Michigan foiled at Wisconsin, Minnesota

By Bob Miller/Michigan Beat Writer

Disappointment was the order of the weekend for Michigan in the final edition of the College Hockey Showcase, played at Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The Wolverines gave up the lead three separate times eventually winding up tied, 4-4, with Wisconsin in the tourney opener on Friday and never saw a lead Saturday night in a dispirited 3-1 loss to Minnesota.

Louie Caporusso's unassisted scoring effort late in the second period against Wisconsin had the Wolverines poised for a win, but Wisconisn took away any momentum Michigan might have had with a power play goal in the first minute of the third period. Neither team could dent the scoresheet for the remainder of the period or in the five minute overtime.

Despite outshooting the Gophers 36 to 26 on Saturday, the Wolverines never led. Scooter Vaughan's late second period goal gave the Wolverines hope, trailing 2-1 after two periods, but David Wohlberg was foiled on a short-handed breakaway attempt in the third stanza and Michigan really never threatened again.

“I thought we maybe had our best period in the third, but the puck was not going in,” Michigan head coach Red Berenson told USCHO. “If we scored on that short-handed breakaway, that could have maybe changed the momentum."

Ironically, Michigan finished the 18 years of College Hockey Showcase play with the best overall record of the group including fellow Big Ten powers Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

“We like the competition,” said Berenson of the annual showdown. “We like the games against Big Ten programs, and it is disappointing that we won't have more.”

The Wolverines travel to Columbus next weekend for two games against Ohio State, hoping to avenge, in some measure, their football team's lopsided loss to the Buckeyes on Saturday.