Michigan hockey team reaches NCAA regional final with 5-1 win over Bemidji State

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Red Berenson spent all week talking by the numbers, listing the ways his Michigan hockey team didn't match up with Bemidji State.
The Beavers had a higher-scoring top line. Their power play was more effective. Their penalty had been dominating throughout the season.

On the ice Saturday night, all the numbers tilted in the Wolverines' favor as Carl Hagelin scored twice, leading to a 5-1 victory over No. 2-seed Bemidji State at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

Third-seeded Michigan (26-17-1) advances to Sunday night's 8 p.m. regional final against the tournament's overall No. 1 seed Miami (Ohio). The RedHawks moved on with a 2-1 victory over Alabama-Huntsville in Saturday's other regional semifinal.

Michigan, hoping to advance to the Frozen Four in Detroit to play for its 10th national title, stunned Miami in last weekend's CCHA Tournament semifinal at Joe Louis Arena eight days ago.

But with a chance to move onto the national championships, Berenson and his players realize Sunday's rematch comes with much bigger stakes.

"They're a tremendous team and last week really doesn't matter now," junior goalie Shawn Hunwick said. "It's win or go home just like it was last week and they're going to come out hard and it's going to be a tremendous test for us."

Said Berenson: "It is what it is - we're here, they're here and last week's game just motivated them. We did everything we could to help them get ready for this week. And they did. They're the team to beat, they're the No. 1 seed here and we know we'll have our hands full (Sunday)."

Michigan didn't break the game open until the third period after Louie Caporusso resumed his torrid post-season scoring with a goal with 38 seconds remaining to give the Wolverines a 2-0 lead.

"Any time you give up a goal that late, it can be a little deflating," Bemidji State captain Chris McKelvie said. "That was definitely a preventable goal. You just have to bear down on pucks there."

Despite trailing by two goals, Bemidji State (23-10-4) responded in the third, though, snapping an 0-for-7 drought on the power play. Beavers leading scorer Ian Lowe scored at the 10:24 mark, trimming the Wolverines lead to 2-1.

Almost as quickly, Hagelin responded, beating Bemidji State goalie Dan Bakala two minutes later, extending the Wolverines lead back to two goals. Hagelin then scored again - this time with Michigan playing short-handed - to close out the Beavers before Brian Lebler added a empty netter with 1:58 remaining.

"That third period - we knew we had to win the period," Berenson said. "We had to put the pressure on. If we were on our heels, they could take over the game."

But Bemidji State, which hadn't played in two weeks, failed to capitalize on much of anything. Despite the flurry of early Michigan penalties, the Beavers couldn't manage any serious scoring chances until Lowe's power-play goal finally put Bemidji State on the board.

Beavers coach Tom Serratore believed that if his team couldn't score in the first period, it would have a tough time competing against Michigan's speed. Despite closing the gap to only a goal midway through the third period, Bemidji State couldn't answer once Hagelin scored to extend Michigan's lead back to two goals.

"Every time we had a breakdown, they took advantage of those opportunities," Serratore said. "That's just the sign of a great hockey team. That's the hottest team in the country and that may be the best team in the country right now."

Yet, despite the seven-game winning streak the Wolverines will take into Sunday night's regional finals, Michigan will maintain its role as underdog, again having to win to see its magical post-season run continue.

"Now, we get another day to play," senior defenseman Steve Kampfer said. "We've got to be ready against Miami - it's going to be a tough one and obviously, the winner goes to the Frozen Four. We have to be ready because we know they are."