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The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | October 2, 2017
Falling out of love
Sports and society have a
complex relationship, and
the current climate has made
that all the more apparent.
» SportsMonday Column,
Page 2B
A perfect start
It may have only been an
exhibition, but Mel Pearson’s
first game as Michigan’s
hockey coach still gave
people plenty to smile about.
» Page 3B
Michigan 10, Western Ontario 1
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Sophomore defenseman Luke
Martin
and
senior
forward
Dexter Dancs helped fans at
Yost Ice Arena let out a sigh of
relief with a first period, power
play goal that slipped past the
opposing goaltender.
On a heavily-anticipated Friday
evening, the Michigan hockey
team took on Western Ontario
in the first exhibition match of
the season. Following a season of
disappointment last year — but
paired with high expectations for
this year’s team under new coach
Mel Pearson — one could notice
that every member of the crowd
was on the edge of their seats.
One of the most distinguishing
— and surprising — traits of the
exhibition match was a newfound
offensive initiative.
“The goal scoring,” Pearson
said. “We were 42nd in offense
last year, so we weren’t sure
where the goals were going to
come from.”
The Wolverines, who failed to
score over six goals in a single game
last year, proved that nervousness
futile in a 10-1 win that can only be
described as a one-sided offensive
pandemonium.
Michigan took its new ethos
of an unwavering, fast-paced
offense to heart with two goals
early in the first period. After
Dancs’ deflection goal off Martin’s
shot just over four minutes into
play, Michigan did not hesitate to
pick apart the Mustang defense,
unleashing 15 shots on goal in the
first period.
After
a
successful
counterattack
just
over
nine
minutes in, junior forward Cooper
Marody carried the puck down
the right side of the ice, delivered
a crisp pass to Dancs under the
goal, who, in robotic precision,
passed to senior forward Tony
Calderone for a one-timer.
“I know where Tony is on the
ice. I’ve played with him the last
two or three years,” Dancs said. “
… I know where he likes to be and
that’s the high slot.”
Western Ontario’s frustrations
with the unrelenting Wolverine
offense came to fruition when
Mitchell
Brooks
ripped
the
helmet off Martin, resulting in
an immediate ejection from the
game and a five-minute major
penalty.
The Wolverines entered the
locker room up on Western
Ontario, 2-0, leaving no spectator
in doubt that the era under
Pearson looks promising.
The second period started
much like the first, with the
Wolverines dominating the shot
count and possession.
Five minutes into resuming
play,
though,
the
Mustangs
seemingly found a new leg to
stand on, with two breakaway
opportunities.
Sophomore
goaltender
Jack
LaFontaine
thwarted both chances – the
latter being a sweeping glove save
meant for a highlight reel.
Michigan quickly settled in
once again, netting its third goal
on a dish from senior defenseman
Cutler Martin down in front
of the net to fifth-year senior
forward Alex Roos, who finished
the job.
But they didn’t stop there.
Following a brawl behind the
Western Ontario net, sophomore
forward Will Lockwood deked
the Mustangs’ goaltender, Luke
Peressini, on a penalty shot to put
the Wolverines up by four.
From there, Michigan exerted
its dominance, as the Wolverines
let 27 shots fly resulting in two
more goals.
Marody kicked off the third
period in similar fashion to the
first and second after just 53
seconds when he seamlessly
netted a cross-ice pass. Martin
and sophomore forward Jake
Slaker followed up on the trend
with two goals of their own.
After
Trevor
Warnaar
became the Mustangs’ second
ejection — leaving the stadium
for
misconduct
—Western
Ontario’s chances even for a
pride-saving comeback seemed
dim. Immediately following the
ejection,
sophomore
forward
James Sanchez deflected a shot
past Peressini for the teams 10th
goal.
“Starting off the year like that,”
Calderone said. “It shows the
work that we did in the summer is
paying off a little bit.”
In a last--chance effort to avoid
the shutout, center Ray Huether
put in the Mustangs’ first goal off a
scrum in front of the net, limiting
the Wolverines’ lead to nine.
Nine
different
Michigan
players found the net in a
statement that the new fast-paced,
eclectic and gritty Wolverines are
taking steps to reverse last year’s
storyline.
ROBERT HEFTER
Daily Sports Writer
MELCOME BACK
The Wolverines dominated from the opening faceoff in Mel Pearson’s first game as Michigan’s head coach Saturday.