Michigan
25-8-5
North Dakota
32-6-4
Wolverines Fall to North Dakota in Regional Final
3/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
March 26, 2016
» Kyle Connor notched an assist on Compher's third-period power-play goal to extend his point streak to 27 games, a modern Michigan record.
» Steve Racine recorded his fifth 40-plus save effort of the season, turning away 23 in the first period alone.
» Michigan closes the 2015-16 season having made its deepest postseason run since reaching the NCAA championship game in 2010-11 and with its highest win total (25) since that same year (29).
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Site: Cincinnati, Ohio (U.S. Bank Arena)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Regional Final)
Score: #3 North Dakota 5, #6 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (25-8-5), UND (32-6-4)
Next U-M Event: Season Complete
• Kornacki Postgame Feature: Wolverines Say Goodbye to Turnaround Season
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The No. 2-seeded University of Michigan ice hockey team ended its 2015-16 postseason run in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final on Saturday (March 26), falling 5-2 to the University of North Dakota at U.S. Bank Arena.
Juniors JT Compher (2G) and Tyler Motte (2A) led the offensive effort for the Maize and Blue, but their multi-point nights and senior goaltender Steve Racine's career-high 44 saves were not enough for U-M to complete a two-period comeback effort against the Fighting Hawks.
The Wolverines trailed 1-0 and 2-1 after the first and second periods, respectively, with North Dakota striking late into each period. On both occasions, U-M responded after the break to tie the game, but when ND scored twice in 1:14 more than halfway through the third period, the Wolverines ran out of time in their rally bid.
Coming out of the locker room to start the third period, Michigan was looking for an equalizer and stayed aggressive in the offensive end. Senior Justin Selman redirected a shot on net at the 4:00 mark, forcing ND goaltender Cam Johnson to make an awkward stop
Michigan headed to the power play after a holding call was made on ND's Paul LaDue at 7:13, and the Wolverines took advantage. Sophomore Zach Werenski set up a great passing play and found freshman Kyle Connor at the right circle, where he fed a pass cross-ice to Compher.
Compher skated into space down the left wing and fired a shot that deflected off a North Dakota defenseman past Johnson to tie the score at 8:39.
But the tie did not last, and the Fighting Hawks responded with two quick goals to take control of the game. The first came on a Rhett Gardner deflection in front that fluttered over the shoulder of Racine at 12:03. Then a little more than a minute later, North Dakota scored on another deflection in front, with Coltyn Sanderson tipping a Tucker Poolman shot high-to-low at 13:17 to make it 4-2.
As U-M tried to return the deficit to one, Werenski led several rushes trying to generate traffic out front of Johnson. After being whistled for slashing, U-M pulled Racine for a 5-on-5 opportunity with one man in the box, but North Dakota established possession on the wall, and LaDue pushed a shot from his defensive blue line to clear the zone, and it trickled down into the empty net.
Early on, North Dakota controlled the play for much of the first period, peppering Racine with steady pressure. Michigan generated its best chance of the period right off the opening faceoff, as Motte took a pass from Connor on a 2-on-1 and fired a drive on net, forcing Johnson to make a difficult pad stop.
Despite U-M trailing entering the break, Racine was the story of the first frame, stopping 23 of 24 shots, a season-high allowed by Michigan in an opening period, to keep the Wolverines in it. He made his first big stop on Gardner, who crashed the net for a rebound at the 3:30 mark, then made four saves later in the period on a North Dakota power play after sophomore Dexter Dancs was called for holding at 13:37.
North Dakota's pressure finally yielded a goal for the Fighting Hawks late in the first period. After a great scoring chance for Selman in the slot, North Dakota's Troy Stecher found Drake Caggiula in the neutral zone as Michigan changed its defensive pairs. Caggiula fired a shot on net, then got to his own rebound and beat Racine with a backhander at 18:54.
As the second period began, Dancs was called for roughing at 2:58, which was soon after negated by North Dakota penalty on Keaton Thompson for interference, leading to a 4-on-4 situation. Connor made a nice read from low in the offensive zone to find Compher in front, where he launched a backhander wide.
After the short power play expired, Werenski fired a shot wide that Motte dug out of the corner. He flipped a backhand pass that Selman redirected to Compher, who wheeled backwards, sidestepping across the top of the circle into the high slot, and fired a hard wrister to beat Johnson over the shoulder at 5:33, tying the game 1-1.
Michigan's penalty kill was called on again when junior defenseman Michael Downing was called tripping call at 10:23. U-M continued to hold North Dakota's No. 12-ranked power play off the score sheet with another strong kill.
In the closing minutes of the period, North Dakota forced a turnover and jumped on a loose puck off a hard forecheck against the half wall. Luke Johnson was the first player to control it, snapping a quick wrist shot to beat Racine blocker side at 19:14. U-M again headed to the locker room down by one goal, this time at a 2-1 deficit.
Despite Compher tying the game once more in the third, North Dakota's next goal was the game-winner, ending Michigan's Frozen Four bid. It also marks Michigan's deepest NCAA Tournament run since 2010-11 and marks the close of the 21st year in which U-M has reached the 25-win mark under head coach Red Berenson.
Couldn't be prouder of this group and the seniors that led us along the way. #GoBlueForever
-- Nolan De Jong (@JongShow) March 27, 2016
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Communications Contact: Jeffrey Weinstein
