Michigan Beats Wisconsin 3-2 for College Hockey Showcase Sweep

By Sean · Saturday, November 28, 2009 · 11:41 PM |  Share | Leave a Comment 

Michigan put together another solid effort tonight to take down Wisconsin by a score of 3-2.  The win means that Michigan finished 2-0 in the College Hockey Showcase, making them the mythical champions, as the announcers put it.  The win is Michigan’s third in a row, and the back-to-back wins over WCHA teams couldn’t have come at a better time for the Wolverines.

Tonight’s game got off to an even start with neither team scoring in the first period.  The action was very good, though, and the goalies for both teams were playing quite well.  The scoring got started in the second period for Michigan when Matt Rust put the puck past Wisconsin’s goalie for a power-play goal from the side of the net.  A bad rebound allowed Wisconsin to tie the game up later in the period, but Luke Glendening gave the lead back to Michigan on a shorthanded goal right off of a faceoff.  The goal was scored after Glendening intercepted a pass and nearly scored, forcing a faceoff in Wisconsin’s end.  The goal happened so quickly after the puck was dropped that Comcast actually didn’t even get back from a replay in time to show it live.  The goal gave Michigan a 2-1 lead, and Louie Caporusso made it 3-1 in the third period by scoring a goal from right in front of the net on a great pass from A.J. Treais.  Wisconsin cut the lead to a single goal with around 5:30 to play, but Michigan staved off the Badgers and managed to hang on for the 3-2 victory.

Both the offense and defense played well again tonight, especially goalie Bryan Hogan.  Wisconsin had 41 shots on goal, and Hogan made a career-high 39 saves.  It’s nice to see him play well again, because he was giving up some really weak goals during Michigan’s losing streak.  Hopefully he and the entire team have turned a corner with their wins over Minnesota and Wisconsin.  These victories certainly are a momentum booster for the rest of the first half of the season, and with a road trip to Ohio State coming up next weekend and a home-and-home with Notre Dame after that, it will be important to keep playing the way they did in the College Hockey Showcase.