Michigan
13-16-7
Minnesota
18-15-4
Michigan's Season Ends With Quarterfinal Loss at Minnesota
3/9/2019 8:14:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Adam Winborg scored the lone Michigan goal, his fourth of the year.
» Michael Pastujov and Nick Blankenburg collected assists on the goal.
» The Wolverines end the 2018-19 season with a 13-16-7 record.
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (3M Arena at Mariucci)
Score: Minnesota 4, Michigan 1
Records: No. 3 Minnesota (18-15-4), No. 6 Michigan (13-16-7)
Next U-M Event: Season Completed
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team saw its season come to an end at Minnesota on Saturday night (March 9), after falling, 4-1, at the hands of the Gopers in game two of the Big Ten quarterfinals.
Fast-paced play marked the opening minutes. Minnesota's Tommy Novak picked up a pass in the neutral zone, carried it into the Wolverine end and drove to the net while protecting the puck. He shifted to his forehand at the front of the crease before sliding it under freshman goaltender Strauss Mann's pads to give the Golden Gophers a 1-0 lead 5:25 into the game.
Seven minutes later, Minnesota struck again when forward Scott Reedy took the puck away from a Michigan defender in the slot before spinning and sending the puck toward the net where it found its way through Mann to give the Gophers a 2-0 lead 12:42 into the first period.
The best chance of the first period for the Wolverines came on a Will Lockwood mini-breakaway. The junior forward slowed down after collecting a Minnesota turnover and attempted to deke before going with a backhand shot. Robson was up to the task with a toe save to stymie U-M's leading goal scorer.
Minutes later, the Gophers went up, 3-0, after Rem Pitlick's shot deflected off of a Michigan stick over Mann at 15:43 of the first period. Michigan closed out the frame with a productive shift from the line of Dakota Raabe, Nolan Moyle and Garrett Van Wyhe, but ended the first 20 down three with just seven shots to Minnesota's 14.
"We weren't ready to play and they were, that was the bottom line," said head coach Mel Pearson. "They jumped us. Other games we've been able to claw ourselves out, but at this time of year when teams are desperate, you can't do that."
The Wolverines came out hot to start the middle frame. Despite keeping the Gophers from recording a shot in the first half of the second period, Michigan could not take advantage of its opportunities before allowing another tally by the home team. Minnesota went on their first power play of the night after a Michigan cross-checking penalty. Following several saves from Mann, it was Pitlick from Tyler Sheehy once again with a back-door one-timer from the dot to put the Gophers up, 4-0, at 17:02 of the second period.
The Wolverines had a chance less than a minute later when Blankenburg threw a puck into traffic and garnered several deflections, but it did not find the back of the net. The Maize and Blue tallied 10 shots to Minnesota's six in the middle frame, but the Gophers maintained a 20-17 advantage in shots on top of their four-goal lead after 40 minutes of play.
After killing off the remaining 1:19 of a penalty that occurred in toward the end of the middle period, U-M searched for its first tally of the game to cut the deficit. That icebreaker did not come until 13:39 of the final frame when junior forward Adam Winborg's persistence at the goalmouth paid off, jamming his fourth shot attempt past the Gophers' netminder. Michael Pastujov and Blankenburg picked up the assists on Michigan's goal.
Winborg's fourth goal of the year would be all the Wolverines could muster, and closed out the 2018-19 campaign with a 13-16-7 record. With the sweep, Minnesota advances to the Big Ten semifinals next weekend.
The loss also marks the final chapter in the careers of three seniors in the Maize and Blue. The trio of Joseph Cecconi, defenseman Nicholas Boka, and forward Brendan Warren ends their U-M careers with a 72-59-18 record and a combined 137 points. They won a Big Ten championship as well as the Great Lakes Invitational their freshman year, reached two NCAA tournaments, one Frozen Four and collected two Iron D trophies.
