Shawn Hunwick ejected, Michigan hockey dejected after first loss of season
The Michigan hockey team’s time atop the national rankings will be a short one.
The Wolverines, who moved into the No. 1 spot in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll released Monday, lost 5-3 at Northern Michigan on Friday night.
"It's disappointing. We came up here to play better hockey than we played,” Michigan coach Red Berenson told MGoBlue.com. “Certainly didn't want to get into the penalty problems that we got into and put ourselves behind the eight ball. But that's the way the game was played and that's the way it was called.”
The CCHA opener for both teams was still scoreless midway through the second period on the Olympic-sized ice at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, but turned decidedly in Northern Michigan’s favor after a fracas that started when Michigan goalkeeper Shawn Hunwick was run into after a shot by the Wildcats.
Along with offsetting fighting penalties and disqualifications to Michigan’s Luke Moffatt and Northern Michigan’s Andrew Cherniwchan, Hunwick was given a five-minute “contact to the head” penalty and a game misconduct.
Sophomore backup Adam Janecyk replaced Hunwick, who had stopped all 17 shots he faced.
The 17th-ranked Wildcats (4-1-0, 1-0-0) capitalized quickly on the change, scoring on two of their six shots against Janecyk in the second period and again just one minute into the third period for a 3-1 lead.
Michigan (4-1-0, 0-1-0) rallied with goals from Zach Hyman and Travis Lynch to tie the game at 3-3 with 3:44 to play, but Northern Michigan’s Tyler Gron scored the game-winner less than a minute later. The Wildcats would add an empty-net goal in the final minute.
The Wolverines were outshot 32-27 and went 0-for-6 on power-play opportunities in their first road game. There were a total of 24 penalties in the game, including 13 on Northern Michigan.
"I thought we started off a little slow and maybe let the crowd get into us a little bit, but as the game went on I think our play really picked up,” Michigan defenseman Greg Pateryn said. “They were getting pretty chippy and it was kind of a grinding game more than a skill game. That's how it is sometimes."
The teams play again at 7:35 p.m. Saturday in Marquette.
Comments
Richard
Sun, Oct 23, 2011 : 3:18 p.m.
Hunwick threw more punches than everyone else combined, yet he gets to play in game 2 while Cherniwchan is suspended for game 2. Figures. Bet the UM coach and players were laughing their butts off for putting one over on the refs over that one. And seeing how UM hockey team can't even beat a nothing NMU team, even with help from the refs, they are in for a long season. They should have won both games in routs, and by routs I mean 9-0 or 10-0. Be interesting to see what happens when they face a good team.
BornInA2
Sat, Oct 22, 2011 : 3:11 p.m.
How could they lose the game 5-2 and have tied it at 3-3? Proofreading, folks.
Veracity
Sat, Oct 22, 2011 : 1:27 p.m.
Michigan played without discipline which reflects poorly on Red Berenson. Obviously, Adam Janecyk (5/10) is not ready to replace Shawn Hunwick who must play the rest of the season with more restraint and better judgement. Hopefully, future opponents will not take note how easily Hunwick can be riled. Otherwise, Michigan's goalie can expect to be run into frequently with the hope that he will be removed from the net for responding too aggressively. Being outshot 32-27 suggests either that Michigan was not playing up to its capabilities or that Northern Michigan is a better team. Tonight's game may provide more indication of the two team's relative talent and ability as long as Hunwick is in the net.