DEARBORN, Mich. -- The University of Michigan-Dearborn men's ice hockey team fell to Grand Valley State 4-2 on Friday night at the UM-Dearborn Ice Arena. The Wolverines battled hard but were unable to overcome a strong performance by the visiting Lakers.
Grand Valley State jumped to an early lead in the first period, with Kamryn Hellman netting a shorthanded goal at 9:23, giving the Lakers a 1-0 advantage. Despite several opportunities, the Wolverines were unable to find the back of the net in the opening frame, as GVSU goalie Adrian Morales stopped all 12 shots faced.
The Lakers extended their lead in the second period. Hellman scored again at 3:52, assisted by Carson Wood, to make it 2-0. Michigan-Dearborn responded late in the period when Craig McKague cut the deficit to 2-1 with an unassisted goal at 17:18. However, the Wolverines' momentum was short-lived, as the Lakers carried their one-goal lead into the third period.
In the final frame, Grand Valley struck twice to seal the victory. At 5:11, Kyle VanCompernolle found the back of the net, assisted by Joshua Suzio, making it 3-1. VanCompernolle added another goal at 8:53 to increase GVSU's lead to 4-1. Michigan-Dearborn didn't go down without a fight, as Caleb Cathcart scored on the power play at 14:10, with assists from Bailey Byrd and McKague, to cut the lead to 4-2. However, the Wolverines couldn't close the gap, and the Lakers held on for the win.
Grand Valley State finished the game with a 36-33 advantage in shots, with Morales recording 31 saves in the win. UM-Dearborn goalie Isaac Kolasa made 32 saves in the losing effort.
