IN PRINT AND ONLINE
NOVEMBER 26, 2019

4B — November 25, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday

Wolverines get past Wright State in penalties, 5-4, advance to Sweet 16

The Ultras had moved from
their
resident
bleachers
and
congregated at one end of the
field. With each penalty kick came
screams and gasps from the stands
which were filled to capacity. As
junior midfielder Marc Ybarra
lined up to take his shot, though,
there was a moment of near silence,
punctuated by nervous murmurs.
Everyone knew Michigan’s season
hung in the balance.
Ybarra launched his shot to the
right side of the goal as the keeper
dove left. The crowd erupted in
cheers. After a hard-fought game
that remained 0-0 after regulation,
No. 17-ranked Michigan (11-4-5)
prevailed over Wright State (10-8-
3) to win 5-4 in a shootout, ensuring
its place in the third round of the
NCAA Tournament.
The first 90 minutes held
no guarantees of such success,
though. The Wolverines were
tasked with finding their defensive
footing with the absence of junior
defender Jackson Ragen, replaced
by freshman Carter Payne who has
seen little playing time in the last

month.
“For Carter, who hasn’t played
since early in the season, to just
jump in and compete was great,”
said Michigan coach Chaka Daley.
“Corfe (on Wright State) was a
special player to go up against and
(Carter) got noticeably stronger as
the game went on.”
Offensively, both halves as
well as extra time were defined
by close chances for Michigan
that couldn’t be converted. The
Wolverines took 15 corner kicks
over the course of the game but
were unable to get on the board,
despite a few resulting shots
on goal. A near goal in the 14th
minute captured this dynamic, as
a corner kick from senior forward
Jack Hallahan put a loose ball
right in front of the net, but a shot
from junior midfielder Carlos
Tellez sailed it right over the
crossbar.
After relative dominance in
possession during the first 20
minutes,
the
Raiders’
attack
activated
and
brought
about
a number of close chances in
Michigan’s
territory.
Wright
State’s
offense
produced
numerous shooting chances only

to be stumped by the Wolverines’
defense at the last second. Raiders
midfielder Deri Corfe almost scored
on three occasions, his nearest
miss coming in the 24th minute as
Michigan freshman keeper Owen
Finnerty swatted his shot from the
bottom left of the goal.
This dynamic continued into the
second half, with the Raiders often
hovering in and around Michigan’s
box. The crowd appeared especially
frustrated in the 76th minute
when a shot from junior forward
Mohammed Zakyi missed the
right goal post by inches. A string
of opportunities for Michigan from
multiple free kicks and corner kicks
in the last five minutes of regulation
also fizzled out.
During
extra
time,
the
Wolverines
regained
much
of
the control they had lost but still
couldn’t convert their opportunities
in the box. A moment of hope was
quickly extinguished in the 103rd
minute as sophomore forward
Derick Broche launched the ball
into the back of the net off a pass
from Zakyi, only to find out that
Michigan had been called offsides.
As the clock approached the end
of 110 minutes of frustrating play

for both teams, a potentially season-
ending shootout seemed inevitable.
But Michigan had prepared for this
possibility.
“It was definitely a hard fought
game and by the end everyone was
tired,” Ybarra said. “We knew we
had to put ourselves in a spot where
just a few moments of keeping your
head clear and a bit of quality on
the shot meant you knew you were
going through.”
The Wolverines carried this
mindset
with
them
into
the
shootout. A save from Finnerty gave
them the margin they needed and
Ybarra’s shot made it official.
“Finnerty ran all five the right
way,” Daley said. “We teach our
guys be clinical in their approach so
that they can save one — if they can
save that one it gives us a chance.”
That isn’t to say Michigan was
necessarily content squeaking by so
narrowly.
“We’re
lucky
with
these
shootouts at home,” Daley said.
“We’re 2-for-2 in the last two years
at home but 0-for-2 away.
“So we learned we probably
can’t let it get to that point. But any
way you can advance this time of
year, you take it and run.”

AIDAN WOUTAS
Daily Sports Writer

MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily
Owen Finnerty’s penalty save gave Michigan a win over Wright State.

DURHAM, N.H. — Almost
before
anyone
knew
what
was happening, Jake Gingell’s
attempt
at
a
pass
out
of
Michigan’s
defensive
zone
ended up on the tape of forward
Angus
Crookshank’s
stick.
The
sophomore
defenseman
couldn’t do anything but watch
as Crookshank steadied the puck
and fired home a shot that cleanly
beat senior goaltender Hayden
Lavigne.
In the blink of an eye, New
Hampshire tied the game at one
goal apiece.
Thirty-nine minutes of back-
and-forth
hockey
later,
the
Wildcats were once again on the
receiving end of an errant zone-
clearing pass. Once again, it was
Crookshank who intercepted it.
Once again, his shot found
twine — this time, to end the game
just 36 seconds into overtime.
Two plays rarely tell the story
of an entire game, but for the
Wolverines in Saturday’s 3-2

overtime loss to New Hampshire,
the
pair
of
defensive-zone
turnovers
that
directly
led
to goals come pretty close to
summarizing the night.
“We had a lot of turnovers in
the third period tonight in what
I call the danger zone, the top of
the circles to the blueline, and
that’s on our forwards,” said
Michigan coach Mel Pearson
after the game. “We didn’t do a
very good job for our defensemen,
helping them out. Our forwards
turned the puck over a number of
times, and on the winning goal,
same thing.”
In the third period, Michigan
recorded just two shots on net
while the Wildcats fired 11 shots
at Lavigne. The total number of
attempted shots, which includes
shots that were blocked or missed
the cage, was even more damning
— the Wolverines were out-
attempted, 34 to 5.
Michigan
struggled
throughout the weekend to clear
its own defensive zone and create
extended pressure in the offensive
zone. Saturday’s third period
was a microcosm of the issue —
difficulty clearing coupled with a
few key penalties and an inability
to capitalize on the few scoring
chances that arose ultimately was
the Wolverines’ downfall.
On
Friday,
Michigan
was
able to grind out a win because
it finished just a couple more
chances than the Wildcats did,
and the turnovers were rarely at
key moments of the game or in
high-danger areas. On Saturday,
the reverse was true.
The
Wolverines
most
noticeably slipped in the third
period, but the issues that led
to New Hampshire’s overtime
winner were present throughout
the game.
Michigan was on its heels
early after senior forward Jake
Slaker slashed a Wildcat just
under two minutes into the

game. While the Wolverines
were able to kill off the penalty,
having to go on the penalty kill
so early — and then kill four more
penalties throughout the game
— put pressure on Michigan’s
defensemen.
When New Hampshire began
to pressure harder and harder
late in the third period, the
Wolverines had little left after
killing four of five penalties in
the game and eight of nine on the
weekend.
“They pushed hard, we ran
out of gas,” Pearson said. “We
couldn’t get out of our zone. … We
took a couple penalties, obviously,
bad penalties, and we were on our
heels. We just never recovered
from that, even in overtime.”
And along with having to
work to kill numerous penalties,
Michigan struggled to clear the
puck out of its defensive zone.
Whether there was a turnover
in the neutral zone, or a bad pass
out of the defensive zone, or any
other of the number of ways the
Wolverines failed to clear the
puck, Michigan couldn’t buy time
in the offensive zone.
The Wolverines could hardly
press for a go-ahead goal as the
game wound to a close. Every
time Michigan was on the
breakout, the Wildcats there to
pounce on an unforced turnover
or force one themselves.
“The turnovers are going to kill
you,” Pearson said. “We have to
get that out of our game.”
On Saturday, it was two
turnovers
that
killed
the
Wolverines’ chance for their
first sweep since Oct. 18-19. One
led to a tying goal early in the
second period and one led to the
overtime game-winner.
In both situations — and
throughout the game — it was
mistakes by Michigan that led
to chances for New Hampshire,
and the Wildcats were ready to
capitalize.

DURHAM,
N.H.
—
After
surviving a tough third period in
which it was outshot by nine, the
Michigan hockey team (4-8-2)
found itself heading to overtime
against New Hampshire (6-5-1) on
Saturday night.
The quick break didn’t offer
enough of a reset, though, and
just over 30 seconds into the
extra
period,
forward
Angus
Crookshank stole the puck in
the low slot and capitalized.
With that goal, Crookshank stole
the Wolverines’ chance for the
weekend sweep, as they fell, 3-2, to
the Wildcats.
“Tough loss,” said Michigan
coach Mel Pearson. “I like our team
at times, I think, through the first
two periods tonight. Obviously,
third period we ran out of gas. …
We were on our heels, and we just
never recovered from that, even in
overtime.”
Just
like
Friday,
Michigan
started Saturday’s game spending
considerable time in its defensive
zone. That said, at no point during
the opening frame did things seem
out of control.
The Wolverines’ penalty kill
unit was successful on both of
its runs during the first period.
The first of those penalties came
within the first two minutes. And
soon after that, Michigan found its
footing on the attack.
Halfway
through
the
first
period, the Wolverines went on
their first power play of the night
after forward Chase Stevenson
interfered with senior forward
Nick Pastujov. Michigan put the
extra man to use, with senior
forward
Will
Lockwood
and
sophomore
forward
Jimmy
Lambert getting multiple shots.
And then with about 30 seconds
remaining with the advantage,
junior forward Michael Pastujov
collected the puck near the right

side. He worked his way to the right
circle and sent a wrister through
two defenders and into the net to
give his team a one-goal lead.
New Hampshire’s offense had
a streaky element to it. Once in
the offensive zone, it used bursts
of speed to quickly attack, but the
Wolverines’ defensemen excelled
early. They used their sticks
effectively to defend rushes and
also blocked multiple shots.
Senior
goaltender
Hayden
Lavigne — starting for the first
time this season — looked calm
early on. Nevertheless, just over
a minute into the second frame
the Wildcats scored on him.
Sophomore
defenseman
Jake
Gingell collected a pass in the
defensive zone but Crookshank
stole it and successfully took on
Lavigne. Pearson was still pleased
with Lavigne’s overall play, though.
“Well, he earned it last week
at Michigan State,” Pearson said.
“He played extremely well. He’s a
senior, he has won a lot of games
for us, and he has worked hard in
practice. So, it was his time and his
turn. I thought he did a good job
tonight.”
With the score tied early in the
second period, the game started
to get more physical around the
boards as both sides searched for
the edge. Michigan seemed to have
established that edge with under
seven minutes to go in the frame.
Sophomore forward Garrett Van
Wyhe took the puck down the
right wing and dished it to senior
forward Jake Slaker in the crease.
Slaker then went forehand to
backhand and snuck one past
goaltender Mike Robinson for the
lead.
But then just a few minutes
later, after freshman forward
Johnny Beecher got called for
cross-checking, defenseman Max
Gildon leveled the game from the
right circle. That goal started a
pause from scoring, as neither side
took claim in the third period. New

Hampshire hit resume shortly
after, though.
What’s hard to swallow for the
Wolverines is that they excelled
in many facets but couldn’t come
out on top. The offense showed
signs of improvement from prior
weekends. The penalty kill unit
showcased its consistency, shutting
down four opportunities Saturday
against a top-tier special team’s
unit. It wasn’t enough.
“We worked really well as a unit
of four,” said senior defenseman
Luke Martin. “Everyone knew if
we got strung out, what to do. If
you were in a different spot it didn’t
matter. I thought we did that really
well, and we had really good sticks.
And just a good commitment.
“Everyone was bought in. Could
really see it.”
Yet
with
all
the
bright
spots, there’s a certain level of
disappointment that comes with
letting a potential road sweep slip
from one’s hands. With all the
glory, there is still pain.
“No moral victories,” Pearson
said. “We have to find a way to win
those games.”

ROHAN KUMAR
Daily Sports Writer

BAILEY JOHNSON
Daily Sports Writer

Michigan falls to Wildcats, 3-2, in OT
Two costly turnovers end sweep bid

ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
Michael Pastujov scored a power play goal on Saturday against New Hampshire.