Michigan
1-0-0, 0-0-0-0CCHA
Niagara
0-1-0, 0-0-0AHA
Sparks, Brown Lead Michigan to Shutout of Niagara in Opener
10/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Oct. 4, 2011
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• Video: Highlights 
| Postgame Press Conference
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #9 Michigan 5, Niagara 0
Record: U-M (1-0), Niagara (0-1)
Attendance: 4,497
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 7 -- vs. Bentley (Yost Ice Arena), 7:35 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team (No. 6 USCHO/No. 9 USA Today) blanked the Niagara Purple Eagles, 5-0, on Tuesday night (Oct. 4) in the regular-season opener at Yost Ice Arena.
Juniors Lindsay Sparks (Oakville, Ontario) and Chris Brown (Flower Mound, Texas) led the charge for Michigan, tallying two goals each for the Maize and Blue. Sparks also added an assist in the second period for a career-high-tying three-point outing.
Brown broke open the scoring with a goal at 1:02 of the first period to give the Wolverines the early lead, while freshman Zach Hyman (Toronto, Ontario) and junior Lee Moffie (Wallingford, Conn.) picked up assists on the game's first goal.
Rookie Travis Lynch (White Lake, Mich.) followed suit with a shorthanded goal from near the Purple Eagles' blue line at 9:06 to give Michigan a 2-0 advantage.
After a scoreless start to the second period, Sparks came streaking out of the penalty box at 14:07 to put away an unassisted goal, bringing Michigan's lead to 3-0. A little more than a minute later, at 15:12, during a Wolverine power play, Sparks struck again, widening the gap between Michigan and the Eagles to 4-0. Freshman Alex Guptill (New Market, Ontario) and sophomore Kevin Clare (New Rochelle, N.Y.) assisted.
With a little more than a minute to go in the second period, Brown put the Wolverines up 5-0 with his second goal of the contest. Sparks picked up his third point of the night with an assist, while Hyman earned the second helper of his U-M career.
Goaltender Shawn Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) turned aside all 30 shots he faced in 50:28 of action, while Adam Janecyk (Ada, Mich.) made eight saves on eight shots in the final 9:32. It marked the third shared shutout of Hunwick's U-M career.
The Maize and Blue converted on 1 of 4 power-play opportunities while shutting down Niagara on all six of its man-advantage chances.
The Wolverines return to action with two-game weekend series against Bentley at Yost Ice Arena beginning Friday (Oct. 4) at 7:35 p.m.
Contact: Rob Tillotson (734) 763-4423
