What happened Friday:
Michigan fans started to leave well before the end of the game in their first opportunity to see the Michigan hockey team in the regular season.
The Wolverines allowed five unanswered goals in 29 minutes to New Hampshire (1-2), a team that was winless all-time in Ann Arbor until Friday night.
No. 10 Michigan (1-2) controlled the puck for the majority of the first period, outshooting the visitor, 11-7. But the Wildcats’ power-play goal with 1:20 remaining in the first period was enough to deflate the home team.
“I can see why it looks that way, but it shouldn‘t have been (a big momentum swing),” said junior forward Andrew Copp. “It was a power-play goal late in the period to put us down 1-0, and we‘ve been through that before, but we needed to have a better push back.
“It looks like that‘s where the game shifted, but it shouldn‘t have been anything big.”
Whatever it was, it silenced both the intensity on the ice and in the stands.
The Wolverines allowed two goals in 10 minutes, two goals that came off of near makes from the offense. It appeared the Wolverines would score 14:02 into the second period when sophomore forward Tyler Motte received a cross-ice pass and had a wide-open net, but New Hampshire goaltender Adam Clark robbed Motte with a sprawling glove save. Instead, Michigan’s poor transition play led to the Wildcats’ second goal.
Facing the team he played against in his first collegiate appearance one year ago, sophomore goaltender Zach Nagelvoort struggled without much help from the defense. The netminder allowed five goals on 32 shots, failing to come up with timely saves on several New Hampshire transition opportunities.
His performance, and that of several Wolverines, prompted Michigan coach Red Berenson to shake up the lineup for Saturday. Nagelvoort was listed as third on the depth chart Saturday, while Friday starters, senior defenseman Brennan Serville and sophomore forward Evan Allen, didn‘t dress.
What happened Saturday:
In his first appearance of the season — more than seven months since his last start 224 days ago — junior goaltender Steven Racine impressed, stopping 31 of 32 shots faced and making several key saves in a tight contest.
Midway through the third period, after sophomore defenseman Michael Downing took an untimely penalty, Racine fended off a handful of New Hampshire shots in traffic before taking a puck to the mask. He quickly covered the puck in front of him.
“Good for Steve,” Berenson said. “We started the year with (Zach) Nagelvoort being our starter, and it is still early in the year, but Racine has been working hard in practice and got his chance tonight and took advantage of it, so good for him.”
Whereas Friday, when Michigan followed up a strong first period with a flat second, the Wolverines expanded momentum after heading to the first intermission tied, 0-0. Downing found twine just 28 seconds into the period and freshman defenseman Cutler Martin fired one in a minute later, giving the Wolverines an early 2-0 lead.
The Wildcats earned one back off a shorthanded opportunity that Racine had no chance of saving.
Michigan began the third frame with more than 3:30 remaining on the power play by virtue of a big hit taken by senior forward Andrew Sinelli late in the second period, but failed to capitalize. Instead, the penalty kill defended several rushes to earn Michigan’s first victory.
This time, fans stayed until the final buzzer sounded.