Wolverines crush Huskies in opening round of GLI
Chris Meszaros
Daily Sports WriterDecember 27th, 2008
DETROIT – Just like the Michigan State game last series, the Michigan hockey team wrapped up its first round GLI game against Michigan Tech in 30 seconds.
But instead of rallying back to secure a 5-4 win, two goals by sophomore Louie Caporusso 21 seconds apart gave the Wolverines a 2-0 lead just four minutes into the first period.
No. 11 Michigan’s 5-0 win over the Huskies advances them to the championship game of the GLI tomorrow night against the winner of the Michigan State vs. North Dakota game to be played later tonight.
Caporusso opened the scoring on a one timer. Freshman David Wohlberg stole the puck behind the Michigan Tech goal, passed the puck to a wide-open Caporusso in the slot, who buried it past freshman goaltender Josh Robinson.
Caporusso added his second on a similar play. Sophomore Chad Langlais shot the puck on goal that bounced off the goalie and into Caporusso’s wheelhouse. With the goalie sprawling on the ground trying to cover the rebound, the sophomore buried it top shelf, stick side.
The Wolverines (12-7-0 overall, 7-5-0-0 CCHA) continued their onslaught throughout the period, and Caporusso picked up another lucky goal, giving him a natural hat trick, his second of the season, the first coming in Michigan’s 5-0 win over Western Michigan earlier this season.
After Wohlberg received the puck in front of the crease, he was tripped to the ice and knocked into the goalie. Capurosso picked up the loose puck and buried it past a goalie that was lodged to the ice, expanding the lead to 3-0.
The goal was reviewed, but since a Husky player tripped Wohlberg into the goalie, it wasn’t waved off.
Things went so well for the Wolverines in the first period that even junior Anthony Ciraulo got into the scoring action.
The junior, who prior to this game had no points on the season and rarely sees playing time threaded the needle with a wrist shot past Robinson to give Michigan a 4-0 lead.
Michigan Tech coach Jamie Russell had enough with his goaltender after that and pulled him in favor of senior Rob Nolan.
After dominating the action in the first period, the Wolverines shut the game down in the second.
Neither team got much momentum in the period. The lone highlight was a save by Michigan Tech’s goalie off a rebound shot in front of the net by senior Tim Miller.
Other than that, the period was featured by a number of loose pucks, and defensive play by both teams that played into the Wolverines’ hands.
Both the Wolverines and Huskies (4-13-2) picked up a number of power play attempts in the second period off eight penalties called by the referees, but neither team could capitalize and Michigan continued to dominate the shots on goal with a 19-to-8 advantage.
The Wolverines clearly had the skill advantage all night, Michigan dominated play in the offensive zone due to bad defense by the Huskies. The Wohlberg, Caporusso, Lebler line had multiple odd-man rushes and the Husky defense didn’t help its goaltenders, leaving the slot in front of the net open for two easy Caporusso goals.
Michigan continued to kill the clock in the third, keeping the puck away from sophomore goalie Bryan Hogan, who was largely untested.
Freshman Brandon Burlon tallied his second goal of the season off a shot from the point that deflected off the goalie’s pads before hitting the left post and sliding into the net. The goal was tallied at the halfway point of the third period, assisted by freshman Luke Glendening, his first point of the season and senior Danny Fardig.
The Wolverines return to Joe Louis Arena tomorrow, looking for their second straight GLI Championship.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:03:02 -0500