Trouba’s two goals lead Wolverines past Broncos in Game 1

By Greg Garno –

KALAMAZOO – Michigan defenseman Lee Moffie stood in front of the press, light brown facial hair filling in on his chin and making its way to his upper lip.

The senior opted not to grow a playoff beard and instead choose to start a playoff goatee with the rest of the defensemen. Moffie’s goatee, like the Michigan hockey team’s season, continues after Friday night.

The Wolverines won their seventh consecutive game with its 4-3 win over Western Michigan on Saturday in the CCHA quarterfinals. Freshman defenseman Jacob Trouba scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period, while sophomore forward Alex Gutpill added two assists for Michigan.

“This is playoff hockey and we played like we were in the playoffs,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “I liked out effort tonight.

“I think we’re a different team now. We’ve got a different confidence level.”

After a four-goal second period, the Wolverines tacked on the lone goal in the third with Trouba’s shot from the right circle. On its third power play of the game, Michigan pressured Western Michigan in its own zone, swinging the puck around until it found Trouba’s stick. His slapshot was too fast for Bronco goaltender Frank Slubowski — who struggled with the barrage of shots he saw all night.

The Wolverines outshot Western Michigan 30-18, continuing a trend of playing in the opposing zone.

“We gave them a few too many scoring chances,” said Broncos junior defenseman Danny DeKeyser. “It’s tough to win games when you let the other team score four goals. They were putting a lot of pucks on net.

Michigan scored two goals in the first period to open the game. Forward Kevin Lynch streaked down the right side, breaking through a pair of sticks to set up a shot. The senior set up a shot and unselfishly dished to linemate Phil Di Giuseppe who buried the puck.

With exactly two minutes left in the period, sophomore forward Justin Selman carried the puck down the right side of the ice, waiting for the trailing teammates to arrive in support. So, Selman took matters into his own hands and fired a shot. Slubowski deflected the shot, though, but the rebound was grabbed by Selman himself and put on the net.

A quick 2-0 lead for the period forced a normally loud Lawson Ice Arena to quiet down.

But the Broncos quickly revitalized the crowd in the second period, scoring two unanswered goals and putting Michigan on its heels.

Junior forward Chase Balisy was left unaccounted for in the slot as a crowd built up in the corner. Senior forward Dane Walters slipped the puck out of the chaos to the wide-open Balisy, who easily beat Michigan goaltender Steve Racine.

Just a minute and two seconds later, Broncos’ forward Colton Hargrove took a turnover near the Michigan blueline and flicked a shot past Racine.

Racine stopped 15 of 18 shots on the night in one of the slowest nights the freshman has seen this season.

But Trouba responded moments later, preferring to take the puck up the ice himself. The Rochester native lifted his stick, ready for a slapshot and brought it back down where he fired a wrister.

“He’s been a force on defense all year, but he’s also been on a force on offense,” Berenson said. “When he’s got that shot going, he’s got a bullet.”

Western Michigan’s Josh Pitt would finish the second-period scoring with his shot from the right circle.

But following Trouba’s goals, the Wolverines defense, which entered allowing 1.5 goals per game, never allowed Western Michigan to grab the momentum back.

“We are absolutely willing to do whatever it takes to not let in a goal,” Moffie said. “You get in front of any shot, you’re diving; you’re desperate. More importantly, you’re playing a style on defense, and you have positioning on your guy.”

Michigan escaped the third, even as Western Michigan pulled Slubowski in a last-minute attempt to force overtime.

“I really liked the effort in the game tonight,” Western Michigan coach Andy Murray said. “I don’t think the shot totals were a reflection of how the game was played. I think it was a good game, and they were certainly better on their power play.

“We need to be better.”

Both teams return tomorrow at 7:05, but it seems the Wolverines have added motivation to close out the series early, apart from their goatees.

“It’s St. Patrick’s Day Sunday,” Trouba said “We’ve got to finish it tomorrow because we don’t want to give them a chance, and once they’re down there we want to keep them there.”