Michigan
5-1-0
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Western Michigan
3-1-0
Blankenburg Plays OT Hero for Michigan in Win at No. 17 Western Michigan
10/23/2021 10:57:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Nick Blankenburg scored his first career game-winning goal in overtime.
» Brendan Brisson tallied his team-leading sixth goal of the season in the first period.
» Erik Portillo stopped a penalty shot in the second period, one of his career-high 33 saves.
Site: Kalamazoo, Mich. (Lawson Ice Arena)
Score: #1 Michigan 3, #17 Western Michigan 2 (OT)
Records: U-M (4-1-0), WMU (3-1-0)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Oct. 28 -- vs. Wisconsin (Yost Ice Arena), 7 p.m.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Senior captain Nick Blankenburg scored his first-career game-winning goal in overtime to give the No. 1-ranked University of Michigan hockey team a 3-2 win over No. 17 Western Michigan during the 3-on-3 overtime at Lawson Ice Arena.
The goal came at 2:22 in the extra session when Blankenburg rifled a shot from just inside the blue line with Thomas Bordeleau and Brendan Brisson assisting.
Goaltender Erik Portillo made a career-high 33 saves in the win and faced his first penalty shot, which he turned aside in the second period.
With the teams splitting the weekend series, they will have a chance for bragging rights on Dec. 30 in the Great Lakes Invitational at Yost Ice Arena.
WMU picked up where it left off on Friday (Oct. 22) as a turnover at the Wolverine blue line led to Ronnie Attard testing Portillo early. Three minutes later, Blankenburg ripped a shot off the cross bar on Michigan's first scoring threat. Mark Estapa had a great chance as Garrett Van Wyhe fed him right out in front, but netminder Brandon Bussi made the stop at the near post.
The Broncos played a physical game to try to try to bump the Wolverines' skill off the puck. Midway through the first period, Jacob Truscott, Matty Beniers and Nolan Moyle all had chances on a great shift, but Bussi was solid and the Wolverines could not get one to go.
Michigan's potent power play unit, which went 0-for-6 for Friday night, was back to form as they converted on its first chance. Brisson nailed his sixth goal of the season, a one-timer from the right circle to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. Kent Johnson and Beniers picked up the assists. Brisson is third in the nation in goals scored with six, averaging 1.00 per game.
After killing off a Jimmy Lambert holding-the-stick call, Owen Power nearly made it 2-0, but his shot rang off the post. The teams closed out the period skating 4-on-4, with WMU holding a 12-8 lead in shots, but it was Michigan taking the 1-0 lead into the locker room.
Moyle made it 2-0 as the Wolverines scored in a quick transition five minutes into the middle frame. Luke Hughes brought the puck down the center, dished to Van Wyhe on the left wing and he blasted a shot on Bussi that came off his pads and right to the stick of Moyle in front of the crease to pot the rebound.
Two minutes later, Ethan Frank was awarded a penalty shot but was thwarted by Portillo on the effort, as he closed the pads on the shot to keep the Wolverines ahead 2-0.
Frank found the back of the net at 10:37, when the Broncos converted on a power-play chance, as he lifted in a Michael Joyaux rebound. Drew Worrard tied the game at 2 when he once again grabbed a Joyaux rebound and put it home.
Joyaux nearly got the go-ahead goal at 18:18 when he rifled a shot from the right point that was redirected by a high stick. After video review, the officials called no goal and play resumed. Neither team found the game-winner in regulation and the game went into overtime.
In the 3-on-3 OT, Beniers had an excellent chance to put away the game as Kent Johnson played him the puck for a backhander, but the pipe again kept the Wolverines at bay before Blankenburg buried his chance just over a minute later.
On Thursday and Friday (Oct. 28-29), Michigan will kick off Big Ten play when Wisconsin comes to town for a two-game set at Yost Ice Arena. Thursday's (Oct. 28) contest is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., while puck drop for Friday's (Oct. 29) game is set 7:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
