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 Mike Forgie scored the game-winning goal on Friday against Niagara. |
Feb. 16, 2007
DETROIT, Mich. - The Wayne State men's hockey team (9-20-0, 5-10-0 CHA) upset the 17th-ranked team in the country, defeating the Niagara Purple Eagles (17-11-3, 8-4-3 CHA), 6-1, at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum on Friday night.
Five different players had multiple-point games for Wayne State, as the Warriors matched their highest scoring total against the Purple Eagles since a 6-4 win in the semifinals of the CHA Tournament on March 15, 2003.
Niagara, who entered Friday with a 20.0 power-play percentage which ranked 13th in the country, was held to a lone man-advantage tally in nine chances. Wayne State, meanwhile, scored twice in six power-play opportunities.
Jason Bloomingburg (Canton, Mich./Texas Tornado) snapped a five-game scoreless streak with his ninth goal of the season at 9:21 of the opening period, deflecting a shot from Ryan Bernardi (Etobicoke, Ont./Milton Icehawks). Jared Katz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Baystate Breakers) also earned a helper on the play.
The game-winner came at 18:03 of the period on a power-play marker by Mike Forgie (Scarborough, Ont./Stouffville Spirit), who tipped in a shot from Jon Grabarek (Sterling Hts., Mich./Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) with another assist from Bernardi.
Katz' made it a 3-0 game with his ninth goal of the season, from Bloomingburg and Matt Boldt (Burnsville, Minn./Billings Bulls), as he skated from the left wing into the middle and fired a shot from between the circles past Niagara goaltender Juliano Pagliero.
At 4:15 in the second period, Adam Drescher (Belleville, Mich./Wexford Raiders) sent Mark Cannon (River Rouge, Mich./Compuware Ambassadors) ahead for a two-on-one, which he finished himself with his second goal of the year to put the Warriors ahead by four. It marked Drescher's first point of the season and Cannon's second goal.
Niagara would spoil the shutout bid for WSU goaltender Will Hooper (Woodbridge, Ont./Wexford Raiders) as Ted Cook's nation-leading 28th goal and 18th power-play goal of the season put the Purple Eagles on the board at 9:38.
Nate Higgins (Calgary, Alb./Green Bay Gamblers), who has a goal in each of the last three series, netted a power-play goal 62 seconds later to regain Wayne State's four-goal advantage, blasting a shot off the left post and in past Pagliero. Grabarek and Jason Baclig (Leamington, Ont./Leamington Flyers) were credited with assists.
Bloomingburg finished the scoring at 11:10 of the middle stanza, successfully completing a two-on-one with Higgins which was initially set up by Dan Iliakis (Scarborough, Ont./Georgetown Raiders).
Hooper finished with 20 saves, including nine in a scoreless third period, for his second straight victory and third of the season. Pagliero made nine saves in just over 31 minutes of work, while backup goaltender Allen Barton recorded 10 saves in a scoreless 29 minutes of relief.
Wayne State and Niagara will face off at the Coliseum again tomorrow (Feb. 17) at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available at the box office or by calling 1-866-WSU-TIKS.
