![]() | ![]() |
![]() |
|
Sunday, March 30 Updated: March 31, 8:54 AM ET Michigan making third straight Frozen Four trip Associated Press |
||||||||||||||
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- It wasn't a surprise to Michigan coach Red Berenson that players who don't usually score goals did so on Sunday. Jason Ryznar's third-period goal broke a tie and Mark Mink scored twice as the Wolverines defeated Colorado College 5-3 in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final to advance to the Frozen Four for the third consecutive season. Michigan (30-9-3) will play Minnesota in an April 10 semifinal game. Colorado College ends the season 30-7-5. Ryznar and Mink each have seven goals this season and Michigan also got a goal from Milan Gajic, who has 11. "Depth is the strength of our team,'' Berenson said. "I think our team understands this is the time to step up if you get a chance.'' Ryznar's wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle beat Curtis McElhinney high on the short side 4:25 into the third period. "I went around the net and (David) Moss did a good job of tying up his man,'' Ryznar said. "I came around and got off a shot as quick as I could. Luckily, it went in.'' Mink added an empty-net goal with 18 seconds remaining. Michigan took a 3-2 lead 1:23 into the second period on Mink's unassisted shorthanded goal, after a turnover by Tiger defenseman Andrew Canzanello. But Brett Sterling's second goal of the game, with 8:03 left, tied it for Colorado College. Both teams scored twice in the first period. Michigan went up 1-0 at 2:22 when Eric Nystrom put in a rebound from the slot. But Colorado College countered with two power-play goals. Both Sterling (8:10) and Peter Sejna (10:42) scored on tap-ins from just off the crease. The Wolverines tied it with 2:42 left in the period when Gajic tipped in a pass from the bottom of the left circle. Michigan got a big boost from playing at home in front of a sellout crowd of nearly 7,000. "Obviously, it's a home ice advantage ... it affected us,'' Colorado College defenseman Tom Preissing said. "But I don't think this was the toughest place we've had to play this year.''
Game notes
|
|