DEARBORN, Mich. -- In a thrilling battle for sole possession of second place in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the Cleary Cougars faced off in a close battle on Friday (Feb. 7) at the UM-Dearborn Fieldhouse. Both teams finished regulation tied at 3-3, but Cleary ultimately triumphed in the shootout, winning 2-0, moving the Wolverines to 0-3 on the season in shootouts. 

The game began with early action as UM-Dearborn's Bailey Byrd opened the scoring just 1:10 into the first period with assists from Caleb Cathcart and Justin Renzi. Cleary responded in the latter half of the period, with JC Garbacik finding the net at 9:16 to tie the game 1-1.

The second period was fast-paced and saw both teams score twice. UM-Dearborn took a 2-1 lead at 11:16 through Brenden Paden's goal, assisted by Max Hartwell and Jake Emery. However, Cleary answered with two goals of their own: Dylan Tammadge scored at 18:17, and Brayden Goddard followed up with another at 19:30, making it 3-2 in favor of Cleary. The Wolverines quickly responded, though, with Matt Cunningham tying it up at 18:53, assisted by Jake Emery, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

With no goals in the third period or overtime, the game went to a shootout. Cleary's Braeden Bzovey and JC Garbacik each found the back of the net, while UM-Dearborn's Bailey Byrd and Caleb Cathcart could not score. Cleary ultimately won the shootout 2-0, securing the victory.

Cleary's goaltender, Nick Meyering, made 43 saves on 46 shots, while UM-Dearborn's Drew Adams stopped 21 of 24 shots. The game was highly competitive, with both teams having numerous opportunities, but Cleary's shootout success clinched the victory.