Michigan
Wisconsin
Morgan Sparks Wolverines to Win Over No. 19 Wisconsin
12/1/2019 8:34:00 PM | Ice Hockey
Site: Madison, Wis. (Kohl Center)
Score: Michigan 3, #19 Wisconsin 1
Records: U-M (5-9-2, 1-6-1-0 B1G), Wisconsin (7-8-1, 2-5-1-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Penn State (Yost Ice Arena) 8:30 p.m.
MADISON, Wis. -- Redshirt junior Luke Morgan scored a goal and assisted on another as the University of Michigan ice hockey team defeated No. 19-ranked Wisconsin, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 1) at the Kohl Center.
The Wolverines took 2-0 lead and sustained it to earn their first Big Ten points of the season.
Freshman Eric Ciccolini scored his first career goal to give Michigan an early 1-0 lead at 2:23 of the first period. Morgan skated the puck into the zone and backhanded a pass out in front of the net as he circled to Ciccolini who one-timed it five-hole on Daniel Lebedeff. Junior Dakota Raabe earned the secondary assist.
Michigan (5-9-2, 1-6-1-0 Big Ten) had an 11-2 shot advantage midway through the opening frame, as it came out of the gates quick. The Wolverines had steady puck possession as it won 20-of-26 faceoffs.
Wisconsin (7-8-1, 2-5-1-1 Big Ten) hit two crossbars late in the period, but Strauss Mann took the clean sheet into the locker room with 15 saves.
Morgan expanded the lead with his first goal of the season, burying the Wolverines' first short-handed goal of the season. Sophomore Garrett Van Wyhe and Morgan had a 2-on-1 after the close of a Michigan penalty kill and Morgan finished it off with a goal over the shoulder of Lebedeff.
It was Michigan's first short-handed goal since Feb. 1, when Nick Boka had a shorty in a 4-2 win at Minnesota.
Van Wyhe had another short-handed chance on the next penalty kill, this time with senior Jake Slaker, but U-M was unable to convert. Raabe had an opportunity to make it 3-0 when he had a juicy rebound off of a Keaton Pehrson shot with six minutes left in the second. Nick Granowicz had a solid chance to do the same when he had a 2-on-1 with Michael Pastujov, but Lebedeff came up big just getting his stick on the shot to send it into the glass.
The Badgers broke through with a power-play goal at 14:32 of the third period as Cole Caulfield disrupted Mann's shutout bid.
A five-minute major for contact to the head on Wisconsin with 4:43 remaining gave the Wolverines a man-advantage for the remainder of the game. The Badgers pulled Lebedeff, but Lockwood gained possession deep in the zone and found Jimmy Lambert who hit Slaker for an empty-net goal at 19:14.
Mann earned the win, stopping 28 shots as Michigan outshot Wisconsin, 43-29.
Michigan will return home on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7, when they host Penn State at Yost Ice Arena. Friday's contest will begin at 8:30 p.m., while Saturday's game is set for 7:30 p.m.
