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 Freshman Tylor Michel had a career-high three points on Sunday. |
March 6, 2005
Plymouth, Mich. - The Wayne State University men's hockey team (14-16-4 overall, 7-9-4 College Hockey America) closed out the regular season with a 6-5 setback to league runner-up Alabama-Huntsville (17-9-4, 14-5-1) Sunday afternoon at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth.
The Warriors started strong scoring three times in the opening period. Freshman right wing Tylor Michel (Sudbury, Ont./Owen Sound Greys) put in a rebound of a Dan Iliakis (Scarborough, Ont./Georgetown Raiders) blueline blast at the 5:09 mark during a Wayne State power play. Sophomore forward Nate Higgins (Calgary, Alb./Green Bay Gamblers) also assisted on Michel's eighth of the season.
WSU increased its lead at the 10:59 mark when Higgins ripped a shot from the top of the circle past UAH starting goalie Scott Munroe. Michel and freshman center Adam Krug (Livonia, Mich./Sioux City Muskeeters) assisted on Higgins' 10th of the campaign.
Sophomore left wing Jason Bloomingburg (Canton, Mich./Texas Tornado) set the WSU single-season goal record as he redirected a shot from the right point by sophomore Matt Boldt (Burnsville, Minn./Billings Bulls). Krug earned his second assist by winning the offensive zone face-off. Bloomingburg's 19th of the year was scored at the 14:50 mark.
The middle stanza was all Huntsville as the Chargers scored five times on 20 shots (UAH held a 20-12 advantage in shots on goal in the frame). Doug Watkins scored his first of the year with a blueline shot at the 2:24 mark. Jeremy Schreiber's power-play goal came 2:56 into the second period. Dominik Rozman tied the game at the 13:21 mark and David Nimmo's wrap-around goal gave UAH a 4-3 lead with 4:58 left in the middle frame. Steve Canter scored at the 17:02 mark.
Bloomingburg scored from the slot on a nice feed from Michel at the 6:50 mark. Taylor Donohoe (Richmond, B.C./Powell River Kings) started the scoring play by keeping the puck in at the left point.
Wayne State tied the game at five with 6:50 left in the third period as Stavros Paskaris (Dearborn, Mich./Kewadin Indians) made a nice play in the neutral zone setting up a two-on-one for the Warriors. Jason Baclig (Leamington, Ont./Leamington Flyers) made a nifty pass across the crease to Iliakis, who drilled in his second lamp-lighter of the season.
UAH's Jared Ross scored the game-winner 22 seconds later on a rush from his defensive blueline.
WSU sophomore goalie Will Hooper (Woodbridge, Ont./Wexford Raiders) made 34 saves in the contest. Munroe stopped 10 of 13 in the opening 20 minutes before being relieved by Marc Narduzzi, who earned the win by turning aside 22 of WSU's final 24 shots. Each team scored one power-play goal in the match (four chances for UAH and seven for WSU).
Notes:
Wayne State finishes fourth in the CHA standings with 18 points, two behind third place Niagara.
The Warriors will skate against Air Force in the CHA second semifinal on Friday (8:35 pm Eastern), while Niagara plays Robert Morris in the first semifinal at 4:35 pm.
The WSU-Air Force winner plays top-seeded Bemidji State at 8:35 pm on Saturday, while Alabama-Huntsville will play the NU-RMU winner.
The six goals allowed by the Warriors is the most since a 7-3 setback to Bowling Green on Nov. 18.
WSU finished 8-7-2 at home including 4-4-2 against CHA foes.
The Warriors fall to 9-5-2 when scoring the first goal and 4-14-2 when trailing after 40 minutes.
Jason Baclig had an assist each game against the Chargers and carries a three-game assist streak into the league playoffs.
Stavros Paskaris had a goal on Saturday and an assist on Sunday extending his point streak to four games (3-3--6).
Tylor Michel had a career-high three points in Sunday's game. Including his goal on Saturday, he has a four-game point streak (2-4--6).
Nate Higgins had a goal each game versus UAH marking the first time this season he had markers in two straight games.
Jason Bloomingburg eclipsed Dustin Kingston's school record of 18 goals with two lamp-lighters on Sunday.
Adam Krug had back-to-back two-assist games this past weekend against UAH. Krug had just two multiple-point games in the first 32 games.
Dan Iliakis had an assist in both contest versus the Chargers marking only the second time this season he had an assist in back-to-back matches (Oct. 22-23 at Merrimack).
