Michigan
9-7-3
Stonehill
0-21-0
Michigan Offense Snowballs in Lopsided Win Over Stonehill
1/12/2024 10:32:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Gavin Brindley notched his first career hat trick with a four-goal performance.
» Frank Nazar III finished the night with five points off two goals and three assists.
» The 12-goal performance is Michigan's highest offensive output since January 1997.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A new high-water mark was established by the 2023-24 rendition of the University of Michigan ice hockey team on Friday night (Jan. 12), as the well-rested Wolverines knocked off the Stonehill College Skyhawks in a 12-4 decision at Yost Ice Arena. The dozen goals marked the most for U-M since routing Alaska-Fairbanks 13-1 in January 1997.
Sophomore star Gavin Brindley, fresh off a gold medal at the World Junior Championship, notched his first career hat trick before adding a fourth goal in the third to put the finishing touches on a performance that saw the team score more than 10 goals for the first time since scoring 11 against Colgate in last season's NCAA tournament.
Michigan held a comfortable 4-1 lead after the first and added six more goals in the second and two in the final frame.
In total, 16 Wolverines notched at least one point, and 11 finished the night with multiple points. Frank Nazar III led the way with five points off a pair of goals and three assists while Brindley was right behind with four goals. Luca Fantilli and Seamus Casey split the honors as the game's third-highest point-scorer after each recorded a trio of helpers.
Jake Barczewski started in net for the Wolverines and made 15 saves in the lopsided win.
Brindley got things going quickly by scoring on the first shot of the night just 17 seconds into the game. His fellow gold medalist, Rutger McGroarty, assisted on Brindley's team-leading 11th goal of the season while captain Jacob Truscott notched the secondary helper. The early goal was Michigan's third opening-minute tally of the season, but six seconds earlier than the previous season-best.
Six seconds after Tanner Rowe was sent off for high-sticking, the Skyhawks dented the twine to tie the game at 2:11.
Moments later, Rowe made up for it with a goal of his own by stepping into the circle off an offensive-zone faceoff win and ripping a low shot off the post and in that made it 2-1 at 4:47. Kienan Draper picked up the lone helper.
Frank Nazar III scored a goal of his own, his 10th of the year, at the six-minute mark to give Michigan a 3-1 lead. Assists went to Seamus Casey and McGroarty on a gold-medal scoring line.
T.J. Hughes joined the action when he sauntered into the offensive zone and showed an abundance of patience while allowing his options to develop. When Dylan Duke cut toward the slot, Hughes shot a pass that was easily redirected into the net for the team's fourth goal. Luca Fantilli earned the secondary assist on Duke's goal.
After Michigan's first power play at 2:48 came and went without an additional goal, Nazar made its second power play at 3:46 count by potting a goal to make it 5-1. A pair of freshmen, Nick Moldenhauer and Garrett Schifsky, recorded the assists.
Shortly thereafter, it was Schifsky's turn to notch a goal of his own at 8:01 -- the team's sixth of the contest. This time, it was Casey and Hughes collecting the assists.
Less than two minutes later, Brindley potted his second goal of the night to make it 7-1 just before the halfway point of the game. Nazar and Fantilli assisted on Brindley's score.
Draper, the sophomore forward, secured a multi-point game 50 seconds later with the team's eighth goal at 10:46. His classmate, Casey, scooped the lone assist.
Brindley continued the onslaught to secure his first collegiate hat trick with 2:30 left in the second period and give Michigan an overwhelming 9-1 lead. His linemates, Nazar and McGroarty, received the assists.
Moldenhauer finished off a strong passing play in transition by scoring the team's 10th goal of the contest with 1:36 left before sliding into the end wall after losing his footing during the play. Duke and blueliner Steven Holtz picked up the assists on Moldenhauer's marker.
With 40 minutes in the books, Michigan led 10-1 off a 34-11 advantage in shots on goal. The Wolverines rode a strong second period performance in the faceoff dot to lead the overall matchup (24-19) with one period to go.
Stonehill (0-21) doubled its goal count with a power-play marker 19 seconds into the final frame to bump the score to 10-2 in Michigan's favor after the Wolverines had taken a penalty in the closing minutes of the second period.
The Skyhawks notched a third goal for the evening off a rush at 2:58 before adding a fourth goal later with 7:14 left in regulation to trim Michigan's lead to six.
After surrendering three consecutive goals, Michigan (9-7-3) rebounded with a pair of its own to close out the night. First it was Chase Pletzke who scored the 11th goal off assists from Holtz and Marshall Warren. Then, with 1:34 left in regulation, Brindley added the final tally to put the finishing touches on a big win for the Wolverines. Tyler Duke and Fantilli assisted on Brindley's fourth and final goal.
Tomorrow night, the non-conference opponents will finish up the two-game set at Yost Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on B1G+.Â
