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Posted on Fri, Feb 24, 2012 : 11:34 p.m.

Michigan hockey team upset by last-place Bowling Green, 4-3

By AnnArbor.com Staff

Updated 11:34 p.m.

The Michigan hockey team hadn’t allowed more than two goals in a game since a 3-3 tie with Michigan State on Dec. 10.

Since that game, the Wolverines have been one of the hottest teams in college hockey, going 11-2-1 and climbing from unranked to the No. 3 team in national polls.

Those streaks came to a screeching halt on Friday night when Bowling Green - the last-place team in the CCHA standings - scored a pair of third-period goals for a 4-3 comeback win in front of 3,011 at the BGSU Ice Arena.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the final minutes of the third period, Bowling Green got a game-tying goal from Adam Berkle at the 13:13 mark and the game-winner from Bryce Williamson with just 1:24 left to play.

Williamson capitalized on a Michigan turnover deep in the Bowling Green zone.

SHAWN-HUNWICK.jpg

Michigan goaltender Shawn Hunwick, shown in an AnnArbor.com file photo, gave up four goals for the first time in 17 games in a 4-3 loss to Bowling Green on Friday night.

"When you have a lead in the third period, you should be able to find a way to sustain that lead," Michigan coach Red Berenson said in a post-game press conference. "But we gave up two goals that we shouldn't have given up. We can't play like that."

The loss cost Michigan its outside shot at a CCHA title, although the effort became moot roughly 20 minutes later.

No. 1-ranked Ferris State (22-8-4, 16-6-4-1) entered the weekend needing a single point to clinch the CCHA title. The Bulldogs skated to a 1-1 tie at Western Michigan. WMU won the shootout, moving the Broncos into a second-place tie with Michigan.

Michigan (20-11-4, 14-9-4-1) took a 3-2 lead on an Alex Guptill goal at the 17:12-mark of the second period. The Wolverines, who were 16-1-3 when leading after two periods, couldn't hold on.

"We just didn't do the little things right," said senior forward David Wohlberg. "We knew coming in what we had to do and we just didn't do it. Period."

Both teams started hot, scoring goals in the first minute of the game.

Michigan took a 1-0 lead on Phil Di Giuseppe’s goal just 38 seconds into the game. Chad Sumsion answered just six seconds later for Bowling Green (10-20-5, 5-18-4-3), which has lost its last four games and seven of its last nine.

Wohlberg and Bowling Green’s Camden Wojtala added goals later in the first period for a 2-2 score at the first intermission.

Michigan goaltender Shawn Hunwick finished with 25 saves and Ferris State's Andrew Hammond stopped 27 shots.

Wojtala’s goal came on the power play, snapping a nine-game drought that saw the Falcons fail to capitalize on 35 straight extra-man opportunities.

Bowling Green had also allowed a power-play goal in five straight games, another streak that came to an end on Friday. The Wolverines were 0-for-3.

"We knew they were a desperate team, but those are proud players and they don't want to be embarrassed," Berenson said of Bowling Green. "They came out here and they outworked us, outplayed us and outscored us."

The teams wrap up the regular season with a 7:05 p.m. game Saturday in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Comments

Veracity

Sat, Feb 25, 2012 : 5:21 a.m.

You have to believe that the team went into Bowling Green over confident. By the time they realized that Bowling Green was not going to just give away the game, any momentum was lost, never to be regained. If Michigan repeats its poor performance this evening it could find itself tied for fourth place going into the CCHA tournament. Leave it all on the ice tomorrow, boys! Go Blue!

longtime AA

Sun, Feb 26, 2012 : 3:13 p.m.

"The team went in overconfident" Then why did they score first, and in the first minute of the game? "By the time they realized...any momentum was lost, never to be regained." Then why did UM have a lead entering the third period? And be in a tie game with 1:24 left? Sometimes, other teams just win, or play better that day. You don't always have to psychoanalyze every game and every result. All Div 1 teams have talent, and at the right time, can play at the top of their game and get a win. That's why we play the games, that's why there are upsets. I love watching UM play. I love the job Red has done over the years. But I also realize that other teams also play to win, have worked hard, and have good coaches.