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: The Michigan Daily ( michigandlailycom I February 25, 2013
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Finally, Wolverines
earn first road sweep to
keep season afloat
By LIZ VUKELICH
Daily Sports Editor
COLUMBUS. - All week long,
Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson
stressed how the Wolverines wouldn't
stand much of a chance in their weekend
series with Ohio State if they couldn't
get their goals-against average down.
Though three goals Saturday were
still more than Michigan would've liked
to give up,'it found compensation from
the forwards, who led the Wolverines to
a 6-3 win over Ohio State and secured
the team's first road sweep of the sea-
son.
"You're not going to win many games
giving up three (goals)," Berenson said.
"Somehow, we found a way to score
against a team that doesn't normally
give up goals against. The puck went
in for us (and) we had some good plays.
We'll take that."
The first period brought on a slew of
goals from both sides, and it was Michi-
gan's penalty-kill unit that faltered first.
The Buckeyes quickly capitalized on a
man advantage with a wrister from the
slot to beat freshman netminder Steve
Racine glove side 30 seconds into the
power play.
But the Wolverines recovered quick-
ly, and about 20 seconds later, freshman
forward Andrew Copp found twine
from right in front of the crease. Then
Ohio State graced Michigan with an
easy scoring chance after a poor defen-
sive turnover put the puck right at fresh-
man forward Justin Selman's stick.
Down 2-1, the Buckeyes scored again
quickly after. Racine was screened and
never had a chance to see an Ohio State
slapshot rocketed from the point, knot-
ting the game at two to end the first
period.
The Wolverines continued to ride
their special teams in the second frame.
Just seconds after a Michigan power
play expired, sophomore forward Phil.
Di Giuseppe scored on a lucky bounce
that sneaked past Buckeye goaltender
Brady Hjelle. As before, though, the
Wolverines couldn't hold on to the lead
for more than a couple of minutes, and
Racine let in a soft glove-side goal to tie
the game at three.
But whereas the first period was dis-
tinguished by goal after goal, there was
a scoring drought during the latter half
of the second period.
Though they didn't find twine again,
the Buckeyes rode the momentum from
their last goal, as play stayed in Michi-
gan's zone for most of the second half
of the period. Ohio State had several
grade-Ascoringchances while the Wol-
verines struggled to maintain posses-
sion for any extended period of time.
Racine came up with some big saves
several times, though, to stop the odd-
man rushes and breakaways that char-
acterized the Buckeyes in the second
frame.
Though both teams remained even-
keeled to start the final period, Michi-
gan was ultimately the one to break
the offensive stalemate six minutes in,
when Hjelle missed a backhand dangle
from sophomore forward Alex Guptill.
And sophomore forward Andrew Sinel-
li sniped from the right circle to finally
give Michigan a little more breathing
See STILL STANDING, Page 3B
Long-awaited scoring from
Guptill and Di Giuseppe
So
goa
CO
was la
The
the las
gan h
in Valu
pulled
lowin
he spri
his sk
his te
phomores snap his helmet aside before the tradi-
tion of singing'The Victors.'
l-scoring streak In the Wolverines' sweep of
Ohio State over the weekend,
in Columbus Guptill's offensive production
also arrived late.
By GREG GARNO The sophomore duo - Guptill
Daily Sports Writer and forward Phil Di Giuseppe -
combined for five goals and two
LUMBUS - Alex Guptill assists over the weekend, helping
te. Michigan to just its second sweep
sophomore forward was and fourth road win ofthe season.
st to arrive to the Michi- Di Giuseppe led the team Sat-
ockey team's locker room urday night with two goals, but it
ue City Arena after he was was Guptill, who slipped the puck
aside for an interview fol- between a defenseman's legs and
g a 6-3 win on Saturday. But back out before flipping a back-
-inted through the hall in hand in the net, who shined. Gup-
ates, past his coach and to till also had two goals on Friday,
aimates, where he tossed including the go-ahead goalin the
third period.
But their offensive production
has been inconsistent this season,
and lacking when needed.
"We're two guys who did well
in our freshmen year and have
kind of been struggling," Gup-
till said. "It's time that us kind of
players step up. I think that was a
good series for both of us. It's a big
positive and good step in the right
direction."
As freshmen last year, Guptill
and Di Giuseppe were a force to
be reckoned with in the CCHA,
and offensive leaders on their
team. As consistent scorers last
season, Guptill finished with 16
goals, tied for the teamlead, while
See SOPHOMORES, Page 3B
SARAH SQUIRE/Daily
Sophomore forward Alex Guptill scored three goals and added an assist in a sweep of Ohio State this weekend in Columbus.
Rallying around Racine at the right time
COLUMBUS -
The desperate Michigan hockey
team traveled to Ohio State this
weekend
with a legitimate
chance at finishing
last in the CCHA,
an ugly-as-sin road
record and a goalten-
ding problem.
The Wolverines
returned with voices MATT
' hoarse from sing-
ing "The Victors," a SLOVIN
sign of the team's first road sweep of the
season, and a prayer at hosting a playoff
series. And as for that goalie situation
- you know, the one that had all four of
the team's backstops in contention for
the starting job in the season's second-
to-last week of the regular season -
fuhgeddaboutit.
No, seriously, forget about it.
For a team that's been swamped in
uncertainty this year - injuries, a rotat-
ing presence in net, even an mid-season
defection (remember Daniel Milne?) -
it's high time for some consistency.
Any of the four netminders could've
played this weekend. Coach Red Beren-
son might as well have drawn straws.
Freshman Steve Racine was the name
Berenson settled on. And, in his first
start since Dec. 14, Racine was every-
thing the Wolverines needed him to be.
Playing behind a rejuvenated offense,
Racine didn't need to play perfectly, and
he didn't. But he was strong enough to
keep the team in the game late and didn't
collapse as the games wore on, bucking
the cripplingtrend for Michigan, at least
temporarily.
"These are tough games to play in,
especially when they're close like 3-3
going into the third, and look at (Friday)
night - 2-0 going into the third, and
even though (Racine) gave up three, he
hung in there," Berenson said. "Goalies
aren't goingto be happy with the goals
against, but nevertheless, he gave us a
chance to win.
"We gave him the goals."
The Wolverines aren't always going
to give their goalies the run support that
Racine received against Ohio State. And
Racine still gave upa couple softgoals.
But he was, at times, quite brilliant
and after his two biggest stops of the
weekend, the team seemed to get a new
life. Far too often this season, we've seen
the Michigan goalie letin a goal that
had no place beingscored, followed by a
complete breakdown of the entire team.
In the second period on Saturday, the
game changed completely when Racine
turned away a breakaway and a 3-on-1
rush to keep the game tied entering the
third period.
Now that Racine has shown he's capa-
See RACINE, Page 38
BURKE-ING BAD
U Trey Burke became just the seventh
sophomore to surpass the 1,000 mark for
career points in Michigan's win over Illi-
nois Sunday. Page 4B
LONDON LESSONS
0 Stephen J. Nesbitt reviews the journeys
of Olympians Syque Caesar, Sam Mikulak
and Connor Jaegar in today's SportsMon-
day column. Page 2B