Wolverines Capture Mason Cup
March 20, 2010 10:39 PM
DETROIT – Junior center Louie Caporusso scored two power-play goals to lead the No. 17 University of Michigan ice hockey team to a 2-1 win over No. 12 Northern Michigan in the CCHA Championship game at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday evening (March 20). As the No. 7 seed, the Wolverines became the first team seeded lower than fourth to win the CCHA Tournament and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolverines jumped to a quick start in the first period, peppering the NMU net with five shots in the first 2:33 of the game and 15 shots on goal through 20 minutes of play.
U-M junior goaltender Shawn Hunwick came up big for Michigan when he stuffed a quick wraparound shot by a Northern Michigan forward at the 4:31 mark of the first period.
A power-play marker from Caporusso gave Michigan a 1-0 lead with 19.4 seconds left in the second period. While the Wolverines were cycling the puck, Rust lost his stick behind the NMU net and quickly skated to the bench to grab a replacement stick. Caporusso jumped on the ice instead and a pass from sophomore defenseman Brandon Burlon. Michigan’s leading goal scorer released his shot from inside the right faceoff circle, beating NMU netminder Brian Stewart on his blocker side for the narrow one-goal advantage.
Caporusso struck again at 8:53 in the third period to extend Michigan’s lead to two goals. Three seconds after a Caporusso shot hit the goal post, the junior center tipped in senior defenseman Steve Kampfer’s blast from the high slot. After Caporusso’s first attempt from the right faceoff circle, he skated behind the NMU net to set up camp outside the crease where he tipped the puck past Stewart for his fifth multi-goal game of the season.
The Wildcats responded with a goal of their own at the 9:47 mark in the final stanza to make it a 2-1 game. Sophomore right wing Andrew Cherniwchan netted his 12th tally of the year when he grabbed a loose puck just outside the crease and chipped it over Hunwick. NMU left wing Justin Florek forced a Wolverine to lose possession outside the Michigan crease and as Florek battled for the puck, Cherniwchan scooped it up and then flicked it up into the cage.
Hunwick faced only three shots in the final frame, but he had to make some key saves to preserve Michigan’s narrow 2-1 lead. For his strong efforts throughout the entire CCHA Tournament, Hunwick was tabbed as the tournament’s MVP. Hunwick along with Caporusso, junior left wing Carl Hagelin and Kampfer were named to the All-Tournament Team. Senior center Ray Kaunisto and junior defenseman Erik Gustafsson were the two Wildcats also named to the team.
The NCAA Selection Committee will announce the 16 teams to make the postseason tournament on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2. With tonight’s win, Michigan earned an automatic bid into the national playoffs. The tournament starts next weekend with the regional semifinals and finals taking place March 26-28. Visit CCHA.com after the selection show to get information on the CCHA teams in the tournament.
CCHA
- The 2010 CCHA Championship game marks the first time since the 1995 title game that the lower seed in both semifinal contests advanced to the championship game. No. 4 Lake Superior State defeated No. 1 Michigan, 5-4 (OT), to play in the finals. No. 3 Michigan State knocked off No. 2 Bowling Green, 4-3 (OT), to earn its trip to the championship game. The Lakers went on to beat MSU, 5-3.
Michigan
- Holding the No. 7 seed, Michigan becomes the lowest-seeded team to earn the CCHA title. With the victory, the Wolverines have won nine CCHA Tournament crowns.
- Michigan is now 9-6 in the CCHA Tournament championship game. The Wolverines other titles came in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008.
- After lighting the lamp twice, junior Louie Caporusso now has 20 goals on the season. Under head coach Red Berenson, Michigan has had at least one 20-goal scorer on its roster in 25 of the 26 years he has been behind the bench. The only exception came in the 2005-06 season.
- Saturday's game marked the sixth playoff match-up in a seven-season span between NMU and Michigan. The Wolverines hold the all-time series edge over Northern Michigan with a record of 33-18-5. By beating NMU in the championship game, Michigan is now 7-0 versus the Wildcats in the CCHA Playoffs.
- The Wolverines scored 28 goals in six games during the 2010 CCHA Tournament, while allowing just nine against. Fourteen different players have goals and all 19 skaters that have participated scored at least one point.
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Post-game quotes