Michigan
9-3-1
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Western Michigan
9-1-1
Michigan Offense Fails to Click in Loss at No. 7 Western Michigan
11/29/2024 10:19:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» William Whitelaw scored Michigan's lone goal of the contest, his fourth as a Wolverine.
» Michael Hage won 8 of 11 draws against the Broncos.
» Ethan Edwards and Will Felicio each recorded an assist on Whitelaw's late tally.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- A pair of familiar in-state foes faced off on Friday night (Nov. 29), as the sixth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team scored a late goal to spoil a shutout in a 4-1 loss to the seventh-ranked Western Michigan inside Lawson Ice Arena.
Western Michigan (9-1-1) struck first at 6:48 to make it 1-0 following a slow start for the Wolverines.
Michigan (9-3-1) received the first power play of the night, but the opportunity came to a premature end when Ethan Edwards was whistled for interference to create 28 seconds of 4-on-4 action.
The Broncos doubled their lead with 3:20 remaining in the first period after catching the Wolverines in a change. Following a save, the WMU netminder quickly sent a stretch pass to the far side of the blue line to initiate a dangerous chance.
After one period, Michigan trailed by two on the scoreboard while lagging behind in shots on goal (13-7). Each squad won nine draws in the first frame in addition to starting the night 0-for-1 on the power play.
Less than three minutes into the second period, Western Michigan went up 3-0 when a loose puck in the crease was poked across the goal line by a Bronco crashing the net.
Western made it a 4-0 game with 2:33 left in the second period by cashing in on an odd-man rush with a shot from the right flank that forced its way through Logan Stein's equipment.
Headed to the locker room after surrendering their second two-goal period in succession, the Wolverines trailed 4-0. One positive note came from the faceoff dot, where Michigan had pulled ahead through two periods (25-19). WMU continued to lead in shots on goal, 27-19.
The Wolverines received one more power play with 4:51 left in regulation. Seconds after the advantage expired without a power-play goal, William Whitelaw dented the twine by tucking a shot inside the post from close quarters to make it a 4-1 game with 2:49 remaining. A pair of defensemen, Ethan Edwards and Will Felicio, earned assists on Whitelaw's fourth tally as a Wolverine that spoiled the WMU shutout.
Continuing the team's Friday night tradition, Stein received the nod to start in the blue paint for Michigan. The veteran goaltender made 33 saves on 37 shots en route to shouldering his second loss of the campaign.
Saturday evening (Nov. 30), the former CCHA foes will face off at Yost Ice Arena to finish off the weekend series. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on B1G+.
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