<![CDATA[Game Covers]]>Michigan sweeps for fourth consecutive time, punches ticket to Joe Louis Arena

March 16, 2013

KALAMAZOO — For junior forward Derek DeBlois, the scoring opportunity came from above. Literally.

Sophomore forward Phil Di Giuseppe’s breakaway shot near the right post deflected off Western Michigan goaltender Frank Slubowski and up into the air. Flipping end over end, it landed in the crease where DeBlois was charging. With the raising of his stick, DeBlois held the dagger to the game in his hands, and he followed through to score Michigan’s fourth goal of the game.

Highlighted by a four-goal second period, the Michigan hockey team outmuscled No. 9 Western Michigan, 5-1, to finish with its fourth-consecutive sweep. With the win, Michigan advances to Joe Louis Arena for its 24th-consecutive appearance in the CCHA semifinals.

“Our team had the momentum from last night and everything went our way,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “We played well, and we didn’t let them play well.”

Sophomore forward Alex Guptill had two goals while junior Luke Moffatt added three assists to lead a proficient Michigan offense that dominated from the very beginning of the game.

Just 1:08 into the game, senior defenseman Lee Moffie sailed a puck from the top of his own right circle with laser precision, slicing through traffic to a streaking senior forward Kevin Lynch. The puck found Lynch’s stick, he broke free with an open look and he buried it in the right corner.

With 3:24 left in the same period, Michigan struggled to clear the puck out of its zone, scrambling around to regain control. The Broncos capitalized on a disorganized team, though, as Colton Hargrove’s attempt from the slot found its way past goaltender Steve Racine.

The freshman netminder, who faced just 18 shots on Friday night, had another easy night between the pipes. Racine made 22 saves on just 23 shots from the Broncos.

Three minutes into the second period, Michigan’s offense opened the floodgates, using its speed to put Western Michigan on its heels.

Moffatt, too fast for the Broncos, found space in the center of the ice to bring up the puck. The junior dished to senior forward A.J. Treais, who was originally stopped by Western Michigan goaltender Slubowski, who then slid outside the crease. With the net wide open, sophomore forward Andrew Sinelli buried a shot from the slot, where he had been waiting for Treais’ pass.

The Broncos — who suffered their first loss in the CCHA playoffs under second-year coach Andy Murray Friday night — increased their pressure for the next seven minutes before a penalty put them a man down.

The Wolverines proved why they have the second-ranked power play in the CCHA, swinging the momentum in their favor when Guptill scored his first goal of the night 10 minutes into the period. Following a scramble in front of the net, where Slubowski once again spent time outside his crease, the sophomore took a loose puck and lifted it too high for the confused goalie.

“It’s one of those nights where the puck always seems to be on your stick,” said Guptill, who now has 14 goals this season. “Guys made good plays to me, and I had some good chances.”

DeBlois’s goal, 49 seconds later, prompted Murray to pull his netminder. Slubowski, second in the nation in minutes played, made 20 saves on 24 shots.

“They’ve got a real good goalie over there, and we got the best of him tonight,” Treais said. “We caught him out of position a few times, and a few of those were empty net, but just getting pucks to the net and getting guys to the net (made a difference).”

Yet whether it was Slubowski or backup, Lukas Hafner, Michigan’s offense could not be slowed.

With seconds remaining in the period, Moffatt once again brought the puck down the ice, stopping on a dime at the top of the left circle, reversing direction and flinging the puck into the slot. Guptill was there to take the puck and rip a shot too quick for Haffner to add a tally with 18 seconds remaining in the frame.

“(Moffatt) wanted to play better than he did last night,” Berenson said. “One of his strengths has been with the puck and he’s a shooter, but he made some plays tonight.”

Michigan’s penalty kill would close out the sluggish third period, where the Broncos’ momentum was all but gone. The Wolverines killed off three, third-period penalties to go a perfect 10-for-10 on the weekend.

For a team sitting in the cellar of the CCHA standings at one point this season, Michigan enters Detroit riding a wave of momentum.

Lackluster defense dooms Wolverines in 6-4 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame

MiHockeyNow.com (FEBRUARY 10, 2013)

SOUTH BEND — Less than eight minutes into the Michigan hockey team’s contest against No. 12 Notre Dame, trailing 2-0, freshman forward Andrew Copp grabbed a turnover in the neutral zone for a breakaway opportunity.

The Ann Arbor native went right, then left to shoot, but was stopped by goalie Steven Summerhays. Copp skated back to bench immediately following, and continued to walk towards the locker room as if he were injured.

He was. Not physically, but the pain of missing an opportunity caused him to shout in disbelief beneath the stands.

His shot attempt and reaction afterwards summarized how the Wolverines 6-4 loss on Saturday felt – there were opportunities, but in end they didn’t amount to anything. Michigan fell to 7-15-2 in the CCHA, and 10-18-2 overall in the final installment of a CCHA rivalry with just four games left in the season.

With the series sweep this weekend, Michigan officially clinched its first losing record since Michigan coach Red Berenson’s third season in 1986-1987.

“It was another tough weekend,” Berenson said. “I don’t know what to tell you. I liked our team tonight — I thought we hung in there.”

Like games in the past, the Wolverines started off strong in the first period, allowing just one goal. It began after Notre Dame won a faceoff in the neutral zone, when forward Jeff Costello took the puck down the left side of the ice before slipping it in between freshman goaltender Jared Rutledge’s legs.

Rutledge didn’t get much help from his defense during the night, often watching untouched forwards skate at him. The Chicago native made 17 saves on 22 shots after giving up six goals the previous night.

“I gave him the benefit of the doubt last night,” Berenson said. “These are good goalies…but we need more consistency in goal.

“You’re not going to have a winning team if you don’t have a solid goalie, not in this league. Goals are hard to come by, except when they play us.”

With freshman forward Andrew Sinelli already in the box in the middle of the second period, junior forward Derek Deblois was called for roughing the goaltender to give the Fighting Irish a 5-on-3 opportunity.

The Wolverines were unable to kill off both penalties. Notre Dame forward Anders Lee – the CCHA leader in goals – buried a shot with 13:27 left in the second period. It was the only power-play goal Michigan allowed all night on five chances.

“The good news is our PK is doing pretty well killing (penalties) off,” said junior defenseman Mac Bennett. “But, when you spend that much time in the box it sucks our team’s momentum.”

Sophomore forward Alex Guptill gave the Wolverines life temporarily, with his goal nine minutes in the second period from a shot that found the upper-left corner of the net.

The Fighting Irish responded with two consecutive goals, though, both from uncovered players near the net — the result of Michigan reacting slowly to a quick and potent offense.

Bryan Rust scored first in a 2-on-1 scenario, tapping in a one-timer from Anders Lee. Peter Schneider added the second after receiving the puck from behind the net with less than four minutes remaining in the period.

The Wolverines held Notre Dame to 33 shots — two fewer than Friday — yet allowed 13 goals in a weekend for the first time this year. Michigan’s previous high for goals allowed in a weekend was nine against Alaska, Jan. 11-12.

But if it was one positive for the Wolverines, it was the power play. Sophomore forward Phil Di Giuseppe scored his sixth goal of the year to bring Michigan within two at the end of the second period. Senior forward Kevin Lynch scored the third power-play goal of the night in the third period. His goal was the first time since the Big Chill in Dec. 2010 that Michigan scored three power-play goals.

“It’s too bad those are the only goals we’re scoring,” Berenson said. “But it’s too bad they weren’t more meaningful in the game.”

Lynch’s goal came after two goals from Notre Dame that effectively crushed any thought of salvaging a point.

Austin Wuthrich beat Rutledge on his right side, leaving Berenson to pull the freshman in favor in junior goaltender Adam Janecyk.

But Janecyk didn’t fare much better, as he allowed a one-time to find its way past him on the first shot he faced. Janecyk made 10 saves in almost 18 minutes of playing time — his first action since Jan. 26.

Both team’s slowly played until the end, as Notre Dame looked content to sit in its zone, even if it meant sacrificing a goal. Bennett managed to skate to the slot, where he fired a shot to light the lamp.  It was his first weekend back from an injury he sustained Jan. 8.

“You get four goals against a team like this, it’s all about defense,” Berenson said. “We got eight goals on the weekend and we got nothing to show for.”

In the end, even with an empty-net effort in the final minutes, there was no groaning from the Wolverines, just the look of frustration they have worn all season. They’ll have to wait two weeks now – a bye week is ahead – before they can redeem themselves.

Adrian Football Team Hangs on for Homecoming Win

ADRIAN, Mich.  — You couldn’t have scripted the Adrian High School football team’s final home game of the season any better.

But at the end, linemen slid in the mud to celebrate, coaches jumped higher than the players and the remaining fans cheered as loud as a sellout.

On a miserably cold and rainy homecoming night, the Maples prevailed 26-25 over Southeastern Conference White Division foe Ypsilanti Lincoln, a game highlighted by a Maple defense that came up big when needed.

“It might be the ugliest football game I have ever seen and been a part of,” said Adrian coach Phil Jacobs. “It was a sloppy game all the way around, and I guess we out-uglied them.”

Down by one with 7:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Lincoln quarterback Javin Kilgo lined up in shotgun on third down prepared to take the snap. As the rain came down steadily, the snap was low and right at the ground. Kilgo kicked the ball and ran back to the end zone, hoping to walk away with only a safety, but the ball would slip out of his hands and directly into those of Austin Gray.

Gray emerged from a pile of blue and white holding the ball and the game-changer in his hands. Gray, who wears No. 66 in honor of his dad, could not have had the highlight of his year come at a better time.

“It makes me happy that I made him proud out here and my team,” Gray said of the moment. “This’ll be something I tell my kids about.”

Despite the wild and uncertain ending to the game, Adrian (3-4, 3-1 SEC White) appeared to have control from the moment it received the ball.

On the 38-yard line and less than two minutes into the game, quarterback Hunter Hayes found Jurell Parrish in the middle of the field. Parrish broke away from two defenders and leaped into the end zone, but was hit and fumbled the ball.Fortunately, he was in the right spot to recover as well and ended the drive with six points.

Following a Lincoln (4-3, 1-3) turnover on downs, the Maples began to drive deep within their own territory, but a fumble gave the Railsplitters possession on the 3-yard line.

Dalauren Roberson took the ball five yards with six minutes left in a long quarter to tie the score at 6.

A short possession from Adrian gave Lincoln another opportunity, as it took advantage with a 64-yard run from Roberson, who ran up the middle and broke away on the outside.

With 8:16 remaining in the second quarter, with both teams struggling offensively, the Maples took over in their own territory again, but drove down within the red zone, threatening to tie.

It didn’t last long, however, as Hayes was sacked on third and fourth downs for a total loss of 33 yards.

The Maples swung the game in their favor with five minutes remaining, as Jacobs dialed a fake punt. On fourth down from midfield, Jeff Lofton found Parrish uncovered for a 23 yard first down.

“We just didn’t have any momentum going offensively,” Jacobs said. “I thought it was a good spot in the field to do it.”

Ten seconds later, Hayes connected Michael Hamden on a 21-yard pass to tie the game at 12 heading into halftime.

The Railsplitters came out strong in the second half, marching down the field efficiently until Kilgor threw his only touchdown pass of the night to a wide-open K.J. Osborn. The extra point made the score 19-12.

Adrian nearly halted its running game all together in the third quarter, struggling to do anything for positive yardage and turning the ball over twice in the red zone.

The Maples rallied in the beginning of the fourth quarter, though, and with 10:16 left in the fourth quarter, Hayes found Hamden again. This time, Hamden broke away from three defenders and high stepped into the end zone. A two-point conversion put the game at 26-19.

Following Gray’s touchdown, the Railsplitters responded with two huge passes. It was the latter — a 39-yard pass to the 3-yard line — that upset the crowd. Osborn pulled down a ball on the opposing sideline, where he appeared to land out of bounds.

The call stood as a catch, though, and Lincoln ran into the end zone shortly after.

With 3:52 to go, the Railsplitters went for two out of the Wildcat formation, but were stuffed by a gang of Maple tacklers, leaving the score 26-25.

Adrian was unable to run out the clock the following possession, giving Lincoln one last chance with 2:39 left

Despite giving up 330 yards, the Adrian defense forced the Railsplitters to kick a field goal on fourth down. The snap was botched, and the Maples recovered to seal the win.

“Coming out last year in our last home game and losing hurt,” Hamden said. “Winning means something special to all of Adrian.”

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