage. Senior goaltender Shawn Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) made a career-high 33 saves in the contest.
On the game's first power play for Michigan, freshman defenseman Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich.) fed senior defenseman Chad Langlais (Spokane, Wash.), who led the charge down the center of the ice. Entering the offensive zone, Langlais spun around and dished the puck just inside the left faceoff circle to Caporusso, who ripped a shot past the glove of netminder Max Strang for the ice-breaking goal.
Fewer than three minutes later, Vaughan took advantage of a muffed Mercyhurst zone clearance, picking up the puck with no one to beat but the goaltender. A simple flick of the wrist put the puck past Strang's left side, and Michigan doubled its lead.
In the second period, senior left wing and co-captain Carl Hagelin (Sodertalje, Sweeden) was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for checking from behind. During the five-minute penalty kill, Michigan was forced to ward off a five-on-three for 1:23 near the midway point of the period.
Michigan regained momentum when Pateryn put the Wolverines up 3-0 at 9:01 as freshman defenseman Mac Bennett (Narragansett, R.I.) posted his first career point as a Wolverine with the assist. Sophomore right wing Chris Brown (Flower Mound, Texas) dug the disc out from the corner and moved it ahead to Bennett, who slid the puck across the top of the zone to a waiting Pateryn, who wristed a shot that nicked both the near post and the far post before trickling into the net.
A minute and a half later, Rust intercepted a pass and broke away from the pack, shelving a short-handed goal over the goalie's left shoulder to extend Michigan's lead to four.
Mercyhurst's Taylor Holstrom responded quickly at 13:06 on a tic-tac-toe power-play goal to begin chipping away at the deficit. The Wolverines managed to evade yet another five-on-three near the end of the period and carried the three-goal lead into the final stanza.
Five minutes into the third period of play, Mercyhurst found the back of the net for the second time. Paul Chiasson picked up an outlet pass along the right-hand boards, evaded a U-M defenseman and lifted the puck high over Hunwick's shoulder.
The Lakers' comeback continued at 9:25 when the Michigan defense coughed up the puck in its own zone. Mercyhurst ended up with a two-on-none opportunity in the low slot with Grant Blakely scoring behind a helpless Hunwick.
At 11:59, Mercyhurst took a straight shot at Hunwick that he deflected to his right side, but the rebound was backhanded into the net by Brandon Coccimiglio to knot the game at four goals apiece and force overtime.
Vaughan had a phenomenal scoring opportunity with 1:48 left in extra time when he fired a bullet from atop the right circle that ricocheted off the left post. At the other end of the ice just 30 seconds later, Langlais had a stellar save as he dove and swept the puck out of the crease as it glided toward an empty net. Despite the chances, which included a power play for each team during the extra five minutes, the game ended in a tie.
The teams elected to participate in an exhibition shootout. Mercyhurst won the showdown, 2-1, in five rounds.
Michigan continues its opening weekend with an exhibition game tomorrow (Sunday, Oct. 3) at 5:05 p.m., when it takes on Western Ontario at Yost Ice Arena. Immediately following the match, the Maize and Blue faithful will have the opportunity to skate with the Wolverines.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
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