For a while, it seemed like all the breaks were going the Broncos way.
On a clear-cut breakaway from center ice, Michigan’s Kevin Porter failed to find any room through Western Michigan netminder Daniel Bellissimo.
At the other end, Billy Sauer made two point-blank saves on the Broncos before Jeff Lovecchio pressed the puck by the Michigan goaltender.
Then the sound of iron greeted Bellissimo’s ears when Porter misfired twice on a late Michigan power play in the first.
But as lopsided as it seemed in the first, the tide completely turned in the second when the ice shifted in the Wolverines’ favor for good, as No. 6 Michigan went on to defeat Western Michigan 7-3 at Yost Ice Arena.
After Reid Yantzi put the Broncos up by two just minutes into the second, it didn’t take long for the Western’s lead to completely evaporate.
Andrew Ebbett found Chad Kolarik blazing down the right wing, and Kolarik deposited the puck in the empty side midway thro! ugh the second.
“We knew if we just kept getting the puck to the net, and getting guys to the net to the net that we could get one in,” Michigan forward Brandon Kaleniecki said. “It felt like once we got that one, everything just started going our way.”
In a span of 35 seconds, Michigan took control with two goals – both off bizarre bounces of the puck in the Bronco end.
Danny Fardig’s shot ringed off the right corner post, bouncing to Bronco defenseman Chris Mahrle, who tried to swipe the puck out of the crease but instead banged it into his own net.
Kolarik scored his second when he found the puck amidst a pile of players in the Western crease.
“I couldn’t believe it was just sitting there in front of me,” Kolarik said. “Everyone was laughing on the ice because the goalie wasn’t even in the net. I didn’t even see it go in; there were so many people in front. I just saw the ref point to the net.”
Western’s Brian Bicek made in interesting two minutes later, scoring on! a spectacular individual effort. Bicek deked three times before slipp ing the puck by Sauer’s left skate to knot the game at three.
But Michigan fought right back with the game-winning goal before the second period ended. Kaleniecki corralled the puck off the deep left boards and shocked the crowd and Bellissimo with a perfect top corner shot from a tight angle.
Michigan kept piling on the offense in the third, with Kevin Porter, Fardig and Brandon Naurato each netting a goal. The Wolverines didn’t let the game become a repeat of its contest with Michigan State on Saturday, when Michigan blew a two-goal lead in the final ten minutes.
“We got out to the 5-3 lead and we didn’t stop,” Kaleniecki said. “We made sure we buried them. And I think that’s a step in itself.”
With the bunching of teams atop the CCHA standings, Michigan moved from fifth to second place with the win tonight.
“You can move up and down pretty quick in this race this year,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said. “It was a game in hand we had to have.”
Lost among the strange bounces and pretty goals were the opening minutes of the contest that featured both teams playing a feisty, rough style. Yantzi bulldozed Travis Turnbull, and Matt Hunwick unloaded his shoulder on Sean Weaver. Chris Frank pounded Jason Bailey head-on with a clean hit, sending the Michigan forward to the ice clutching his chest. Bailey was fine after the game according to Berenson.
“That’s the CCHA,” Western Michigan coach Jim Culhane said. “Every game’s a physical game. Both teams were coming off big series and both teams came out with good grit and determination.”
