Dearborn, MI - Michigan – Dearborn (5-26-2) ended the season on the biggest high of them all, beating rival Eastern Michigan 2-1 two minutes into overtime on the seniors last night. After falling last night 7-4 in Ann Arbor the Wolves came home for the seniors last night, celebrating their careers before the game. Goaltender Nick Hill would play inspired all night long along with the other seniors making their final apperance.

The first period would be a slow period with very little action, the teams would trade penatlies towards the end of the period with no change in the score. The biggest event of the first period was when EMU goaltender Rob Cupit was announced. Cupit played Goaltender for UMD earlier in this current season before transfering to rival EMU.

In the second period the rivalry would pick up along the boards as the hitting became intense leading to multiple penatlies for both sides. The Eagles would take first advantage of the game by going up 1-0 nearly half way through the period. The Wolves would regain their composure after the goal, something they have been lacking until just recently in the season.

The third period would see the intensity double as EMU understood a win takes them to the playoffs, on the flip side UMD was dearly looking for a crushing win. The penalties would increase towards the end of the game giving UMD a 5-3 chance with 5 minutes left, yet they would not capitalize. It would be with 2 minutes left that freshman Matt McCaig would put the goal in and send the Wolf Pack into a frenzy. But they game would not end easily, the Eagles would have their chance at a 5-3 with just two minutes left. Nick Hill would come up huge on several different shots, preserving the tie.

The game would go into overtime, with the Eagles knowing a win would greatly help their playoff standings. The frenzied crowd, urged on by the students, would continue to push for the final, dramatic win. Just two minutes into the period Matt Chromy would be the hero on his last night in a UMD jersey. He would find the back of the net on a lazer shot beating ex-teammate Rob Cupit. The students would rush the ice in honor of the Seniors final win at UMD.

Congratulations to all the Seniors who played with so much emotion, pride, and determination all year long. We wish you the best of luck!

Newark, DE - Michigan – Dearborn (4-22-1) traveled to the East Coast for this weekends series, against the Delaware Blue Hens, looking to carry the momentum from last Saturdays win against Adrian College. The Wolves would play very well for a great majority of the game, and had solid goaltending for the 3rd straight game by Janiga but they would fall the the #6 ranked Blue Hens, 5-3.

The first period action would see the Blue Hens open up the scoring first on a nice passing play leaving Janiga out to dry. But the Wolves would get one before the period ended to tie it at 1-1.

The second period would bring the Wolves another goal and give them the lead 2-1 going into the second intermission. But it was from there that the Delaware would make its attack. Early in the third period Delaware would push across 2 goals and take a 3-2 lead before Matt Chromy was able to find the back of the net for the Wolves with just over 5 minutes left in the period. Unfortunatley the Blue Hens would strike back in less than a minute and take a 4-3 lead. The Wolves would pull Janiga for the extra attacker in the last minute of play only to concede the 5th and final goal of the game.

The Wolves will take the ice again in Newark at 4:45 on Saturday as they look to leave the East Coast with a split. Tune into www.wumd.org for a live broadcast of the game from Delaware!

Dearborn, MI - Michigan – Dearborn (4-21-1) took the ice tonight against Adrian College in a rematch of last nights 4-3 defeat from Adrian. Both teams would skate hard, in what looked like UMD’s most evenly matched game in this calendar year. The Wolves this time would take the upper hand over the Bulldogs producing their first win in 10 attempts.

The first period started off decently for the Wolves, playing more defense than they probably wanted too and it showed when Adrian would tip a puck into the back of the net to go up early, 1-0. But the Wolves defense would harden and after exchanging power plays the rest of the period revolved mainly around center ice as both teams would make charges but neither team would find the back of the net again for the period.

The second period would start off relatively slowly but would pick up around the 15 th minute when the Wolves would net their first goal of the night off a scramble in front of Adrian’s net. It wouldn’t take long for the Bulldogs to answer though and very soon it was back to a one goal game with Adrian up 2-1, but in a period of goals, the Wolves would skate right back down the ice and quickly knot it back up at 2 goals a piece. A dull in the action would take place but would not last long as UMD would take its first lead of the night with about minutes remaining in the game, 3-2. As the periods trend would dictate, so too must this goal be answered. It was shortly after the Wolves 3 rd goal, Adrian would knock in their 3 rd and the teams would head to the lockers tied back up with a period left in the play.

In the third period the Wolves came out on fire, carrying the momentum from the second period into the third and netting a quick goal only minutes into the third period. The checking began to pick up on UMD’s behalf, and the goaltending by Matt Janiga was outstanding, making huge saves time after time. With 15 minutes left to go in the game UMD was able to knock one more goal in extending their lead to 5-3 and looking very strong. It would be all that the Wolves would need on this night to take it from Adrian College.

Michigan – Dearborn will go on the road next week to face Delaware in a two game series with face-off slated for 8:30 Friday night and 4:45 Saturday afternoon. Listen to the live broadcasts online at www.wumd.org

Dearborn, MI – The poor get poorer and the rich get richer so the saying goes, and tonight proved no different. Michigan – Dearborn stumbled to 3-22-1 on the season after virtually sleep walking through the entire game tonight vs. #3 Lindenwood. When the Final Horn sounded it was 8-0 Lindenwood, and a very upset UMD hockey team. After playing a great game last night it seems the Lions woke up tonight and completely thrashed the Wolves.

Nothing in this game went right, and UMD’s usual 2 nd period meltdown was extended towards the whole game. Although one positive note may have been the teams play in the first period which at times seemed to be aggressive but it was always broken up by sloppy passes and sloppy plays.

The Wolves will take the Ice again next Friday in Adrian, with the faceoff scheduled @ 7:30. The Wolves hope to find their way as they come down the home stretch of the season.

Dearborn, MI – The Wolves took the ice tonight for the first time in nearly a month, and it was by no means a game where the Wolves had time to get used to game speed once again. Facing off against UMD tonight was #1 and undefeated Illinois. The Wolves looked well rested and energetic in the first period when they jumped out to a 1-0 lead early causing the crowd to erupt. Behind the small but boisterous crowd, UMD would find the back of the net only minutes later to go up shockingly 2-0. The lead would not last for long though as the Fighting Illini seemed to regain their composure and picked up their pace, netting a goal shortly after the Wolves put in their second. With the period coming to a close, and the game tied at 2, UMD would punch one more in and take an amazing 3-2 lead at the end of the first period.

But the Wolves would be bitten by the second period bug once more. UMD seemed to play a little more sluggish and almost too overconfident. It would cost them dearly. All period long the wheels would continue to fall off and Illinois would pound in 6 goals as the Wolves were in the penalty box for a majority of the period. So far this year the second period has been the Achilles heel of UMD and once again it proved to be true as they head to the locker rooms down 8-4.

The third period would revisit similar play from the first, with inspired skating by the Wolves but this time matched for the whole period by the Illini. The Wolves would commit too many penalties again in the third period which would give Illinois all the time they need to net three more goals and go up 11-4 before UMD would add to their total again. Knocking in two goals of their own towards the end of the game, the Wolves would get as close as 11-6 before the final horn sounded. The biggest stat of the night would be the second period goal differential, in which the Illini outscored UMD 6-1. Illinois improved to 18-0-0 as the Wolves fell to 3-18-1 overall; Coach Dave Debol and his staff will hopefully find a way to remedy their second period woes for tomorrow night when UMD host Illinois in the final game of the series. Face off will be at 7:30 PM in the Fieldhouse.

Dearborn, MI – The Wolves second period woes would continue on Saturday against top ranked Illinois. The Illini would pound in five goals in the second period, leaving UMD wondering what this weekend could have held if it wasn’t for the second period collapses.

Illinois would come out firing and seemed to take the momentum from Friday nights shootout into Saturday night as just two and a half minutes into the game the Fighting Illini would find the back of the net. From there the Wolves would settle back down and play solid defense and decent offense. Though the Wolves would have the puck in the offensive zone for a period of time, they would not be able to find the net or the goalie as the shots on net were very rare. UMD would head into the locker room down just 1-0.

Again, the second period would see UMD collapse in on itself once again as breakdowns in defense early in the period would allow Illinois to put in a pair of goals. With that the frustration, as well as the penalties, began to mount for the home team and the Illini would take full advantage of a weakened Dearborn by scoring another goal. With the Wolves down 4-0, luck looked like it may be changing when Illinois began to play what some UMD fans would have called dirty play. A crosscheck towards the end of the period would land in the face of one of the Wolves and send the crowd into frenzy calling for the players’ ejection. The Illini would suffer a two minute penalty but would take advantage of even this situation. A key breakdown in the Wolves defense would allow a fast break, shorthanded goal for the Illini as they would head into the intermission with a 6-0 lead.

The third period would bring more physical play and plenty of heavy hits, as the frustration was now clear on the UMD side, as penalties once again pilled up against Dearborn. Illinois would throw in two more goals and watch two of their players be sent back to the locker room by their own coach after some heated play. They would not be alone leaving the rink, as near the closing of the game one of the Wolves would be ejected by the referee for arguing.

All in all, the Wolves are very happy to see the Orange and Blue of Illinois head out of town, as the Maize and Blue looks to regroup for the next weekend where they host Lindenwood University on both Friday and Saturday night with the puck drop scheduled for 7:30 on both nights.