Michigan takes down No. 3 BC

By Stefan Kubus –   

DETROIT – The Michigan Wolverines came into their GLI semifinal match-up unranked against No. 3 Boston College. That ranking proved just to be a number.

The Wolverines capitalized on the Eagles’ slow start, posting a 4-2 win and clinching a 28th appearance in the Great Lakes Invitational championship game.

Michigan will face in-state rival Michigan State tomorrow night at Joe Louis Arena.

Michigan coach Red Berenson said it was a very hard-fought game that saw both teams go through ups and downs.

“You could see the game could have gone either way,” said Berenson, the longtime Wolverines coach. “It’s a testament to the players and their work ethic.”

In the first period, it was all U of M, as senior assistant captain David Wohlberg sniped a missile past freshman goaltender Brian Billett on a 2-on-1 to give Michigan the 1-0 lead just 1:32 into the game.

The power play proved a valuable asset for the Maize and Blue, as they registered a goal with the man advantage, courtesy of sophomore forward Luke Mofatt. Boston College handed Michigan two other power-play opportunities in the period, while the Wolverines played a very disciplined period, staying out of the box entirely.

The second period saw Boston College bounce back to score two goals and out-shoot U of M 11-5.

Shawn Hunwick, senior goaltender for the Wolverines, answered the call when needed, making 23 saves against the Eagles. Freshman forward Phil Di Giuseppe, fresh off his return from Canada’s World Junior Championship camp, chipped in with an assist on junior forward A.J. Treais’ game-winning goal late in the second.

Michigan senior and team captain Luke Glendening continued his success at the GLI, chipping in with a goal and assist to lead the way for the Wolverines. Glendening’s third-period assist was instrumental in setting up the game-winning goal scored by Treais.

“Treais made a great play at our own blue line, and I gave it back to him. He did the rest from there,” said Glendening, the Wolverines’ captain.

Glendening added that his conditioning was truly the key in his thriving.

“It’s just coming back in shape,” said Glendening, the Grand Rapids native. “It’s important to stay in shape over break, and that’s a big part of my game.”

The Wolverines will get a chance to face their storied rival from East Lansing at the Joe tomorrow night, while Boston College will go on to face Michigan Tech in the consolation game tomorrow afternoon. Huskies head coach Mel Pearson stuck around in the stands, scouting tonight’s game to prepare for tomorrow.

The 47th GLI Championship Game will also feature the last two teams to capture the GLI Championship, as well as the two schools with the most championships overall. Michigan has won the event 14 times, while MSU has taken the title 12 times.

Berenson said this arena has a lot of history, but that it’s also a familiar venue, which should benefit his crew.

“It’s a rink that we’ve got real history and a lot of confidence in,” said Berenson. “This was important for us, and we won the tournament last year, so it helps our upperclassmen (going into tomorrow).”