Turnbull ends slump with hat trick vs. Spartans
Gjon Juncaj
Daily Sports WriterDecember 8th, 2008
EAST LANSING – After nine games without a goal, senior forward Travis Turnbull finally got a bit of puck luck.
Entering Saturday’s contest at Michigan State, Turnbull had just one goal, against Ohio State on Nov. 1. But in the final 25 minutes of the Wolverines' 5-3 victory over the Spartans, he notched three.
Turnbull's first goal came on a 5-on-3 chance in the second period when he put home an errant shot from freshman Greg Pateryn that ricocheted off the endboards right to Turnbull's stick.
With Michigan still on the same shift just 50 seconds later, Turnbull poked in a puck that Spartan goalie Jeff Lerg thought he had trapped against the left post.
And to cap off his best offensive performance of the season, Turnbull added an empty-netter that sealed the win.
While he could breathe a sigh of relief after recording his first career hat trick, he figured he was due.
“I had been getting a lot of opportunities,” Turnbull said. “Sooner or later, (the puck) is going to go in. I’m still getting points. I wasn’t too worried about it."
It’s no surprise that Turnbull stayed patient during an underwhelming first half of the season. His father Perry, a three-time 30-goal scorer in the National Hockey League, has frequently given his son advice throughout this year.
During the final 25 games last season, Turnbull showed glimpses of his father's scoring touch, tallying 10 goals. So he knew who to turn to during this season's extended cold streak.
“I know when things aren’t going well for me, and I’m a little down, I think (my dad) feels the same way, too,” Turnbull said. “He’s been there. He’s played in the NHL. He knows what it takes. He knows how much it can really affect you.”
Kampfer return possible: Michigan coach Red Berenson said he hopes junior defenseman Steve Kampfer will play in the Great Lakes Invitational, which takes place Dec. 27 and 28. Kampfer is almost fully recovered from the fractured skull he suffered in an off-ice assault in October.
“He’s getting the OK now to take a hit,” Berenson said. “I should say I’m confident in the way he looks, but I’m not the doctor. … But I would say everything’s going in the right direction for him.”
Berenson said he wouldn't carry a seventh defenseman if Kampfer dresses, which means junior Chris Summers could move from the blue line back to the forward spot he occupied in the preseason.
Kampfer has just a week of practice under his belt since the injury and hasn't played since Oct. 11. That lack of game experience hurts his chances of returning for the GLI.
“We might have a discussion about whether our defense can afford to lose Chris Summers at this point for a player who hasn’t played in eight or 10 weeks,” Berenson said. “I’d like to think they could but I don’t think it would be realistic.”
"(Kampfer’s) going to be a long way behind. It might not show up in the first shift or the first period. But somewhere in that weekend, he’s going to hit a wall, where all of a sudden he’s going to realize he missed all that time.”
Nonetheless, Kampfer's probable return at some point is a great sign for Michigan's defensive depth.
Lineup shuffling: Sophomore forwards Aaron Palushaj and Matt Rust will miss the Great Lakes Invitational to play with the U.S. World Junior Team. In response, Berenson tweaked his lines in Monday’s practice.
Junior Brian Lebler played on the first line with freshman David Wohlberg and sophomore Louie Caporusso. Senior Tim Miller joined sophomore Carl Hagelin and freshman Robbie Czarnik on the second line. After Friday, the team is off until Christmas. The coaches will conduct a practice on Christmas night and re-evaluate the lineup then.
Notes: Wohlberg was named CCHA Offensive Player of the Week for his two-goal, three-assist weekend. ... Sophomore goalie Bryan Hogan will start against Michigan Tech in the first round of the GLI. Berenson said the coaching staff at the moment is unsure of how they will handle the goaltending rotation between Hogan and senior Billy Sauer after that.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:02:32 -0500