Michigan
2-0-0
Lake Superior State
1-3-0
Michigan Rallies to Earn Victory Over, Sweep of Lake Superior State
10/9/2021 11:59:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Sophomore Brendan Brisson scored two power-play goals.
» Michael Pastujov, Michigan's active career leader in goals, scored twice.
» U-M's power-play unit finished the night 2-for-4 to end the weekend at 4-for-10.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena)
Score: #3 Michigan 7, Lake Superior State 4
Records: U-M (2-0-0), LSSU (1-3-0)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 15 -- at #5 Minnesota-Duluth (Duluth, Minn.), 8:37 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Wearing maize uniforms in search of a weekend sweep, the University of Michigan ice hockey team faced adversity against Lake Superior State on Saturday night (Oct. 9) before pulling away to win 7-4 at Yost Ice Arena. With the win, U-M kicks off the season with a two-game sweep for the second consecutive season.
Erik Portillo made 26 saves to earn his second win after U-M trailed at the first intermission.
One minute into the game, Michigan pulled ahead 1-0 after Brendan Brisson capitalized on an early power-play opportunity with a one-timer from the top of the circle. Thomas Bordeleau considered his options in an open pocket of ice before finding Brisson with a nifty seam pass to earn the primary assist while Matty Beniers picked up the secondary helper.
Less than two minutes later, Michael Pastujov followed his shot and buried his own rebound to double the lead after a great end-to-end skate by Luke Morgan set up the opportunity.
Nick Blankenburg stepped up for a massive clean hit at the LSSU blue line in the middle of the period, but the Lakers took the puck in transition and scored a goal of their own to cut their deficit to 2-1.
Kent Johnson's forechecking paid off when he created a turnover by picking off a drop pass inside the Lake State zone. The sophomore created room for himself one-on-one with a defender before ringing a wrist shot off the junction of the crossbar.
Shortly thereafter, an LSSU odd-man rush toward Portillo's cage resulted in its second transition goal to tie the game at 2 with 4:00 to play in the opening period.
With 56 seconds left, Beniers was called for holding and sent to the penalty box. The Lakers scored on their next shift to take a 3-2 lead into the dressing room after 20 minutes.
The start of the second period did not provide immediate relief for the Wolverines, as LSSU scored on a tic-tac-toe play following a zone entry just 42 seconds in.
Michigan allowed four goals in the first 20:42 of game time to find itself down, 4-2, but the Maize and Blue rallied to score five unanswered.
With 4:10 remaining, Pastujov broke into the opposing zone from the left flank and made a run toward the near post before sneaking a shot through the five-hole for an unassisted goal.
A few minutes later, Morgan stole the puck at the Michigan blue line, flew down the right side of the ice, and found Jimmy Lambert with a perfectly placed saucer pass on a 2-on-1 rush. As the puck hit his tape, Lambert launched a one-timer that found iron before settling into the back of the net to tie the game at 4. Jacob Truscott picked up an assist in addition to Morgan.
Entering the final 20 minutes of the weekend, the score was knotted at four apiece.
Johnson was tripped in the neutral zone to give U-M the first power-play opportunity of the third period. On the next shift, Brisson buried a power-play goal, his second of the game, from a familiar patch of ice inside the right circle. Johnson and Power collected assists on Brisson's strike.
Garrett Van Wyhe was sent off for tripping 4:07 into the third, but U-M killed the penalty. After bursting out of the box and applying pressure on the forecheck, Van Wyhe drew a penalty to turn the tables and put Michigan back on the power play.
Shortly after the power play expired, blueliner Truscott scored on a slap shot from the point through traffic with 10:30 to play. His defensive partner, Luke Hughes, received the primary assist while, Lambert scooped the secondary.
After Michigan's line of Moyle, Van Wyhe, and Mark Estapa put in the most physical shift of the night on the boards in the LSSU end with a shade over six minutes left, Bordeleau rushed onto the ice for a line change and shoveled a loose puck over the goalie's shoulder with a smooth backhand flip. Keaton Pehrson and Moyle collected assists on the team's seventh and final goal of the evening.
As tempers flared and time wound down, U-M put the finishing touches on a 7-4 win. For the second night in a row, the Wolverines outpaced the Lakers in shots (39-30) and faceoffs (37-32).
Next week, the Wolverines will hit the road for Duluth, where they'll participate in the annual Ice Breaker tournament. U-M will face off against fifth-ranked Minnesota-Duluth on Friday night (Oct. 15) at 8:37 p.m. On Saturday (Oct. 16), the Wolverines will draw either Providence or Minnesota State, and puck drop for that game is scheduled for 5:07 p.m.
