Michigan routs Colgate 11-1 in NCAA hockey regional semifinal
The No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines opened the NCAA hockey tournament with an 11-1 victory against the Colgate Raiders in the Allentown regional semifinal on Friday at PPL Center in Allentown, Pa.
Luke Hughes, a first-round draft choice of the New Jersey Devils, led the Wolverines with two goals and three assists. Rutger McGroarty added a pair of goals with single goals scored by Gavin Brindley, Adam Fantilli, Mark Estapa, Nick Granowicz, Frank Nazar, Dylan Duke and Eric Ciccolini.
UM goalie Erik Portillo made 20 saves, allowing one goal by Nic Belpedio. Michigan scored three power-play goals, added one shorthanded goal and outshot Colgate 52-21. Seventeen Wolverines had at least one point in a season-high 11 goals, the most UM goals in the NCAA Tournament since 1961.
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Colgate goalie Carter Glyander, a seventh-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, allowed eight goals on 24 shots and was pulled in the second period when Michigan scored seven goals, the third most goals in one period in NCAA Tournament history. Colorado College scored 10 goals in a period in 1950.
The Wolverines will face No. 2-seed Penn State in Sunday's regional final (6:30 p.m., ESPN2) after the Nittany Lions defeated Michigan Tech 8-0. Michigan was 3-1 against Penn State in conference play.
"They're (Penn State) a hard team, they trap hard and it's going to be a loud place (on Sunday)," Hughes told ESPN2 after Friday's 11-1 win over Colgate.
The winner of the Michigan-Penn State game from the Allentown regional final will advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa on April 6 to face the winner of the Ohio State/Quinnipiac final from the Bridgeport regional in Bridgeport, Conn. In the semifinals on Friday, Ohio State beat Harvard 8-1 and Quinnipiac blanked Merrimack 5-0. The other weekend finals feature Minnesota against St. Cloud and Cornell against Boston University.
Friday's Michigan game marked its 40th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, tied for most appearances with Minnesota. The Wolverines captured the Big Ten Tournament title with a win over the Golden Gophers last weekend.
