Wolverines fall to Falcons Tuesday night at Yost Ice Arena
By Michael Caples –
ANN ARBOR – For the first time all season, Jon Merrill and Jacob Trouba started a game together, just like Red Berenson had intended many months ago.
However, after 60 minutes of hockey, it didn’t have much of an impact on the scoreboard.
The Wolverines’ struggles continued Tuesday night, as they lost to Bowling Green 5-1 in a lopsided affair at Yost Ice Arena. The loss bumps Michigan’s record to 7-11-2 overall, and 4-8-2-2 in conference play.
“That game shouldn’t have gone that way, but it did,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “The puck went in too easy at one end. We couldn’t generate anything; that five-minute major could have helped us, and we couldn’t get it going. Our scoring chances when it was 2-1; we had great scoring chances, and (Zach) Hyman didn’t score, and (Luke) Moffatt didn’t score. Those chances you have to put them in; we didn’t get a lot of chances. But, give Bowling Green credit; they got the goals they needed, and they played well.”
Michigan’s lone goal came from Moffatt, who tipped in a feed from Mac Bennett 3:03 into the second period. The goal cut the Falcons’ lead to 2-1, but Adam Berkle’s wrist shot just minutes later regained the two-goal cushion for the visitors.
“That is what happens sometimes; the puck doesn’t go in. It is harder to score when you need to score, and when you are playing from behind. We have done that before. Our last Division I opponent was Michigan State at Joe Louis and we were down 2-1 in the third and we came back and had four goals, and we got something going. We were hoping to get a taste of that tonight, and it was not there.”
Adam Janecyk started the game in goal for the Wolverines, but was replaced by Steve Racine for the start of the third period after allowing four BGSU goals through 40 minutes. Racine allowed one goal on 13 shots.
Michigan defenseman Lee Moffie said that his team’s defensive troubles have started with their inconsistency at moving the puck out of their own end.
“We were having a tough time breaking the puck out,” Moffie said. “They had pretty good pressure, and we didn’t do a good job of going back together and communicating with our center and whoever was the first forward back. Breaking the puck down was definitely an issue for us. They got the puck down in our zone, and it led to issues.”
The game marked the first time of the 2012-13 season that both Trouba and Merrill dressed for the Wolverines. Merrill played his first full game after a neck injury suffered in the season exhibition opener, while Trouba was played on short rest after playing for Team USA at the World Juniors. Yet the addition of the two talented defensemen didn’t help solve the Wolverines’ woes.
“I don’t know what the break did for some teams, but I can’t tell you it helped our team. We have been struggling defensively, and we are still struggling defensively. I will say in defense it was Jon Merrill’s first game back and he played well and he played a lot. Our defense was tired.”
Sophomore defenseman Brennan Serville was injured in the first period, while Bennett was injured in the third. Berenson did not know time tables for returns for either of the defensemen.