skip navigation

Wisconsin Juniors fall to Michigan in CCM NIT contest

By WiPH Staff, 04/22/16, 12:45AM CDT

Share

Michigan special teams the difference

The Wisconsin Juniors (aka HP-18) got out to a one-goal lead in the first period but saw Michigan tally a trio of special team goals in the middle period and hang on for a 4-2 win over the boys from the Badger State Thursday in the CCM NIT in Plymouth, MN.

As four of the six goals scored in the game were either power play or short-handed, it was only fitting that TW grabbed the lead while on the penalty kill.

Grant Reichenbacher scooped up a loose puck in the neutral zone, motored in on goal, and slipped the puck between the pads of Michigan goalie Derek Schaedig to take a 1-0 lead with just under five minutes left in the opening stanza.

The middle period was the Ian Melrose Show.

Michigan's Melrose brought the puck from the left corner and took a shot, but it was stopped by TW goalie Anthony Howard. The biscuit bounced out in front and Melrose placed the puck in the net to tie the game with his power play goal at the 8:25 mark.

It looked like the game might go into the second break tied, but Melrose worked his magic again, scoring in the last minute of play.

While Howard was behind the net handling the puck, Melrose somehow gained control and whipped in a wrap-around before the goalie could make it back to the post. The shortie gave Michigan a 2-1 lead with 20 seconds left in the period.

Michigan scored on the power play a couple minutes into the final period to make it 3-1 and followed that up when Nicholas Macari scored while on a 2-on-1 two minutes later to increase the margin to 4-1.

James Furey cut the lead to 4-2 when he grabbed a loose puck and fired a shot from the slot past the goalie's blocker with 9:19 left.

After a Michigan penalty late in the game, Howard came off for an extra attacker to give TW a 6-on-4 advantage for nearly two minutes, but TW was unable to score and Michigan held on for the win.

Unofficially, TW outshot Michigan 24-22 in the game. Howard finished with 18 saves while Schaedig had 22 for Michigan.

WiPH Game Summaries