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Posted on Sun, Oct 23, 2011 : 12:15 a.m.

A.J. Treais goal gives Michigan hockey a shootout win at Northern Michigan

By AnnArbor.com Staff

Junior forward A.J. Treais scored the only goal in a shootout to keep the Michigan hockey team from coming up empty-handed on its first road trip of the season.

Northern Michigan’s Mitch Jones scored on a rebound 59 seconds into the third period of Saturday night’s game at the Berry Events Center in Marquette to tie the game at 3-3.

That’s how the score remained. Michigan goaltender Shawn Hunwick stopped three Wildcats’ shootout attempts and Treais scored the winner in the Wolverines’ final attempt.

The game goes down as a 3-3 tie in the record books, with Michigan (4-1-1, 0-1-1-1) picking up two points in the CCHA standings for the 1-0 shootout win.

It’s the first shootout win in the history of the Michigan program, according to MGoBlue.com.

The Wolverines, who entered the weekend series as the No. 1-ranked team in the USCHO.com poll and lost 5-3 to the Wildcats on Friday night, were handed an opportunity to win Saturday’s game in overtime.

Northern Michigan’s Reed Seckel took a major “contact to the head” penalty in the final minute of regulation, giving Michigan a power play for the first 4:20 of the five-minute extra session.

The Wolverines managed just three shots on Northern goaltender Jared Coreau, who finished with 25 saves.

Michigan was 1-for-5 on power play opportunities, converting when Lindsay Sparks gave the Wolverines a 2-0 lead midway through the first period. Treais had opened the scoring three minutes earlier.

Tyler Gron scored on a pair of man-advantage chances in the second period for the No. 17-ranked Wildcats (4-1-1, 1-0-1-0). Michigan’s Kevin Lynch scored his first goal of the season with 59 seconds left in the second period for a 3-2 Wolverines lead.

Hunwick, who was ejected Friday night when the game was still a scoreless tie, returned to the net Saturday and made 23 saves.

Comments

Richard

Sun, Oct 23, 2011 : 3:02 p.m.

Hunwick threw more punches than everyone else combined, yet he gets to play in game 2 while Cherniwchan is suspended for game 2. Figures. Bet the UM coach and players were laughing their butts off for putting one over on the refs over that one. And seeing how UM hockey team can't even beat the nothing NMU team, even with help from the refs, they are in for a long season. They are going to be clobbered when they finally have to face a good team.

Coozerino

Sun, Oct 23, 2011 : 5:02 a.m.

Nice rebound from friday night, this team is shaping up nicely. It should be a fun season!