Michigan
20-13-0,12-7-0-0B1G
Michigan State
16-15-2,10-7-2-2B1G
Lynch's Late Goal Helps Michigan Topple Spartans
3/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
March 13, 2015
| Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Munn Ice Arena)
Score: #19 Michigan 5, Michigan State 3
Records: U-M (20-13-0, 12-7-0-0 Big Ten), MSU (16-15-2, 10-7-2-0 Big Ten)
Attendance: 6,681
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Mar. 14 -- vs. Michigan State (Yost Ice Arena), 5:05 p.m.
• Kornacki Postgame Feature: Win at MSU Sets Up Title-Clinching Game Saturday
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Travis Lynch scored the go-ahead goal with 5:03 remaining in the third period to break a 3-3 tie, and Tyler Motte's empty-netter at 18:50 sealed a 5-3 win for the University of Michigan ice hockey team (NR USA Today/USA Hockey, No. 19 USCHO) at Michigan State on Friday night (March 13) inside Munn Ice Arena.
With the win, the Wolverines moved back into first place in the Big Ten regular-season standings with 36 points and can clinch their first Big Ten title with a win tomorrow night (Sunday, March 14) against the Spartans.
Dexter Dancs and Cutler Martin scored first-period goals, and Dylan Larkin scored a go-ahead goal at 17:39 of the second period to give Michigan a 3-2 lead heading into the third.
With the Wolverines in control and dictating the pace of play, Michigan State scored its second bad bounce goal of the night in the opening minutes of the third period. MSU's Ryan Keller, who notched all three Spartan goals, threw a puck towards the middle of the ice from the left wing. The puck bounced off the stick of Michael Downing and through Zach Nagelvoort at 4:52.
Lynch put Michigan ahead for good on a play started by Alex Kile, who gained the offensive zone and eluded two Michigan State defenders to give the Wolverines control behind the Spartan net. Andrew Copp found Lynch alone in the high slot with a perfect pass, and Lynch beat Hildebrand with a low shot at 14:57.
Nagelvoort (24 saves) was steady in the final minutes of the contest, and Dancs found Motte flying the zone up the left wing for the empty-net score at 18:50.
The Wolverines got off to a fantastic road start, leading 2-1 after one period of play marking the first time Michigan has led in six road contests.
Michigan struck early, as JT Compher extended his season-best point streak to five games with a great setup at the end of a shift. Compher, the lone player remaining on the ice after a change, made a blind backhand pass to Dancs, who drove the net and flipped a shot over the shoulder of Hildebrand at 3:54 to give the Wolverines an early 1-0 lead.
Later on in the frame, Martin scored in the most unlikely of ways for a blue-liner, on a breakaway from the red line.
After Michigan State's Rhett Holland fell down with the puck at the blue line, Martin skated in alone and beat Hildebrand between the pads at 9:42 to make it 2-0 Michigan.
The Spartans responded just over four minutes later, as Keller scored from the slot at 13:43, converting on a long rebound off an initial shot by Brock Krygier from the wing.
Nagelvoort came up with two big stops after that, making a glove save on Matt Berry's 2-on-1 chance at 14:00, and stopping Berry again on a partial breakaway with seconds remaining in the period.
The two teams locked into a tough defensive battle for much of the second period, with shots coming from the outside and neither team generating many quality scoring chances until a Michigan mistake allowed the Spartans to even the score.
After the Spartans cleared the zone, a loose puck trickled in slowly on Nagelvoort from the red line. Keller beat Nagelvoort in a race to play the puck, diving to tip a shot into an open net at 11:59.
Moments after the Keller goal, Michigan State went on its first power play of the night, and with momentum on their side, the Spartans looked to take their first lead of the game. But Michigan's penalty killing allowed just one scoring chance for Michigan State, as Nagelvoort made a pad stop on Berry's wrist shot from the circle and then dove on the rebound at 13:53.
Michigan regained the lead after Zach Hyman made an outstanding play, shielding a Spartan defender with one arm behind the net and throwing the puck out in front to Larkin, who jammed the second of two shots past Hildebrand at 17:39 to give Michigan a 3-2 lead heading into the final period of play.
Michigan outshot Michigan State, 44-27, for the night, and both teams finished 0-for-1 on the power play. The Wolverines will host Michigan State tomorrow on Senior Night at Yost Ice Arena in a 5:05 p.m. contest that will air on Fox Sports Detroit.
Communications Contact: Jeffrey Weinstein (734) 763-4423
