Quotes
Box Score
KALAMAZOO -- The Western Michigan hockey team surrendered four goals on the power play, falling to the University of Michigan, 4-3, at Lawson Ice Arena in front of 2,374 fans on Friday night.
The Broncos got the ball rolling at the 3:02 mark of the second period to take the initial 1-0 lead. Jared Katz received a pass from Greg Squires down by Michigan's goal line. Katz fired the puck from the left side of the net and it bounced off of UM goaltender Bryan Hogan and up in to the air. The puck landed on the crease and snuck inside the right post for Katz's sixth goal of the season. The goal ended a 152:17 scoring drought that dated back to WMU's game at Ferris State on Dec. 12. Squires notched his team-leading 13th assist and Trevor Elias tallied his sixth.
Michigan responded at the 9:05 mark, their first of four power-play goals on the night. Brand Burlon fired a wrist shot from deep in the slot and beat WMU goalie Riley Gill for his second of the season. Steve Kampfer and Carl Hagelin each tallied assists on the goal.
With the game tied, 1-1, WMU took its second lead of the night just 2:49 later at the 11:54 mark. J.J. Crew took a feed from Chris Clackson and skated towards the slot. Crew faked a shot to pull Hogan out of position and found Squires alone in the left circle. Squires secured the puck and flung it in to an open net for his second goal of the season. Crew tallied his seventh assist and Clackson tallied his fifth on WMU's lone power play goal of the night.
Louie Caporusso tied the game, 2-2, at the 14:56 mark of the second period. The junior centerman picked up the puck from Lindsay Sparks and skated across the blue-line. Before reaching the slot, he fired and shelfed the puck past Gill over his stick-side shoulder for his sixth goal of the season. Sparks and Burlon each tallied assists on the game-tying goal.
The two teams skated in to the lockers tied 2-2 after two periods of play, but Michigan came out firing early in the third period. On another power play, Sparks beat Gill on his stick side from the left circle for his third goal of the season. Kampfer and Burlon each tallied assists as the Wolverines took a 3-2 lead.
After a five-minute major penalty on the Broncos, Michigan took advantage of the lengthy man advantage and extended its lead to 4-2. This time Caporusso found Kampfer in the edge of the right circle and the defenseman one-timed it in to the net for his first goal of the season and third point on the night.
Down 4-2 the Broncos cut the lead to 4-3 after Max Campbell broke free and skated in on Hogan, beating him on his glove side with a back-hand. Crew found Campbell in the Michigan zone and the junior centerman was able to sneak behind the Michigan line and in for the finish. Dane Walters tallied his third assist of the season and Crew picked up his eighth and second on the night.
Gill made a game-high 43 saves on the night as the Broncos were outshot 47-22. The Wolverines finished 4-of-7 on the power play, while WMU finished 1-of-3.
The Broncos head to Ann Arbor on Saturday evening at 7:35 p.m. to battle the Wolverines at Yost Ice Arena.