Michigan Scores Seven in Rout of Niagara

Friday, November 13

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:35 PM

Michigan

5-1-1

Niagara

0-6-2

Niagara

Michigan

11/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Nov. 13, 2015

» Michigan jumped ahead 5-0 and tallied five or more goals for the fifth time this season.
» U-M is 11-for-11 on the penalty kill over the last three games.
» Freshman Kyle Connor notched his second two-goal game of the season.

• Boxscore | Photo Gallery

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #12 Michigan 7, Niagara 3
Records: U-M (5-1-1), Niagara (0-6-2)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Nov. 20 -- at Boston University (Boston, Mass.), 6 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. -- Freshman forward Kyle Connor scored twice, and classmate Brendan Warren had three assists to lead the 12th-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 7-3 win over Niagara tonight (Friday, Nov. 13) inside Yost Ice Arena.

Senior goaltender Steve Racine made 21 saves in 49:58 to earn the win in net, and freshman goaltender Chad Catt (one save) made his Michigan debut in the third period, as the Wolverines outshot Niagara, 48-25, for their largest shot output of the season.

Tony Calderone, Tyler Motte, Justin Selman and Zach Werenski added goals for Michigan, which scored five or more goals in a game for the fifth time this season.

Michigan got off to a flying start in the first period, scoring three quick goals to take control of the game early on. After outshooting Niagara 7-0 in the opening minutes, the Wolverines finally broke through at 7:05 of the frame, as defenseman Sam Piazza recovered his own blocked shot and got one through on Niagara goaltender Joe O'Brien (eight saves), who made the initial stop. Connor was there to clean up on the short side to put Michigan ahead 1-0.

A little more than two minutes later, Selman notched his third goal of the season with a nifty deflection in front of the net. Defenseman Nicholas Boka had the shot from straightaway, and Selman batted the puck down from the high slot at 9:50 to give U-M a two-goal lead.

Racine helped Michigan take a three-goal lead after a defensive zone turnover by the Wolverines led to a good scoring chance for Niagara. Racine made a fantastic stop, moving post to post on a chance for Patrick Conte at the 10:00 mark. Moments later, Connor scored his second of the period, firing a quick shot from the circle past O'Brien at 10:41 to put Michigan up 3-0 and chase the Niagara goaltender out of the game in favor of Guillaume Therien (33 saves).

The Michigan scoring barrage continued in the second period, as Cooper Marody deflected a Nolan De Jong shot past Therien at 1:45 of the period. Midway through the frame, with the Wolverines on the power play, Motte scored his fifth goal of the season on a deflection of JT Compher's shot from straightaway at 13:53.

Niagara's Tanner Lomsnes put the visiting team on the scoreboard late in the frame, finishing off a 2-on-1 at 18:11, but Michigan held a 5-1 lead heading into the third period.

After Niko Kovachis' drive from the point cut Michigan's lead to 5-2 at 4:07 of the third period, Tony Calderone answered just 13 seconds later with U-M on the power play, batting in a rebound just outside the crease to put Michigan up 6-2. Michigan finished the night 2-for-6 on the man advantage while holding Niagara scoreless in four power-play chances.

Werenski added his second goal of the season with a well-placed wrist shot from the high slot into the top corner at 9:38. With Catt in net, Niagara's Stanislav Dzakhov added a late goal at 12:26, but the Purple Eagles got no closer.

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