Near the end of the first period, freshman forward Christian Humphreys received a pass from junior forward T.J. Hughes in the slot and with one slapshot earned the Michigan hockey team its first goal of the night. And for Humphreys, his first goal as a Wolverine meant a little more.
Last year, Humphreys was on the other side of the ice taking a loss to Michigan as a recent alum from the U.S. National Training and Development Program (NTDP). Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato used the exhibition game to give some new faces an opportunity. And Humphreys became the first to show out.
No. 10 Michigan (3-2-1) reaped the benefits of Humphreys and other new players to take a 5-4 overtime win over NTDP (6-6) in Friday’s exhibition game.
When the Wolverines hit the ice in the early minutes of the game, they came out with authority. Between the pressure in the crease and a variety of Michigan players trying to secure a net-front goal, the Wolverines weren’t holding back on their shots. Even with the forceful showing, though, Michigan couldn’t break through.
Until Humphreys got his shot — except this time, for the Wolverines.
Michigan took its 1-0 lead into the locker room and returned to the ice with that same intensity from the beginning of the game. Rather than waiting to make something happen, Hughes converted in the first 12 seconds of the period. He took the puck off the boards, slinging the shot from the faceoff dot and sent it top shelf. In his first goal of the season, Hughes joined the party Humphreys started.
However, Hughes wasn’t the last to put his name on the stat sheet for the first time. With no consequences to the Wolverines record, Naurato utilized the ice time to see who would step up when given the chance. Humphreys and Hughes made themselves known and Michigan continued playing, waiting to see who was next.
While freshman defenseman Hunter Hady has made his presence known on the penalty kill unit so far this season, he got his moment to score on Friday. From a pass to the right side, Hady sent the puck and delivered the Wolverines’ third goal of the night.
In the end of the second period, NTDP snuck its first of the night past graduate goaltender Andrew Albano. Albano earned his first start for the Wolverines after joining the program last season.
After the offense-driven second period, Michigan began the last period with a two-goal lead. Within the first five minutes of the game, NTDP pushed the lead to only one before graduate forward Philippe Lapointe earned his own.
However, the Wolverines didn’t celebrate too long before NTDP replied with two other goals, tying the game. Instead of Michigan coasting to the end of the game with its early dominance as support, it now needed to rely on both the new and old faces to avoid a third period downfall.
With both teams struggling to find the back of the net, the third period ended and sent the game into overtime.
In the final minutes of the game, freshman forward Michael Hage finally cracked through after spending three periods struggling to find the back of the net. While the Wolverines almost let the game slip away, once again a new face to the program finished the job.
The post Michigan relies on new players to clinch 5-4 overtime win over USNTDP appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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