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The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | December 12, 2016
The end of the road
Michigan entered the
weekend with hopes of
returning to the Final Four,
but the Wolverines fell short
» SportsMonday Column,
Page 2B
Half credit
The Michigan men’s
basketball team was tied
at 50 with No. 2 UCLA at
halftime before losing by 18
in Westwood
» Page 4B
Things were going swimmingly for the
Michigan ice hockey team.
After scoring two power-play goals in
the first period to jump out to an early
lead, the Wolverines had killed four
penalties in the second period to preserve
their lead.
But hockey is a fast-paced game. The
game can turn in an instant, and when
Wisconsin scored on its fifth power play
of the period, the Badgers looked to have
captured the momentum.
Perhaps that shouldn’t have been the case
in the first place: The Wolverine penalty kill,
sterling up until that point, had allowed the goal
on a 4-on-2 Badger rush that only materialized
after Badger goalie Jack Berry tripped Jake Slaker.
Then, less than a minute later, freshman goaltender
Hayden Lavigne took an ill-advised roughing penalty
when he knocked over Wisconsin’s Seamus Malone in
front of the net to the delight of the crowd.
Michigan was on its heels. And given the Wolverines’
performance this year, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see
them cough up the lead. After all, they had done just that the
night before.
But Michigan didn’t let its late second period misfortunes
affect it. The players returned to the ice for the final period,
calmly killed the remainder of Lavigne’s penalty and held on to
win the game, 4-1.
“We were a desperate team tonight,” said Michigan coach
Red Berenson. “We had to play hard, and we had to play better.
Getting the first goal of the game was important, and the second
goal, and then I thought the wheels started to come off with the
penalties. … Our penalty-killers did a great job and our goalie did
a great job in keeping the score down.”
“Those are the kind of games that we’re going to have to play in
to win games this year. We’re not going to outscore the other team by
five and six goals. Last year is over, and our team has to learn that. We
can’t take those kind of penalties and expect to win games.”
It was an impressive bounce-back game for the Wolverines, who had
collapsed Friday night in a 7-4 loss that might’ve been their worst of the early
season. Michigan had taken an early two-goal lead only to give up three straight
and a total of five in the second period to the Badgers. The tone was somber after
the game, as Michigan coach Red Berenson and junior defenseman Sam Piazza tried
to explain what had happened.
Whatever conversations took place between them must have had an effect. Michigan
was sharp from the opening puck-drop, scoring two quick goals. Senior forward Alex Kile
scored his first goal since late October off a feed from freshman forward Jake Slaker on a
Wolverine power play. A little over a minute later, junior forward Cutler Martin sniped one
past Berry for his third goal in as many games, giving his team a 2-0 lead.
After the tumultuous end to the second period, Michigan dealt with a couple more
bad breaks at the end of the third. Will Lockwood appeared to be badly injured by
a Wisconsin check, leaving immediately for the locker room while grabbing his
shoulder, before Dexter Dancs was called for slashing to the consternation of
the Michigan bench.
But the Wolverines stood tall once more, killing the penalty even
as Wisconsin pulled Berry to take a two-man advantage, and
Tony Calderone and Adam Winborg sealed the win with late
empty-net goals.
For Michigan, the win ended a three-game losing
streak to open conference play, and as the final
horn sounded, the Wolverines celebrated
heartily as the band played them off
the ice with the fight song.
It was a similar scene
to a month ago, when
Friday
Wisconsin
Michigan
Saturday
Michigan
Wisconsin
DEADLOCKED
7
4
4
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EVAN AARON/Daily
DESIGN: Christine Lee, Hannah Miller
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Writer
See HOCKEY, Page 4B
Wolverines rally for win Saturday to
split weekend series, end losing skid