Michigan
20-11-4, 14-9-4-1
Bowling Green
10-20-5, 5-18-4-3
U-M Loses Third-Period Lead, Falters at Bowling Green
2/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Feb. 24, 2012
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Site: Bowling Green, Ohio (BGSU Ice Arena)
Score: Bowling Green 4, #3 Michigan 3
Record: U-M (20-11-4, 14-9-4-1 CCHA), BGSU (10-20-5, 5-18-4-3 CCHA)
Attendance: 3,011
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 25 -- at Bowling Green (Bowling Green, Ohio), 7:05 p.m.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- A costly late-game turnover in the defensive zone led to the game-winning goal with just 1:24 left in regulation as the University of Michigan ice hockey team (No. 3 USCHO, No. 3 USA Today/USA Hockey) fell to the Bowling Green Falcons, 4-3, tonight (Friday, Feb. 24) at BGSU Ice Arena.
Michigan entered the game 16-1-3 when leading after two periods, but the Falcons came out on top to earn just their fifth conference win of the season. Three players recorded two points for the Wolverines -- David Wohlberg (South Lyon, Mich.), Alex Guptill (Newmarket, Ontario) and Mac Bennett (Narragansett, R.I.).
Michigan opened the game's scoring, for the eighth straight contest, thanks to the 10th goal of the season by Phil Di Giuseppe (Maple, Ontario), who took a feed from A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and moved through the Bowling Green zone before firing a shot over the glove hand of BGSU netminder Andrew Hammond to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead just 36 seconds into the game. With the assist, Treais extended his career-best point streak to eight games, posting 12 points (7g, 5a) during that stretch.
However, the Falcons pulled even only six seconds later, before Michigan re-took a one-goal advantage four minutes after that when Wohlberg buried a rebound after Hammond failed to trap the original shot for a whistle. Wohlberg, who added an assist in the third period, now has three points (1g, 2a) in his last three games.
The Falcons struck back once again at the 13:42 mark of the first as the teams headed to the dressing rooms deadlocked at 2-2 after 20 minutes of play.
The score remained tied until 17:12 of the second period when Guptill gave the Wolverines a 3-2 lead with his team-leading 16th goal of the season. Guptill parked himself in front of the Falcon goaltender and redirected a Wohlberg centering attempt for the third Wolverine lead of the evening. Guptill earned an assist on Wohlberg's first-period tally and now leads the Wolverines in points (30) and goals (16) this season.
Michigan held the one-goal advantage until 13:13 of the third period when a backhand shot from BGSU's Adam Berkle tied the game at 3-3.
Guptill then appeared to have a clear breakaway thanks to a perfect two-line pass from Chris Brown (Flower Mound, Texas) but was tracked down at the last second by a Bowling Green defender to preserve the 3-3 tie.
With time winding down, the Falcons capitalized on a Michigan turnover deep in the BGSU offensive zone and Bryce Williamson snapped the puck past goaltender Shawn Hunwick (Sterling Heights, Mich.) for the 4-3 lead with 1:24 left in the third period.
Hunwick turned aside 25 of 29 shots in his 10th loss of the season, while Hammond allowed three goals on 27 shots.
The team will close out the 2011-12 CCHA regular season tomorrow night (Saturday, Feb. 25) at 7:05 p.m inside BGSU Ice Arena.
Contact: Rob Tillotson (734) 763-4423
