Posted Nov. 3
OMAHA – Michigan lost an early two-goal lead but pulled out a 3-2 win in the last three minutes of Saturday’s game against Nebraska-Omaha.
The Wolverines said after Friday’s game they needed to start games faster. They did just that on Saturday, scoring two goals in the first half of the first period.
At 5:18 of the first, captain Kevin Porter drilled a cross-crease pass from freshman Chad Langlais past Nebraska-Omaha goalie Jerad Kaufmann for Michigan’s first goal. The goal was Porter’s eighth of the season and fourth of the weekend.
After being scratched on Friday, freshman Louie Caporusso redeemed himself quickly by scoring the Wolverines’ second goal at 8:13 of the first period. After another cross-crease pass, this one from Turnbull, Caporusso found the back of the net and gave Michigan a two-goal cushion.
Langlais and Nebraska-Omaha forward J.J. Koehler were sent to the box with 21.5 seconds left in the first, and the 4-on-4 marked the fourth straight game the Wolverines had a penalty going into the second period. One minute and sixteen seconds into the second period, sophomore Chris Summers was called for elbowing and the Mavericks capitalized on the 4-on-3 with a goal nine seconds later. Nebraska-Omaha senior Mick Lawrence faked right and went left to shoot into a nearly wide-open net.
Though the Wolverines only had one penalty in the second period, compared to Friday’s six, the second period was again marked by sloppy passes and a loss of momentum for the Wolverines. Maverick forward Blake Martin scored on a rebound to make the score 2-2 at 10:12 of the period.
In the second period, the Wolverines couldn’t even control the flow of the game when they had the man advantage. Michigan took thirty seconds to get the puck out of their zone and had zero scoring opportunities during a power play midway through the period.
Michigan goalie Billy Sauer continued playing high in the crease, making two glove saves on Nebraska-Omaha breakaways during the second period to prevent the Mavericks from going ahead.
A Nebraska-Omaha penalty with nine seconds remaining in the second period meant that, like on Friday, the Wolverines would have a power play for the start of the third period. But unlike last night’s game, where Porter scored on the first shift, Michigan couldn’t find the net at the start of the third period.
Michigan had two scoring opportunities within one minute midway through the third from the two leaders of last night’s game – Porter and senior Chad Kolarik – but both shots hit the post.
With 2:53 remaining in the game, junior Travis Turnbull shot from the corner to freshman Carl Hagelin, who dumped in the rebound to give Michigan the 3-2 lead. The goal was Hagelin’s second game-winner of the season.
Michigan was outshot 30-21 in the game, but Sauer’s 28 saves made the difference for the Wolverines, who have now won six straight.