Lackluster defense dooms Wolverines in 6-4 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame

By Greg Garno –

SOUTH BEND — Less than eight minutes into the Michigan hockey team’s contest against No. 12 Notre Dame, trailing 2-0, freshman forward Andrew Copp grabbed a turnover in the neutral zone for a breakaway opportunity.

The Ann Arbor native went right, then left to shoot, but was stopped by goalie Steven Summerhays. Copp skated back to bench immediately following, and continued to walk towards the locker room as if he were injured.

He was. Not physically, but the pain of missing an opportunity caused him to shout in disbelief beneath the stands.

His shot attempt and reaction afterwards summarized how the Wolverines 6-4 loss on Saturday felt – there were opportunities, but in end they didn’t amount to anything. Michigan fell to 7-15-2 in the CCHA, and 10-18-2 overall in the final installment of a CCHA rivalry with just four games left in the season.

With the series sweep this weekend, Michigan officially clinched its first losing record since Michigan coach Red Berenson’s third season in 1986-1987.

“It was another tough weekend,” Berenson said. “I don’t know what to tell you. I liked our team tonight — I thought we hung in there.”

Like games in the past, the Wolverines started off strong in the first period, allowing just one goal. It began after Notre Dame won a faceoff in the neutral zone, when forward Jeff Costello took the puck down the left side of the ice before slipping it in between freshman goaltender Jared Rutledge’s legs.

Rutledge didn’t get much help from his defense during the night, often watching untouched forwards skate at him. The Chicago native made 17 saves on 22 shots after giving up six goals the previous night.

“I gave him the benefit of the doubt last night,” Berenson said. “These are good goalies…but we need more consistency in goal.

“You’re not going to have a winning team if you don’t have a solid goalie, not in this league. Goals are hard to come by, except when they play us.”

With freshman forward Andrew Sinelli already in the box in the middle of the second period, junior forward Derek Deblois was called for roughing the goaltender to give the Fighting Irish a 5-on-3 opportunity.

The Wolverines were unable to kill off both penalties. Notre Dame forward Anders Lee – the CCHA leader in goals – buried a shot with 13:27 left in the second period. It was the only power-play goal Michigan allowed all night on five chances.

“The good news is our PK is doing pretty well killing (penalties) off,” said junior defenseman Mac Bennett. “But, when you spend that much time in the box it sucks our team’s momentum.”

Sophomore forward Alex Guptill gave the Wolverines life temporarily, with his goal nine minutes in the second period from a shot that found the upper-left corner of the net.

The Fighting Irish responded with two consecutive goals, though, both from uncovered players near the net — the result of Michigan reacting slowly to a quick and potent offense.

Bryan Rust scored first in a 2-on-1 scenario, tapping in a one-timer from Anders Lee. Peter Schneider added the second after receiving the puck from behind the net with less than four minutes remaining in the period.

The Wolverines held Notre Dame to 33 shots — two fewer than Friday — yet allowed 13 goals in a weekend for the first time this year. Michigan’s previous high for goals allowed in a weekend was nine against Alaska, Jan. 11-12.

But if it was one positive for the Wolverines, it was the power play. Sophomore forward Phil Di Giuseppe scored his sixth goal of the year to bring Michigan within two at the end of the second period. Senior forward Kevin Lynch scored the third power-play goal of the night in the third period. His goal was the first time since the Big Chill in Dec. 2010 that Michigan scored three power-play goals.

“It’s too bad those are the only goals we’re scoring,” Berenson said. “But it’s too bad they weren’t more meaningful in the game.”

Lynch’s goal came after two goals from Notre Dame that effectively crushed any thought of salvaging a point.

Austin Wuthrich beat Rutledge on his right side, leaving Berenson to pull the freshman in favor in junior goaltender Adam Janecyk.

But Janecyk didn’t fare much better, as he allowed a one-time to find its way past him on the first shot he faced. Janecyk made 10 saves in almost 18 minutes of playing time — his first action since Jan. 26.

Both team’s slowly played until the end, as Notre Dame looked content to sit in its zone, even if it meant sacrificing a goal. Bennett managed to skate to the slot, where he fired a shot to light the lamp.  It was his first weekend back from an injury he sustained Jan. 8.

“You get four goals against a team like this, it’s all about defense,” Berenson said. “We got eight goals on the weekend and we got nothing to show for.”

In the end, even with an empty-net effort in the final minutes, there was no groaning from the Wolverines, just the look of frustration they have worn all season. They’ll have to wait two weeks now – a bye week is ahead – before they can redeem themselves.