GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The #16 University of Michigan-Dearborn (6-0-0, 4-0-0) men's ice hockey team found themselves down 2-0 early on the road against the Aquinas College Saints (4-6-0, 2-2-0) on Saturday night. The Wolverines responded by pouring in seven unanswered goals en route to a 7-2 victory.
The Wolverines trailed 2-0 with 10 minutes to play in the 1st period. But as the Wolverines have done when trailing, they quickly responded. At the 9:55 mark, blueliner Ryan Stanley scored an unassisted goal to cut the deficit to one. Two minutes later, the Wolverines were on the penalty kill, and the special teams again flourished as they had done continuously in the young season. Chance Matthews scored a short-handed goal from a Max Hartwell assist, tying the game at two. With 4:21 to play in the period, the Wolverines' top line proved their dominance again, finding Joey Cullinan open in the offensive zone to give them a 3-2 lead going into the first intermission. Bailey Byrd and Brendan West provided assists on the goal.
The Wolverines struck again in the second when West dished out his second assist of the game, this time to Byrd, who scored his sixth goal of the season. Newcomer Dawson Nelson scored his first goal of the season with 3:49 to play in the third to make it 5-2 Wolverines. Josh Makarchuk and A.J. Benit assisted the goal.
UM-Dearborn scored twice in the third period, the first from Mikhail Khudenko off a Matthew assist and the second from Craig McKague with 7:25 to play. Quest Bigelow and Declan Flanagan assisted the goal.
