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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

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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