Wolverines fall to UMass-Lowell Saturday night at Yost

By Greg Garno – 

ANN ARBOR — Michigan hockey team captain Mac Bennett sat in the postgame press conference hunched over, eyes down at the table. Once again, the senior defenseman’s team had plenty of chances at the net.

This time though, it couldn’t capitalize, and this time it cost the team its first lost of the season.

The fourth-ranked Wolverines fell to No. 18 UMass-Lowell 2-1 on Saturday, allowing two power-play goals, despite a 39-36 shot advantage. Freshman forward Even Allen scored Michigan’s (4-1-1) lone goal while junior forward Phil Di Giuseppe paced the Wolverines with eight shots.

“I’m reacting like a coach that didn’t really lose the game, but just lost too many parts of the game,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “It’s not a good feeling. You want to win at home, and you should win at home, and you should start off better than we started.”

With the score tied at one, junior forward Phil Di Giuseppe was called for checking from behind midway through the third period, earning a game misconduct. The untimely penalty cost Michigan dearly, as River Hawks (3-3-0) forward Adam Chapie grabbed the puck off a turnover around the crease knocked the go-ahead goal just over the shoulder of freshman goaltender Zach Nagelvoort.

“That five minute major really hurt us,” Berenson said. “That’s a tough penalty to take in a tie game in the third period, not that we tried to take it, just that we couldn’t really kill it off.”

Added Bennett: ““Killing a five-minute penalty is tough. I thought we almost had it but it was a little bit too little, too late, and they capitalized.”

Nagelvoort, who has yet to allow more than two goals in one game, preformed well in front of the net once more. The Holland, Mich. native made 34 saves, including several in the third period to keep the game close.

“It’s a huge confidence booster, that’s for sure,” Bennett said. “He played fantastic tonight, and he gave us a chance to win this game. He’s been really, really solid since he’s come in, and I’m really happy with his play.”

UMass-Lowell jumped onto the board first, benefitting from a bit of puck luck when a wide-angel shot took an awkward bounce past Nagelvoort. Ryan McGrath poked the puck past the line to put his team up.

Not even 20 seconds later, Michigan found the equalizer, also needing a bit of puck luck. A strong forecheck by freshman forward Tyler Motte pushed the puck down the ice, where he bounced the puck off the boards, and subsequently the net.

Trailing in pursuit, Allen skated right to the puck, backhanding the shot through the legs of River Hawks netminder Connor Hellebuyck, a Commerce native. The goal was the 11th to come from Allen’s line with fellow freshmen Motte and JT Compher.

“I think we have a lot in common on the ice and off the ice,” Allen said, “so I think we play together really well, and we want to keep it going.”

Hellebuyck, the NCAA Tournament Northeast Regional Most Valuable Player last season, gave the Wolverines’ offense fits for much of the night. But the best opportunity to tie the game came on an open net when Motte’s backhanded shot went wide of the net.

Michigan will stay home next weekend when they host Michigan Tech on Friday and Saturday.