Wohlberg, Hunwick lead Wolverines to series-clinching win

By Michael Caples –

ANN ARBOR – After playing to double overtime last night, the Wolverines were relying on their senior leaders to have a big game in their Yost Ice Arena finale.

They certainly did.

David Wohlberg recorded two goals, and Shawn Hunwick made 25 saves to lead the Wolverines to a 3-1 win over Notre Dame, clinching their spot in the CCHA championship weekend at Joe Louis Arena.

“It was a good feeling, it wasn’t easy,” coach Red Berenson said. “Last night’s game was a game that either team could have won. I thought Hunwick was the difference in that game. Tonight, getting not an early goal but getting the first goal was important and then getting a lead. You knew that Notre Dame would push back and they did. They got back into the game even when we went up 3-1 or 3-0 and they came back and it was still anyone’s game. We had to kill at least two penalties after we got that lead and we did that, whether it was blocking shots or winning face-offs or getting the puck out.”

Wohlberg, a South Lyon native, scored in the final moments of the first period to give the Wolverines a lead they would never relinquish. And his second goal – at the 12:09 mark of the second – proved to be an insurance marker in a 3-1 series-clinching win over the Fighting Irish.

“It’s huge,” Wohlberg said about recording the game’s first goal for hi team. “Notre Dame is a great team and they have great players, and they know how to play with a lead. So we didn’t want to come from behind and we knew that as a team going into it, and it was huge getting those first goals.”

Meanwhile, Hunwick (Sterling Heights) continued his impressive red-shirt senior season, stopping 25 shots on Saturday, for a grand-total of 62 on the weekend.

“I think both nights, early, I mean we scored first yesterday, I think teams were feeling each other out,” Hunwick said. “There wasn’t too many shots early in the game, and then it really opened up in the second period I think in both nights.”

The Wolverines’ netminder said that his team posting the first goal on both nights made his job a little easier.

“Absolutely you want to score first. You never want to play behind the eight ball. I think our team struggles when we don’t get that first goal for whatever reason. So we put our entire focus on getting that first goal — scoring first is huge in this league — going up three nothing was huge, you can give up one and still have a two-goal cushion, and any time you can get goals early is huge for your team.

“I love playing with a lead. It takes the nerves away. Last night, scoring in the second shift of the game was huge. I know we didn’t score for another 80 minutes but scoring first is obviously nice for the goalie.”

Wohlberg’s first goal came at the 18:53 mark of the first period, when he fired a rocket to the top-left corner past goaltender Steven Summerhays.

The Wolverines built on their lead in the second period, when freshman Phil Di Giuseppe tipped a shot from A.J. Treais just enough to fool Summerhays at the 5:33 mark.

Wohlberg fired in his second of the night seven minutes later with a quick release that managed to get through Summerhays.

However, ND’s Peter Schneider responded 19 seconds later, posting the Irish’s first goal and bringing them back to a two-goal deficit. However, it would be the only goal of the game for Notre Dame.

The Wolverines managed to shut down the Notre Dame power-play unit once again, holding them scoreless on five opportunities. On Friday, the Irish were 0-2.

“It’s not surprising that they had a good power play. You look at their personnel and there is a team that has two of the top five or six scorers in the league. They have a great defense and a great coach. They have had a good finish to their year outside of this weekend. Hunwick had to be a penalty killer, (Greg) Pateryn had to block shots like a goalie, as did Luke Glendening and Wohlberg. I thought our seniors really stepped up this weekend.”