After heartbreaking Friday finish,
Michigan delivers in overtime thriller
JOHN TONDORA
Daily Sports Writer
GOLDEN
GOLDEN
GOALS
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY
M
INNEAPOLIS
—
The
two-minute
intermission
before
overtime
Saturday
night had an eerie feeling.
It was a grim feeling, a
dooming
feeling,
an
‘it’s
going
to
happen
again’
feeling. A feeling, that for the
No. 8 Michigan hockey team,
was all too familiar.
The Wolverines had been
there before. They’d seen
the ending, and it wasn’t
pleasant.
Yet, in the moments that
make or break entire seasons,
Michigan (14-9-1 overall, 6-8
Big Ten) escaped the clutches
of déjà vu, surmounting No. 2
Minnesota in a heavyweight,
5-4
overtime
victory.
Rejuvenated
by
lineup
changes,
the
Wolverines
benefited from the dual-
threat potency of their new
top-six against a mammoth
opponent.
“They’re a really good
hockey
team,”
freshman
forward Gavin Brindley said.
“Lot of firepower over there,
some big boys who can skate.
I just think (we were) playing
really good defensively and
taking care of our own zone
and (letting) them make the
mistakes we could capitalize
on.”
The new top six, sporting
Brindley’s promotion to the
first line and sophomore
forward Mackie Samoskevich
headlining the second trio,
had already found success
in its Friday night debut.
Tallying four total points
and finishing with 20 of
Michigan’s 34 shots, the two
lines were all over the ice in
the overtime loss. Evidently
fatigued by the finish, they
left it all out there.
Thus, while sitting on the
bench after the third period
Saturday night, anticipating
their second overtime finish
in as many nights, that eerie
feeling couldn’t help but
begin to creep in for the
Wolverines. Michigan had
once more done all it could
and yet somehow, it couldn’t
put
the
Golden
Gophers
away.
But
that
eerie
feeling
wasn’t always there.
The Wolverines came alive
from puck drop, hoping to
wash away Friday’s wounds.
Michigan
smothered
the
Gophers through the first ten
minutes of play; off the backs
of none other than the same
line changeups that brought
them
success
the
night
before. The Wolverines eyed
a rapid victory as a rebound
strike
from
freshman
forward Adam Fantilli put
them up 2-0.
But
Minnesota
is
the
second-ranked
in
the
country for a reason, so the
It was a grim
feeling, a
dooming
feeling, an ‘it’s
going to happen
again’ feeling. A
feeling, that for
the No. 8
Michigan hockey
team, was all too
familiar.
Wolverines
couldn’t
hold
the Gophers down for long.
Minnesota came out of the
break with renewed fervor. A
flurry of shots and two goals
later, Michigan’s once proud
lead evaporated into a 3-2
deficit.
Yet when the Wolverines
needed it most, the new-look
top six responded.
Before the raucous cheers
of Mariucci Arena could
dissipate, freshman Jackson
Hallum raced toward the
net, firing a shot off the pad
of
Minnesota
goaltender
Justen Close that found its
way to none other than Adam
Fantilli for a 3-3 tie.
“They’re a great team and
it took everything from us
to have success,” Naurato
said. “Proud of our guys for
dealing with some adversity
and just keep fighting back
and sticking to the plan — it’s
great.”
The plan, evidently, was
to trust the top-six as the
Gophers threw the kitchen
sink at Michigan across a
ferocious
second
period.
Defending
numerous
offensive
chances
—
including a 5-on-3 powerplay
— the Wolverines’ top six
guided them through thick
and thin en route to a 4-3
lead entering the final 20
minutes.
And amid a nail-biting
final
frame,
Michigan
slipped one final time. With
three minutes to go, the
Gophers had one final rabbit
in the hat — just as they had
the night before. Minnesota
forward Logan Cooley lifted
a backhand pass onto the
stick of undefended forward
Bryce Brodzinski.
Suddenly, the Wolverines
were transported back to a
nightmare. As time expired
and
Michigan
crowded
around the bench one final
time, déjà vu crept in.
But for Michigan, led by its
new-look top six, it wasn’t so.
“Stuff happens, it’s hockey
right?” Brindley surmised.
“It’s a game and teams are
going to score with two
minutes left. It’s going to
happen so it’s all about how
you respond and we got the
win tonight and it’s all that
matters.”
It didn’t take much time
either. Less than a minute
into the final period as
Fantilli and Brindley changed
for fresh legs, sophomore
defenseman
Luke
Hughes
punctured the offensive zone
and sent a pass to junior
defenseman Jacob Truscott,
who rifled it back into the
net. As Truscott erupted in
a walk-off triumph, Mariucci
fell silent.
Rendering
once-raucous
Mariucci
lifeless
requires
near perfection. To do so
Saturday night, Michigan’s
rejuvenated top six came
through when it needed them
most.
As time expired
and Michigan
crowded around
the bench one
final time, déjà vu
crept in.
But for Michigan,
led by its new-
look top six, it
wasn’t so.
MINNESOTA 4
MICHIGAN 3
GAME ONE
MICHIGAN 5
MINNESOTA 4
GAME TWO
JEREMY WEINE/Daily
Design by Lys Goldman